DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/12/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 7, 17 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1)/a(2) as being anticipated by Im et al. (WO 2021045605 A1, please see the machine translation attached in the office action mailed on 12/22/2025).
Regarding claim 1, Im et al. teach in Figs. 10 and 11a, a pixel (Figs. 10 and 11a) comprising: a first electrode (ELT1/CNE1; [0094, 0150]) and a second electrode (ELT2/CNE2; [0094, 0150]) spaced apart from each other along a first direction (DR1; Fig. 10); first light-emitting elements (the left column LDs) arranged along a second direction (DR2; Fig. 10) in a first area (AR1; see Fig. 11a below) between the first electrode (ELT1/CNE1) and the second electrode (ELT2/CNE2), and comprising a first end portion (the left end portion of LD) adjacent to the first electrode (ELT1/CNE1) and a second end portion (the right end portion of LD) adjacent to the second electrode (ELT2/CNE2); a first contact electrode (CNE1; [0150]) directly contacting the first end portions (the left end portion of LDs) of the first light-emitting elements (the left column LDs; see Figs. 10 and 11a); a second contact electrode (CNE2; [0150]) directly contacting the second end portions (the right end portion of LDs) of the first light-emitting elements (the left column LDs; see Figs. 10 and 11a), and comprising a different material from the first contact electrode (CNE1; CNE1 and CNE2 can have at least one conductive material different from each other as disclosed in [0295], which is related to Fig. 13h ([0293]), one of the steps of making the embodiment of Figs. 10 and 11A as disclosed in [0274]); a first bank pattern (BNK1; [0275]) overlapping a portion of the first electrode (ELT1/CNE1) beneath the first electrode (ELT1/CNE1); and a second bank pattern (BNK2; [0275]) overlapping a portion of the second electrode (ELT2/CNE2) beneath the second electrode (ELT2/CNE2), wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) and the second bank pattern (BNK2) are spaced apart by different distances (different distances from BNK1 to the left end of AR1 and from BNK1 to the right end of AR1; and different distances from BNK2 to the left end of AR1 and from BNK2 to the right end of AR1) in the first direction (DR1 in Fig. 10, i.e. the horizontal direction in Fig. 11a) from opposite sides of the first area (the left side and the right sides of AR1; see Fig. 11a below) on a same layer (PSV, [0195]).
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Fig. 11a showing the first area AR1
Regarding claim 2, Im et al. teach the pixel according to claim 1, wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) is spaced apart from the first area (AR1) by a first distance in the first direction (DR1), and wherein the second bank pattern (BNK2) is spaced apart from the first area (AR1) in the first direction (DR1) by a second distance that is shorter than the first distance (see Fig. 11a above).
Regarding claim 7, Im et al. teach the pixel according to claim 1, wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) comprises: a first portion (a portion near the edge of BNK1) comprising a lower area having a height at or below a middle height of the first bank pattern (BNK1); and a second portion (a portion of BNK1 at the center of BNK1) comprising an upper area having a height at or above the middle height of the first bank pattern (BNK1), and wherein the first portion has a slope or an inclination (a slope about 45 degrees) that is greater than that of the second portion (a slope about 0 degrees of a portion of BNK1 at the center of BNK1 ) on a surface (the top horizontal surface and the right sidewall surface of BNK1) where the first bank pattern (BNK1) faces the first light-emitting elements (the left column LDs; see Figs. 10 and 11a).
Regarding claim 17, Im et al. teach the pixel according to claim 1, wherein the first light-emitting elements (the left column LDs) comprise an active layer (12; Fig. 3b, [0043]) between the first end portion (EP1; Fig. 3b, [0045]) and the second end portion (EP2; Fig. 3b, [0045]) and closer to the first end portion (EP1) than to the second end portion (EP2).
Regarding claim 19, Im et al. teach in Figs. 10 and 11a, a display device ([0001]) comprising a pixel (Figs. 10 and 11a) in a display area ([0004]), the pixel (Figs. 10 and 11a) comprising: a first electrode (ELT1/CNE1; [0094, 0150]) and a second electrode (ELT2/CNE2; [0094, 0150]) spaced apart from each other along a first direction (DR1; Fig. 10); first light-emitting elements (the left column LDs) arranged along a second direction (DR2; Fig. 10) in a first area (AR1; see Fig. 11a above) between the first electrode (ELT1/CNE1) and the second electrode (ELT2/CNE2), and comprising a first end portion (the left end portion of LD) adjacent to the first electrode (ELT1/CNE1) and a second end portion (the right end portion of LD) adjacent to the second electrode (ELT2/CNE2); a first contact electrode (CNE1; [0150]) directly contacting the first end portions (the left end portion of LDs) of the first light-emitting elements (the left column LDs; see Figs. 10 and 11a); a second contact electrode (CNE2; [0150]) directly contacting the second end portions (the right end portion of LDs) of the first light-emitting elements (the left column LDs; see Figs. 10 and 11a), and comprising a different material from the first contact electrode (CNE1; CNE1 and CNE2 can have at least one conductive material different from each other as disclosed in [0295], which is related to Fig. 13h ([0293]), one of the steps of making the embodiment of Figs. 10 and 11A as disclosed in [0274]); a first bank pattern (BNK1; [0275]) overlapping a portion of the first electrode (ELT1/CNE1) beneath the first electrode (ELT1/CNE1); and a second bank pattern (BNK2; [0275]) overlapping a portion of the second electrode (ELT2/CNE2) beneath the second electrode (ELT2/CNE2), wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) and the second bank pattern (BNK2) are spaced apart by different distances (different distances from BNK1 to the left end of AR1 and from BNK1 to the right end of AR1; and different distances from BNK2 to the left end of AR1 and from BNK2 to the right end of AR1) in the first direction (DR1 in Fig. 10, i.e. the horizontal direction in Fig. 11a) from opposite sides of the first area (the left side and the right sides of AR1; see Fig. 11a above) on a same layer (PSV, [0195]).
