DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20160013252 (Wang) in view of US 20090195144 (Kitabayashi).
Concerning claim 1, Wang discloses a pixel structure (Figs. 4, 5, and 8),
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comprising a plurality of sub-pixels (21), wherein an anode (6) of each of the plurality of sub-pixels is configured to be connected to a pixel driver circuit, and each of sub-pixels of at least one color in the plurality of sub-pixels comprises four target sub-pixels (Fig. 4, [0039]), wherein the four target sub-pixels have anodes connected with each other ([0050]); and wherein the four target sub-pixels of a same sub-pixel are separated . . . by a first separation region (8) extending along a first direction and a second separation region (8) extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction ([0056], note that the bank structures are formed in a crisscross configuration and the examiner is interpreting the vertical portions of the banks are considered the first separation region and the horizontal portions of the banks are considered the second separation region), wherein at least a part of a side of the first separation region and at least a part of another side of the first separation region are facing each other, parallel to each other and spaced from each other by an interval of a first width ([0054]), at least a part of a side of the second separation region and at least a part of another side of the second separation region are facing each other, parallel to each other and spaced from each other by an interval of a second width, and each of the first width and the second width is smaller than an interval between adjacent sub-pixels in the plurality of sub-pixels ([0056]-[0057]), and wherein each of the plurality of sub-pixels comprises a cathode (7) and an organic functional layer between the anode and the cathode ([0058]);.
Wang does not disclose wherein the four target sub-pixels of a same sub-pixel are separated from on another by a first separation region extending along a first direction and a second direction region extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction . . . and the four target sub-pixel of a same sub-pixel share a same anode and are driven by a same pixel driver circuit, and within in a same sub-pixel, the first separation region and the second separation region divided the organic functional layer into four independent light emitting regions, such that the sub-pixel is divided into four target sub-pixels. However, Kitabayashi discloses a light emitting device configuration (Figs. 3 and 4) wherein a plurality of sub-pixel regions (region 341 is divided into four regions Fig. 3) are separated into four target sub-pixels of a same sub-pixel from on another by a first separation region extending along a first direction and a second direction region extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction((342) Figs. 3 and 4, [0090] note that electrode separating layer separates the pixel electrode into 4 portions) and the four target sub-pixel of a same sub-pixel share a same anode (Fig. 4) and are driven by a same pixel driver circuit ([0074]). Kitabayashi also discloses that each of the plurality of sub-pixels comprises a cathode (5) and an organic functional layer (18) between the anode and the cathode ([0083] and [0091]); and within in a same sub-pixel, the first separation region and the second separation region divided the organic functional layer into four independent light emitting regions, such that the sub-pixel is divided into four target sub-pixels ([0098], it is noted that the electrode separating layer 342 may be formed to have a thickness for separating the entire light emitting function layer thus separating the light emitting layer into 4 subpixels as seen in Fig. 3). Such configuration is disclosed to provide a light emitting device and an electronic apparatus capable of implementing high definition and easiness in manufacture that are incompatible with each other ([0010]).Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Wang such that the four target sub-pixels of a same sub-pixel are separated from on another by a first separation region extending along a first direction and a second direction region extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with the four target sub-pixel of a same sub-pixel share a same anode and are driven by a same pixel driver circuit and each of the plurality of sub-pixels comprises a cathode and an organic functional layer between the anode and the cathode; and within in a same sub-pixel, the first separation region and the second separation region divided the organic functional layer into four independent light emitting regions, such that the sub-pixel is divided into four target sub-pixels as disclosed by Kitabayashi in order to provide a light emitting device and an electronic apparatus capable of implementing high definition and easiness in manufacture that are incompatible with each other.
Continuing to claim 2, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the at least one color is at least one of blue, red, or green (Wang [0029]).
Considering claim 3, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the sub-pixels of at least one color is located in a same column of sub-pixels or a same row of sub-pixels (Wang Fig. 4 and [0029]-[0030]).
Referring to claim 4, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the at least part of the sides of the first separation region that are parallel to each other and facing to each other are parallel to the first direction, and the at least part of the sides of the second separation region that are parallel to each other and facing to each other are parallel to the second direction (Wang [0054], and [0056]-[0057], note that the first and second separation regions are formed in a crisscross configuration).
