DETAILED ACTION
This Notice is responsive to communication filed on 03/10/2026.
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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 03/10/2026 under 37 CFR 1.111 has been entered. Claims 1, 2, 6, 13, 14, 17, and 19 remain pending in the application.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: C. Claim will be examined using the latter interpretation.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 6, 13, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuo et al. (US 20170133357).
Regarding claim 1, Kuo discloses a display module comprising:
a display panel Fig. 4: 100d comprising a substrate Fig. 4: 110,
a plurality of light emitting elements Fig. 4: 130a mounted on the substrate Fig. 4: 110,
a bank portion Fig. 4: 140a1 disposed on the substrate Fig. 4: 110 to space the plurality of light emitting elements Fig. 4: 130a apart from each other,
color conversion layers Fig. 4: 160 disposed in cells defined by the bank portion Fig. 4: 140a1 to cover the light emitting elements Fig. 4: 130a, and
an encapsulation layer Fig. 4: 120 covering the bank portion Fig. 4: 140a1 and the color conversion layers Fig. 4: 160; and
a driving circuit (para. 0035: TFTs, source, drain, common electrode, conductive structure) disposed on the substrate Fig. 4: 110 and configured to generate a driving signal of the plurality of light emitting elements Fig. 4: 130a,
wherein the bank portion Fig. 4: 140a1 comprises:
a first layer Fig. 4: 142a1 having a thickness less than a height of an active layer of the light emitting element Fig. 4: 130a (shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 1D; para. 0035-36 teaches a same height between the LED and the whole bank layer); and
a second layer Fig. 4: 144a1 disposed on the first layer Fig. 4: 142a1, spaced apart from a side surface of the light emitting element Fig. 4: 130a, and configured to reflect light emitted from the side surface of the light emitting element Fig. 4: 130a (para. 0039), and
wherein at least one of the color conversion layers Fig. 4: 160 is disposed in a space between the bank portion Fig. 4: 140a1 and a side surface of the light emitting element Fig. 4: 130a, and in a space between an upper surface of the substrate Fig. 4: 110 and a bottom surface of the light emitting element Fig. 4: 130a (shown in Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 2, Kuo discloses the display module according to claim 1, wherein the first layer Fig. 4: 142a1 has a blackish color (para. 0039, black photoresist).
Regarding claim 6, Kuo discloses the display module according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the second layer Fig. 4: 144a1 is at a location higher than a light emitting surface of the light emitting element Fig. 4: 130a (shown in Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 13, Kuo discloses the display module according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element Fig. 4: 130a comprises a blue micro light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit blue light (para. 0035), and wherein the color conversion layer Fig. 4: 160 is configured to convert the blue light emitted from the blue micro LED into red light or green light (para. 0039 teaches converting blue to red).
Regarding claim 17, Kuo discloses the display module according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element Fig. 4: 130a comprises a blue micro light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit blue light and a green micro LED configured to emit green light (para. 0035), and wherein the color conversion layer Fig. 4: 160 corresponding to the red light is configured to convert the blue light emitted from the blue micro LED into red light (para. 0044 teaches conversion layer 160 with red phosphors covering the blue light LED).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuo et al. (US 20170133357) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (US 20200373359).
Rejection Note: Italicized claim limitations indicate limitations that are not explicitly disclosed in the primary reference, but disclosed in the secondary reference(s).
Regarding claim 14, Lee discloses the following claim limitations not disclosed by Kuo: the display module according to claim 1:
wherein the first layer Fig. 4A: SP has a light reflectivity of approximately 9% or less.
Lee discloses a transmittance of the first layer (i.e. spacer layer SP) greater or equal to 95% in (para. 0113) having a low reflective index (para. 0115).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kuo with Lee in order to effectively increase the luminous efficiency and brightness of the display panel (para. 0115).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bibl et al. (US 20140339495) and further in view of Lee et al. (US 20200373359).
Rejection Note: Italicized claim limitations indicate limitations that are not explicitly disclosed in the primary reference, but disclosed in the secondary reference(s).
Regarding claim 19, Bibl discloses an electronic device Fig. 12: 1200 comprising:
a display module comprising a display panel Fig. 4D comprising a substrate Fig. 4D: 201,
a plurality of light emitting elements Fig. 4D: 100 mounted on the substrate Fig. 4D: 201,
a bank portion Fig. 4D: 202+324 disposed on the substrate Fig. 4D: 201 to space the plurality of light emitting elements Fig. 4D: 100 apart from each other,
color conversion layers Fig. 4D: 110 disposed in cells defined by the bank portion Fig. 4D: 202+324 to cover the light emitting elements Fig. 4D: 100,
an encapsulation layer Fig. 5: 500 (para. 0077) covering the bank portion Fig. 4D: 202+324 and the color conversion layers Fig. 4D: 110, and
a driving circuit Fig. 12: 1240 disposed on the substrate Fig. 4D: 201 and configured to generate a driving signal of the plurality of light emitting elements Fig. 4D: 100 (para. 0083); and
a processor Fig. 12: 1210 configured to control the driving circuit Fig. 12: 1240 to generate a driving signal for controlling light emission of the plurality of light emitting elements Fig. 4D: 100 (para. 0083),
wherein the bank portion Fig. 4D: 202+324 comprises at least two layers including:
a first layer Fig. 4D: 324 having a thickness less than a height of an active layer of the light emitting element Fig. 4D: 100 (shown in Fig. 4D); and
a second layer Fig. 4D: 202 disposed on the first layer Fig. 4D: 324, spaced apart from a side surface of the light emitting element Fig. 4D: 100, and configured to reflect light emitted from the side surface of the light emitting element Fig. 4D: 100 (para. 0043 teaches a white matrix material to reflect), and
wherein the first layer has a reflectivity less than a reflectivity of the second layer, and
wherein the color conversion layer Fig. 4D: 110 is disposed in a space between the bank portion Fig. 4D: 202+324 and a side surface of the light emitting element Fig. 4D: 100, and in a space between an upper surface of the substrate Fig. 4D: 201 and a bottom surface of the light emitting element Fig. 4D: 100 (shown in Fig. 4D).
Lee discloses the following claim limitations not disclosed by Bibl:
where the first layer Fig. 4: SP has a reflectivity less than a reflectivity of the second layer Fig. 4: MT.
Lee discloses a reflective layer MT (i.e. second layer) with a reflectance of about 70% to 80%, and a spacer layer (i.e. first layer) with a transmittance greater or equal to 95% in (para. 0113) having a low reflective index (para. 0115). This would equate to a second layer with a higher reflectivity than a first layer.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kuo with Lee in order to effectively increase the luminous efficiency and brightness of the display panel (para. 0115).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 19 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.
Conclusion
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/Nkechinyere Esiaba/Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/Kretelia Graham/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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