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 § 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.
Claims 8, 15-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 8 and 19 recite “a fingerprint pattern formed from the arrangement of the base resin region and the light conversion region that are separated”. It is unclear what are all the geometric patterns that are encompassed by the term “fingerprint pattern”. Are the geometric patterns limited to the different types of fingerprint patterns seen in fingerprints, or further limited to the geometric pattern in Fig. 9, or not limited to either or both, and further comprise other geometric patterns?
Claim 15 recites the limitation of "a light control part" in line 6. It is unclear whether the “a light conversion region in which a plurality of light converters are aggregated” in lines 7-8, is the same as the “a light control part”, or different. For the purposes of examination, the first interpretation is used.
Claims 16-26 depend on and contain all the subject matter of claim 15, but fail to provide any solutions to the indefinite issues described above.
Clarification and/or amendment, accompanied by relevant citation(s) from the specification are required.
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 (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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a/1,2) as being anticipated by Kuwana (US 2019/0382655).
Regarding claim 1, Kuwana teaches a light control member (wavelength conversion film [0327]) comprising: a light control layer (luminescent nanocrystal complex layer [0328]) comprising a base resin region (binder resin [0199] polymer matrix [0019]), and a light conversion region in which a plurality of light converters (nanocrystals [0023]) are aggregated (controlled aggregation [0024]), wherein each of the light converters comprises: a quantum dot (nanocrystals are preferably quantum dots [0028]); and a liquid crystal ligand (mesogen-structured ligand [0282]) bonded to a surface of the quantum dot (ligand has a mesogenic group … and a binding site for binding to the nanocrystals [0092]).
Regarding claim 2, Kuwana teaches that the base resin region (binder resin [0164]) comprises an organic polymer derived from at least one of an acrylate-based monomer or an epoxy-based monomer (monomer for binder applications … epoxy acrylate, epoxy, (meth)acrylic monomers [0163]), and that the light conversion region contains a plurality of aggregated light converters which are quantum dots that consist of inorganic CdSe ([0047]), where the organic polymer and the inorganic CdSe are very different materials and hence are expected to have different refractive indices, such that the base resin region comprising the organic polymer, and the light conversion region containing the inorganic CdSe, are expected to also have different refractive indices.
Regarding claim 3, Kuwana teaches that the base resin region (binder resin [0164]) comprises a polymer derived from at least one of an acrylate-based monomer or an epoxy-based monomer (monomer for binder applications … epoxy acrylate, epoxy, (meth)acrylic monomers [0163]).
Regarding claim 4, Kuwana teaches that the quantum dot is a red quantum dot configured to be excited by blue light (blue light-emitting diodes [0330]) to emit red light (red light-emitting nanocrystals [0038] preferably quantum dots [0028]), or a green quantum dot configured to be excited by blue light (blue light-emitting diodes [0330]) to emit green light (red light-emitting nanocrystals [0038] preferably quantum dots [0028]).
Regarding claim 7, Kuwana teaches that the light control layer (nanocrystal complex layer [0327]) is prepared by a polymerization process of a light conversion resin composition (composition 1 for a luminescent nanocrystal complex [0328]) containing an acrylate-based and epoxy-based monomer (epoxy acrylate [0327]), and the light converters (InP/ZnS luminescent nanocrystal complex in Example 1 (surface-modifying compound, b-S3-C5; green) [0327]) dispersed in the monomer (epoxy acrylate [0327]) which phase-separates upon polymerization of the monomer into the polymer of the base resin region (binder resin [0199] polymer matrix [0019]).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuwana as applied to claims 1-4, 7 above.
Kuwana teaches the light control member comprising the light control layer comprising a base resin region and a light conversion region in which a plurality of light converters are aggregated, wherein each of the light converters comprises a quantum dot and a liquid crystal ligand bonded to a surface of the quantum dot, as described above.
