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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 7/24/23, 10/17/23, 10/31/23, 1/9/24,4/2825, 9/9/25 are being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-3, 11, 16, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (US 2019/0355763 A1 hereinafter Chen) in view of embodiment of Fig2 of Chen et al. (US 2019/0355763 A1 hereinafter Chen2)
Regarding Claim 1, Chen discloses in Fig 3: An organic light emitting display device comprising:
a substrate (101);
an emission area (506) on the substrate;
a non-emission area (504) adjacent to the emission area on the substrate;
a plurality of color filters (270/2011) disposed on the substrate;
a first color filter (2011) of the plurality overlapping the emission area;
a second color filter (270) of the plurality overlapping the non-emission area;
a first insulating layer (105) disposed on the plurality of color filters;
a first active layer (106) disposed on the first insulating layer;
a gate electrode (108) disposed on an upper surface of the first active layer;
a second insulating layer (109) disposed on the first active layer and the gate electrode;
a hole (See Fig 3) in the second insulation layer that exposes a portion of the upper surface of the first active layer;
an organic layer (112) disposed on the portion of the upper surface of the first active layer (106) and on the second insulating layer; and
a cathode electrode (113) disposed on the organic layer (112) [0069-0072].
Chen does not disclose that the pixel definition layer comprises two different layers i.e the second insulating layer and the bank layer; a bank disposed on the second insulating layer; an opening in the bank that overlaps the hole.
However, Chen in a different embodiment of Fig2/Chen2 teaches that the pixel definition layer defining the light emitting area of the device comprises of two layers, the second insulating layer 105 and the bank layer 109 [0061-0063].
References Chen and Chen2 are analogous art because they both are directed to display devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Chen with the specified features of Chen2 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Chen and Chen2 so that the pixel definition layer comprises two different layers i.e the second insulating layer and the bank layer; a bank disposed on the second insulating layer; an opening in the bank that overlaps the hole as taught by Chen2 in Chen’s device since, this simplifies the fabrication process flow and decreasing the process cost.
Regarding Claim 2, Chen and Chen2 disclose: The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, Chen further discloses: wherein the first color filter (2011) is a single layer and the second color filter (270) includes multiple layers, the multiple layers including a stack of layers, the layers being associated with different colors (201/202/203) [0074].
Regarding Claim 3, Chen and Chen2 disclose: The organic light emitting display device of claim 2, Chen further discloses: further comprising a plurality of signal lines (110, 111), wherein the second color filter overlaps a circuit area (150) and the plurality of signal lines [0055,0058].
Regarding Claim 11, Chen and Chen2 disclose: The organic light emitting display device of claim 1.
Chen does not disclose: further comprising a light blocking layer including a metal material and disposed between the first insulating layer and the first active layer.
However, Chen in a different embodiment of Fig2/Chen2 teaches further comprising a light blocking layer (104) including a metal material and disposed between the first insulating layer and the first active layer (106) [0055].
References Chen and Chen2 are analogous art because they both are directed to display devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Chen with the specified features of Chen2 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Chen and Chen2 so that a light blocking layer including a metal material and disposed between the first insulating layer and the first active layer as taught by Chen2 in Chen’s device since, this simplifies the fabrication process flow and decreasing the process cost and also that the shield layer prevents light from affecting the active layer of the TFT.
Regarding Claim 16, Chen and Chen2 disclose: The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, Chen discloses in Fig 3: further comprising a driving transistor including the first active layer and the gate electrode.
Regarding Claim 17, Chen discloses in Fig 3: An organic light emitting display panel, comprising:
a substrate (101);
a plurality of color filters (270/2011) disposed on the substrate and overlapping an emission area;
a first color filter (2011) of the plurality overlapping the emission area;
a second color filter (270) of the plurality overlapping the non-emission area;
a first insulating layer (105) disposed on the plurality of color filters;
a first active layer (106) disposed on the first insulating layer;
a gate electrode (108) disposed on an upper surface of the first active layer;
a second insulating layer (109) disposed on the first active layer and the gate electrode;
a hole (See Fig 3) in the second insulation layer that exposes a portion of the upper surface of the first active layer;
an organic layer (112) disposed on the portion of the upper surface of the first active layer (106) and on the second insulating layer; and
a cathode electrode (113) disposed on the organic layer (112) [0069-0072].
