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 .
Response to Amendment/Argument
Applicant's arguments filed 05/12/2026 regarding the rejection of claims 1-2, 9-10, 13, 22-25 and 27-29 under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The assertion that Figure 4 and Figure 12 of Takiguchi constitute different embodiments is not persuasive. Figure 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of a light emission unit comprising a plurality of light emission devices in a non-limiting configuration. Figure 12 depicts a cross-sectional view of a single light emission device according to one possible configuration. Figures 1, 6-8, 10-11 and 13-14 serve the same purpose of depicting individual light emission device embodiments that can fit within the non-limiting light emission unit depicted in Figure 4 and Figure 5, specifically the red and green LEDs. Accordingly, using both Figures 4 and 12 to reject a claim does not constitute distinct embodiments and does not require a combination under 103 to be proper.
Regarding the claiming of both scattering particles 22 and resin 23 from Figure 4 of Takiguchi as a filling layer, this is a minor error. Only the resin 23 constitutes a filling layer which is a single component and resolves the use of a single element to disclose two separate claimed elements. This error is accordingly corrected in the updated rejection below.
Regarding the wavelength conversion layer of Figure 12, the claimed term “layer” is very broad which allows the embodiment in Figure 12 to read on the invention. Regions 20A-C are not relied upon in the rejection but rather the layered particles 21A, 22 and 21B. These layers of particles each constitute a single “layer” and read upon the broad language of claim 1.
The assertion that Takiguchi does not disclose scatterers is not persuasive. Element 22 is a layer of particles, said particles being scattering particles (¶0057). Accordingly, Takiguchi does disclose this feature.
The arguments regarding Figure 10 of Takiguchi are not relevant to the rejection of record because Figure 10 is not relied upon. Figure 10 discloses an embodiment of a single light emission device that is distinct from the single light emission device depicted in Figure 12, which is relied upon in the rejection of record.
The arguments regarding Figure 11 of Takiguchi are not relevant to the rejection of record because Figure 11 is not relied upon. Figure 11 discloses an embodiment of a single light emission device that is distinct from the single light emission device depicted in Figure 12, which is relied upon in the rejection of record.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Display Panel Having a Light Scattering Layer Disposed Between Multiple Color Conversion Layers.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-2, 9-10, 13, 24 and 27-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Takiguchi (US-20250031496-A1).
Regarding claim 1, Takiguchi teaches a display panel (Fig.5 2; ¶0013) comprising:
a substrate (Fig.5 41; ¶0068) including a plurality of emission areas (Fig.5 Lr/Lg/Lb; ¶0068);
a plurality of light emitting members (Fig.5 1R/G/B; ¶0068) disposed on the substrate (41), each of the plurality of light emitting members (1R/G/B) disposed in the plurality of emission areas (Lr/Lg/Lb); and
a bank (Fig.5 24; ¶0130) disposed on the substrate (41) in a boundary between adjacent ones of the plurality of emission areas (Lr/Lg/Lb), wherein each of the plurality of light emitting members (1R/G/B) corresponds to one of two or more different colors (red and green), and one of the plurality of light emitting members (1R/G/B) includes:
a light emitting device (Fig.12 10; ¶0059) disposed on the substrate (41) and emitting light; a first color conversion layer (Fig.12 21A; ¶0120) disposed on the light emitting device (10) and including phosphors (¶0120) converting a portion of light of the light emitting device (10) into a wavelength region higher than a wavelength region of the light of the light emitting device (¶0057, red light has a greater wavelength then blue or UV light);
a light scattering layer (Fig.12 22; ¶0057) disposed on the first color conversion layer (21A), including scatterers (each individual particle of layer 22 is a scattering particle ¶0057) and scattering another portion of the light of the light emitting device (10) or light of the first color conversion layer (21A); and
a second color conversion layer (Fig.12 21B; ¶0120) disposed on the light scattering layer (22) and including quantum dots (¶0120) converting still another portion of the light of the light emitting device (10) or the another portion of the light scattered by the light scattering layer (22) into a wavelength region of the one of two or more different colors which the one of the plurality of the light emitting members corresponds (¶0057, green light has a wavelength between red and blue or UV light);
wherein the plurality of light emitting members (1R/G/B) include:
a first light emitting member (Fig.5 1R; ¶0068) emitting light of a first color (red; ¶0069), a second light emitting member (Fig.5 1G; ¶0068) emitting light of a second color (green; ¶0069) of which a wavelength region is lower than a wavelength region of the first color (red), and a third light emitting member (Fig.5 1B; ¶0068) emitting light of a third color (blue; ¶0069) of which a wavelength region is lower than the wavelength region of the second color (green);
wherein the third light emitting member (1B) includes a filling layer (Fig.4 23; ¶0079) disposed on the light emitting device (10).
