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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7-13, 15-18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Togashi et al. (WO 2021/070878), where Togashi et al. (US 2022/0352469) (hereafter “Togashi”) is used as the English equivalent.
Regarding claims 1-4, 7-13, 15-18, and 20, Togashi teaches an electroluminescent device comprising an anode, a hole transporting layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transporting layer, and a cathode (paragraphs [0414]-[0421]). Togashi teaches that the hole transporting layer is composed of polymer with the following repeating unit,
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(paragraph [0095]). Togashi teaches the following polymers that comprise the following repeating unit,
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are a few examples (paragraphs [0193], [0265], and [0295]). Togashi teaches the following groups as examples for
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are a few examples (Fig. 3 and Fig. 16). Togashi teaches are equivalents to teach other. Togashi teaches that the light emitting layer can comprise a metal complex and emit through phosphorescence (paragraph [0226]). Togashi teaches that the electroluminescent device can be used in an electronic device (paragraph [0001]).
Togashi does not specifically teaches a polymer where
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is used as one of the repeating units.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the arylamine repeating units in the polymers of Togashi with
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, or
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. Togashi teaches that the groups are equivalents of each other and are substitutes for each other. One of ordinary skill in the art would expect the polymers to act as hole transporting materials as the other polymers of Togashi.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Togashi et al. (WO 2021/070878), where Togashi et al. (US 2022/0352469) (hereafter “Togashi”) is used as the English equivalent, as applied to claims 1-4, 7-13, 15-18, and 20 above, and further in view of Okada et al. (US 2010/0237322) (hereafter “Okada”).
Regarding claim 19, Togashi teaches that the light emitting comprises a fluorescent dopant (paragraphs [0224] and [0417]).
Togashi does not teach where the light emitting layer comprises nanoparticles or quantum dots.
Okada teaches when the light emitting layer comprises mixture of a quantum dot (nanoparticle), a host material, and fluorescent material has improved lifetime and color purity compared to a light emitting layer comprising a host and fluorescent material (paragraph [0219]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Togashi so the light emitting layer comprises a host material, a fluorescent material, and a quantum dot (nanoparticle) as taught by Okada. The motivation would have been to improve the lifetime and color purity of the device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, and 14 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 fails to teach or make obvious the applicant’s claimed copolymers. The closes prior art Togashi et al. (US 2022/0352469) (hereafter “Togashi”) teaches that the hole transporting layer is composed of polymer with the following repeating unit,
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(paragraph [0095]). Togashi teaches the following polymers that comprise the following repeating unit,
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173
533
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526
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, and
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are a few examples (paragraphs [0193], [0265], and [0295]). Togashi teaches the following groups as examples for
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are a few examples (Fig. 3 and Fig. 16). The prior art fails to teach or make obvious modifying the polymers of Togashi to arrive at the applicant’s claimed invention; therefore, claims 5, 6, and 14 comprise allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Togashi et al. (US 2022/0352469) teaches polymers comprising triarylamine repeating units.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW K BOHATY whose telephone number is (571)270-1148. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Curtis Mayes can be reached at (571)272-1234. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW K BOHATY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759