DETAILED ACTION
This correspondence is in response to the communications received February 16, 2026. Claims 1-12 and 15 are pending. Claims 13 and 14 have been cancelled, see details below.
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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I structure claims in the reply filed on February 16, 2026 is acknowledged. Applicant has cancelled claims 13 and 14 as a result of the election.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The claim sets forth “wherein the active layer comprises a region overlapping with the first electrode with the second layer therebetween.” This contradicts the position of “the second layer” from the claim 1 recitation of, “wherein the light-receiving device comprises a first electrode, a light-receiving layer, and a common electrode that are stacked in this order, … wherein the light-receiving layer comprises a first layer, a second layer, and an active layer between the first layer and the second layer”. The position of the “second layer” is above the active layer in claim 1, then in claim 3, the “second layer” now must be below the active layer to be positioned in the manner as claimed in the dependent claim 3. Support for this position does not appear to be present in the disclosure. For purposes of examination, if the “second layer” were merely overlapping the “first electrode” and the “light receiving layer”, then the claim would be supported. Therefore, this interpretation, “wherein the active layer comprises a region overlapping with the first electrode and the second layer
The same rationale is applied to claim 5, where the language of, “wherein the first light-emitting layer comprises a region overlapping with the second electrode with the fourth layer therebetween.”, appears to contradict the position of the “fourth layer” in claim 1. The “fourth layer” in claim 1 is between the “first EL layer” and “common electrode”. For purposes of examination, if the “fourth layer” were merely overlapping the “second electrode” and the “first light emitting layer”, then the claim would be supported. Therefore, this interpretation, “wherein the first light emitting layer comprises a region overlapping with the second electrode and the fourth layer
Applicant’s Claim to Figure Comparison
It is noted that this comparison is merely for the benefit of reviewers of this office action during prosecution, to allow for an understanding of the examiner’s interpretation of the Applicant’s independent claims as compared to disclosed embodiments in Applicant’s Figures. No response or comments are necessary from Applicant.
PNG
media_image1.png
246
620
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, the Applicant discloses in Figs. 3A and 4B, a display apparatus comprising:
a light-receiving device (150, ¶ 0135); and
a first light-emitting device (one of 110R, 110G, 110B, ¶ 0135),
wherein the light-receiving device (150) comprises a first electrode (111d), a light-receiving layer (157), and a common electrode (123, ¶ 0135) that are stacked in this order (arranged from the bottom to top),
wherein the first light-emitting device (one of 110R, 110G, 110B) comprises a second electrode (one of 111a, 111b, 111c), a first EL layer (one of 112R, 112G, 112B), and the common electrode (123) that are stacked in this order (arranged from the bottom to top),
wherein the light-receiving layer comprises a first layer (155, ¶ 0139), a second layer (156, ¶ 0139), and an active layer (157, ¶ 0139) between the first layer and the second layer (157 between 155 and 156),
wherein the first layer (155) comprises a first substance having a hole-transport property,
wherein the second layer (156) comprises a second substance having an electron-transport property,
wherein an end portion of the active layer, an end portion of the first layer, and an end portion of the second layer are aligned or substantially aligned with one another (vertically aligned),
PNG
media_image2.png
210
580
media_image2.png
Greyscale
wherein the first EL layer (one of 25R, 25G, 25B) comprises a third layer (27), a fourth layer (29), and a first light-emitting layer (one of 41R, 41G, 41B) between the third layer and the fourth layer,
wherein the third layer (27) comprises a third substance having a hole-transport property,
wherein the fourth layer (29) comprises a fourth substance having an electron-transport property, and
wherein an end portion of the first light-emitting layer is positioned inward from an end portion of the third layer and positioned inward from an end portion of the fourth layer (one of 41R, 41G, 41B are inward from both 27 and 29). It is noted that this last limitation points exclusively to the embodiments of Fig. 3A/B.
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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cha et al. (US 2021/0158751) in view of Hayase et al. (US 2020/0361968) in view of Lee et al. (US 2020/0212138).
