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 .
Response to Amendments
Acknowledgment is made of the amendment filed 11/25/2025 in which: claims 7,8,11, and 17 are amended; and the rejection of the claim 1 are traversed. Claims 1-17 are currently pending an Office action on the merits as follows.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Regarding claim 1, applicant states that the nanoparticles of Lim changes a path of light and does not “absorb light having a wavelength in a visible light region”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) 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 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 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being anticipated by Lim et al, US 20140008618, hereafter ‘Lim’ in view of Harada et al, US 12552888, hereafter ‘Harada’.
Regarding claim 1, Lim discloses: A display device (#400) comprising: a substrate (#10) including a display area; a subpixel (#380) positioned on the substrate and positioned in the display area; and a black bank (#390) positioned on the substrate, wherein the black bank includes: a first opening corresponding (Fig.4, first opening form by inclination angle #θ2) to an emission area of the subpixel.
Lim does not disclose: quantum dots that absorb light having a wavelength in a visible light region.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Harada discloses: quantum dots that absorb light having a wavelength in a visible light region (Quantum dots to include compounds of group 12 and group 16 elements that have a particle size of 1nm to 100nm that absorbs ultraviolet light or visible light [Col. 2, line 52 – Col 3, line 14]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to substitute the nanoparticles of Lim for the quantum dots of Harada because they are known equivalents and it would have yielded the predictable results. The core and shell structure to include Indium with Arsenic and Zinc with Selenium are known structure of quantum dot configurations ([Col. 2, line 52 – Col 3, line 14]. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claim 2, Lim as modified by Harada discloses: The display device of claim 1.
Lim teaches: wherein: the subpixel (#380) comprises a circuit area (area with components #50) positioned outside the emission area (Fig. 4, components of #50 positioned outside of #380); and at least a portion of the black bank (#390) is positioned to overlap the circuit area (Fig. 4, #390 overlaps components of #50).
Regarding claim 3, Lim as modified by Harada discloses: The display device of claim 2.
Lim teaches: further comprising a transistor positioned in the circuit area (Fig. 4, #50).
Claims 4-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being anticipated by Lim et al, US 20140008618, hereafter ‘Lim’ in view of Harada et al, US 12552888, hereafter ‘Harada’, in further view of Klinghult, US 20160328090, hereafter, ‘Klinghult’.
Regarding claim 4, Lim as modified by Harada discloses: The display device of claim 1.
Lim as modified by Harada does not disclose: wherein the quantum dots comprise first semiconductor nanocrystals configured to absorb the wavelength in the visible light region.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Klinghult teaches: wherein the quantum dots (#71) comprise first semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dot is a nanocrystal [0068] configured to absorb the wavelength in the visible light region (#71 configured to absorb visible light so as to emit infrared light [0096]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of Klinghult to Lim and Harada to have nanocrystals configured to absorb visible light so as to provide satisfactory display quality for a touch sensing display panel (Klinghult [0096, 0109]).
Regarding claim 5, Lim as modified by Harada and Klinghult, discloses: The display device of claim 4.
Klinghult further teaches: wherein the quantum dots comprise a core and a shell (#71 includes core and shell [0098]; and the core comprises the first semiconductor nanocrystals (#71 may include quantum dot materials [0098])
Regarding claim 6, Lim as modified by Harada and Klinghult, discloses: The display device of claim 4.
Klinghult further teaches: wherein each of the first semiconductor nanocrystals comprises a group III-V compound (#71 may comprise of possible core/shell/shell configuration such as InAs/InP/ZnSe wherein In and As are known in the art as type III-V semiconductor compounds [0098]).
Regarding claim 7, Lim as modified by Harada and Klinghult, discloses: The display device of claim 6.
Klinghult further discloses: wherein the first semiconductor nanocrystals comprise indium (In) and arsenic (As) (#71 may comprise of possible core/shell/shell configuration such as InAs/InP/ZnSe wherein In and As are known in the art as type III-V semiconductor compounds [0098]).
