DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The preliminary amendment dated January 7, 2025 is entered. Claim 9 was amended. Claims 1-14 are pending. The amendment to the specification is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claims 2-9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In each of claims 2 to 9 in one or more occurrences, the claim refers to a Formula followed by the word “above”. The word “above” is not needed in the limitations. Accordingly, deletion of “above” is suggested for clarity.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-3, 5-8, and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Parham et al. (US 2016/0308146 A1).
Parham et al. teaches materials for an electroluminescent device (see abstract). A general formula 1 material is taught for use in the device (see par. 10-33). More specifically, at least the following example compounds are taught as formula 1 materials (see Table 6, page 144, 147):
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248
304
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140
316
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178
316
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186
328
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Each of above compounds (INV-10, INV-21, INV-22 and INV-23) have the core of instant Formula 1 and group corresponding to instant Formula 2 attached per instant claims 1 and 2. The core corresponds to instant Formula 1-1 of claim 5. Claims 6 and 7 are included in the rejection, because the formula 1-2 and 1-3 are not required by claim 5 upon which claims 6 and 7 depend. With respect to claim 8, the above example compounds do not contain deuterium. With respect to an example device of claim 10, Table 4 sets forth example devices where Examples I19, I20, and I21 contain example compounds INV-21, INV-22 and INV-23, respectively, in a layer between a light emitting layer and an anode (see page 137). Regarding claims 11-13, the compounds are in a layer between a light emitting layer and an anode (see page 137), which meets the structural requirements of the limitations in device claims 11-13 as specific other layers are not required. Regarding claim 14, the example devices comprise at least an electron transport layer and hole blocking layer (see Table 4, page 137).
Regarding claims 1-3 and 5-8, the following Formula A-154 having an aryl group at corresponding instant R7 location is also taught (see page 56):
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Claims 1, 2, 5-8, and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jun et al. (US 2018/0366647 A1).
Jun et al. teaches compounds for a device according to Formula 1 (see abstract).
The Formula 1 may more specifically be the following formulas:
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Table 1 beginning on page 53 sets forth example compounds of the above formulas 1(1), 1(2) and 1(3), which include compounds having diarylamine groups such as N-1 (see par. 133). Regarding claims 1 and 2, see at least example 1 of Table 1 (page 53). Regarding claim 5, Table 1 beginning on page 53 sets forth example compounds of the above formulas 1(1), 1(2) and 1(3), which include compounds having diarylamine groups such as N-1 (see par. 133); 1(1) corresponds to instant 1-1, 1(2) corresponds to instant 1-3, and 1(3) corresponds to instant 1-2. Regarding claim 6, Table 1 includes 1(3) compounds as required. Regarding claim 7, Table 1 includes 1(2) compounds as required. Regarding claim 8, compounds of Table 1 do not required deuterium.
Regarding device claim 10, an example device (see Table 2 on page 152 and par. 435-439) was made with compound “126” (see par. 427):
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The device contains an anode and cathode with the compound in the hole transport layer (see par. 435-439). Note per the structural requirements of instant claims 11-13 no specific layer is required other than a layer comprising the compound and the device example meets the structural requirements of the claims. With respect to claim 14, organic layers such as electron injection are included in addition to the layer including the oxepine compound (see par. 435-439).
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 3, 4, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jun et al. (US 2018/0366647 A1).
Jun et al. is relied upon as set forth above.
Jun et al. teaches compounds according to Formula 1 (see abstract and par. 6):
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532
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More specifically, a formula 1 may be Formula 1-1 (see par. 116):
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Groups are defined in par. 6-23. It is not seen where an example compound was set forth having one or two aryl substituents per instant claims 3 and 4, respectively, or an aryl substituent included per compounds in instant claim 9; however, general formulas 1 and 1-1 set forth R1-R3 substituent groups that may be selected as aryl such as phenyl or biphenyl (see par. 14, 15, 103).
Given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to form compounds according to the formulas of the reference as described above wherein the resultant compounds would also meet the limitations of the instant claims. One would expect to achieve functional compounds within the disclosure of Jun et al. with a predictable result and a reasonable expectation of success.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US Patent No. 4,125,718 describes oxygen-containing tetracyclic derivatives.
The reference is considered relevant to the field of the endeavor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dawn Garrett whose telephone number is (571)272-1523. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday (Eastern Time).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Boyd can be reached at 571-272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAWN L GARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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