Regarding claim 20, Im et al. teach the display device according to claim 19, wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) is spaced apart from the first area (AR1; see Fig. 11a above) in the first direction (DR1) by a greater distance than the second bank pattern (BNK2), and wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) protrudes at a height (the height at the center of BNK1) that is higher than that of the second bank pattern (the height of BNK2 near the edge of BNK2) in a third direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 11a) crossing the first direction (DR1) and the second direction (DR2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Im et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2021/0335765 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Im et al. teach the pixel according to claim 1, wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) and the second bank pattern (BNK2).
Im et al. do not teach the first bank pattern and the second bank pattern have different maximum widths in the first direction.
In the same field of endeavor of display, Lee et al. teach the first bank pattern (41_10; Fig. 35, [0220]) and the second bank pattern (42_10; Fig. 35, [0220]) have different maximum widths (maximum horizontal width; see Figs. 34-35) in the first direction (the horizontal direction in Fig. 35).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the inventions of Im et al. and Lee et al., and to have first bank pattern and the second bank pattern having different maximum widths in the first direction as taught by Lee et al., because Im et al. teach that the first bank pattern BNK1 and the second bank pattern BNK2 are the left one and the center one of the three-bank-pattern pixel (Fig. 10 and [0268] of Im et al.), but is silent about the widths of these bank patterns, while Lee et al. teach that the edge bank pattern 42_10 can be made wider to cover the areas between the pixels ([0220]).
Regarding claim 4, Im et al. teach the pixel according to claim 3, wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) has a first width (the horizontal width of the bottom end of BNK1) in the first direction (DR1), and wherein the second bank pattern (BNK2) has a second width (the horizontal width of the top end of BNK1) in the first direction (DR1) that is narrower than the first width (the horizontal width of the bottom end of BNK; see Fig. 11a).
Claim(s) 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Im et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Son et al. (KR 20180135342 A, please see the machine translation attached in this office action).
Regarding claim 5, Im et al. teach the pixel according to claim 1, wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) and the second bank pattern (BNK2).
Im et al. do not teach the first bank pattern and the second bank pattern have different respective maximum heights in a third direction that crosses the first direction and the second direction.
In the same field of endeavor of display, Son et al. teach the first bank pattern (BK1; Fig. 7, [0062]) and the second bank pattern (BK2; Fig. 7, [0062]) have different respective maximum heights in a third direction (vertical direction in Fig. 7) that crosses the first direction (the horizontal direction parallel to the paper of Fig. 7) and the second direction (the horizontal direction perpendicular the paper of Fig. 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the inventions of Im et al. and Son et al., and to have the first bank pattern and the second bank pattern having different respective maximum heights as taught by Son et al., because the different heights of the bank patterns can increase the viewing for the used as taught by Son et al. ([0062]).
Regarding claim 6, Im et al. teach the pixel according to claim 5, wherein the first bank pattern (BNK1) has a first height (the height at the center of BNK1) in the third direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 11a), and wherein the second bank pattern (BNK2) has a second height (the height of BNK2 near the edge of BNK2) in the third direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 11a) that is less than the first height (the height at the center of BNK1).
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Im et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kong et al. (US 2022/0068901 A1).
Regarding claim 18, Im et al. teach further comprising the first light-emitting elements (the left column LDs) and the first area (AR1).
Im et al. do not teach a light conversion layer on the first light-emitting elements in an emission area comprising the first area, the light conversion layer comprising at least one of wavelength conversion particles and light-scattering particles.
In the same field of endeavor of display device, Kong et al. teach a light conversion layer (LCP; Fig. 7, [0199]) on the first light-emitting elements (LD; Fig. 7, [0203]) in an emission area (the area above the LD; Fig. 7, [0203]) comprising the first area (a portion of area above LD between the left end and the right end of LD; Fig. 7, [0203]), the light conversion layer (LCP) comprising at least one of wavelength conversion particles and light-scattering particles ([0204]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the inventions of Im et al. and Kong et al., and to further include the light conversion layer, because Kong et al. teach that the light conversion layer enables the device to create a full-color image ([0205]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1 and 19 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Park et al. (US 2021/0336088 A1) teach a display device having multiple electrodes connected to the light emitting device.
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/HSIN YI HSIEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899 3/26/2026