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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed
in Korea, KR 2022-0177378 on December 16, 2022. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/18/2023 is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I and Sub-Species III, in the reply filed on 04/28/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species/Sub-Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 04/28/2026.
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.
Rejection note: Italicized claim limitations are limitations not explicitly disclosed in the primary
reference but disclosed in the secondary reference(s).
Claims 1-4 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20240196697 A1), in view of Han et al. (US 20160334671 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses a display device comprising:
a substrate SUB (Fig. 3: SUB, paragraph 0064);
a transistor TR disposed on the substrate SUB (Fig.3: TR, SUB, paragraph 0064);
a power electrode AXE disposed on the substrate SUB (Fig. 3: AXE, paragraph 0064);
a pixel electrode PXL disposed on the transistor TR (Fig. 3: PXL, TR, paragraph 0058);
a light emitting layer EL disposed on each of the pixel electrode PXL and the power electrode AXE (Fig. 3: EL, PXL, AXE, paragraph 0092);
and a common electrode CE disposed on the light emitting layer EL (Fig. 3: COM, EL, paragraph 0093),
wherein the power electrode AXE includes a stem part AXE extending in a first direction Y and at least one first branch part AXE_p1 protruding from the stem part AXE in a second direction X crossing the first direction Y in a plan view (Fig. 4 : AXE, AXE_p1, X, Y, paragraph 0105),
and wherein the first branch part AXE_p1 has a shape in which a width decreases as a distance from the stem part AXE increases in a plan view.
Han et al. teaches a display device comprising an electrode 270 including a stem part 277 and a first branch part 275, and wherein the first branch part 275 has a shape in which a width decreases as a distance from the stem part 277 increases in a plan view (Fig. 3: 270, 277, 275, paragraph 0093).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of Kim and Han et al. in order to have the first branch part have a shape in which a width decreases as a distance from the stem part increases in a plan view. Doing so would minimize electric field at the edges, thereby creating a more uniform distribution, as recognized by Han et al. (paragraph 0093).
Regarding Claim 2, Kim discloses the display device of claim 1, wherein the power electrode AXE further includes at least one second branch part AXE_p2 protruding from the stem part AXE in a third direction -X opposite to the second direction X in a plan view (Fig. 4 : AXE, AXE_p2, X, -X, paragraph 0105).
Regarding Claim 3, Kim discloses the display device of claim 2, wherein the first branch part AXE_p1 and the second branch part AXE_p2 are symmetrical to each other with respect to the stem part AXE in a plan view (Fig. 4 : AXE, AXE_p1, AXE_p2).
Regarding Claim 4, Kim fails to explicitly disclose the display device of claim 2, wherein the first branch part AXE_p1 and the second branch part AXE_p2 are asymmetrical to each other with respect to the stem part AXE in a plan view (Fig. 4 : AXE, AXE_p1, AXE_p2).
However, according to MPEP § 2144.04 (B), the shape of the electrode is a matter of design choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular shape is significant. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Since the Applicant has not shown persuasive evidence that the particular shape of the groove is
significant (see paragraph 0087 of originally filed disclosure), a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the shape of the electrode of Kim such that the first branch part and the second branch part are asymmetrical to each other with respect to the stem part in a plan view.
Regarding Claim 14, The combination of Kim and Han et al. fails to explicitly teach the display device of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a length of the power electrode in the first direction to a length of the power electrode in the second direction in a plan view is about 1:20 to about 20:1.
However, Han et al. teaches wherein a length of the electrode 270 in the first direction (vertical direction) is greater than the length of the electrode in the second direction (horizontal direction) in a plan view (see Fig. 3: 270), translating to a ratio of a length of the electrode in the first direction to a length of the electrode in the second direction in a plan view is greater than about 1:1, which overlaps with the claimed range. According to MPEP § 2144.05 (I), “In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists”. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of Kim and Han et al. in order to have a ratio of a length of the power electrode in the first direction to a length of the power electrode in the second direction in a plan view is about 1:20 to about 20:1. Doing so would ensure appropriate electrode dimension for optimum optical transparency, charge injection and electric field distribution.
Claims 5-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20240196697 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Su et al. (US 20230200128 A1).
Regarding Claim 5, Kim discloses the display device of claim 1, wherein the power electrode AXE includes:
a first electrode layer AXE (Fig. 5: AXE, paragraph 0112);
a second electrode layer PAS_P disposed on the first electrode layer AXE (Fig. 5: AXE, PAS_P, 0112);
and a third electrode layer disposed on the second electrode layer,
wherein a side surface of the first electrode layer AXE protrudes from a side surface of the second electrode layer PAS_P (Fig. 5: AXE, PAS_P).
Su et al. teaches a display device comprising a power electrode 56, 31, 40, wherein the power electrode includes a third electrode layer 31_2 (see annotated Fig. 8: 56, 31, 40,, 31_1, 31_2, paragraph 0077).