Regarding claim 5, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the first separation region and the second separation region of a same sub-pixel are communicated to each other to form a continuous region (Wang Fig. 5 and [0056]); and wherein the first separation region and the second separation region of one sub-pixel are communicated to the first separation region and the second separation region of another sub-pixel (Wang [0056]).
Pertaining to claim 6, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the plurality of sub-pixels are arranged in an array (Wang Fig. 4), one of the first separation region and the second separation region extends along a row direction of the array, and the other of the first separation region and the second separation region extends along a column direction of the array (Wang Fig. 4 and [0054] note that the first and second separation regions are formed in a crisscross configuration).
As to claim 7, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the plurality of sub-pixels are arranged in a matrix of (2 x 2) (Wang Fig. 4 and Kitabayashi Fig. 3).
Concerning claim 8, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein among the four target sub-pixels, a smallest interval between adjacent target sub-pixels in one row is equal to a smallest interval between adjacent target sub-pixels in another row (Wang [0054] and [0056]); or a smallest interval between adjacent target sub-pixels in one column is equal to a smallest interval between adjacent target sub-pixels in another column.
Continuing to claim 9, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein among the four target sub-pixels, at least parts of sides of two sub-pixels arranged in a row along the first direction are located in a same straight line, and at least parts of sides of two target sub-pixels arranged in a row along the second direction are located in a same line (Wang Fig. 4).
Considering claim 10, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the plurality of sub-pixels are arranged in an array, one of the first direction and the second direction is a row direction of the array, and the other of the first direction and the second direction is a column direction of the array; and wherein first separation regions of sub-pixels in a same row are configured to be passed through by a virtual straight line extending along the row direction (Wang Fig. 4).
Referring to claim 11, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the plurality of sub-pixels are arranged in an array, one of the first direction and the second direction is a row direction of the array, and the other of the first direction and the second direction is a column direction of the array; and wherein second separation regions of sub-pixels in a same column are configured to be passed through by a virtual straight line extending along the column direction (Wang Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 12, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein a shortest width of at least one of the first separation region and the second separation region in a direction perpendicular to a direction along which the at least one of the first separation region and the second separation region extends, is smaller than at least one of an interval between adjacent sub-pixels of a same color or an interval between adjacent sub-pixels of different colors (Wang [0046] and Fig. 6).
Pertaining to claim 13, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein at least two of the four target sub-pixels have a same area (Wang [0033]).
As to claim 14, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein a smallest side length of at least one of the four target sub-pixels is greater than 10 µm (Wang [0054]).
Concerning claim 15, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the organic functional layer comprises an electron injection layer, an electron transport layer, a light emitting layer, a hole transport layer, and a hole injection layer, which are sequentially disposed on a side of the cathode close to the anode (Wang [0058]); and wherein light emitting layers of sub-pixels of at least one color comprises a plurality of light emitting region sets, and each of the plurality of light emitting region sets comprises four light emitting regions (Wang [0057]).
Continuing to claim 16, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the first separation region and the second separation region have a strip shape, and a length of the first separation region in the first direction is greater than the first width, and a length of the second separation region in the second direction is greater than the second width (Wang Fig. 4 and [0054], note that the first and second separation regions are formed continuous in a crisscross manner).
Considering claim 17, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein at least one of the sub-pixels has a center symmetrical shape (Wang Fig. 4 and [0033]).
Referring to claim 18, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses wherein the sub-pixels have a shape including at least one of a square, a rectangle, a parallelogram, or a hexagon (Wang [0033]).
Regarding claim 19, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses a display panel, comprising the pixel structure of claim 1 (Wang [0008] and [0066]).
Pertaining to claim 20, Wang in view of Kitabayashi discloses a display apparatus, comprising the display panel of claim 19 (Wang Fig. 8, [0007], and [0066]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6 and 7, filed 08/07/25, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of US 20090195144 (Kitabayashi).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VALERIE N NEWTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5015. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, CHAD DICKE can be reached on (571) 270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VALERIE N NEWTON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2897 11/06/25
/CHAD M DICKE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897