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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/10/2026 has been entered.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 4-5, 10-11, 14, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2021/0013430 A1; hereinafter “Lee”).
Regarding claim 1, referring to Fig. 1 and related text, Lee teaches a light-emitting device comprising: a first electrode (EL1) (paragraph 36); a second electrode (EL2) (paragraph 36); a first unit (an upper-half portion of HTR, EML, and ETR) (paragraph 36); and a first layer (a lower-half portion of HTR) (paragraph 36), wherein the second electrode comprises a region overlapping with the first electrode (Fig. 1), wherein the first unit comprises a region positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode (Fig. 1), wherein the first unit comprises a second layer (EML), a third layer (ETR), and a fourth layer (the upper-half portion of HTR) (paragraph 36), wherein the second layer comprises a region positioned between the third layer and the fourth layer (Fig. 1), wherein the second layer comprises a light-emitting material (a material for EML) (paragraphs 50-86), wherein the third layer comprises a region positioned between the second layer and the second electrode (Fig. 1), wherein the third layer is in contact with the second layer (Fig. 1), wherein the third layer comprises a first material (ETR comprising 2,4,6-tris(3′-(pyridin-3-yl)biphenyl-3-yl)-1,3,5-triazine) and one of an organometallic complex of an alkali metal and an organometallic complex of an alkaline earth metal (ETR comprising lithium quinolate (LiQ)) (paragraphs 105-109), wherein the fourth layer comprises a region positioned between the first electrode and the second layer (Fig. 1), wherein the fourth layer comprises a second material (the upper-half portion of HTR including a material for HTR) (paragraphs 43-46), wherein the first layer comprises a region positioned between the first electrode and the first unit (Fig. 1), wherein the first layer comprises the second material and a compound comprising at least one of a halogen group and a cyano group (the lower portion of HTR including the material for HTR listed in paragraph 46 and a charge generating material of a cyano group-containing compound) (paragraphs 43-48), wherein the second material has a first refractive index, wherein the first refractive index is higher than or equal to 1.5 and lower than or equal to 1.75 in a wavelength range of 455 nm to 465 nm inclusive (for example, the material for HTR such as 4,4′-cyclohexylidene bis[N,N-bis(4-methylphenyl)benzeneamine (TAPC) has a known refractive index value about 1.68-1.73 at visible light wavelength as a material property) (paragraph 46), wherein the second material has a first highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level, and wherein the first highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level is higher than or equal to −5.7 eV and lower than or equal to −5.3 eV (for example, the material for HTR such as TAPC has a known HOMO value about -5.5 eV as a material property) (paragraph 46).
Regarding claim 3, Lee teaches wherein the first material has a second refractive index, and wherein the second refractive index is higher than or equal to 1.5 and lower than or equal to 1.75 in a wavelength range of 455 nm to 465 nm inclusive (1,3,5-triazine has a refractive index of about 1.50 at a visible light wavelength as a material property. Furthermore, since 1,3,5-triazine is an identical material choice to that of the invention, the claimed property of such material (i.e., a refractive index value) would be also identical) (paragraph 108).
Regarding claim 4, referring to Fig. 2 and related text, Lee teaches a light-emitting device comprising: a first electrode (EL1) (paragraph 36); a second electrode (EL2) (paragraph 36); and a first unit (HTR, EML, and ETR) (paragraph 36), wherein the second electrode comprises a region overlapping with the first electrode (Fig. 2), wherein the first unit comprises a region positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode (Fig. 2), wherein the first unit comprises a first layer (EML), a second layer (HTR), and a third layer (ETR) (paragraph 36), wherein the first layer comprises a region positioned between the second layer and the third layer (Fig. 2), wherein the first layer comprises a light-emitting material (a material for EML) (paragraphs 50-86), wherein the third layer comprises a region positioned between the first layer and the second electrode (Fig. 2), wherein the third layer is in contact with the first layer (Fig. 2), wherein the third layer comprises a first material (ETR comprising 2,4,6-tris(3′-(pyridin-3-yl)biphenyl-3-yl)-1,3,5-triazine) and one of an organometallic complex of an alkali metal and an organometallic complex of an alkaline earth metal (ETR comprising lithium quinolate (LiQ)) (paragraphs 105-109), wherein the first material comprises a pyrimidine ring, a pyrazine ring, a pyridazine ring, or a triazine ring (1,3,5-triazine), wherein the first material has a second refractive index, and wherein the second refractive index is higher than or equal to 1.5 and lower than or equal to 1.75 in a wavelength range of 455 nm to 465 nm inclusive (1,3,5-triazine has a refractive index of about 1.50 at a visible light wavelength as a material property. Furthermore, since 1,3,5-triazine as “a first material” is an identical material choice to that of the claim, the claimed property of such material (i.e., a refractive index value) would be also identical) (paragraph 108).
