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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species Il (claims 1-8 and 11-20) in the reply filed on 10/27/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “The Examiner asserts that Species II and III are independent or distinct inventions. Applicant respectfully submits that “Species II and III should be treated as a single species. For example, Species Ill (e.g., claim 20) is directed to a display device, while Species Il (e.g., claims 1-6 and 11-19, as defined is the Restriction Requirement) is directed to a pixel. Because claims 1 and 20 recite similar features, and because a display device (e.g., claim 20/Species III) includes pixels (e.g., claim 1/Species Il), the two species are not clearly patentably distinct. Therefore, Applicant requests that Species Il and Ill be considered the same species.”
This is not found persuasive because for example, the limitation “a substrate comprising a display area and a non-display area” in claim 20 is not disclose in independent claim 1. Therefore, the serious burden is undue.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(2) as being anticipated by KONG (Pub. No.: US 2021/0265324).
Re claim 1, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches a pixel comprising:
a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel (LD1/LD2, FIG. 2, ¶ [0050]) arranged in a first direction, and comprising:
an emission area (occupied by LD); a non-emission area (not occupied by LD);
a first alignment electrode (REL1_1, [0106]) extending in the first direction;
a second alignment electrode (REL2) extending in the first direction, and spaced apart from the first alignment electrode (REL1_1) in a second direction crossing the first direction;
a light-emitting element (LD1) between the first alignment electrode and the second alignment electrode, and comprising a first end (EP1) and a second end (EP2) opposite each other with respect to the second direction; and
a first electrode (CNE1_1) and a second electrode (CNE2) electrically connected to the light-emitting element, and spaced apart from each other in the second direction (horizontal), the first electrode (CNE1_1) overlapping the first end (EP1) of the light-emitting element, and the second electrode (CNE2) overlapping the second end (EP2) of the light-emitting element.
Re claim 2, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches the pixel according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode (CNE1_1) of each of the first ([FSP] of FIG. 2 [as shown below]), second [SSP], and third sub-pixels [TSP] is spaced apart from the first electrode of one of the sub-pixels adjacent in the first direction, and
wherein the second electrode (CNE2) of each of the first, second, and third sub-pixels is connected to the second electrode of the one of the sub-pixels adjacent in the first direction.
Re claim 3, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches the pixel according to claim 2, wherein the second electrode (CNE2) of the first sub-pixel [FSP], the second electrode of the second sub-pixel [SSP], and the second electrode of the third sub-pixel [TSP] are integrally provided.
Re claim 4, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches the pixel according to claim 2, further comprising:
a first bank (left PW2, [0089]) in the non-emission area, and defining a first opening (occupied by left INS1/LD1/INS2) corresponding to the emission area, and a second opening (occupied by INS1/LD2/INS2) spaced apart from the first opening;
a first connection line (CNL1 of FIG. 2) extending in the second direction in the non-emission area of the first sub-pixel, and connected to the first alignment electrode; and
a second connection line (CNL2) extending in the second direction in the non-emission area of the third sub-pixel, and connected to the second alignment electrode.
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Re claim 5, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches the pixel according to claim 4, wherein the first alignment electrode (REL1_1) of the first sub-pixel [FSP], the first alignment electrode of the second sub-pixel [SSP], and the first alignment electrode of the third sub-pixel [TSP] are connected to each other, and
wherein the second alignment electrode (REL2) of the first sub-pixel, the second alignment electrode of the second sub-pixel, and the second alignment electrode of the third sub-pixel are connected to each other.
Re claim 6, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches the pixel according to claim 5, further comprising:
a first bridge pattern (PW2) in the non-emission area of the first sub-pixel [FSP], and electrically connected to the second electrode of the first sub-pixel;
a second bridge pattern (PW2) in the non-emission area of the second sub-pixel [SSP], and electrically connected to the second electrode of the second sub-pixel; and
a third bridge pattern (PW2) in the non-emission area of the third sub-pixel [TSP], and electrically connected to the second electrode of the third sub-pixel,
wherein the first bridge pattern, the second bridge pattern, and the third bridge pattern are spaced apart from each other.
Re claim 7, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches the pixel according to claim 6, wherein the third bridge pattern (PW2 of [TSP]) and the second connection line (CNL2) are integrally provided.
Re claim 8, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches the pixel according to claim 7, wherein the first alignment electrode (REL1_1), the second alignment electrode (REL2), the first bridge pattern (PW2 of [FSP]), the second bridge pattern (PW2 of [SSP]), the third bridge pattern (PW2 of [TSP]), the first connection line (CNL1), and the second connection line (CNL2) are in a same layer, and comprise a same material.
Re claim 11, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches the pixel according to claim 6, wherein the first alignment electrode comprises a (1-1)-th alignment electrode (REL1_1 of [FSP]), a (1-2)-th alignment electrode (REL1_1 of [SSP]), a (1-3)-th alignment electrode (REL1_1 of [TSP]), a (1-4)-th alignment electrode (REL1_1 of [FourSP]), and (1-5)-th alignment electrode (REL1_1 of [FifSP]) extending in the first direction, and spaced apart in the second direction,
wherein the second alignment electrode comprises a (2-1)-th alignment electrode (REL2 of [FSP]), a (2-2)-th alignment electrode (same scenario as first alignment electrode), a (2-3)-th alignment electrode, a (2-4)-th alignment electrode, and a (2-5)-th alignment electrode extending in the first direction, and spaced apart in the second direction, and
wherein the first alignment electrode and the second alignment electrode are alternately located along the second direction (horizontal).
Re claim 12, KONG, FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B teaches the pixel according to claim 11, wherein the first electrode (CNE1_1) overlaps the (2-1)-th alignment electrode (REL2 of [FSP]), and wherein the second electrode (CNE2) overlaps the (1-5)-th alignment electrode (REL1_1 of [FifSP]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-19 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
In the claim 13 that is written, the prior arts fail to show or fairly suggest the process steps of: “a first intermediate electrode between the first electrode and the second electrode, spaced apart from the first and second electrodes in the second direction, and overlapping the (1-1)-th alignment electrode and the (2-2)-th alignment electrode; a second intermediate electrode between the first intermediate electrode and the second electrode, spaced apart from the first intermediate electrode and the second electrode in the second direction, and overlapping the (1-2)-th alignment electrode and the (2-3)-th alignment electrode; a third intermediate electrode between the second intermediate electrode and the second electrode, spaced apart from the second intermediate electrode and the second electrode in the second direction, and overlapping the (1-3)-th first alignment electrode and the (2-4)-th second alignment electrode; and a fourth intermediate electrode between the third intermediate electrode and the second electrode, spaced apart from the third intermediate electrode and the second electrode in the second direction, and overlapping the (1-4)-th alignment electrode and the (2-5)-th alignment electrode” in context with the other limitation as stated in claim 1-6 and 11-12.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TONY TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1749. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM, EST.
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/TONY TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893