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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Amendment, received 1/2/2026, has been entered.
Claims 1-19 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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.
Claim(s) 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Byun et al. (US Pub. No. 2021/0066419 A1), hereafter referred to as Byun.
As to claim 18, Byun discloses a light emitting display apparatus (fig 1, apparatus 1) comprising:
a dam (fig 11, portion of 113/115 at region XIII) disposed on a substrate (100) and located at a boundary between a display area and a non-display area (see annotated fig 11 below);
a division portion (upper portion of 113/115) disposed on the dam (lower portion of 113/115);
a display area emission layer (320 in DA) disposed on a first side of the dam (right side) and in the display area (DA);
a non-display area emission layer (320 on left side of the dam) disposed on a second side of the dam (left side) and in the non-display area (non-display area);
a division portion emission layer (320 on 115-3) disposed on the division portion (upper portion of 113/115); and
an encapsulation layer (400) including a first passivation layer (410), a second passivation layer (420), and a third passivation layer (430),
wherein the division portion emission layer, the display area emission layer and the non-display area emission layer are separated from each other (320 on 115-3; 320 to left of the dam and 320 to the right of the dam are separated from each other),
wherein the second passivation layer (420) is disposed across the display area and terminates before the non-display area (see annotated fig 11 below), and
wherein the first passivation layer (410) and the third passivation layer (430) both extend across the display area (DA), over the division portion and into the non-display area (see annotated fig 11 below).
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As to claim 19, Byun discloses the light emitting display apparatus of claim 18 (paragraphs above),
wherein a cross section of the division portion has a V-shape, a U-shape or a trapezoid shape with an opening at an upper surface of the division portion (fig 11, shape of upper portion of 113/115 with TH3).
Claim(s) 1 and 4-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jang et al. (US Pub. No. 2021/0202675 A1), hereafter referred to as Jang.
As to claim 1, Jang discloses a light emitting display apparatus (fig 1, apparatus 1) comprising:
a substrate (fig 4, 10) including a display area for displaying an image (see annotated fig 1 below) and a non-display area (see annotated fig 1 below) surrounding the display area;
a circuit layer (11b) disposed on the substrate (10);
a planarization layer (12/15a) disposed on the circuit layer (11b);
a dam (lower portion of 15b) disposed on the planarization layer (15a) and located at a boundary between the display area (see annotated fig 4 below) and the non-display area (see annotated fig 4 below);
a division portion (upper portion of 15b) disposed on the dam (lower portion of 15b), the division portion extending along the dam (fig 1 showing the dam surrounding the display);
a display area emission layer (ED in display area) disposed in the display area (display area);
a non-display area emission layer (ED on left side of the dam) disposed outside the dam (15b), the dam (15b) being located between the display area emission layer (ED in display area) and the non-display area emission layer (ED in the non-display area); and
a division portion emission layer (ED on 15b) disposed on an upper surface of the division portion (upper portion of 15b), the division portion emission layer (ED on 15b) being separated from the display area emission layer (ED in the display area) and the non-display area emission layer (ED in the non-display area); and
an encapsulation layer (16) including a first passivation layer (16a), a second passivation layer (16b) and a third passivation layer (16c),
wherein the second passivation layer (16b) is disposed across the display area and terminates before the non-display area (see annotated fig 4 below), and
wherein the first passivation layer and the third passivation layer both extend across the display area, over the division portion and into the non-display area (see 16a and 16c).
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As to claim 4, Jang discloses the light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 (paragraphs above),
wherein a lower surface of the division portion emission layer (ED on 15b) is in direct contact with the upper surface of the division portion (15b).
As to claim 5, Jang discloses the light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 (paragraphs above),
wherein the dam fully surrounds the display area in a closed loop shape (fig 1 shows the dam lower portion of 15b surrounding the display area).
As to claim 6, Jang discloses the light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 (paragraphs above),
wherein the division portion fully surrounds the display area in a closed loop shape (fig 1 shows the division portion upper portion of 15b surrounding the display area).
As to claim 7, Jang discloses the light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 (paragraphs above),
a display area cathode (CE in display area) disposed on the display area emission layer (ED in display area);
a non-display area cathode (CE to the left of the dam) disposed on the non-display area emission layer (ED to the left of the dam); and
a division portion cathode (CE on 15b) disposed on the division portion emission layer (ED on 15b), the division portion cathode being separated from the display area cathode and the non-display area cathode (portions of CE are shown as separated from each other).
As to claim 8, Jang discloses the light emitting display apparatus of claim 7 (paragraphs above),
the encapsulation layer (16) covers the display area cathode (CE in DA), the non-display area cathode (CE to left of dam), and the division portion cathode (CE on 15b).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-17 are allowed.
Claims 2-3 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest all of the limitations of independent claim 9, specifically, a bank and a first display area division portion on an upper surface of the bank. Claims 10-17 are allowable because of their dependence from claim 9. The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest a first groove having a concave shape in the upper surface of the division portion, wherein the first groove extends continuously along the dam, as recited in claim 2. Claim 3 is objected to because of its dependence from claim 2.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 4-8 and 18-19 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Pub. 2021/0210723; US Pub. 2022/0131106; US 11,316,131; US Pub. 2021/0280823; US Pub. 2021/0184172; US Pub. 2016/0365396; US Pub. 2016/0260928; and US Pub. 2005/0133802A1.
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 SHAUN M CAMPBELL whose telephone number is (571)270-3830. The examiner can normally be reached on MWFS: 7:30-6pm Thurs 1-2pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Purvis, Sue can be reached at (571)272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAUN M CAMPBELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893 1/14/2026