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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-13, in the reply filed on 10/13/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 14-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10/13/2025.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/28/2022 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 102 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 102) 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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102/(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2021/0384461 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kim et al. teach a display device (DD; Fig. 1, [0031]) including a display area (DA; Fig. 1, [0034]) and a non-display area (NDA; Fig. 1, [0034]), the display device (DD) comprising: a light emitting element (OLED; Fig. 5, [0079]) on a base layer (SUB1; Fig. 5, [0046]) in the display area (DA; Fig. 5); a dam member (the leftmost piece of BNK; Fig. 7, [0102]) on the base layer (SUB1) in the non-display area (NDA; Fig. 7); a color filter layer (CF1, CF2, CF3, DCF1, DCF2; Figs. 6-7, [0102, 0133]) disposed in the display area (DA; Fig. 6) and the non-display area (NDA; Fig. 7), the color filter layer (CF1, CF2, CF3, DCF1, DCF2) including an outer color filter layer (DCF1, DCF2; Fig. 7, [0133]) disposed in the non-display area (NDA); and a cover layer (SUB2; Fig. 7, [0046]) on the color filter layer (CF1, CF2, CF3, DCF1, DCF2; Figs. 6-7), wherein the cover layer (SUB2) covers at least a portion of the outer color filter layer (DCF1, DCF2; Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 2, Kim et al. teach the display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a passivation layer (FL/EN3/EN2; Fig. 7, [0046, 0093]) on the base layer (SUB1), the passivation layer (FL/EN3/EN2) including: a first passivation layer (FL in DA; Fig. 7, [0102]) in the display area (DA), and a second passivation layer (EN2 in NDA; Fig. 7, [0102]) in the non-display area (NDA); a bank (the portion of BNK in DA; Fig. 7, [0102]) on the first passivation layer (the portion of FL in DA); and a color conversion layer (QDL1, QDL2; Fig. 6, [0102]) in an area surrounded by the bank (the portion of BNK in DA; Fig. 6), wherein the dam member (the leftmost piece of the portion of BNK in NDA in Fig. 7) is on the second passivation layer (EN2 in NDA), and at least a portion of the dam member (the leftmost piece of the portion of BNK in NDA in Fig. 7) and the bank (the portion of BNK in DA) include a same material (both has the material of BNK).
Regarding claim 3, Kim et al. teach the display device according to claim 2, further comprising a capping layer (IL1; Fig. 7, [0100]), wherein at least a portion of the capping layer (IL1) encapsulates the color conversion layer (QDL1, QDL2; Fig. 6), the capping layer (IL1) covers a side surface (the top side surface) of the dam member (the leftmost piece of the portion of BNK in NDA in Fig. 7) facing an outer portion (SUB2) of the display device (DD; Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 4, Kim et al. teach the display device according to claim 2, wherein a height of the dam member (the leftmost piece of the portion of BNK in NDA in Fig. 7) and a height of the bank (the portion of BNK in DA) are substantially same as each other (see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 5, Kim et al. teach the display device according to claim 3, wherein the passivation layer (FL/EN3/EN2) includes an organic material (FL of epoxy, [0057]), and the capping layer (IL1) covers a side surface (a top side surface) of the second passivation layer (EN2 in NDA) facing the outer portion (SUB2) of the display device (DD).
Regarding claim 6, Kim et al. teach the display device according to claim 2, further comprising: a capping layer (IL1; Fig. 7, [0100]) encapsulating the color conversion layer (QDL1, QDL2); and an interlayer insulating layer (INS5; Fig. 7, [0086]) disposed between the passivation layer (FL/EN3/EN2) and the base layer (SUB1), wherein the first passivation layer (the portion of FL in DA) and the second passivation layer (EN2 in NDA) are spaced apart from each other, and the capping layer (IL1) and the interlayer insulating layer (INS5) contact (indirectly with intervening layers) each other in an area (the area between the portion of FL in DA and EN2 in NDA) where the first passivation layer (the portion of FL in DA) and the second passivation layer (EN2 in NDA) are spaced apart from each other.
