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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s amendment filed December 4, 2025.
Drawings
The objection to the drawings has been withdrawn due to the amendment filed.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN206250196 U) in view of Sakai (US 2005/0237780 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Zhang teaches an electronic device comprising: a base layer 110; a plurality of first electrodes 120 on the base layer 110; a pixel definition layer 130 on the plurality of first electrodes 120 and comprising a plurality of openings that expose portions of the plurality of first electrodes 120; a plurality of light emitting layers 140 on the plurality of first electrodes 120; a pattern 150 on the pixel definition layer 130; a second electrode 160 on the plurality of light emitting layers 140; and an encapsulation layer 170 on the plurality of patterns 150 and the second electrode 160, wherein the plurality of patterns 150 are between the plurality of light emitting layers 140 when viewed in a thickness direction, wherein the encapsulation layer 170 is directly on at least a portion of the plurality of patterns 150 (Figure 1, pages 6-8).
In regard to claims 2-3, where patentability is said to be based upon particular chosen dimensions or upon another variable recited in a claim, burden is on Applicant to show that the chosen dimensions are critical. In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 1578, 16 USPQ2d 1934, 1936 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
In regard to claim 4, change only in form, proportions, or degree or substitution of equivalent, doing substantially the same thing in the same way by substantially the same means with better results is not such an invention as will sustain a patent. Higley v. Brenner, 387 F.2d 855, 128 U.S. App. D.C. 290 (1967).
In regard to claim 6, Zhang teaches the encapsulation layer 170 covering the second electrode 160 and the plurality of patterns 150 (Figure 1, pages 6-8).
In regard to claim 7, Zhang teaches an electronic device comprising: a base layer 110; a plurality of first electrodes 120 on the base layer 110; a pixel definition layer 130 on the plurality of first electrodes 120 and comprising a plurality of openings that expose portions of the plurality of first electrodes 120; a plurality of light emitting layers 140 on the plurality of first electrodes 120; a plurality of patterns 150 on the pixel definition layer 130; a second electrode 160 on the plurality of light emitting layers 140; and an encapsulation layer 170 on the plurality of patterns 150 and the second electrode 160, wherein the plurality of patterns 150 are between the plurality of light emitting layers 140 when viewed in a thickness direction, wherein the second electrode 160 comprises: a first electrode portion 164 on an upper surface of each of the plurality of patterns 150; and a second electrode portion 162 spaced apart from the first electrode portion 164 and on the plurality of light emitting layers 150 (Figure 1, pages 6-8).
In regard to claim 8, Zhang teaches each of the plurality of patterns 150 having a reverse taper shape (Figure 1, pages 6-8).
In regard to claim 9, Zhang teaches the second electrode 160 comprising a first electrode portion 162 and a plurality of second electrode portions 164, the first electrode portion 162 is on the plurality of light emitting layers 140, the first electrode portion 162 comprising a plurality of openings that do not overlap the plurality of patterns 150 in a plan view, and the plurality of second electrode portions 162 that overlap the plurality of openings in the plan view (Figure 1, pages 6-8).
However, Zhang fails to teach a plurality of patterns on a pixel definition layer.
Sakai teaches a plurality of patterns 4 on a pixel definition layer 10 (Figure 3, pages 3-7, paragraphs [0051]-[0104]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the electronic device structure as taught by Zhang with the electronic device having a plurality of patterns on a pixel definition layer as taught by Sakai to provide a reduced voltage drop in the electrode (page 1, paragraph [0009]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 11-12 are objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 10.
Claims 13-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regard to claim 13, the prior art of record (Han et al. (US 2021/0280647 A1) or Zhang (CN206250196 U) in view of Sakai (US 2005/0237780 A1)) does not disclose, make obvious, or otherwise suggest the structure of the applicant's claimed invention together with the other limitations of the dependent claims 14-20, such as the configuration of the base layer, electrodes, pixel definition layer, openings, light emitting layers, patterns, encapsulation layer and electrode portions.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to display devices:
Bi et al. (US 2017/0155075 A1) Byun et al. (US 2021/0066419 A1)
Choi et al. (US 2019/0212780 A1) Heo et al. (US 2021/0408163 A1)
Kim et al. (US 2020/0119114 A1) Kim et al. (US 2020/0168670 A1)
Kobayashi et al. (US 2010/0051992 A1) Lee et al. (US 12,058,895 B2)
Ma et al. (US 2022/0310721 A1).
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IMS
January 29, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898