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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Species A1 and B8 (claims 1, 4-5, 8-9, and 14-22) in the reply filed on 03/06/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 10-11 and 13 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/06/2026. Applicant also further elected to cancel non-elected claims 10-11 and 13 in the reply filed on 03/06/2026.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
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.
Claims 1, 5, 9, 14, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Motoyama et al. (WO Publication 2019151278).
Regarding independent claim 1, Motoyama teaches a display device (fig. 3) comprising:
a first conductive layer (31 below to 10R);
a second conductive layer (32 below to 10R);
a light-emitting layer (33 below to 10R);
a lens (36 below to 10R); and
a first insulating layer (34), wherein the light-emitting layer is provided over the first conductive layer (fig. 3),
wherein the second conductive layer is provided over the light-emitting layer (fig. 3),
wherein the lens is provided over the second conductive layer (fig. 3),
wherein the lens comprises a photosensitive material (paragraph 0018),
wherein an end portion of the lens is located more outward than an end portion of the light-emitting layer and an end portion of the second conductive layer (fig. 3),
wherein the lens comprises an acrylic resin (paragraph 0018, "the on-chip microlens includes well-known acrylic-based resin"), and
wherein the first insulating layer comprises a region in contact with a top surface of the lens (fig. 13, 34 in contact with top surface of lens via 35 below to 10R and CF from a bottom up perspective), a region in contact with a side surface of the second conductive layer, and a region in contact with a side surface of the light-emitting layer (fig. 13).
Regarding independent claim 5, Motoyama teaches a display device (fig. 3) comprising:
a first conductive layer (31 below to 10R);
a second conductive layer (32 below 10R);
a third conductive layer (31 below 10G);
a fourth conductive layer (32 below 10G);
a first light-emitting layer (33 below 10R);
a second light-emitting layer (33 below 10B);
a first lens (36 below 10R);
a second lens (36 below 10G);
a first coloring layer (CFR);
a second coloring layer (CFG); and
a first insulating layer (34),
wherein the first light-emitting layer is provided over the first conductive layer (fig. 3),
wherein the second conductive layer is provided over the first light-emitting layer (fig. 3),
wherein the first lens is provided over the second conductive layer (fig. 3),
wherein the first coloring layer is provided over the first lens (fig. 3, CFR is provided over 36 below 10R from a bottom-up perspective),
wherein the second light-emitting layer is provided over the third conductive layer (fig. 3),
wherein the fourth conductive layer is provided over the second light-emitting layer (fig. 3),
wherein the second lens is provided over the fourth conductive layer (fig. 3),
wherein the second coloring layer is provided over the second lens (fig. 3, CFG is provided over 36 below 10G from a bottom-up perspective),
wherein the first lens and the second lens each comprise a photosensitive material (paragraph 0018),
wherein an end portion of the first lens is located more outward than an end portion of the first light-emitting layer and an end portion of the second conductive layer (fig. 3),
wherein an end portion of the second lens is located more outward than an end portion of the second light-emitting layer and an end portion of the fourth conductive layer (fig. 3),
wherein the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer are configured to emit light with a same color (paragraph 0061, “organic layer 33 forming the light emission element 10 is configured to emit white light”),
wherein the first coloring layer and the second coloring layer are configured to transmit light with different colors (paragraph 0061, “red light emission element 10R for displaying in the color of red includes the red color filter layer CF.sub.R, the green light emission element 10G for displaying in the color of green includes the green color filter layer CF.sub.G”),
wherein the first lens and the second lens each comprises an acrylic resin (paragraph 0018), and
wherein the first insulating layer comprises a region in contact with a top surface of the first lens (fig. 13, 34 below 10 which can correspond to 10R in contact with top surface of lens via 35 below to 10 which can correspond to 10R and CF from a bottom up perspective), a region in contact with a top surface of the second lens (fig. 13, 34 below 10 which can correspond to 10G in contact with top surface of lens via 35 below to 10 which can correspond to 10G and CF from a bottom up perspective), a region in contact with a side surface of the second conductive layer, a region in contact with a side surface of the fourth conductive layer, a region in contact with a side surface of the first light-emitting layer, and a region in contact with a side surface of the second light-emitting layer (fig. 13).
Regarding dependent claims 9 and 14, Motoyama teaches an electronic device (fig. 19A) comprising: the display device according to claim 1/claim 5 (paragraph 0108); and
an operation button (top left circle on 213).
Regarding dependent claims 19 and 20, Motoyama teaches the display device according to claim 1/claim 5, further comprising:
an adhesive layer (fig. 3, 35); and
a coloring layer (CF),
wherein the adhesive layer is provided between the first insulating layer and the coloring layer/first coloring layer (fig. 3), and
wherein the adhesive layer is in contact with a top surface of the first insulating layer (fig. 3).
