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.
Restriction/Election Requirement
The Office acknowledges the Applicant’s election of Group I (drawn to device) as set forth in the Requirement for Restriction/Election filed 02/26/26 in the Response filed 04/02/26.
The election reads on Claims 1-14 and 18-20.
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 15-17 have been withdrawn from consideration.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 13 is rejected 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.
The claim recites that R11-15 correspond to those “descriptions of R11 to R15 in claim 11” which render the exact scope of the claim indefinite as Claim 11 nowhere recites R11-15. The Office has interpreted R11-15 to correspond to those descriptions of R11 to R15 as recited in Claim 12 for the purpose of this Examination.
Correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-14 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Steiger et al. (WO 2018/219757 A1).
Examiner’s Note: The Office has relied on national phase publication US 2022/0376180 A1 as the English equivalent of WIPO/PCT publication WO 2018/219757 A1 (herein referred to as “Steiger et al.”). Unless otherwise noted, all figure, page, and paragraph numbers referenced herein refer to numbers found in the national phase publication.
Steiger et al. discloses a quantum dot-based light-emitting device, an
embodiment of which is shown below (comprising a plurality of sub-pixels):
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that lie on top of substrate ([0016]); the first (and second) layers are charge-transporting layers, including the first layer being an electron-transporting layer ([0006]-[0007], [0015]). The first electrode is a cathode, while the second electrode is an anode; a layer of PEDOT:PSS (hole-injecting layer) is present between the anode and the second layer ([0105]-[0106]). Additional layers can exist, including charge-blocking layers, charge injection layers, etc. ([0010]). The first layer is formed via the use of a composition comprising a metal oxide (such as zinc oxide (ZnO)) ([0013]-[0014]). The first layer comprising the metal oxide further comprises a photo acid generator, including one comprising sulfonium ([0049]-[0050], [0068]). Steiger et al. discloses the existence of a hole-injecting layer separate from the hole-transporting layer ([0122]); there further exists electron- or hole-blocking layer (interposed between the light-emitting layer and the hole-transporting layer or electron-transporting layer, respectively) across the device comprising compounds such as m-MTDATA as shown below ([0122]-[0123]):
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(antioxidant) such that R21-23 = substituted C6 carbocyclic group (substituted phenyl wherein substituent = R10a = -N(Q11)(Q12) (with Q11-12 = phenyl or tolyl)) of Applicant’s Formula 2. Steiger et al. further discloses the presence of a cover comprising light polarizing coating that lies on the device ([0126]).
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
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