Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Application No. 17/805,619

LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE AND DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Jun 06, 2022
Examiner
CLARK, GREGORY D
Art Unit
1786
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
OA Round
2 (Non-Final)
84%
Grant Probability
Favorable
2-3
OA Rounds
3y 2m
To Grant
93%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 84% — above average
84%
Career Allow Rate
1016 granted / 1202 resolved
+19.5% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+8.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 2m
Avg Prosecution
44 currently pending
Career history
1246
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
50.0%
+10.0% vs TC avg
§102
29.6%
-10.4% vs TC avg
§112
8.8%
-31.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1202 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
DETAILED ACTION The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . 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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by OH (US 2018/0114939 A1). Regarding Claims 1-4,OH teaches the light emitting device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment may include a first electrode 110, a light emitting portion 130 that is provided on the first electrode 110 and that includes a plurality of light emitting units and at least one interconnecting layer positioned between ones of the light emitting units that are adjacent to each other, and a second electrode 120 provided on the light emitting portion 130. The at least one interconnecting layer includes a p-type charge generation layer doped with a p-type dopant and an n-type charge generation layer doped with an n-type dopant (paragraph 26): . PNG media_image1.png 566 554 media_image1.png Greyscale The plurality of light emitting units is viewed as meting the limitations of applicant m >= 3, absent unexpected results. The n-type charge generation layer 144 may be formed through a combination of an organic material having the characteristic of the electron transporting layer ETL and an n-type dopant having a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of greater than about −3.0 eV. The n-type dopant may be selected from an alkali metal such as Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and Fr; an alkaline earth metal such as Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ra; and a lanthanide-based metal such as lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), preseodyminum (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and lutetium (Lu) (paragraph 48). The office notes the OH’s device contains a n-type charge generation layer and a p-type charge generation layers The n-type charge generation layer can be doped with alkali metals and lanthanum metals. Given that OH teaches alkali metals or lanthanum metals in n-type charge generation layer along with plurality of light emitting units it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of invention to have formulated a stacked OLED with multiple emitting units along with at least one n-type charge generation layer containing an alkali metal and at least one n-type charge generation layer containing an lanthanum metal which reads on the instant limitations, absent unexpected results. The amount of the alkali metal and lanthanum metal in each n-type charge generation is viewed as a result effective variable determining the efficiency of charge generation between light emitted units which would ultimately impact device lifetime. After a series of performance test, a skill artisan would determine the most effective ratio of each metal in each layer would include the claimed range, absent unexpected results (per claims 1-2). The light emitting portion may emit blue light (paragraph 15)(per claim 3). The light emitting device may further include a color conversion layer on the light emitting portion, the color conversion layer absorbing blue light such that the light emitting device emits red light or green light (paragraph 16) (per claim 4). Regarding Claim 5, OH teaches the device of claim 1. As discussed above the stacked device contains a plurality of light emitting units with alternating charge generating layers (per claim 5). Regarding Claims 6-9, OH teaches the device of claim 1. As discussed above the stacked device contains a plurality of light emitting units. Based on Fig. above each light emitting units is adjacent to a charge generating layer. OH teaches A plurality of light emitting units and at least one interconnecting layer positioned between ones of the light emitting units that are adjacent to each other (paragraph 26). The office interprets the above to mean that there can be multiple charge generation layers alternating between two light emitting units (per claims 6-9). Regarding Claim 10, OH teaches the n-type charge generation layer 144 may be formed through a combination of an organic material having the characteristic of the electron transporting layer ETL and an n-type dopant (paragraph 48). he electron transporting layer ETL may be made of a suitable electron transporting material such as, Bphen (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) (paragraph 44). As Oh teach the organic material of the n-type charge generating layer as the same characteristic of the electron transporting layer ETL and OH teaches that Bphen PNG media_image2.png 288 306 media_image2.png Greyscale is a suitable ETL material. Phen is viewed as the host material for the n-type charge generating layer reading on applicants’ Chemical Formula 1 wherein R1-R2= H; R3 = single bond; multiples of R4 = phenyl (per claim 10). Claims 12, 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by OH (US 2018/0114939 A1) in view of Suh (US 2006/0124924). Regarding Claims 12, 14-20, OH teaches the light emitting device may be used as a light source of a lighting device or a display device (paragraph 74) but fails to mention a transistor. Suh teaches thin film transistor (TFT) and an organic electroluminescent display including the same. The organic electroluminescent display includes: a gate electrode; source and drain electrodes that are insulated from the gate electrode; an organic semiconductor layer that is insulated from the gate electrode and electrically connected to the source and the drain electrodes. The TFT is used in a flat panel display (abstract). As both OH and Suh teach electronic devices used in displays, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing of the invention to have arranged used the display of OH according to a known configuration containing a transistor as taught Suh which reads on the instant limitations, absent unexpected results (per claim 12). The alkali metal includes lithium, and the lanthanum metal includes ytterbium (paragraph 48) (per claim 20). Oh teaches the alkali metal and the lanthanum metal doped in the n-type charge generating layer can be different from each other (paragraph 48) (per claim 14). As discussed above, the office views the amount of the alkali metal and lanthanum metal in each n-type charge generation is viewed as a result effective variable determine the efficiency of charge generation between light emitted units which would ultimately impact device lifetime. After a series of performance test a skill artisan, would determine the most effective ratio of each metal in each layer would include the claimed range, absent unexpected results (per claim 15). The light emitting device (contains the display device) may further include a color conversion layer on the light emitting portion, the color conversion layer absorbing blue light such that the light emitting device emits red light or green light (paragraph 16) (per claim 16). The light emitting device (contains the display device)- As discussed above the stacked device contains a plurality of light emitting units with alternating charge generating layers (per claims17-18). The light emitting device (contains the display device)- As discussed above the stacked device contains a plurality of light emitting units. Based on Fig. above each light emitting units is adjacent to a charge generating layer. OH teaches A plurality of light emitting units and at least one interconnecting layer positioned between ones of the light emitting units that are adjacent to each other (paragraph 26). The office interprets the above to mean that there can be multiple charge generation layers between two light emitting units (per claims 19). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 11 and 13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The prior art of record fails to show: the organic compounds of the charge generating layer(s) (per claim 11). a color conversion part on the light emitting device, wherein the color conversion part includes a first color conversion layer, a second color conversion layer, and a transmission layer that include quantum dots (per claim 13) Response to Arguments 2nd Non-Final Rejection submitted Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY D CLARK whose telephone number is (571)270-7087. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-4PM M-F. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Chriss can be reached on 571-272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /GREGORY D CLARK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jun 06, 2022
Application Filed
Oct 23, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103
Jan 26, 2026
Response Filed
Apr 04, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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POLYMER, QUANTUM DOT COMPOSITION AND LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE EMPLOYING THE SAME
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LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME
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Patent 12584067
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2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

2-3
Expected OA Rounds
84%
Grant Probability
93%
With Interview (+8.2%)
3y 2m
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 1202 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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