Regarding claim 9, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 1, wherein the first light emitting member (1R) and the second light emitting member (1G) each includes the first color conversion layer (21A), the light scattering layer (22), and the second color conversion layer (21B), the second color conversion layer (21B) of the first light emitting member (1R) includes first quantum dots (¶0071) corresponding to the wavelength region of the first color (red), the second color conversion layer (21B) of the second light emitting member (1G) includes second quantum dots (¶0071) corresponding to the wavelength region of the second color (green), the light emitting device (10) of the third light emitting member (1B) emits light of the wavelength region of the third color (blue; ¶0061).
Regarding claim 10, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 9, wherein the filling layer (Fig.4 23) of the third light emitting member (1B) includes scatterers (22) scattering the light of the light emitting device (10).
Regarding claim 13, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 9, wherein the first color conversion layer (21A) of the first light emitting member (1R) includes first phosphors (¶0071) corresponding to the wavelength region of the first color (red) , and the first color conversion layer (21A) of the second light emitting member (1G) includes second phosphors (¶0071) corresponding to the wavelength region of the second color (green).
Regarding claim 24, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 1, further comprising a transistor array (Fig.22; ¶0030) disposed on the substrate (41), wherein the transistor array includes:
at least one thin film transistor (Fig.22 Tr2; ¶0140) disposed on the substrate (41) and corresponding to each of the plurality of emission areas (1R/G/B);
a common line (Fig.22 311 and 322) disposed on the substrate (41) and extending in a direction corresponding to arrangement directions of the plurality of emission areas (1R/G/B);
a planarization layer (substrate 41 is depicted as a planarized component in Fig.5) disposed on the at least one thin film transistor (Tr2) and the common line (311 and 322) of each of the plurality of emission areas (1R/G/B);
a pixel electrode (Fig.5 42; ¶0068) disposed on the planarization layer (top of 41) in each of the plurality of emission areas (1R/G/B); and
a common electrode (Fig.5 43; ¶0068) disposed on the planarization layer (top of 41) in each of the plurality of emission areas (1R/G/B), spaced apart from the pixel electrode (42), and electrically connected to the common line (311 and 322), the bank (24) is disposed on the planarization layer (top of 41), the pixel electrode (42) is electrically connected to at least one of the at least one thin film transistor (Tr2), and a first electrode (Fig.12 14; ¶0059) of the light emitting device (10) is disposed on the pixel electrode (42), faces the pixel electrode (42), and is electrically connected to the pixel electrode (42) in each of the plurality of emission areas (1R/G/B).
Regarding claim 27, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 1, a diameter of each of the scatterers (each individual particle of layer 22) is in a range of about 10 nm to about 500 nm (¶0077), and the scatterer includes at least one selected from the group of titanium oxide (TiO2), silicon oxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (AhO3), and zirconium oxide (ZrO2) (¶0077).
Regarding claim 28, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 1, further comprising a reflective layer (Fig.5 25; ¶0086) disposed on an edge of each of the plurality of emission areas (1R/G/B) and covering a sidewall of the bank (24).
Regarding claim 29, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 28, wherein the reflective layer (25) includes scatterers including at least one selected from the group of titanium oxide (TiO2), silicon oxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (AhO3), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), and boron nitride (BN) (¶0086).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 22-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takiguchi in view of Onuma et al. (US-20220123179-A1 – hereinafter Onuma), and further in view of Sugi (US-20240196644-A1 – hereinafter Sugi).
