DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This office action is responsive to the amendment received on September 12, 2025. Claims 4, 6-18, 25-28, 30, 32-45, and 52-55 are cancelled. Claims 56 and 57 were newly added. Claims 1-3, 5, 29, and 31 were amended. Claims 1-3, 5, 19-24, 29, 31, 46-51, 56 and 57 are pending.
The rejection of claims 2, 29, 31, 32, and 47 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miyake (US 2016/0372677 A1) is withdrawn due to the claim amendment received on September 12, 2025.
The rejection of claims 1-6, 19-24, 29-32, and 46-51 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2017/0194569 A1) is withdrawn due to the claim amendment received on September 12, 2025.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 19-24, 29, 31, 46-51, 56 and 57 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2017/0244047 A1).
Lee teaches compounds of Formula 2 used in a layer between a light emitting layer and an electrode in a light emitting device (see par. 47):
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186
440
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.
In Formula 2, the Ar4 to Ar6 groups may be selected as aryl or heterocyclic (see par. 48). L1 to L3 may be selected as single bond or C6 to C60 arylene (see par. 54). More preferably, Ar4 may be a naphthyl per Formula 8 (see par. 60):
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148
278
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More specifically, a L1 to L3 may be phenylene bonding at any of the positions including meta positions (see par. 62):
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110
92
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.
Compounds shown in par. 64 further show corresponding specific -L1-Ar4, -L2-Ar6, and -L3-Ar5 groups suitable for forming Formula 2 compounds. Note that at least compound 2-11 shows terphenyl group and dibenzothiophene, compounds 2-21 and 2-30 show dibenzofuran, compounds 2-37 to 2-39 show phenyl-naphthyl groups, and compounds 2-66 and 2-67 show phenyl-naphthyl groups with a meta-linking phenylene. While not exemplified within a single example compound, Lee defines L1 to L3 and Ar4 to Ar6 groups for Formula 2 structures to include groups the same as claimed for both independent claim 1 and independent claim 2 compounds as well as the dependent compound and material claims (claims 3, 5, 19, 20, 29, 31, 46, 47, 56, and 57). Further regarding claims 5 and 31, alkyl substitution groups are not required to be present, but alkyl groups are described by Lee (see par. 41 and 20-35). Regarding claims 19 and 46, groups may comprise deuterium substituents (see page 17). Regarding claims 20-24 and 47-51, the compounds are for an auxiliary layer of a hole transporting region of a light emitting device (see par. 47) that comprises an additional hole transporting layer where the device has the same layered structure as claimed. Given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to form Lee Formula 2 compounds comprised of defined groups as discussed above including specifically at least one meta-phenylene to naphthyl group, wherein the resultant compounds would also meet the limitations of the instant claims. One would expect to achieve an operational device including a monoamine compound within the disclosure of Lee with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
While the instant specification does discuss some inventive and comparative examples (Table 2; par. 450 as filed), the comparisons are not considered commensurate in scope with what is fairly taught and suggested by Lee and also the inventive compounds are not fully commensurate with the scope of currently claimed compounds of claims 1 and 2.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dawn Garrett whose telephone number is (571)272-1523. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday (Eastern Time).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Boyd can be reached at 571-272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAWN L GARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786