Regarding claims 5 and 14, Lee teaches wherein the first material has an electron mobility higher than or equal to 1×10−7 cm2/Vs and lower than or equal to 5×10−5 cm2/Vs when a square root of an electric field strength [V/cm] is 600 (paragraph 108. Since Lee teaches the third layer comprising the first material having the second refractive index identical to that of the claim as discussed in claim 4 above, claimed material property of the first material, “the first material has an electron mobility higher than or equal to 1×10−7 cm2/Vs and lower than or equal to 5×10−5 cm2/Vs when a square root of an electric field strength [V/cm] is 600”, is presumed to be inherent: Where the claimed and prior art products are identical or substantially identical in structure or composition, or are produced by identical or substantially identical processes, a prima facie case of either anticipation or obviousness has been established. In re Best, 195 USPQ 430, 433 (CCPA 1977) and MPEP 2112.01.
Regarding claims 10 and 17, Lee teaches a light-emitting apparatus comprising: the light-emitting device according to claim 4; and at least one of a transistor and a substrate (a glass substrate) (paragraphs 3 and 135).
Regarding claims 11 and 18, Lee teaches a display device comprising: the light-emitting device according to claim 4; and at least one of a transistor and a substrate (a glass substrate) (paragraphs 3 and 135).
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 6 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee as applied to claims 1 and 4 above, and further in view of Lee (US 2015/0155519 A1; hereinafter “Lee 519”).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Lee does not explicitly teach a second unit and an intermediate layer. Lee 519 teaches a light-emitting device (Fig. 3 and paragraph 66), comprising: a first unit (unit 1); a second unit (unit 2); and an intermediate layer (a charge generation layer CGL) (Fig. 3 and paragraphs 66-115), wherein the second unit comprises a region positioned between the intermediate layer and a second electrode (175) (Fig. 3 and paragraph 67), wherein the intermediate layer comprises a region positioned between the first unit and the second unit (Fig. 3), and wherein the intermediate layer is configured to supply a hole to one of the first unit and the second unit (150 of CGL supplying holes to unit 2) and supply an electron to the other (145 of CGL supplying electrons to unit 1) (Fig. 3 and paragraphs 81-82). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Lee with that of Lee 519 in order to enhance light emitting efficiency.
Claims 6, 12-13, 16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee as applied to claims 1 and 4 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2021/0280831 A1; hereinafter “Lee 831”).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Lee teaches the light-emitting device including a pixel (Figs. 1-2 and paragraph 36, an organic electroluminescence device 10 as a pixel). However, Lee does not explicitly teach a functional layer comprising a pixel circuit for a functional panel. Lee 831 teaches a functional panel (a display device DD) comprising: a light-emitting device (a light emitting diodes OEL) and a functional layer (a circuit layer DP-CL), wherein the functional layer comprises a pixel circuit (driving and switching transistors) (Figs. 1-3 and paragraphs 53-71). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Lee with that of Lee 831 in order to provide the functioning transistors as a pixel circuit to operate/use the light-emitting diodes.
Regarding claims 12-13 and 19-20, Lee does not explicitly teach a lighting device comprising a housing (claims 12 and 19) and an electronic device comprising at least one of a sensor, an operation button, a speaker, and a microphone (claims 13 and 20). Lee 831 teaches a lighting device (ED) comprising a light-emitting apparatus (DD) and a housing (HAU) (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 53-57). Lee 831 also teaches an electronic device (ED) comprising a display device (DD) and at least one of a sensor, an operation button, a speaker, and a microphone (ED included in paragraph 54 such as a smart phone and a television would include at least one of a sensor, an operation button, a speaker, and a microphone) (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 53-54). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Lee with that of Lee 831 in order to provide the functioning lighting and electronic devices.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to amended claims have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejections 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
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