DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
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 responsive to the amendment received on August 24, 2026. Claims 1, 4-7, 19, and 20 were amended. Claims 1-20 are pending.
The rejection of claims 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention is withdrawn due to applicant’s statement on the record in the August 24, 2026 remarks regarding “element”.
The rejection of claims 1, 6, 12-15, and 17-19 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kang, Jae-Wook, et al. "Silane-and triazine-containing hole and exciton blocking material for high-efficiency phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes." Journal of Materials Chemistry 17.35 (2007): 3714-3719 is withdrawn due to the August 24, 2026 amendment.
The rejection of claims 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (US 2017/0069857 A1) is withdrawn due to the August 24, 2026 amendment.
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.
Claims 1-15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sannomiya et al. (US 2015/0218191 A1).
Sannomiya et al. teaches organic electroluminescent devices that contain a compound with a boron-containing group in a layer that may include any one of an emitting, hole transporting, electron transporting, hole blocking or electron blocking layer (see abstract, par. 22). The compound is according to formula (1) (see par. 11-16). Further substituents may include deuterium (see par. 33) or fluorine (see par. 40) among others.
Regarding claim 1, a device may comprise an emitting layer and the additional layers (see par. 51). The formula 1 compound may be in functional layers other than the emitting layer (see par. 51). The formula 1 comprises a boron-containing group per instant element B (see abstract). Regarding claims 2, 3, 5, and 7, a deuterium or fluorine may be part of an included group and/or substituent (see par. 33, 40). Regarding claims 4, 5, and 20, the formula 1 compound may be part of a hole transporting or electron blocking layer (see abstract, par. 22, 51). Regarding claims 6, 7, and 19, the formula 1 compound may be part of an electron transporting or hole blocking layer (see abstract, par. 22, 51). Regarding claims 8-10, the formula 1 compound is in “at least one of a plurality of organic layers of an organic EL device” (see par. 51), which includes having a second formula 1 compound (which is at least boron-containing and may further include at least D and/or F per par. 33, 40) as material in the emitting layer (see par. 51). Regarding claim 11, ). Regarding claim 11, the formula 1 compound is in “at least one of a plurality of organic layers of an organic EL device” (see par. 51), which includes having a second layer with a formula 1 compound (which is at least boron-containing and may further include at least D and/or F per par. 33, 40). Regarding claim 12, the formula 1 compound does not require a metal (see par. 11-21).
Regarding claim 13, the light emitting layer may include a phosphorescent light emitting dopant (see par. 51). Preferred phosphorescent light emitting dopants are shown in par. 79 and include complexes with iridium metal to a nitrogen bond per instant claims 14 and 15.
Regarding claims 17-18, the device may be part of a consumer device (see par. 117) such as a flat panel display (see par. 117).
While Sannomiya et al. does not show an example device embodiment comprising a boron-containing formula 1 compound in transporting or blocking layers, Sannomiya et al. clearly teaches a formula 1 compound may be in” at least one layer” of a device including transporting, blocking, and/or emitting layers as discussed above. Given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form formula 1 compounds of the reference for layers of an emitting device as described above wherein the resultant compounds and devices would also meet the limitations of the instant claims. One would expect to achieve functional compounds for an operational light emitting device within the disclosure of Sannomiya et al. with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sannomiya et al. (US 2015/0218191 A1) in view of Lin et al. (US 2017/0069857 A1).
Sannomiya et al. is relied upon as set forth above.
While Sannomiya et al. clearly teaches a phosphorescent dopant may be included in a light emitting layer (par. 51, 79), it is not seen where a specific metal complex the same as instant claim 16 is discussed. In analogous art, Lin et al. teaches emitting material may include at least the following specific ligand of a transition metal complex (see Lin et al. claim 24, page 81):, which is recited in claim 16:
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have selected a phosphorescent dopant as taught by Lin for a device according to Sannomiya et al., because one would expect the metal complex to be similarly useful as an emitter dopant in a device according to Sannomiya et al. One would expect to achieve a light emitting device using emitter material as taught by Lin et al. in a device structure according to Sannomiya et al. with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 Dawn Garrett whose telephone number is (571)272-1523. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday (Eastern Time).
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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/DAWN L GARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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