DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 09/30/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 1 and 12, the amended limitation “the third hole transport layer comprises T2T and has an anisotropic refractive index in the thickness direction and the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction” would render the claims indefinite since the abbreviation/term “T2T” is not expressively defined in the claims. Furthermore, when the abbreviation/term “T2T” is also considered in light of the specification in the instant application, paragraph 78 discloses “The anisotropic refractive index of the above respective layers in the thickness direction and the vertical thickness direction can be realized through material selection on one hand and process control on the other hand. For example, a refractive index of T2T in the thickness direction is 1.83, and a refractive index of T2T in the vertical thickness direction is 1.67. T2T can be selected as the third hole transport layer HTL3” (See Fig. 5 and paragraph 78). There are no other paragraphs disclosing the abbreviation/term “T2T” in the instant application. In other words, the specification does not provide a clear definition or a chemical formula for the abbreviation/term “T2T” used for the hole transport layer of the OLED display device. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art would not find one universally recognized compound for the abbreviation/term “T2T” for the hole transport layer of the OLED display device with the claimed material characteristics “a refractive index of T2T in the thickness direction is 1.83, and a refractive index of T2T in the vertical thickness direction is 1.67”. Accordingly, after considering all of the evidence of record and reasons discussed above, one of ordinary skill in the art cannot determine with reasonable certainty what the abbreviation/term “T2T” in the claims clearly covers and therefore renders the claims indefinite. Claims 2-11 and 13-20, which depend from claims 1 and 12, are also rejected by virtue of their dependencies.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to amended claims 1 and 12 have been considered but are moot in view of new ground of rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as set forth above in this Office Action.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL B WHALEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3418. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8AM-5PM.
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/DANIEL WHALEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
