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 October 27, 2025. Claims 1 and 8 were amended. Claim 3 was cancelled. Claims 11-18 were added. Claims 1, 2, and 4-18 are pending.
The objection to claims 3 and 8 set forth in the last office action is withdrawn due to the claim amendment.
The rejection of claims 1 and 3 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by WO 2020/251049 A1 is withdrawn due to the claim amendment received October 27, 2025.
The rejection of claims 1, 2, 4-7, and 9 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hatakeyama et al. (WO 2018/0212169 A1) ) (where US 2020/0190115 was cited as the English language translation) is withdrawn due to the claim amendment received October 27, 2025.
The rejection of claims 1-10 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2020/251049 A1 is withdrawn due to the claim amendment received October 27, 2025.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hatakeyama et al. (WO 2018/0212169 A1) (where US 2020/0190115 was cited as the English language translation) is withdrawn due to the claim amendment received October 27, 2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by WO 2020/251049 A1 (patent document cited by applicant; note that a description summary in English was attached to the last office action and a partial translation copy is attached to this office action).
WO 2020/251049 discloses the following compound at the top of page 173 (of the WO document):
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The compound is identical to instant compound 53 of instant claim 11. The compound anticipates claim 11.
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 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2020/251049 A1 (cited by applicant and description summary in English was attached to last office action).
WO ‘049 teaches at least formulas 7, 8, and 9 on page 10, which encompass instant compounds of claim 11 (see par. 19, page 10 and associated definitions of variables such as within the abstract and par. 11-23; further see partial translation copy provided with this office action):
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(also see specific compounds within paragraph 37 on page 28 and see groups and atoms representative of formula variables within compounds starting at page 27 of the WO document).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed compounds according to definitions for formulas taught in WO ‘049, because one would expect compounds as defined and described to be useful in a light emitting device. One would expect to achieve operational devices using compounds within the disclosure of WO ‘049 with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding the device claims 12 and 13, the polycyclic compound is used in the emitting layer of a device in combination with an anthracene host (see English description provided with this office action). With respect to claim 14, the following anthracene formula is taught at page 647 (par. 815) of the WO document:
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Further regarding claim 14 and claims 15 and 16, at least the below specific compound 3-79 is taught in par. 872 on page 668, which is identical to instant compound C20:
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Regarding claim 17, WO ‘049 teaches the product and the claim is a product-by-process type of claim (see MPEP 2113). Regarding claim 18, use of the device for at least a display panel of a motor vehicle is discussed in the English description.
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 compounds for a device according to the reference as described above wherein the resultant compounds and devices would also meet the limitations of the instant claims. One would expect to achieve an operational device having the compound(s) as disclosed by WO ‘049 with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 2, and 4-10 are allowed. The closes prior art is considered to include Hatakeyama et al. (WO 2018/0212169 A1) and reference WO 2020251049, which were both discussed in the last office action. The references fail to teach or to suggest the very specific structures of amended claim 1 requiring a specific Q3 ring group within a core structure of instant Formula A.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered and the previous rejections were overcome by the claim amendment as explained above in this office action. The new claims 11-18 have been rejected as set forth above. Prior art anticipates and/or renders obvious compounds for devices as recited within new claims 11-18 as explained in this office action.
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
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