Chen does not disclose that the pixel definition layer comprises two different layers i.e the second insulating layer and the bank layer; a bank disposed on the second insulating layer; an opening in the bank that overlaps the hole.
However, Chen in a different embodiment of Fig2/Chen2 teaches that the pixel definition layer defining the light emitting area of the device comprises of two layers, the second insulating layer 105 and the bank layer 109 [0061-0063].
References Chen and Chen2 are analogous art because they both are directed to display devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Chen with the specified features of Chen2 because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Chen and Chen2 so that the pixel definition layer comprises two different layers i.e the second insulating layer and the bank layer; a bank disposed on the second insulating layer; an opening in the bank that overlaps the hole as taught by Chen2 in Chen’s device since, this simplifies the fabrication process flow and decreasing the process cost.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: With respect to claim 18, the primary reason for allowance is that the prior art of record either singularly or in combination fails to teach or suggest the limitation “a first active layer extending continuously from the emission area into the non-emission area” as recited in claim 1 in combination with the remaining features.
Dependent claims 19-20 are allowed based on virtue of their dependencies
The most relevant prior art references, (US 2019/0355763 A1 to Chen et al. in Figs 2-3 substantially teaches the limitations of the claim 18, with the exception of the limitations described in the preceding paragraph. Chen does not disclose a continuous active layer extending from the emission area to the non-emission area.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claims 4-10 and 12-15 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: With respect to claim 4, the primary reason for indication of allowable subject matter is that the prior art of record either singularly or in combination fails to teach or suggest the limitation “wherein the first active layer comprises: a first active pattern including a transparent conductive material; and a second active pattern disposed on a portion of an upper surface of the first active pattern and including a metal material” as recited in claim 4 in combination with the remaining features.
Dependent claims 5-6 are indicated as containing allowable subject matter based on virtue of their dependencies
The most relevant prior art references, (US 2019/0355763 A1 to Chen et al. in Figs 2-3 substantially teaches the limitations of the claim 4, with the exception of the limitations described in the preceding paragraph.
With respect to claim 7, the primary reason for indication of allowable subject matter is that the prior art of record either singularly or in combination fails to teach or suggest the limitation “a second active layer spaced apart from the first active layer; and
a plate disposed on the second active layer; wherein the second active layer includes: a first active pattern having a transparent conductive material; and a second active pattern disposed on the first active pattern and having a metal material in an area overlapping the plate” as recited in claim 7 in combination with the remaining features.
Dependent claim 8 is indicated as containing allowable subject matter based on virtue of their dependencies
The most relevant prior art references, (US 2019/0355763 A1 to Chen et al. in Figs 2-3 substantially teaches the limitations of the claim 7, with the exception of the limitations described in the preceding paragraph.
With respect to claim 9, the primary reason for indication of allowable subject matter is that the prior art of record either singularly or in combination fails to teach or suggest the limitation “wherein the signal lines are disposed on the same layer as the first active layer and include the same material as the first active layer” as recited in claim 9 in combination with the remaining features.
Dependent claim 10 is indicated as containing allowable subject matter based on virtue of their dependencies
The most relevant prior art references, (US 2019/0355763 A1 to Chen et al. in Figs 2-3 substantially teaches the limitations of the claim 9, with the exception of the limitations described in the preceding paragraph. Chen does not disclose the signal lines are disposed on the same layer as the first active layer and include the same material as the first active layer.
With respect to claim 12, the primary reason for indication of allowable subject matter is that the prior art of record either singularly or in combination fails to teach or suggest the limitation “wherein the light blocking layer is disposed in the non-emission area, and the light blocking layer overlaps a portion of the first active layer and a portion of each of the second active layer and a third active layer that are spaced apart from the first active layer” as recited in claim 12 in combination with the remaining features.
Dependent claims 13-15 are indicated as containing allowable subject matter based on virtue of their dependencies
The most relevant prior art references, (US 2019/0355763 A1 to Chen et al. in Figs 2-3 substantially teaches the limitations of the claim 12, with the exception of the limitations described in the preceding paragraph. Chen does not disclose a third active layer.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NISHATH YASMEEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7564. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM.
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/NISHATH YASMEEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811