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 .
Applicant’s submission, filed 17 December 2025, has been entered and acknowledged by the examiner.
Applicant’s arguments with regard to the rejections of the claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (USPN 2022/0149312).
With regard to claim 1,
Lee et al. disclose in at least the figures display device comprising a plurality of first light-emitting elements (PXA-G) and a plurality of second light-emitting elements (PXA-B), wherein each of the first light-emitting elements comprises a first pixel electrode (EL1-2), a first EL layer (ED-2a), a common layer (ETR), and a common electrode (EL2) in this order from a substrate side, wherein each of the second light-emitting elements comprises a second pixel electrode (EL1-1), a second EL layer (ED-1), the common layer (ETR), and the common electrode (EL2) in this order from the substrate side, wherein the first light-emitting elements and the second light-emitting elements are arranged in a first direction, wherein the plurality of first light-emitting elements and the plurality of second light-emitting elements are each arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction (see figure 1), wherein an end portion of the first EL layer and an end portion of the second EL layer are not in contact with each other but face each other with a space therebetween (See figure 7), wherein a first light-emitting unit (EML2-1), a first intermediate layer (CGL2), and a second light-emitting unit (EML2-2) are stacked in the first EL layer, wherein a third light-emitting unit (EML1-1), a second intermediate layer (CGL1), and a fourth light-emitting unit (EML1-2) are stacked in the second EL layer, wherein the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit each comprise a first light-emitting layer (EML2) emitting light of a first color (G), and wherein the third light-emitting unit and the fourth light-emitting unit each comprise a second light-emitting layer (EML1) emitting light of a second color (B) different from the first color.
With regard to claim 2,
Lee et al. disclose the display device according to claim 1, wherein the side surface of the first EL layer is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a formation surface of the first EL layer (See figure 7), and wherein the side surface of the second EL layer is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a formation surface of the second EL layer (See figure 7).
With regard to claim 3,
Lee et al. disclose the display device according to claim 1, wherein an angle between the side surface of the first EL layer and a formation surface of the first EL layer is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 90°, and wherein an angle between the side surface of the second EL layer and a formation surface of the second EL layer is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 90° (See figure 7).
With regard to claim 4,
Lee et al. disclose the display device according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer (PDL) between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, wherein the common layer and the common electrode have a region that overlaps with neither the first EL layer nor the second EL layer and overlaps with the insulating layer (See figure 7).
With regard to claim 5,
Lee et al. disclose the display device according to claim 4, wherein the insulating layer comprises an organic insulating film or an inorganic insulating film (necessarily, as claim spans the space and is therefore not limiting).
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 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (as above).
With regard to claims 6-8,
Lee et al. disclose the display device according to claim 1, while Lee et al. do not explicitly disclose the connection electrode nor aperture ratio and resolution, providing such a connection electrode was a practice well known to and widely used by those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention and would have been obvious to the same to incorporate into the device of Lee et al. in order to provide potential to the common electrode. Similarly, providing a high resolution display with efficient brightness by providing dense pixel arrangement with high aperture ratio was a practice well known to and widely used by those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention and would have been obvious to the same to provide a desirable display.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christopher Raabe whose telephone number is (571)272-8434. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0530-1430.
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/CHRISTOPHER M RAABE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875