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Regarding claim 5, Kuwana teaches that the liquid crystal ligand shown above ((I-24) [0150]) is represented by a derivative of Formula 1 of Applicant, in that n of Applicant = 0, a of Applicant = b of Applicant = 1, Cx of Applicant Cy of Applicant = a benzene ring, R of Applicant = a hydrogen atom, and X of Applicant = an alkyl group having 3 carbon atoms. Although Kuwana teaches that Y of Applicant = a hydroxy group, Kuwana teaches that instead of the hydroxy group (Ri1 represents a … C1 … alkyl group, where one -CH2- in the C1 alkyl group, may be substituted with -O- [0083]), Y of Applicant can also be a cyano group or a halogen atom ([0083]), thus satisfying Formula 1 of Applicant, for the purpose of providing the desired physical and/or chemical interaction.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have replaced the hydroxy group with a cyano group or a halogen atom in (I-24) of Kuwana, thus satisfying Formula 1 of Applicant, in representing the liquid crystal ligand bonded to a surface of the quantum dot of each of the plurality of aggregated light converters, in the light conversion region of the light control layer, of the light control member of Kuwana, in order to obtain the desired physical and/or chemical interaction, as taught by Kuwana.
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Regarding claim 6, Kuwana teaches that the liquid crystal ligand shown above ((I-35) [0150]) is represented by a derivative of LD-2 of Applicant, where the difference is an alkyl group having a terminal hydroxy group, instead of a cyano group.
However, Kuwana teaches that an alkyl group terminated by a hydroxy group (Ri1 represents a … C5 … alkyl group, where one -CH2- in the C5 alkyl group, may be substituted with -O- [0083]) can be replaced by a cyano group ([0083]), thus satisfying LD-2 of Applicant, for the purpose of providing the desired physical and/or chemical interaction.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have replaced the alkyl group terminated by a hydroxy group, with a cyano group in (I-35) of Kuwana, thus satisfying LD-2 of Applicant, in representing the liquid crystal ligand bonded to a surface of the quantum dot of each of the plurality of aggregated light converters, in the light conversion region of the light control layer of the light control member of Kuwana, in order to obtain the desired physical and/or chemical interaction, as taught by Kuwana.
Claims 15-18, 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae (US 2020/0395416) in view of by Kuwana (US 2019/0382655).
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Regarding claim 15, Bae teaches a display device (DD [0050]) comprising: a lower panel (first display substrate 100 [0069] in Fig. 4 shown above) comprising a display element layer (light emitting element layer LDL [0069]) in which a light emitting region (light emitting element LD [0069]) is defined (Fig. 4); and an upper panel (second display substrate 200 [0069]) comprising a light control layer (WCL [0069]) on the lower panel 100 (Fig. 4) and comprising a division pattern having an opening (voids containing WCL1, WCL2 [0059]) overlapping the light emitting region LD defined therein (Fig. 4) and a light control part disposed in the opening (WCL1, WCL2 [0059]), wherein the light control layer WCL comprises a base resin region (BR [0095]), and a light conversion region in which a plurality of light converters are aggregated (QD1, QD2 [0095]), each of the light converters comprising a quantum dot (QD1, QD2 [0095]). Bae fails to teach a liquid crystal ligand bonded to a surface of the quantum dot.
However, Kuwana teaches that in a display device ([0021]) comprising a light control layer (luminescent nanocrystal complex layer [0328]) comprising a base resin region (binder resin [0199] polymer matrix [0019]), and a light conversion region in which a plurality of light converters (nanocrystals [0023]) are aggregated (controlled aggregation [0024]), wherein each of the light converters comprises: a quantum dot (nanocrystals are preferably quantum dots [0028]); a liquid crystal ligand (mesogen-structured ligand [0282]) is bonded to a surface of the quantum dot (ligand has a mesogenic group … and a binding site for binding to the nanocrystals [0092]), to improve dispersion of the quantum dot in the light control layer, for the purpose of improving light emission efficiency and durability ([0092]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have bonded a liquid crystal ligand to a surface of the quantum dot, of each of the plurality of aggregated light converters in the light conversion region, of the light control layer of the display device of Bae, in order to improve light emission efficiency and durability, as taught by Kuwana.