PNG
media_image3.png
528
780
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, the prior art of Cha discloses in Fig. 13, a display apparatus (see title, “Display Panel … Display Device”) comprising:
a light-receiving device (“organic photodiode OPD”, ¶ 0189); and
a first light-emitting device (“organic light emitting diode LD”, ¶ 0190),
wherein the light-receiving device (OPD) comprises a first electrode (“first electrode E1”, ¶ 0189), a light-receiving layer (HTL, OPL, ETL, “electron transport layer ETL is disposed on the photoelectric conversion layer OPL. The hole transport layer HTL”, ¶ 0191, hereinafter referred to as ‘LRL’), and a common electrode (“second electrode E2”, ¶ 0192, where commonality discussed in ¶ 0092, “the second electrode E2 has an integral shape and may be disposed in common with the cathode CE of the plurality of light emitting pixels PX”) that are stacked in this order (from bottom to top, E1, HTL, OPL, ETL, E2),
wherein the first light-emitting device (LD) comprises a second electrode (“anode AE”, ¶ 0124), a first EL layer (LD consisting of HCL, EML, ECL, “electron control layer ECL is disposed on the light emitting layer EML”, ¶ 0185, “light emitting layer EML is disposed on the hole control layer HCL”, ¶ 0184), and the common electrode (“cathode CE has an integral shape and is disposed in common in the plurality of light emitting pixels PX”, ¶ 0185) that are stacked in this order (from bottom to top, AE, HCL, EML, ECL, CE),
wherein the light-receiving layer (LRL) comprises a first layer (HTL), a second layer (ETL), and an active layer (“photoelectric conversion layer OPL”, ¶ 0191) between the first layer and the second layer (OPL between HTL and ETL),
wherein the first layer (HTL) comprises a first substance having a hole-transport property (“hole transport layer HTL”, ¶ 0190, where the material used in HTL has the property of aiding in hole transport),
wherein the second layer (ETL) comprises a second substance having an electron-transport property (“electron transport layer ETL”, ¶ 0191, where the material used in ETL has the property of aiding in electron transport),
PNG
media_image4.png
537
741
media_image4.png
Greyscale
wherein an end portion of the active layer (see examiner annotated Fig. 13, above, where annotated ‘EPOPL’ is the “end portion of the active layer”), an end portion of the first layer (annotated ‘EPHTL’), and an end portion of the second layer (annotated ‘EPETL’) are aligned or substantially aligned with one another (all three of EPOPL, EPHTL and EPETL shown to have localized “end portions” that are in clear alignment with each other),
wherein the first EL layer (LD) comprises a third layer (HCL), a fourth layer (ECL), and a first light-emitting layer (“light emitting layer EML”, ¶ 0184) between the third layer and the fourth layer (EML is between HCL and ECL),
wherein the third layer (HCL) comprises a third substance having a hole-transport property (“The hole control layer HCL includes a hole transport layer”, ¶ 0184, where the material used in HCL has the property of aiding in hole transport),
wherein the fourth layer (ECL) comprises a fourth substance having an electron-transport property (“electron control layer ECL includes an electron transport layer”, ¶ 0185, where the material used in ECL has the property of aiding in electron transport), and
PNG
media_image5.png
470
885
media_image5.png
Greyscale
wherein an end portion of the first light-emitting layer (see examiner annotated Fig. 13, above, where annotated ‘EPEML’ is the “end portion of the first light emitting layer”) is positioned inward from an end portion of the third layer (annotated ‘EPHCL’) and positioned inward from an end portion of the fourth layer (annotated ‘EPECL’, where the EPEML has an end portion that is inward of both end portions of EPECL and EPHCL).
Cha does discloses that each layer that performs a hole or electron transport function are present, but does not specify the substance comprising each layer. Therefore, Cha does not disclose (italicized portion),
“(1.) wherein the first layer comprises a first substance having a hole-transport property,
(2.) wherein the second layer comprises a second substance having an electron-transport property,
(3.) wherein the third layer comprises a third substance having a hole-transport property,
(4.) wherein the fourth layer comprises a fourth substance having an electron-transport property”.
Both (1) and (2) are satisfied by:
(1.) wherein the first layer comprises a first substance having a hole-transport property,
(1) Hayase et al. (US 2020/0361968) shows materials for hole transport in ¶ 0045.
