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 statement (IDS) submitted on each of 11/28/2022 and 11/24/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
in claims 1 and 14, it is suggested that "at least one of R5 to R7 is each independently a substituted or unsubstituted o-biphenyl…" be changed to " at least one of R5 to R7 is
in claims 1 and 14 it is suggested that "at least one of R1 to R4 is each independently a group represented by one of Formula 2-1 to Formula 2-3" be changed to "at least one of R1 to R4 is.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-9 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ahn et al. US-20230129854-A1 (hereinafter "Ahn").
Regarding claims 1-9 and 14-20, Ahn discloses a light-emitting device including at least one functional layer between a first electrode and a second electrode and including an aromatic compound represented by Formula 1 (¶ [0007]), wherein the at least one functional layer includes a light-emitting layer, a hole transport region between the first electrode and the light-emitting layer, and an electron transport region between the light-emitting layer and the second electrode, wherein the light-emitting layer includes the aromatic compound (¶ [0020]). Ahn discloses that the device exhibits excellent (high) luminous efficiency and having a low driving voltage (¶ [0005]). Ahn discloses examples of the aromatic compound represented by Formula 1 (¶ [0113]) including compound 5
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(page 11), which corresponds to the claimed compound ET-1 and meets the claimed Formula 1-1 and 4-1 wherein:
X1 and X2 are each N;
R1 is a group represented by 2-1, 5-1, and 6-1, R2 and R3 are each an unsubstituted aryl group of 6 ring-forming carbon atoms, and R4 is a hydrogen atom;
Ara and Arb are each an unsubstituted aryl group having 6 ring-forming carbon atoms;
Ar1 and Ar2 are each an unsubstituted arylene group having 6 ring-forming carbon atoms;
A is a group represented by Formula 3;
Xa and Xb are each N and Xc is C(Rd);
Rb and Rc are each an unsubstituted aryl group having 6 ring-forming carbon atoms; and
Ra is a connecting part to eh group represented by Formula 2-1.
It is noted that a compound of Formula 1-2 and variables X3 to X5 and R5 to R8 are not required to be present.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn et al. US-20230129854-A1 (hereinafter "Ahn") as applied to claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 10, Ahn discloses the device as described above with respect to claim 1.
Ahn does not specifically exemplify a device as described above further comprising a compound of the claimed Formula H-1 in the light-emitting layer. However, Ahn teaches the light-emitting layer may include a compound represented by Formula E-2a or Formula E-2b to be used as a phosphorescence host material (¶ [0143]) and teaches examples of the phosphorescence host material including compound E-2-11 (¶ [0148], page 26), which is a compound of the claimed Formula H-1.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select the phosphorescence host material as compound E-2-11, because it would have been choosing from the list of specifically exemplified phosphorescence host materials, which would have been a choice from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions of a compound useful as the phosphorescence host material in the light emitting layer of the device of Ahn and possessing the benefits taught by Ahn. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to produce additional compounds represented by Ahn's Formula E-2a or Formula E-2b having the beneficial properties of high luminous efficiency and having a low driving voltage taught by Ahn in order to pursue the known options within their technical grasp with a reasonable expectation of success. See MPEP § 2143.I.(E).
Regarding claim 11, Ahn teaches the device as discussed above with respect to claim 10.
Ahn does not specifically exemplify a device as described above wherein the phosphorescence dopant material corresponds to one of the specific compounds claimed in claim 13. However, Ahn teaches that in Formula E-2b, Cbz1 and Cbz2 may be each independently an unsubstituted carbazole group or a carbazole group which is substituted with an aryl group having 6 to 30 ring-forming carbon atoms (¶ [0147]), and Ahn teaches examples of the aryl group include phenyl, biphenyl (¶ [0073]).
Therefore, given the general formula and teachings of Ahn, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the biphenyl substituent on Cbz1/Cbz2 of compound E-2-11, because Ahn teaches the variable may suitably be selected as such. The substitution would have been one known element for another and one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art would reasonably expect the predictable result that the modified compound would be useful as the phosphorescence host material in the light emitting layer of the device of Ahn and possess the beneficial properties of high luminous efficiency and having a low driving voltage taught by Ahn. See MPEP § 2143.I.(B).
The modified compound corresponds to the claimed compound 1-11.
Regarding claim 12, Ahn discloses the device as described above with respect to claim 1.
Ahn does not specifically exemplify a device as described above further comprising a compound of the claimed Formula D-1 in the light-emitting layer. However, Ahn teaches The light-emitting layer EML may include a compound represented by Formula M-a or Formula M-b to be used as a phosphorescence dopant material (¶ [0151]). and teaches examples of the phosphorescence dopant material including compound M-b-9 (¶ [0158], page 32), which is a compound of the claimed Formula D-1.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select the phosphorescence dopant material as compound M-b-9, because it would have been choosing from the list of specifically exemplified phosphorescence dopant materials, which would have been a choice from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions of a compound useful as the phosphorescence dopant material in the light emitting layer of the device of Ahn and possessing the benefits taught by Ahn. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to produce additional compounds represented by Ahn's Formula M-a or Formula M-b having the beneficial properties of high luminous efficiency and having a low driving voltage taught by Ahn in order to pursue the known options within their technical grasp with a reasonable expectation of success. See MPEP § 2143.I.(E).
Regarding claim 13, Ahn teaches the device as discussed above with respect to claim 12.
Ahn does not specifically exemplify a device as described above wherein the phosphorescence dopant material corresponds to one of the specific compounds claimed in claim 13. However, Ahn teaches that in Formula M-b, R34 may be a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms (¶ [0156]), and Ahn teaches examples of the alkyl group include a t-butyl group (¶ [0070]).
Therefore, given the general formula and teachings of Ahn, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the hydrogen in the position corresponding to R34 with a t-butyl group in compound M-b-9, because Ahn teaches the variable may suitably be selected as such. The substitution would have been one known element for another and one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art would reasonably expect the predictable result that the modified compound would be useful as phosphorescence dopant material in the light emitting layer of the device of Ahn and possess the beneficial properties of high luminous efficiency and having a low driving voltage taught by Ahn. See MPEP § 2143.I.(B).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Shin US-20140231786-A1 teaches a compound of Chemical Formula 2
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(¶ [0050]).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Elizabeth M. Dahlburg whose telephone number is 571-272-6424. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, and alternate Fridays.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Boyd can be reached at 571-272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELIZABETH M. DAHLBURG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
Prosecution Insights