Regarding claim 16, while Bae is silent regarding refractive indices of the base resin region and the light conversion regions, and hence fails to specify that they are different, Bae teaches that the light conversion region contains a plurality of aggregated light converters which are quantum dots that consist of inorganic CdSe ([0078]).
Kuwana teaches that the light conversion region contains the plurality of aggregated light converters which are quantum dots that consist of inorganic CdSe ([0047]), while the base resin region (binder resin [0164]) comprises an organic polymer resin derived from at least one of an acrylate-based monomer or an epoxy-based monomer (monomer for binder applications … epoxy acrylate, epoxy, (meth)acrylic monomers [0163]), where the organic polymer resin and the inorganic CdSe are very different materials and hence are expected to have different refractive indices, such that the base resin region comprising the organic polymer resin, and the light conversion region containing the inorganic CdSe, are expected to also have different refractive indices which enable light scattering.
Bae teaches that light scattering particles SC may be present in the light control part disposed in the opening (WCL1, WCL2 [0099]) which means that light scattering is desirable.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have provided the base resin region and the light conversion region of the light control layer of the display device of Bae, as modified by Kuwana, with different refractive indices, in order to obtain the desired light scattering, as taught by Bae in light of Kuwana.
Regarding claim 17, Bae is silent regarding any specific materials of the base resin region.
However, Kuwana teaches that the base resin region (binder resin [0164]) comprises a polymer derived from at least one of an acrylate-based monomer or an epoxy-based monomer (monomer for binder applications … epoxy acrylate, epoxy, (meth)acrylic monomers [0163]), for the purpose of providing the desired combination of binding and dispersibility ([0162]), without reducing the light emission intensity (luminescence intensity [0164]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have comprised a polymer derived from at least one of an acrylate-based monomer or an epoxy-based monomer in the base resin region, of the light control layer of the display device of Bae, in order to obtain the desired combination of binding and dispersibility, without reducing the light emission intensity, as taught by Kuwana.
Regarding claim 18, Bae as modified by Kuwana, teaches the liquid crystal ligand bonded to a surface of the quantum dot of each of the plurality of aggregated light converters in the light conversion region of the light control layer of the display device, for the purpose of improving light emission efficiency and durability, as described above.
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In addition, Kuwana teaches that the liquid crystal ligand shown above ((I-24) [0150]) is represented by a derivative of Formula 1 of Applicant, in that n of Applicant = 0, a of Applicant = b of Applicant = 1, Cx of Applicant Cy of Applicant = a benzene ring, R of Applicant = a hydrogen atom, and X of Applicant = an alkyl group having 3 carbon atoms. Although Kuwana teaches that Y of Applicant = a hydroxy group, Kuwana teaches that instead of the hydroxy group (Ri1 represents a … C1 … alkyl group, where one -CH2- in the C1 alkyl group, may be substituted with -O- [0083]), Y of Applicant can also be a cyano group or a halogen atom ([0083]), thus satisfying Formula 1 of Applicant, for the purpose of providing the desired physical and/or chemical interaction.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time, to have replaced the hydroxy group with a cyano group or a halogen atom, in (I-24) of Kuwana, thus satisfying Formula 1 of Applicant, in representing the liquid crystal ligand, bonded to a surface of the quantum dot of each of the plurality of aggregated light converters, in the light conversion region, of the light control layer of the display device of Bae, as modified by Kuwana, in order to obtain the desired physical and/or chemical interaction, as taught by Kuwana.
Regarding claim 26, Bae uses the qualifier “may” to describe the inclusion of light scatterers as being optional (scattering particles SC [0099]), thus providing the case in which the light control part does not comprise light scatterers.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-14 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Sow-Fun Hon whose telephone number is (571)272-1492. The examiner is on a flexible schedule but can usually be reached during a regular workweek between the hours of 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Aaron Austin, can be reached at (571)272-8935. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)273-8300.
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/Sophie Hon/
Sow-Fun Hon
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1782