DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
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.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura et al. (US 2016/0254459 A1) in view of Hatakeyama et al. (US 2019/0229277 A1).
Regarding Claims 1-8 and 11-18, Kawamura et al. discloses an organic electroluminescent (EL) device comprising the following layers: anode, first light-emitting layer, charge-blocking layer, second light-emitting layer (first emission layer), third light-emitting layer (second emission layer), electron-transporting layer, and cathode ([0243]); the emission from the (blue, green, and red) light-emitting layers are combined to form white light ([0248], [0276]-[0277], [0362]-[0365]). The light-emitting layers comprises a host material and fluorescent dopant material ([0013]). The host material is “preferably” an anthracene derivative ([0147]). An embodiment is disclosed wherein the second (blue) and third (green) light-emitting layers (70 and 130 Ǻ thick, respectively) each comprise BH-3 as host material ([0364]-[0365]); the structure of BH-3 is shown below:
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(page 26) (first and second host) such that a14 = 0, b14 = 0, a13 = 0, b13 = 0, a11 = 1, L11 = unsubstituted C6 carbocyclic group (phenylene), b11 = 1, R11 = unsubstituted C10 carbocyclic group (naphthyl), a12 = 0, b12 = 1, and R12 = unsubstituted C10 carbocyclic group (naphthyl) of Applicant’s Formulae 1 and 1-1. The concentrations of the dopant materials in the second and third light-emitting layers are at 5 and 10 mass %, respectively ([0364]-[0365]). Blue dopant materials include aminopyrene derivatives such as the following ([0149]):
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(page 24) (first dopant) (which can easily be used instead in the second light-emitting layer in the embodiment) such that c23 = c24 = 0, c21 = c22 = 1, and Ar21-22 = Applicant’s Formula 2-1 (with a25-27 = 0, b25 = 1, R25 = substituted C6 carbocyclic group (isopropyl-substituted phenyl), b26 = 1, and R26 = C12 heterocyclic group (dibenzofuranyl)) of Applicant’s Formula 2; R21-24 = hydrogen of Applicant’s Formula 2-2. Kawamura et al. discloses that dopant materials for green emission include boron complexes in combination with anthracene derivative as host material ([0265]-[0266], [0270]). However, Kawamura et al. does not explicitly disclose a second dopant as recited in Claim 1.
Hatakeyama et al. discloses the following compound:
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(page 14) such that b31-33 = 0, a31-33 = 0, rings CY31-33 = C6 carbocyclic group (benzene), and R34-35 = unsubstituted C6 carbocyclic group (phenyl) of Applicant’s Formula 3. Hatakeyama et al. discloses that its inventive compounds serve as dopant material in the light-emitting layer of an organic EL device, the use of which results in a device with high efficiency (Abstract; [0080]). It would have been obvious to substitute compound (1-1) as disclosed by Hatakeyama et al. for the dopant present in the third light-emitting layer of the organic EL device as disclosed by Kawamura et al. The motivation is provided by the fact that the substitution merely involves an exchange of one known emitter for a functional equivalent (i.e., another green dopant material); additional motivation exists, including from the disclosure of Hatakeyama et al. which teaches that the use of its inventive compounds results in a device with high efficiency.
Regarding Claims 9 and 10, it is the position of the Office that the use of compounds BD-1 and (1-1) and disclosed by Kawamura et al. and Hatakeyama et al., respectively, would inherently read on the wavelength limitations as recited in the claims. Evidence is provided by the fact that the compounds are exactly identical to the Applicant’s preferred embodiments for the first and second dopants (FD23 and DF8, respectively, as shown on pages 84 and 87 of the present national phase publication).
Claims 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura et al. (US 2016/0254459 A1) in view of Hatakeyama et al. (US 2019/0229277 A1) as applied above and in further view of Nakamura (US 2006/0113905 A1).
Kawamura et al. in view of Hatakeyama et al. discloses the electronic apparatus of Claim 18 as shown above. Kawamura et al. discloses its organic electroluminescent (EL) devices to be applicable to the construction of displays ([0427]). However, Kawamura et al. in view of Hatakeyama et al. does not explicitly disclose the specific electronic apparatus as recited in the claims.
Nakamura discloses a method of display device construction utilizing organic EL devices (OLEDs) which can suppress degradation and realize high display quality and long lifetime (Abstract; [0008]). The construction comprises a thin-film transistor (20) comprising a source electrode (20S) and a drain electrode (20D) electrically connected to the anode (41) of an organic EL device (40); a polarizer plate PL further exists on the display to suppress ambient light reflection (Fig. 2). It would have been obvious to utilize the method as disclosed by Nakamura for the construction of displays comprising the organic EL device as disclosed by Kawamura et al. in view of Hatakeyama et al. The motivation is provided by the disclosure of Nakamura, which is directed to a known and viable method of display device construction utilizing OLEDs, the use of which results in the suppression of degradation and high display quality and long lifetime.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY L YANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1137. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 6am-3pm.
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/JAY YANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786