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 office acknowledges the receipt of applicants’ response to the restriction requirement dated 06/16/2026.
Elected Species
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A search of the prior art did not show the elected species. As no claims where specifically drawn to applicants’ elected species in independent form, no claims have been indicated as allowable. Claims written in independent form which require all the limitations of the elected species along with any dependent claims which require all the limitations of the elected species would be allowable. Under MPEP 803.02, the search was expanded to find an examinable species.
Examinable Species
The examinable species is represented by Woz-PG130 (page 130):
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Which can be presented as WoZ-PG154 (page 154):
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WoZ-PG154 reads on applicants’ Formula 1 while lacking the required electron withdrawing group on R4 or R5.
The office notes the R20a and R40a correspond to applicant R4 and R5. R4 and R5 are defined by a finite set of substituent options which are viewed as functionally equivalent and readily exchangeable, absent unexpected results. The resulting variants are viewed as obvious derivatives of generic Woz-PG130. One such derivative is best viewed as a modification WoZ-PG154 formed by exchanging one of the CD3 with CN as shown below: WoZ-PG154CN
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WoZ-PG154CN reads on applicants’ wherein R5 = CD3; R5 = CN; X1-X4 = C; Ring B = pyridine; Z1 = C; Z2 = N; Ring A = benzoimidazole; Z3 = N; Z4 = C; R3 = h; R2 = H; Y = O; R1 = CF3.
WoZ-PG154CN reads on claims 1-11, 17-20 Claim 12-16 are withdrawn from further consideration in this office action as not reading on the examinable species.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities as claim 15 indicated dependency to claim 40 while there is no claim 40. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-11, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wozniak (US 2023/0124626 A1).
Regarding Claims 1-11, Wozniak teaches material represented by Woz-PG130 (page 130):
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Which can be presented as WoZ-PG154 (page 154):
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WoZ-PG154 reads on applicants’ Formula 1 with the lacking feature the electron withdrawing group on R4 or R5.
The office notes the R20a and R40a correspond to applicant R4 and R5. R4 and R5 are defined by a finite set of substituent options which are viewed as functionally equivalent and readily exchangeable, absent unexpected results. The resulting variants are viewed as obvious derivatives of generic Woz-PG130. One such derivative is best viewed as a modification WoZ-PG154 formed by exchanging one of the CD3 with CN as shown below: WoZ-PG154CN
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WoZ-PG154CN reads on applicants’ wherein R5 = CD3; R5 = CN; X1-X4 = C; Ring B = pyridine; Z1 = C;Z2 = N; Z2 = N; Ring A = benzoimidazole; Z3 = N; Z4 = C; R3 = H; R2 = H; Y = O; R1 = CF3.
As Wozniak teaches a number of generic iridium complex each with a finite set of functionally equivalent substituent which readily exchangeable, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of invention to have envisaged a variety of derivatives by varying which substituent group is present which would have included the above derivative, WoZ-PG154CN, which reads on the instant limitations, absent unexpected results (per claims 1-9).
WoZ-PG154CN contains
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wherein Y = O; adjacent R3a substituents fused to form ring; R1a and R2a = H (per claims 10-11).
Regarding Claims 17-19, Wozniak teaches an OLED comprises: an anode; a cathode; and an organic layer disposed between the anode and the cathode, where the organic layer comprises a compound having a first ligand Formula I (paragraph 191) which can be represented as WoZ-PG154CN (above) (per claim 17).
The host materials are represented by host comprises at least one chemical group selected from the group consisting of triphenylene, carbazole, indolocarbazole, dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran, dibenzoselenophene, 5λ2-benzo[d]benzo[4,5]imidazo[3,2-a]imidazole, 5,9-dioxa-13b-boranaphtho[3,2,1-de]anthracene, triazine, aza-triphenylene, aza-carbazole, aza-indolocarbazole, aza-dibenzothiophene, aza-dibenzofuran, aza-dibenzoselenophene, aza-5λ2-benzo[d]benzo[4,5]imidazo[3,2-a]imidazole, and aza-(5,9-dioxa-13b-boranaphtho[3,2,1-de]anthracene) (paragraph 194) (per claim 18).
Specific host example
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(paragraph 195) (per claim 19).
Regarding Claim 20 Wozniak teaches an OLED can be incorporated into one or more of a consumer product, an electronic component module, and a lighting panel (paragraph 227) (per claim 20).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY D CLARK whose telephone number is (571)270-7087. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-4PM M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Chriss can be reached on 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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/GREGORY D CLARK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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