Regarding claim 8, Lim as modified by Harada and Klinghult discloses: The display device of claim 1.
Klinghult further teaches: wherein the quantum dots comprise second semiconductor nanocrystals that emit light in an infrared light region (#71 configured to absorb visible light so as to emit infrared light [0096]).
Regarding claim 9, Lim as modified by Harada and Klinghult, discloses: The display device of claim 8.
Klinghult further teaches: wherein the quantum dots comprise a core and a shell; and the shell comprises the second semiconductor nanocrystals (#71 may include a core/shell configuration [0098].
Regarding claim 10, Lim as modified by Harada and Klinghult, discloses: The display device of claim 8.
Klinghult further teaches: wherein each of the second semiconductor nanocrystals comprises a group II-VI compound (#71 may be configured as core/shell/shell such as InAs/InP/ZnSe wherein Zn and Se are known in the art as type II-VI compounds [0098]).
Regarding claim 11, Lim as modified by Harada and Klinghult, discloses: The display device of claim 10.
Klinghult further teaches: wherein the second semiconductor nanocrystals comprise zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) (#71 may be configured as core/shell/shell such as InAs/InP/ZnSe wherein Zn and Se are known in the art as type II-VI compounds [0098]).
Claims 12 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being anticipated by Lim et al, US 20140008618, hereafter ‘Lim’ in view of Harada et al, US 12552888, hereafter ‘Harada’, in further view of Li, US 20220399411, hereafter ‘Li’.
Regarding claim 12, Lim as modified by Harada discloses: The display device of claim 1.
Lim as modified by Harada does not disclose: further comprising a bank positioned on the substrate, positioned below the black bank, and including a second opening.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Li teaches: further comprising a bank (#22) positioned on the substrate, positioned below the black bank (#23), and including a second opening (Fig. 5, #23 shown to define a first opening while #22 shown to a second opening).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of Li to Lim and Harada to include a bank below a black bank to define a region of a subpixel region (Li, [0088]).
Regarding claim 13, Lim, as modified by Harada and Li discloses: The display device of claim 12.
Li further teaches: wherein the first opening is positioned in the second opening (Fig. 5, #23 shown to define a larger opening than #22.
Claims 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being anticipated by Lim et al, US 20140008618, hereafter ‘Lim’ in view Harada et al, US 12552888, hereafter ‘Harada’, in the further view of Kubota, US 20220335747, hereafter ‘Kubota’.
Regarding claim 14, Lim as modified by Harada discloses: The display device of claim 1.
Lim as modified by Harada does not disclose: further comprising a photodiode positioned under the substrate and configured to detect infrared light.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kubota teaches: further comprising a photodiode(#PD) positioned under the substrate (Fig. 6K #PD positioned under the subpixels #R, G, B) and configured to detect infrared light (#PD has a function of detecting infrared light [0164]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of Kubota to Lim to have a photodiode configured to detect infrared light below the substrate for applications such as a sensor (Kubota [0164]).
Regarding claim 15, Lim as modified by Harada and Kubota, discloses: The display device of claim 14.
Kubota further discloses: wherein the photodiode is(#PD) positioned to overlap the subpixel (Fig, 6K #PD shown to overlap #R, G, B).
Regarding claim 16, Lim as modified by Harada discloses: The display device of claim 1.
Lim does not disclose: further comprising a photodiode positioned on the substrate, positioned under the black bank, and configured to detect infrared light.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kubota teaches: further comprising a photodiode(#PD) positioned on the substrate, positioned under the black bank, and configured to detect infrared light (Fig. 7A #RPD configured to detect infrared light [0164])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of Kubota to Lim to have a photodiode capable of detecting infrared light.
Regarding claim 17, Lim as modified by Harada and Kubota discloses: The display device of claim 16.
Kubota further teaches: wherein the photodiode is positioned to not overlap the subpixel (#Fig. 7A, #PD configured to not overlap #G and #B).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 20180166519: OLED with quantum dot pixel defining layer
US 20200075699: Light emitting display with black bank
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/D.T./ Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/JACOB Y CHOI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897