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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Specifically, in claim 12, at lines 3-5, the phrase “forms a fourth included angle with a plane parallel to the main surface of the base substrate, and the second sub-edge forms a fifth included angle with a plane parallel to the main surface of the base substrate” is unclear; claim 12 depends from claim 1 which recites first and second angles; the recitation of fourth and fifth angles in claim 12 when a third angle has not been claimed in either claim 12 or 1 suggests a third angle, but since a third angle is not recited in either claim 12 or 1 the claim is unclear. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 and 19-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2015/0097171).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses an organic light emitting diode display panel (Figs. 1A-1C), comprising: a base substrate (110; Paragraph [0031]); and a pixel defining layer (116 & 117 & 118 & 119; Paragraph [0031]), arranged on the base substrate, wherein the pixel defining layer comprises a first opening (EA; Paragraph [0033]), a second opening (opening between 116 and 118) and a pixel defining structure between the first opening and the second opening (116 & 117 & 118; Paragraph [0031]), the first opening is provided with a light emitting layer and a first electrode which are stacked (152 & 153; Paragraph [0031]), and the second opening is not provided with the light emitting layer (Figs. 1A-1C, opening between 116 and 118 filled with 154 does not include 152; Paragraph [0066]), a first lateral edge of the pixel defining structure adjacent to the first opening forms a first included angle with a plane parallel to a main surface of the base substrate (EA side of 116; Paragraph [0062-0063]), and a second lateral edge of the pixel defining structure adjacent to the second opening forms a second included angle with the plane parallel to the main surface of the base substrate (116 facing side of 118; Paragraph [0066]), and the first included angle is smaller than the second included angle (Figs. 1A-1C, angle of 116 and 118; Paragraph [0063, 0066]).
Regarding claim 19, Kim further discloses a display device, comprising the organic light emitting diode display panel according to claim 1 (Paragraph [0030]).
Regarding claim 20, Kim discloses a manufacturing method of an organic light emitting diode display panel (Figs. 1A-1C), comprising: providing a base substrate (110; Paragraph [0031]); forming a pixel defining layer (116 & 117 & 118 & 119; Paragraph [0031]), on the base substrate, wherein the pixel defining layer comprises a first opening (EA; Paragraph [0033]), a second opening (opening between 116 and 118) and a pixel defining structure between the first opening and the second opening (116 & 117 & 118; Paragraph [0031]), sequentially forming a light emitting layer and a first electrode in the first opening (152 & 153; Paragraph [0031]), wherein the second opening is not provided with the light emitting layer (Figs. 1A-1C, opening between 116 and 118 filled with 154 does not include 152; Paragraph [0066]), a first lateral edge of the pixel defining structure adjacent to the first opening forms a first included angle with a plane parallel to a main surface of the base substrate (EA side of 116; Paragraph [0062-0063]), and a second lateral edge of the pixel defining structure adjacent to the second opening forms a second included angle with the plane parallel to the main surface of the base substrate (116 facing side of 118; Paragraph [0066]), and the first included angle is smaller than the second included angle (Figs. 1A-1C, angle of 116 and 118; Paragraph [0063, 0066]).
Regarding claim 21, Kim further discloses forming an auxiliary electrode electrically connected with the first electrode in the second opening (160; Paragraph [0058]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-11, 16-18, and 22-23 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.
Specifically, in claim 2, the requirement that an auxiliary electrode electrically connected with the first electrode is arranged in the second opening, the first electrode extends from the first opening to the second opening, and the first electrode is spaced apart from the auxiliary electrode in the second opening in combination with the other claim requirements is not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
Claims 3-11 are objected to based on their dependence from claim 2.
Specifically, in claim 16, the requirement that the first included angle ranges from 20° to 40°, and the second included angle ranges from 65° to 90° in combination with the other claim requirements is not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
Specifically, in claim 17, the requirement that the second opening is a transparent display region, and the pixel defining layer is not provided in the second opening in combination with the other claim requirements is not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
Specifically, in claim 18, the requirement that a fingerprint recognition sensor is arranged in the second opening in combination with the other claim requirements is not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
Specifically, in claim 22, the requirement that forming the pixel defining layer comprises exposing a pixel defining film by using a mask plate to form the first opening, the second opening and a pixel defining structure film layer between the first opening and the second opening, and an exposure energy of a part of the pixel defining structure film layer adjacent to the first opening is smaller than an exposure energy of a part of the pixel defining structure film layer adjacent to the second opening to form a pixel defining structure precursor with a stepped shape in combination with the other claim requirements is not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
Claim 23 is objected to based on its dependence from claim 22.
Other Prior Art Cited
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Shim et al. (US 2017/0033166), Lee (US 2015/0008398), and Park et al. (US 2014/0312323) teach display devices with pixel definition structures including various angles with respect to the plane of the substrate, but fail to teach the specific requirements of the independent claims.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNE M HINES whose telephone number is (571)272-2285. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece, can be reached on 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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/Anne M Hines/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2879