(2.) wherein the second layer comprises a second substance having an electron-transport property,
(2) Hayase et al. (US 2020/0361968) shows materials for electron transport in ¶ 0047.
Both (3.) and (4.) are satisfied by:
(3.) “wherein the third layer comprises a third substance having a hole-transport property,”
(4.) “wherein the fourth layer comprises a fourth substance having an electron-transport property”.
Lee discloses in Fig. 7, which shows light emitter devices (PXA, ¶ 0061) and light receiving devices (OPV, ¶ 0054). The light emitting devices use “hole transport” materials (DL-B, ¶ 0093, specific materials for “donor materials” disclosed in ¶ 0091) between the light emitting layer and the anode as can be seen in Fig. 7. The light emitting devices use “electron transport” materials (AL-P, ¶ 0093, specific materials for “acceptor materials” disclosed in ¶ 0092).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to use the limitations of,
“(1.) wherein the first layer comprises a first substance having a hole-transport property,
(2.) wherein the second layer comprises a second substance having an electron-transport property,
(3.) wherein the third layer comprises a third substance having a hole-transport property,
(4.) wherein the fourth layer comprises a fourth substance having an electron-transport property”, as disclosed by Hayase/Lee in the system of Cha, for the purpose of providing the specific materials which provide hole and/or electron transport function, which improve the performance of the light emitting and light receiving devices. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 2, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, and Cha discloses in Fig. 13, wherein the active layer (OPL) comprises a region overlapping with the first electrode (E1) with the first layer therebetween (HTL, where HTL is shown between OPL and E1).
Regarding claim 3, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, and Cha discloses in Fig. 13, “wherein the active layer comprises a region overlapping with the first electrode and the second layer
Regarding claim 4, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, and Cha discloses in Fig. 13, wherein the first light-emitting layer (EML) comprises a region overlapping with the second electrode (AE) with the third layer therebetween (HCL).
Regarding claim 5, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, and Cha discloses in Fig. 13, wherein the first light emitting layer (EML) comprises a region overlapping with the second electrode (AE) and the fourth layer (ECL)
Regarding claim 6, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, and Cha discloses in Fig. 13, wherein the end portion of the third layer (annotated ‘EPHCL’) and the end portion of the fourth layer (annotated ‘EPECL’) are aligned or substantially aligned with each other (aligned in a manner as shown in the annotated Fig. 13 presented in the rejection of claim 1).
Claims 7-9, 10-12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cha et al. (US 2021/0158751) in view of Hayase et al. (US 2020/0361968) in view of Lee et al. (US 2020/0212138) in view of Zhu (US 2022/0344405).
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, however Cha does not disclose, “wherein the first substance differs from the third substance.” Examiner interprets the term ‘differs’ in this claimed context, which can also mean, not only a difference in material composition (which the claim does not state) but that the substance can differ in terms of location position.
PNG
media_image6.png
286
590
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Zhu discloses in Fig. 6, “wherein the first substance differs from the third substance”, which is taught by the fact that the “photosensitive sensing unit 221” includes both “hole transport” and “electron transport” layers (¶ 0083). Also taught is a “light emitting element in subpixel 211” which includes both “hole transport” and “electron transport” layers (¶ 0088). The 221 and 211 are shown as physically separate from each other, except for the common electrode (212). Therefore, the limitation is satisfied.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to use the limitations of,
“wherein the first substance differs from the third substance”, as disclosed by Zhu in the system of Cha, for the purpose of providing isolation between each active device, which would improve the signal resolution for each of the light emitting and light receiving devices by preventing charge cross talk across any shared active layers. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, however Cha does not disclose, “wherein the second substance differs from the fourth substance.” Examiner interprets the term ‘differs’ in this claimed context, which can also mean, not only a difference in material composition (which the claim does not state) but that the substance can differ in terms of location position.
