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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 04/16/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-2 and 4-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over OH et al. (US. Pub: 2020/0357967 A1~ hereinafter “OH”) of record in view of Harada et al. (US. Pub: 2019/0221550 A1~ hereinafter “Harada”) of record in further in view of Wang et al. (US. Pub: 2019/0198483 A1~hereinafter “Wang”).
Regarding claim 1, OH discloses (in at least figs. 5-23) a display device, comprising: a substrate (200; [0100]); a plurality of electrical connection groups (240, 250, 260; [0100]-[0101]) formed in the substrate; a plurality of light-emitting elements (400; best seen in at least figs. 17-23) disposed on the substrate, wherein each of the light-emitting elements (400) is electrically connected to a corresponding electrical connection group of the electrical connection groups (see figs. 17-23); a light-transmitting plate (300, 521) covering the light-emitting elements (see at least figs. 5 and 15-23). OH further discloses (in at least figs. 7-10 and 15-23) a patterned light-shielding layer (100; [0076]) formed on the substrate (200) and having a plurality of recesses (110; [0076]), wherein each of the recesses (110) accommodates a corresponding light-emitting element of the light-emitting elements (400); wherein the light-emitting elements (400) form a plurality of pixels (see at least figs. 8-10), and each of the pixels comprises three light-emitting elements (see at least figs. 8-10) of the light emitting elements (400).
OH does not expressly disclose an adhesive layer formed between the light-transmitting plate and each of the light-emitting elements and continuously bridging the light-emitting elements; and wherein the three light-emitting elements are different in light color.
However, OH discloses (in at least fig. 15; [0085]) “the light transmission 300 may be fixed to the upper surface 131 of the body 100 by an adhesive.”
Harada in the same field of endeavor discloses (in at least fig. 1) an adhesive layer (13; [0063]; [0065]) formed between the light-transmitting plate (40; [0064]) and each of the light-emitting elements (20) and continuously bridging the light-emitting elements (20), and the adhesive layer (13) continuously bridges the pixels.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to arrange the adhesive of OH as disclosed by Harada, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Harada does not disclose the three light-emitting elements are different in light color.
Wang discloses (in at least figs. 1-3) a display device comprising: a patterned light-shielding layer (131; [0021]) formed on the substrate (110) and having a plurality of recesses (best seen in at least fig. 1B), wherein each of the recesses accommodates a corresponding light-emitting element of the light-emitting elements (120; see figs. 1-3), wherein the light-emitting elements (120) form a plurality of pixels (see at least fig. 1A), and each of the pixels comprises three light-emitting elements (121, 122, 123; see at least fig. 1A; [0018]) of the light emitting elements (120) and the three light-emitting elements (121, 122, 123) are different in light color ([0018]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the display device of OH and Harada with the three light-emitting elements teaching of Wang for the benefit of providing a full color display device.
Regarding claim 2, OH discloses (in at least figs. 5-23) a sealant (not shown; [0074]; [0132]) combining the substrate (200) with the light-transmitting plate (300, 521), and surrounding the light-emitting elements (400).
Regarding claim 4, OH discloses (in at least figs. 5-23) the patterned light-shielding layer (100) has a first top surface (see at least fig. 5), each of the light-emitting elements (400) has a second top surface, and the first top surface is higher than each of the second top surfaces (see at least fig. 5).
Regarding claim 5, OH discloses (in at least figs. 5-23) each of the light-emitting elements (400) comprises a first electrode (230) and a second electrode (220), and the first electrode (220) and the second electrode (230) are located on the same side of the corresponding light-emitting element (400).
Regarding claim 6, OH discloses (in at least figs. 5-23) each of the electrical connection groups (240, 250, 260) comprises: a first transmission line (i.e. the first transmission line is formed between the first electrode 230 and the electrical connection group 240; see at least fig. 5); and a second transmission line (i.e. the second transmission line is formed between the second electrode 220 and the electrical connection group 260) connected to the second electrode of the corresponding light-emitting element (400); wherein the first electrode (230) of each light-emitting element (400) is connected to the first transmission line of the corresponding electrical connection group through a first conductive hole (see at least fig. 5).
Regarding claim 7, OH discloses (in at least figs. 5-23) the substrate (200) comprises: a dielectric layer ([0063]), wherein the first electrode (230) and the second electrode (220) of each of the light-emitting elements (400) are disposed on the dielectric layer, the dielectric layer (200) covers the first transmission line (see at least fig. 5) and the second transmission line (see at least fig. 5) of each of the electrical connection groups (see at least fig. 5), and the first conductive hole penetrates the dielectric layer to connect a corresponding first electrode (230) of the first electrodes with a corresponding first transmission line of the first transmission lines (see at least fig. 5).
Regarding claim 8, OH discloses (in at least figs. 5-23) each of the electrical connection groups (240, 250, 260) comprises a second conductive hole (see at least fig. 5), the second conductive hole penetrates through the dielectric layer (200) to connect a corresponding second electrode (220) of the second electrodes with a corresponding second transmission line of the second transmission lines (see at least fig. 5).
Regarding claim 9, OH discloses (in at least figs. 5-23) the first electrode (230) of one of the light-emitting elements (400) is shaped as a circle, an ellipse or a polygon (best seen in at least fig. 13).
Regarding claim 10, OH discloses (in at least figs. 5-23) the first electrode (230) and the second electrode (220) of one of the light-emitting elements (400) are disposed concentrically, and the second electrode (220) of the one of the light-emitting elements surrounds the first electrode of the one of the light-emitting elements.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELMITO BREVAL whose telephone number is (571)270-3099. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th~ 7:30-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James R. Greece can be reached at 571-272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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ELMITO BREVAL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/ELMITO BREVAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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