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 07/06/2026.
Elected Species
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301
1114
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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
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472
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RN 2916403-26-2 reads on claims 1-2, 4-7, 11-14, 17-20. Claims 3, 8-10, 15-16 as not reading on the examinable species.
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)(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) 1-2, 4, 7, 11-14, 17-18, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cai (US 2022/0384741).
Regarding Claims 1-2, 4, 7, 11-14, Cai teaches iridium complexes wherein a ligand can be represented by La (page 10):
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A specific example of the above ligand in an iridium complex material shown in the STN search report as registry number: RN 2916403-26-2
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RN 2916403-26-2 reads on applicant LA wherein RA and RB = H; RC Cy-R** = phenyl-CN; Y = O; X1-X8 = CH; K in direct bond (per claims 1-2, 4, 7).
RN 2916403-26-2 reads on
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32
140
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wherein P = 1; q=2. R = o (per claim 11).
RN 2916403-26-2 reads on
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34
94
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and
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30
98
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as
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472
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k = 1 (per claim 12).
LB=
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130
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as
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178
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Ra and Rb = H; Y10Y8 = CH; K1 = direct bond (per claims 13 and 14).
Regarding Claims 17-18, Cai teaches a Device 100 may include a substrate 101, an anode 110, a hole injection layer 120, a hole transport layer 130, an electron blocking layer 140, an emissive layer 150, a hole blocking layer 160, an electron transport layer 170, an electron injection layer 180 and a cathode 190 (paragraph 32). The organic layer comprising the metal complex is a light-emitting layer (paragraph 194) (per claim 17).
The light-emitting layer also contains a host material (paragraph 197). The first host compound and/or the second host compound comprise at least one chemical group selected from the group consisting of: benzene, pyridine, pyrimidine, triazine, carbazole, azacarbazole, indolocarbazole, dibenzothiophene, aza-dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran, azadibenzofuran, dibenzoselenophene, triphenylene, azatriphenylene, fluorene, silafluorene, naphthalene, quinoline, isoquinoline, quinazoline, quinoxaline, phenanthrene, azaphenanthrene and combinations thereof (paragraph 199) (per claim 18).
Regarding Claim 20, Cai teaches that the OLED can be incorporated into a wide variety of consumer products (paragraph 37) (per claim 20).
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.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cai (US 2022/0384741) in view of Ma (US 2013/0181190 A1).
Regarding Claim 19, Cai teaches the light-emitting layer also contains a host material (paragraph 197). The first host compound and/or the second host compound comprise at least one chemical group selected from the group consisting of: benzene, pyridine, pyrimidine, triazine, carbazole, azacarbazole, indolocarbazole, dibenzothiophene, aza-dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran, azadibenzofuran, dibenzoselenophene, triphenylene, azatriphenylene, fluorene, silafluorene, naphthalene, quinoline, isoquinoline, quinazoline, quinoxaline, phenanthrene, azaphenanthrene and combinations thereof (paragraph 199). Cai fails to teach a specific material.
Ma teaches an OLED wherein the host material for the emissive layer includes
The host material for the emissive layer includes
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(paragraph 30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of invention to have selected from known host materials which would have included the host material of Ma which reads on the instant limitations, absent unexpected results (per claim19).
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