PNG
media_image6.png
286
590
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Zhu discloses in Fig. 6, “wherein the second substance differs from the fourth substance”, which is taught by the fact that the “photosensitive sensing unit 221” includes both “hole transport” and “electron transport” layers (¶ 0083). Also taught is a “light emitting element in subpixel 211” which includes both “hole transport” and “electron transport” layers (¶ 0088). The 221 and 211 are shown as physically separate from each other, except for the common electrode (212). Therefore, the limitation is satisfied.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to use the limitations of,
“wherein the second substance differs from the fourth substance”, as disclosed by Zhu in the system of Cha, for the purpose of providing isolation between each active device, which would improve the signal resolution for each of the light emitting and light receiving devices by preventing charge cross talk across any shared active layers. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, however Cha does not disclose, “wherein the active layer comprises a fifth substance, and wherein the first light-emitting layer comprises a sixth substance differing from the fifth substance” Examiner interprets the term ‘differs’ in this claimed context, which can also mean, not only a difference in material composition (which the claim does not state) but that the substance can differ in terms of location position.
PNG
media_image6.png
286
590
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Zhu discloses in Fig. 6, “wherein the active layer comprises a fifth substance, and wherein the first light-emitting layer comprises a sixth substance differing from the fifth substance”, which is taught by the fact that the “photosensitive sensing unit 221” includes a “light absorption layer” (¶ 0083). Also taught is a “light emitting element in subpixel 211” which includes a “light emitting layer” (¶ 0088). The 221 and 211 are shown as physically separate from each other, except for the common electrode (212). Therefore, the limitation is satisfied.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to use the limitations of,
“wherein the active layer comprises a fifth substance, and wherein the first light-emitting layer comprises a sixth substance differing from the fifth substance”, as disclosed by Zhu in the system of Cha, for the purpose of providing isolation between each active device, which would improve the signal resolution for each of the light emitting and light receiving devices by preventing charge cross talk across any shared active layers. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
PNG
media_image7.png
754
600
media_image7.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 9, and Cha further discloses in Figs. 10 and 13, further comprising a second light-emitting device (provided for in Fig. 10, Cha shows three light emitters, one red, one blue and one green. If claim 1 is focusing on one of those three, then the “second light emitting device” is another one of the remaining two light emitters, hereinafter ‘2nd LED’),
wherein the second light-emitting device (2nd LED) comprises a third electrode (analogous lower electrode AE), a second EL layer (analogous LD), and the common electrode (CE) that are stacked in this order (shown from bottom to top), and wherein the second EL layer comprises the third layer (analogous HCL), the fourth layer (analogous ECL), and a second light-emitting layer (EML) between the third layer and the fourth layer (EML between HCL and ECL).
Regarding claim 11, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 9, and Cha further discloses in Figs. 10 and 13, further comprising a second light-emitting device (provided for in Fig. 10, Cha shows three light emitters, one red, one blue and one green. If claim 1 is focusing on one of those three, then the “second light emitting device” is another one of the remaining two light emitters, hereinafter ‘2nd LED’),
wherein the second light-emitting device (2nd LED) comprises a third electrode (analogous lower electrode AE), a second EL layer (analogous LD), and the common electrode (CE) that are stacked in this order (shown from bottom to top), wherein the second EL layer comprises a fifth layer (analogous HCL), a sixth layer (analogous ECL), and a second light-emitting layer between the fifth layer and the sixth layer (EML between HCL and ECL),
wherein the fifth layer comprises the third substance (HCL is the same layer for both these layers), and wherein the sixth layer comprises the fourth substance (ECL is the same layer for both these layers).
Regarding claim 12, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 10, and Cha further discloses in Figs. 10 and 13, wherein the second light-emitting layer (analogous EML for 2nd LED) comprises a seventh substance differing from the sixth substance (analogous EML is a separate layer differing in position from ECL that is the “sixth substance”).
Regarding claim 15, the prior art of Cha et al. disclose the display apparatus according to claim 11, and Cha further discloses in Figs. 10 and 13, wherein the second light-emitting layer (analogous EML of 2nd LED) comprises a seventh substance differing from the sixth substance (analogous EML of 2nd LED is a separate layer differing in position from ECL that is the “sixth substance” of analogous ECL).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Eduardo A Rodela whose telephone number is (571)272-8797. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30-5:00pm ET.
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, Yara B Green can be reached on (571) 270-3035. 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.
/EDUARDO A RODELA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893