DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-19, in the reply filed on March 13, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cha et al. (WO 2021215581A1). US 2023/0246133 will be relied upon for purposes of citation.
Regarding claim 1, Cha discloses a display device (Figs. 8, 14, & 15) comprising a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel adjacent to each other (PXL; Paragraph [0137]), each of the first, second, and third sub-pixels including an emission area and a non-emission area, wherein each of the first, second, and third sub-pixels comprises: a first alignment electrode and a second alignment electrode spaced from each other (ELT1 & ELT2; Paragraph [0138]); a first insulating layer on the first alignment electrode and the second alignment electrode (PAS1; Paragraph [0189]); light emitting elements on the first insulating layer on the first alignment electrode and the second alignment electrode in the emission area (LD1; Paragraph [0139]); a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer and the light emitting elements (PAS2; Paragraph [0189]); and a third insulating layer on the second insulating layer, wherein the second and the third insulating layers are not on at least one area of the first alignment electrode in at least the non-emission area (PAS3; Paragraph [0189]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Specifically, in claim 2, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the requirement wherein the first insulating layer includes, in at least the non-emission area, a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings exposing one area of the first alignment electrode, wherein the second insulating layer includes a through hole corresponding to each of the plurality of openings in at least the non-emission area, and wherein the third insulating layer includes a contact hole corresponding to the through hole in at least the non-emission area.
Claims 3-13 are objected to based on their dependence from claim 2.
Specifically, in claim 14, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the requirement wherein a first color conversion layer in the first sub-pixel, and a first color filter on the first color conversion layer; a second color conversion layer in the second sub-pixel, and a second color filter on the second color conversion layer; and a light scattering layer in the third sub-pixel and a third color filter on the light scattering layer.
Claims 15-19 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding independent claim 15, the references of the Prior Art of record fail to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim 15, and specifically comprising the limitation wherein a display device comprises in at least the non-emission area, through holes to expose one area of the bank; electrodes on the second insulating layer and electrically connected to the light emitting elements; sub-electrodes spaced from the electrodes; an intermediate electrode electrically connecting at least one of the sub-electrodes of the first sub-pixel with at least one of the sub-electrodes of the second sub-pixel; and a third insulating layer on the second insulating layer, and including, in at least the non-emission area, a first contact hole to expose one area of the intermediate electrode, and a second contact hole to expose at least one of the electrodes.
Regarding claims 16-19, claims 16-19 are allowable for the reasons given in claim 15 because of their dependency status from claim 15.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNE M HINES whose telephone number is (571)272-2285. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece, can be reached on 571-272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Anne M Hines/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2879
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