Regarding claim 22, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 1, further comprising:
a color filter layer (Fig.17 33; ¶0129), wherein the color filter layer (33) includes:
a first color filter (Fig.17 33R; ¶0129) corresponding to the first light emitting member (1R);
a second color filter (Fig.17 33G; ¶0129) corresponding to the second light emitting member (1G);
a third color filter (Fig.17 33B; ¶0129) corresponding to the third light emitting member (1B).
Takiguchi does not teach a protective layer disposed on the plurality of light emitting members and the bank, wherein the color filter layer is disposed on the protective layer; and
a light blocking member corresponding to the bank.
Onuma teaches a protective layer (Fig.8 15; ¶0030 of Onuma) disposed on LEDs (Fig.8 13; ¶0029 of Onuma) and color conversion layers (Fig.8 31/32; ¶0081 of Onuma) with color filters (Fig.8 33/34; ¶0088 of Onuma) disposed on top.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the protective layer of Onuma (15 of Onuma) between the color filter layer (33 of Takiguchi) and the color conversion resin (23 of Takiguchi) to arrive at the claimed invention. A practitioner of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of protecting the color conversion layers (¶0007 of Onuma).
Takiguchi in view of Onuma does not teach a light blocking member corresponding to the bank.
Sugi teaches a black matrix (Fig.27 BM; ¶0302 of Sugi) corresponding to a bank layer (Fig.27 28; ¶0229 of Sugi).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the black matrix of Sugi (BM of Sugi) corresponding to the banks (24 of Takiguchi) to arrive at the claimed invention. A practitioner of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of reducing color mixture between separate LEDs (¶0174 of Sugi) and to prevent incident light reflection off non light emitting components.
Regarding claim 23, the aforementioned combination of Takiguchi in view of Onuma, and further in view of Sugi from claim 22 teaches the display panel of claim 22, wherein the protective layer includes an inorganic insulating material of SiO2-x or Si 02, and x is 0, 1, or 2 (¶0032 of Onuma).
Claim(s) 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takiguchi in view of Bong et al. (US-20160381750-A1 – hereinafter Bong).
Regarding claim 25, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 24. Takiguchi does teach the light emitting device design claimed in withdrawn claim 26.
Takiguchi does not teach wherein the light emitting device includes a second electrode facing the first electrode, and the second electrode of the light emitting device is electrically connected to the common electrode through a wire.
Bong teaches an LED (Fig.9 30; ¶0079 of Bong) with a first electrode (Fig.9 36; ¶0079 of Bong) and a second electrode (Fig.9 35; ¶0079 of Bong) facing each other and connecting to a substrate via a wire (¶0079 of Bong).
The alternative LED configuration does not patentably distinguish claim 25 over claim 24 because it is a well-known and obvious variant and is simply a matter of design choice.
Claim(s) 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takiguchi in view of Onuma et al. (US-20220123179-A1 – hereinafter Onuma).
Regarding claim 30, Takiguchi teaches the display panel of claim 1.
Takiguchi does not teach the display panel further comprising:
a protective layer disposed on the plurality of light emitting members and the bank;
wherein the filling layer extends from directly on the third light emitting member to the protective layer.
Onuma teaches a protective layer (Fig.10 15; ¶0030 of Onuma) disposed on LEDs (Fig.10 13; ¶0029 of Onuma) and color conversion layers (Fig.10 31/32; ¶0081 of Onuma) with color filters (Fig.10 33/34; ¶0088 of Onuma) disposed on top. A filling layer (Fig.10 41; ¶0097 of Onuma) is also disposed over the leftmost LED (13 left of Onuma) and extends from the leftmost LED (13 left of Onuma) to the protective layer (15 of Onuma).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the protective layer of Onuma (15 of Onuma) between the color filter layer (33 of Takiguchi) and the color conversion resin (23 of Takiguchi) as taught by Onuma (Fig.10 of Onuma) to arrive at the claimed invention. A practitioner of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification for the benefit of protecting the color conversion layers (¶0007 of Onuma).
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 THADDEUS J KOLB whose telephone number is (571)272-0276. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eliseo Ramos-Feliciano can be reached at (571) 272-7925. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/T.J.K./ Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/ELISEO RAMOS FELICIANO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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