Regarding claim 7, Kim et al. teach the display device according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer (SUB2) covers an outer surface (the top side surface) of the outer color filter layer (DCF1, DCF2) facing an outer portion (SUB2) of the display device (DD; see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 10, Kim et al. teach the display device according to claim 1, wherein the outer color filter layer (DCF1, DCF2) extends along a side (the top side) of the dam member (the leftmost piece of the portion of BNK in NDA in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 11, Kim et al. teach the display device according to claim 1, wherein the base layer (SUB1) including a substrate (SUB1; Fig. 5, [0046]) is formed on a surface of the display device (the bottom surface of BFL; Fig. 7, [0082]), and an outer film layer (INS1; Fig. 7, [0084]) including a film member (INS1; Fig. 7, [0084]) is formed on another surface of the display device (the top surface of BFL; Fig. 7, [0082]).
Regarding claim 12, Kim et al. teach the display device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element (OLED) comprises an organic light emitting diode including an organic material or a subminiature light emitting diode including an inorganic material (organic light emitting diode including an organic material; [0079]).
Claim(s) 1, 8-9 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102/(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 20210242423 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lee et al. teach a display device (DD; Fig. 1, [0059]) including a display area (DA; Fig. 6B, [0062]) and a non-display area (NDA; Fig. 6B, [0062]), the display device (DD) comprising: a light emitting element (OLED; Fig. 5, [0085]) on a base layer (SUB; Fig. 5, [0065]) in the display area (DA; Fig. 5); a dam member (DMP1-1; Fig. 8B, [0082]) on the base layer (SUB) in the non-display area (NDA; Fig. 8B); a color filter layer (CF1, CF2, CF3, and DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13 which are formed from the same layers forming of CF1, CF2, CF3; [0142, 0150]) disposed in the display area (DA; Fig. 8B) and the non-display area (NDA; Fig. 8B), the color filter layer (CF1, CF2, CF3, DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13) including an outer color filter layer (DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13; Fig. 8B, [0150]) disposed in the non-display area (NDA; Fig. 8B); and a cover layer (OC or TS; Fig. 8B, [0144, 0071]) on the color filter layer (CF1, CF2, CF3, DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13; Fig. 8B), wherein the cover layer (OC or TS) covers at least a portion of the outer color filter layer (DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13; Fig. 8B).
Regarding claim 8, Lee et al. teach the display device according to claim 1, wherein the outer color filter layer (DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13) comprises a first outer color filter layer (DM7, DM8, DM9) and a second outer color filter layer (DM11, DM12, DM13), and the first outer color filter layer (DM7, DM8, DM9) and the second outer color filter layer (DM11, DM12, DM13) are spaced apart from each other on an upper surface of the dam member (DMP1-1; see Fig. 8B).
Regarding claim 9, Lee et al. teach the display device according to claim 8, further comprising a capping layer (IOL2, a cap of the lower surfaces; Fig. 8B, [0124]), at least a portion of the capping layer (IOL2) being disposed on the dam member (DMP1-1), wherein the first outer color filter layer (DM7, DM8, DM9) and the second outer color filter layer (DM11, DM12, DM13) are separated from each other to form an opening area (the opening area between DM7/DM8/DM9 and DM11/DM12/DM13) overlapping the dam member (DMP1-1) in a plan view (see Fig. 8B in a vertical direction), and the cover layer (TS) and the capping layer (IOL2) contact each other in the opening area (the opening area between DM7/DM8/DM9 and DM11/DM12/DM13).
Regarding claim 13, Lee et al. teach a display device (DD; Fig. 1, [0059]) including a display area (DA; Fig. 6B, [0062]) and a non-display area (NDA; Fig. 6B, [0062]), the display device (DD) comprising: a light emitting element (OLED; Fig. 5, [0085]) on a base layer (SUB; Fig. 5, [0065]) in the display area (DA; Fig. 5); a dam member (DMP1-1; Fig. 8B, [0082]) on the base layer (SUB) in the non-display area (NDA; Fig. 8B); and a color filter layer (CF1, CF2, CF3, and DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13 which are formed from the same layers forming of CF1, CF2, CF3; [0142, 0150]) disposed in the display area (DA) and the non-display area (NDA), the color filter layer (CF1, CF2, CF3, and DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13) including an outer color filter layer (DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13; Fig. 8B, [0150]) disposed in the non-display area (NDA; Fig. 8B), wherein the outer color filter layer (DM7, DM8, DM9, DM11, DM12, DM13) comprises a first outer color filter layer (DM7, DM8, DM9) and a second outer color filter layer (DM11, DM12, DM13) that are spaced apart from each other on an upper surface of the dam member (DMP1-1; see Fig. 8B).
Conclusion
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/HSIN YI HSIEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899 12/26/2025
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