DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-20 as filed on November 2, 2022 are pending.
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 1-7 and 10-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2020/0140471 A1).
Regarding instant Formula 1 compounds of independent claims 1 and 10, Chen et al. discloses organic electroluminescent materials for light emitting devices according to Formula I (see abstract):
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184
314
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.
More specifically, a Formula I may be the following formula in par. 75:
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156
230
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.
Variables/groups of the formula are described in par. 64-75.
Note that the immediately above formula (of par. 75) may have components selected the same as instant specific compound “BD21” reproduced immediately below when L1 of the above formula is O (see par. 64), R is aryl (par. 64) that is phenyl (par. 50) substituted by heteroaryl (par. 64, 50-51, 58-59) that is specifically acridine (par. 51), and RA is alkyl (par. 64) that is tert-butyl (see par. 43 and corresponding group within compounds shown on page 87):
Instant compound BD-21
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224
158
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While Chen et al. does not appear to show a Formula I example compound with selected groups in combination the same as claimed, given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed Formula I compounds with defined meanings as described by Chen et al. and discussed above wherein resultant compounds would be the same as compounds within the claims. One would expect to achieve functional Formula I compounds within the disclosure of Chen et al. with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Further regarding the device structure of claim 1, the compounds of Formula I are in a layer of a device between electrodes (see par. 80). Regarding claim 2, a device may further include a hole injecting/hole transport layer (see page 103, par. 106 through par. 113, page 121) and include an electron transport layer (see par. 127-130). Regarding claims 3 and 4, compounds of Formula I are used in a light emitting layer (see par. 94). Regarding claim 4, the emissive region further comprises a host material (see par. 101). With respect to claim 5, a host material may include Si (see par. 101, right column page 101 third compound). With respect to claim 6, a compound of an electron transport region may include a silyl group (see par. 124-128, especially “silyl” within par. 128). Regarding claim 7, as mentioned above Formula I may in an emissive layer together with a host that may be a nitrogen-containing polyaromatic compound (see par. 119-121) and additional material may also include carbazole-containing compounds per instant Formula 3 9see par. 121).
Regarding claims 11-18, a Chen et al. Formula I compound the same as at least instant compound BD-21 of claim 19 is described above and contains groups as specified within claims 11-18. Also, variables/groups of Formula I are described in par. 64-75. With respect to claim 20, compounds of Formula I the same as compounds within claimed Formula 1 (such as a compound the same as instant BD-21) would be expected to have same properties such as emission color, absent evidence otherwise. MPEP 2112.01 sets forth “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, 562 F.2d 1252, 1255, 195 USPQ 430, 433 (CCPA 1977).”
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2020/0140471 A1) in view of view of Jeong et al. (US 2017/0098686 A1).
Chen et al. is relied upon as set forth above.
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Chen et al. teaches a light emitting device, but does not appear specifically to teach a display comprising a transistor with a source and drain electrode and further including a color filter. In analogous art, Jeong et al. teaches providing a source region and a drain region as part of a thin film transistor (see par. 61) and color filters for pixels (see par. 75) as part of an OLED display. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have added a thin film transistor including known layers of a thin film transistor connected to an organic light emitting element as taught by Jeong et al. and a color filter as taught by Jeong et al. to a device as taught by Chen et al. to form a display device, because Jeong et al. teaches using a color filter and using a thin film transistor with a device is beneficial in forming an operational light emitting display. One would expect to achieve an operational device within the disclosures of Chen et al. and in further view of Jeong et al. with a predictable result and reasonable expectation of success. Applicant claims a combination that only unites old elements with no change in the respective functions of those old elements, and the combination of those elements yields predictable results; absent evidence that the modifications necessary to effect the combination of elements is uniquely challenging or difficult for one of ordinary skill in the art, the claim is unpatentable as obvious under 35 U.S.C. 103(a). Ex Parte Smith, 83 USPQ.2d at 1518-19 (BPAI, 2007) (citing KSR, 127 S.Ct. at 1740, 82 USPQ2d at 1396).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Li, Guijie, et al. "Tetradentate platinum (II) complexes for highly efficient phosphorescent emitters and sky blue OLEDs." Chemistry of Materials 32.1 (2019): 537-548.
The non-patent literature reference discusses platinum complexes have similar core structure to claimed complexes (see Figure 2, page 538). The reference is considered relevant to the state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dawn Garrett whose telephone number is (571)272-1523. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday (Eastern Time).
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/DAWN L GARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786