Note that the electrode layer 31 in Fig. 8 of Su et al. has two portions annotated as 31_1 and 31_2 and are interpreted as the second electrode layer and third electrode layer respectively.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of Kim and Su et al. in order to have a third electrode layer disposed on the second electrode layer. Doing so would enable the multiple electrode layers to individually serve various functions such improve adhesion, optical transparency and charge injection.
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Annotated Fig. 8 of Su et al. (US 20230200128 A1)
Regarding Claim 6, Su et al. discloses the display device of claim 5, wherein a side surface of the third electrode layer 31_2 protrudes from the side surface of the second electrode layer 31_1 (see annotated Fig. 8: 31_1, 31_2).
Regarding Claim 7, Kim fails to explicitly disclose the display device of claim 5, wherein the side surface of the second electrode layer PAS_P forms an angle of about 10 degrees or more and about 150 degrees or less with respect to an upper surface of the first electrode layer AXE in a cross-sectional view.
Kim discloses the display device of claim 5, wherein the side surface of the second electrode layer PAS_P forms an acute angle of about 0 degrees or more and about 90 degrees or less with respect to an upper surface of the first electrode layer AXE in a cross-sectional view (see Fig. 5: AXE, PAS_P).
Thus, the disclosed range of Kim overlaps the claimed range. According to MPEP § 2144.05 (I), “In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists”. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
[AltContent: textbox (Annotated Fig. 5 of Kim (US 20240196697 A1))]
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Regarding Claim 8, Kim discloses the display device of claim 5, wherein the light emitting layer EL includes:
a first light emitting layer EL_1 disposed on the pixel electrode PXL (see annotated Fig. 5: EL1, EL2, Fig. 3: PXL, EL paragraph 0092);
and a second light emitting layer EL2 disposed on the power electrode AXE and spaced apart from the first light emitting layer EL1 (see annotated Fig. 5: EL1, EL2, AXE, paragraph 0092),
and wherein the first light emitting layer EL1 contacts the side surface of the second electrode layer PAS_P (annotated Fig. 5: EL1, PAS_P).
Note that in Fig. 5 of Kim, the first light emitting layer EL1 contacts the side surface of the second electrode layer PAS_P through the intermediate layer CE.
Regarding Claim 9, Kim discloses the display device of claim 8, wherein the common electrode CE includes:
a first common electrode CE1 disposed on the first light emitting layer EL1 and covering the first light emitting layer EL1 (annotated Fig. 5: CE1, EL1, paragraph 0093);
and a second common electrode CE2 disposed on the power electrode AXE and spaced apart from the first common electrode CE1 (annotated Fig. 5: CE1, CE2, AXE, paragraph 0093),
and wherein the first common electrode CE1 contacts the side surface of the second electrode layer PAS_P (annotated Fig. 5: CE1, PAS_P).
Regarding Claim 10, Kim fails to disclose the display device of claim 5, wherein the power electrode further includes: at least one fourth electrode layer disposed on the third electrode layer; and at least one fifth electrode layer disposed on the fourth electrode layer, and wherein a side surface of the third electrode layer protrudes from a side surface of the fourth electrode layer.
However, Su et al. teaches wherein the power electrode 56, 31, 40, further includes: at least one fourth electrode layer 41 disposed on the third electrode layer 31_2; and at least one fifth electrode layer 42 disposed on the fourth electrode layer 41, and wherein a side surface of the third electrode layer 31_2 protrudes from a side surface of the fourth electrode layer 41 (see annotated Fig. 8: 56, 31_1, 31_2, 41, 42, paragraph 0069).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of Kim and Su et al. in order to have the power electrode further include at least one fourth electrode layer disposed on the third electrode layer; and at least one fifth electrode layer disposed on the fourth electrode layer, and wherein a side surface of the third electrode layer protrudes from a side surface of the fourth electrode layer. Doing so would enable the multiple electrode layers to individually serve various functions such improve adhesion, optical transparency and charge injection.
Regarding Claim 11, Su et al. teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first, second and third electrode layers 56, 31 includes a metal (paragraph 0100).
Regarding Claim 12, Su et al. teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first, second and third electrode layers includes a transparent conductive oxide (paragraph 0106).
Regarding Claim 13, Kim teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first, second and third electrode layers includes an organic material (Kim in paragraph 0111 teaches the second electrode layer PAS_P maybe an organic material).
Conclusion
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee et al. (US 20230207734 A1) teaches a display device comprising a power electrode including multiple electrode layers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAMNA F IQBAL whose telephone number is 571-272-1587. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8.30 am - 5.30 pm EST.
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/HAMNA FATHIMA IQBAL/Examiner, Art Unit 2817 05/07/2026
/Kretelia Graham/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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