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.
Claims 4, 8, and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Motoyama in view of Park et al. (US Publication 20140034919).
Regarding dependent claim 4, Motoyama teaches the display device according to claim 1.
Motoyama does not teach further comprising a second insulating layer, wherein the second insulating layer is provided between the second conductive layer and the lens, and wherein an end portion of the second insulating layer is located more inward than the end portion of the lens.
Park teaches further comprising a second insulating layer (fig. 1, 530),
wherein the second insulating layer is provided between the second conductive layer (400) and the lens (511), and
PNG
media_image1.png
287
618
media_image1.png
Greyscale
wherein an end portion of the second insulating layer is located more inward than the end portion of the lens (see figure below).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display device of Motoyama and the second insulating layer of Park in order to prevent damage when forming the lens layer (Park paragraph 0078).
Regarding dependent claim 8, Motoyama teaches the display device according to claim 5.
Motoyama does not teach further comprising a second insulating layer and a third insulating layer, wherein the second insulating layer is provided between the second conductive layer and the first lens, wherein the third insulating layer is provided between the fourth conductive layer and the second lens, wherein an end portion of the second insulating layer is located more inward than the end portion of the first lens, and wherein an end portion of the third insulating layer is located more inward than the end portion of the second lens.
Park teaches further comprising a second insulating layer (fig. 1, portion of 530 below 511) and a third insulating layer (portion of 530 below 512, see also figure below),
wherein the second insulating layer is provided between the second conductive layer (portion of 400 below 511) and the first lens (511),
wherein the third insulating layer is provided between the fourth conductive layer (portion of 400 below 512) and the second lens (512),
wherein an end portion of the second insulating layer is located more inward than the end portion of the first lens (see figure below), and
PNG
media_image2.png
358
741
media_image2.png
Greyscale
wherein an end portion of the third insulating layer is located more inward than the end portion of the second lens (see figure below).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display device of Motoyama and the second and third insulating layers of Park in order to prevent damage when forming the lens layer (Park paragraph 0078).
Regarding dependent claims 21 and 22, Motoyama teaches the display device according to claim 1/claim 5.
Motoyama does not teach wherein, in a cross-sectional view, the first insulating layer is not in contact with a top surface of the second conductive layer and a top surface of the light-emitting layer/first light-emitting layer.
Park teaches wherein, in a cross-sectional view, the first insulating layer (fig. 2, 550), is not in contact with a top surface of the second conductive layer and a top surface of the light-emitting layer/first light-emitting layer (550 does not directly contact top surface of 400 and top surface of 300).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display device of Motoyama and the first insulating layer position of Park in order to in order to prevent damage when forming the lens layer (Park paragraph 0078).
Claims 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Motoyama in view of Yamazaki et al. (WO Publication 2020021399).
Regarding dependent claims 15 and 16, Motoyama teaches the display device according to claim 1/claim 5, further comprising:
a first transistor (fig. 3, 20) electrically connected to the first conductive layer (paragraph 0063, “transistor 20 and the first electrode layer 31 are electrically connected to each other via a contact plug 28 provided at the base”).
Motoyama does not teach a first capacitor, wherein the lens/first lens overlaps with the first transistor and the first capacitor.
Yamazaki teaches a first capacitor (fig. 9, 240), wherein the lens/first lens (149) overlaps with the first transistor (202) and the first capacitor.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display device of Motoyama and the first capacitor of Yamazaki in order to hold accumulated electric charge (Yamazaki, machine translation document page 31 paragraph 4).
Regarding dependent claims 17 and 18, Motoyama teaches the display device according to claim 1/claim 5, further comprising:
a first transistor (fig. 3, 20) electrically connected to the first conductive layer (paragraph 0063, “transistor 20 and the first electrode layer 31 are electrically connected to each other via a contact plug 28 provided at the base”).
Motoyama does not teach a first capacitor, wherein the lens/first lens overlaps with the first transistor and the first capacitor, and wherein the first conductive layer, the light-emitting layer, and the second conductive layer overlap with the first transistor and the first capacitor.
Yamazaki teaches a first capacitor (fig. 9, 240), wherein the lens/first lens (149) overlaps with the first transistor (202) and the first capacitor, and
wherein the first conductive layer (111), the light-emitting layer (112), and the second conductive layer (113) overlap with the first transistor and the first capacitor (fig. 9).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the display device of Motoyama and the first capacitor of Yamazaki in order to hold accumulated electric charge (Yamazaki, machine translation document page 31 paragraph 4).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GRACE Y CHA whose telephone number is (703)756-5393. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and every other Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached at (469) 295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/GRACE CHA/Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/JACOB Y CHOI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897