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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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 dpq-3F (page 427):
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The examinable species will be referred to as dpq-3F. dpq-3F reads on claims 1-2, , 9-10, 17-20. Clams 3-8, 11-16 are withdrawn from further consideration as not reading on the examinable species.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 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects 313–314 (2008) 426–430).
Regarding Claims 1-2, Kim teaches an iridium complex represented
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dpq-3F reads on applicants’ LA = Formula I = pyridineR1 = phenyl; X1-X7 = C; RA and RB = H; LB =Ring C = isoquinoline;Z1 = C; Z2 = N; two RC = phenyl ring; one RD = F (per claims 1-2).
LB encompasses
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and
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Y1-Y10 = C; Y5 = C = Ra =phenyl; K1 = direct bond (per claims 9-10).
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 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi ( US 2012/0086331 A1) in view of Kim (Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects 313–314 (2008) 426–430).
Regarding Claim 17, Kobayashi teaches an EL element of the present invention are shown below (paragraph 54]) (i) anode/positive hole transporting layer/electron inhibition layer/light emitting layer unit/positive hole inhibition layer/electron transporting layer/cathode (paragraph 53). The light emitting layer comprises a luminescent phosphorescent dopant (paragraphs 31-36) represented by Ir-21 (paragraph 84):
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Ir-21 is a homoleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex which lacks the required electron-withdrawing group.
Kim teaches a heteroleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex [Ir(dpq)2(dpq-3F)] shown to be a more efficient electrophosphor than the homoleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex [Ir(dpq-3F)3] be avoiding the triplet–triplet (T–T) annihilation by decreasing the number of the luminescent ligands (abstract). Kim’s heteroleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex can be represented by dpq-3F (page 427):
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which reads on applicants’ LA; reads on applicants’ LA = Formula I = pyridineR1 = phenyl; X1-X7 = C; RA and RB = H; LB =Ring C = isoquinoline;Z1 = C; Z2 = N; two RC = phenyl ring; one RD = F.
The office notes that the a heteroleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex has been show the be more efficient than a more efficient electrophosphor than the homoleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex. This is viewed as sufficient justification for exchanging the homoleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex of Kobayashi for the heteroleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex of Kim.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of invention to have exchanged the homoleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex of Kobayashi with the heteroleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex of Kim since Kim teach than the heteroleptic Tris-cyclometalated iridium complex is more efficient, absent unexpected results (per claim 17).
Regarding Claim 20, Kobayashi teaches an EL element can be used as display devices, displays, and various light emitting sources. Examples of light emitting sources include home lighting, lighting in vehicles, backlights for clocks and liquid crystals, advertising boards, traffic lights, light sources for optical memory media, light sources for electrophotographic copiers, light sources for optical communication processors, and light sources for optical sensors (paragraph 169) (per claim 20).
Claims 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi ( US 2012/0086331 A1) in view of Kim (Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects 313–314 (2008) 426–430) and Ma (US 2013/0181190 A1).
Regarding Claim 18, Kobayashi in view of Kim the device of claim 17. The host material of the light emitting layer includes carbazole derivatives, triarylamine derivatives, aromatic borane derivatives, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, thiophene derivatives, furan derivatives (paragraph 73). Kobayashi fails to mention a specific example of a host 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 claims18-19).
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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