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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because claim 24 is a use claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tasaki et al. (WO 2020/080417), wherein Tasaki et al. (US 2022/0285625) (hereafter “Tasaki’) is used as the English equivalent, in view of Tanabe et al. (US 2009/0131673).
Regarding claims 1-24, Tasaki teaches an electroluminescent device comprising an anode, a hole transporting layer, a first light emitting layer, a second light emitting layer, an electron transporting layer, and a cathode (paragraphs [0768]-[0847]) (claims 1 and 14). Tasaki teaches that both the first light emitting layer and the second light emitting layer comprise a host material and a fluorescent dopant (paragraph [0768]-[0847]). Tasaki teaches that the dopant material can be the same in each light emitting layer and can have the following structure,
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(paragraphs [0768]-[0847]) (claims 15 and 23). Tasaki teaches host material can comprise a pyrene group or an anthracene group and teaches that at least one of the host materials needs to be deuterated and the deuterated host can either be the host of the first light emitting layer or the host of the second light emitting layer (paragraphs [0171] and [0768]-[0847]). Tasaki teaches that the host material can have the following structure,
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,
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, and
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are a few examples (paragraphs [0258] and [0786]-[0847]) (claims 16-22). Tasaki teaches that the electroluminescent device can be used in a flat display device (paragraph [0757]) (claims 24).
Tasaki does not specifically teach where one of the host materials is a pyrene compound.
Tanabe teaches host materials for use in the light emitting layer for blue emitting materials (paragraphs [0025], [0040], and [0170]-[0180]). Tanabe teaches that the host material can have the following structure,
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, which is similar to the compounds of Tasaki and
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, and teaches that compounds can be substituted with deuterium atoms ([0025], [0040], and [0170]-[0180]) (claims 2-13). Tanabe shows that the host materials can be used interchangeably ([0025], [0040], and [0170]-[0180]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute one of the host materials of Tasaki with the pyrene host of Tanabe
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(which can also be deuterated). Tasaki teaches that the host materials can be a pyrene compound and that one of the hosts needs to be deuterated. Tanabe shows that the pyrene host materials can be used instead of anthracene host materials. Given the teachings in the prior art it would have been obvious to used the host material of Tasaki as one of the host materials in the device of Tanabe.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nagao et al. (US 7,989,802) teaches pyrene host materials that further comprises a dibenzofuran group and meets the applicant’s claimed pyrene host formula.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW K BOHATY whose telephone number is (571)270-1148. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-4pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Curtis Mayes can be reached at (571)272-1234. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW K BOHATY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759
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