Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 17/819,433

LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE, LIGHT-EMITTING APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE, AND LIGHTING DEVICE

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Aug 12, 2022
Examiner
CLARK, GREGORY D
Art Unit
1786
Tech Center
1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering
Assignee
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
84%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
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 . Elected Species PNG media_image1.png 596 960 media_image1.png Greyscale A search of the prior art did not show the elected species. As no claims where specifically drawn to applicants’ elected species in independent form, no claims have been indicated as allowable. Claims written in independent form which require all the limitations of the elected species along with any dependent claims which require all the limitations of the elected species would be allowable. Under MPEP 803.02, the search was expanded to find an examinable species. Examinable Species The examinable species are represented by: Subspecies A = PNG media_image2.png 254 242 media_image2.png Greyscale (page 16) Subspecies B= PNG media_image3.png 218 342 media_image3.png Greyscale (paragraph 207) PNG media_image4.png 428 414 media_image4.png Greyscale Subspecies C= Klu-14pg by 2,2'-Bis (4-N,N-diphenyl aminophenyl)-9,9'-spirobi[9H-fluorene (Klu-14pg ) PNG media_image5.png 276 468 media_image5.png Greyscale One of R1-R10 = diarylamino (page 14) The examinable species reads on 1-2, 11-16. Claims 3-10 are withdrawn from further consideration as not reading on the examinable species. .. 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 1-2, 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Klubek (US 2006/0141287 A1). Regarding Claim 1, Klubek teaches an organic light-emitting device includes a substrate, an anode and a cathode disposed over the substrate, and a light-emitting layer disposed between the anode and the cathode (abstract). The light-emitting layer included a dopant (applicants’ fluorescent light emitting) (paragraph 22), a first host, and a second host (paragraph 23). The dopant is represented by Fluorescent dopant DCJ (page 16) PNG media_image2.png 254 242 media_image2.png Greyscale The first host (anthracene) (applicant first compound, anthracene) is represented by Formula f: PNG media_image3.png 218 342 media_image3.png Greyscale The second host (arylamine) (applicants’ second compound) is represented by 2,2'-Bis (4-N,N-diphenyl aminophenyl)-9,9'-spirobi[9H-fluorene (Klu-14pg ) PNG media_image5.png 276 468 media_image5.png Greyscale One of R1-R10 = diarylamino (per claim 1). Regarding Claim 2, Klubek teaches the organic light-emitting device of claim 1 and no exciplex formation is taught for host 1 and 2 (per claim 2). Regarding Claim 12, Klubek teaches the organic light-emitting device of claim 1. The device can emit a blue color (paragraph 84)(per claim 12). Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Klubek (US 2006/0141287 A1) in view of Seki (US 2013/0105785). Regarding Claim 13, Klubek teaches the organic light-emitting device of claim 1 but fails to mention an apparatus and transistor. Seki teaches an image display apparatus(light emitting apparatus) including an organic light-emitting device and a thin-film transistor (TFT) device wherein the anode or a cathode of the organic light-emitting device is connected to a drain electrode or a source electrode of the TFT device. The thin-film transistor device serves as a device configured to apply an electrical current to the organic light-emitting device (paragraph 52). The organic light-emitting device also contains a color filter (paragraph 50). As both Klubek and Seki teaches organic light-emitting devices and Seki teaches an organic light-emitting device configured in an electronic apparatus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to have used the organic light-emitting device of Klubek in known application areas which would have included in an electronic apparatus as taught by Seki which reads on the instant limitations, absent unexpected results (per claim 13). Claims 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Klubek (US 2006/0141287 A1) in view of Park (US 2017/0012188 A1). Regarding Claims 13-16, Klubek teaches the organic light-emitting device of claim 1 but fails to mention an apparatus, electronic appliance, and light device. Park teach light-emitting apparatus may include at least one light-emitting device (paragraph 112). The light-emitting device mounted on a side adjacent to a light emission surface of the light guide plate to create an optical sheet wherein a display panel emits the light across an array substrate including thin film transistor (paragraph 161). The light-emitting device is included in a light source module (light device) (paragraph 166). The light source module may be arranged to emit light toward the opened side of the housing (paragraph 167). A reflection plate uniformly disperses light from the light source (paragraph 179). A communication module (communication unit) may be mounted on the reflection plate to control the lighting apparatus for electronic appliances such as vehicle systems, TVs, refrigerators, and air conditioners (paragraph 180). As both Klubek and Park teach light emitting device and Park teaches a light emitting device used in a light-emitting apparatus such as a lighting device via a display panel containing thin film transistors producing light connected to a housing directed to a commination unit controlling electronic appliances, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to have used the organic light-emitting device of Klubek in known application areas as taught by Park which reads on the instant limitations, absent unexpected results (per claim 13-16). Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Klubek (US 2006/0141287 A1) as evidenced by Zhao (Scientific Reports, 2015) Regarding Claim 11, Klubek teaches the organic light-emitting device of claim 1 containing fluorescent dopant DCJ. Zhao teaches a triplet energy of 5.4eV and a singlet energy of 3.2eV for DCJ with a difference of 2.2eV (per claim 11). 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

Aug 12, 2022
Application Filed
Jan 03, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12604655
POLYMER, QUANTUM DOT COMPOSITION AND LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE EMPLOYING THE SAME
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Patent 12584066
LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Patent 12584067
COMPOUND, MATERIAL FOR ORGANIC ELECTROLUMINESCENT ELEMENT, ORGANIC ELECTROLUMINESCENT ELEMENT, AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Patent 12581793
ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE AND PREPARATION METHOD THEREFOR, DISPLAY PANEL, AND DISPLAY DEVICE
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Patent 12577202
ORGANIC ELECTROLUMINESCENT MATERIALS AND DEVICES
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

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
84%
Grant Probability
93%
With Interview (+8.2%)
3y 2m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1202 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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