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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities. Many of the chemical structures in the specification as filed starting on page 55 through page 113 are too poor resolution and blurry to be clearly discerned or for publication. Replacement structures are required.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 10 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities. Many of the chemical structures in the claims are too poor resolution and blurry to be clearly discerned or for publication. Replacement structures are required.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 13 includes a formula 1 but recites the formula included in the claim is labeled formula 1-1 instead. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
(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.
Claims 13-14 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al (US 2016/0380210) (Kim).
In reference to claims 13-14, 16, and 18, Kim teaches compound 294 as shown below that reads on the instant claims.
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For Claim 13: Reads on a compound of formula 1 wherein in formula 1, Ar1 is a substituted aryl group of 6 ring forming carbon atoms, R5 is bonded to formula 2, and R14 is an unsubstituted phenyl.
For Claim 14: Reads on wherein A1 is cyano.
For Claim 16: Reads on formula 1-2.
For Claim 18: Reads on formula 1-3.
In reference to claim 17, the claim further limits the Formula 3, which is an optional embodiment of claim 13 (i.e. at least one of R4 or R14 is a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group or a substituent represented by formula 3) and therefore not required. As such, claim 17 is rejected based on similar reasons to claim 13.
In reference to claims 19, Kim teaches compound 289 as shown below that reads on the instant claim.
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Claims 13-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Feldman (US 2024/0051977).
In reference to claims 13-14, 16-18, and 20, Feldman teaches the compound as shown below that reads on the instant claims (p. 30).
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For Claim 13: Reads on a compound of formula 1 wherein in formula 1, Ar1 is an unsubstituted aryl group of 6 ring forming carbon atoms, R6 is bonded to formula 2, and R14 is a group of formula 3 wherein n1 and n3 are each 0 and n2 is 2 wherein two adjacent X2 are combined to form a ring.
For Claim 14: Reads on wherein a is 0.
For Claim 16: Reads on formula 1-2.
For Claim 17: Reads on formula 3-1 wherein n4 is 2 wherein two adjacent X4 are combined to form a ring.
For Claim 18: Reads on formula 1-4.
For Claim 20: Reads on compound 121.
In reference to claim 15, the claim further limits the A1, which is an optional embodiment of claim 14 (i.e. a is an integer of 0 to 5) and therefore not required. As such, claim 15 is rejected based on similar reasons to claim 14.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-2, 4-9 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US 2016/0380210) (Kim).
In reference to claims 1-2, 4, 6-9, and 11-12, Kim teaches a compound of formula 294 as shown below or a compound of formula 289 as shown below. Kim further teaches these compounds are for use as host materials in the emitting layer between two electrodes with additional dopant materials such as compound PD30 as shown below (Kim [0148] to [0158], p 76 [0202]; [0203]).
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Kim further teaches that when used in the organic layer as taught the resulting device has low driving voltage, high efficiency, high luminance, high quantum efficiency, and long lifespan (Kim [0153]).
While Kim does not exemplify a device comprising these exact materials in the emitting layer of a device, Kim teaches this as a preferred embodiment and the selection of this configuration would be expected to give a device that has low driving voltage, high efficiency, high luminance, high quantum efficiency, and long lifespan as taught by Kim and such a selection would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the instant application.
For Claim 1: Reads on a device as claimed wherein 289 or 294 are the compound of formula 1 such that compound 289 reads on a compound of formula 1 wherein in formula 1, Ar1 is an unsubstituted aryl group of 6 ring forming carbon atoms, R6 is bonded to formula 2, and R14 is a group of formula 3 wherein n1 and n3 are each 0 and n2 is 2 wherein two adjacent X2 are combined to form a ring and compound 294 reads on a compound of formula 1 wherein in formula 1, Ar1 is a substituted aryl group of 6 ring forming carbon atoms, R5 is bonded to formula 2, and R14 is an unsubstituted phenyl.
For Claim 2: Reads on a is 1 and A1 is cyano.
For Claim 4: Reads on formula 1-2.
For Claim 6: Compound 294 reads on formula 1-3.
For Claim 7: Compound 294 reads on wherein Ra5 is hydrogen.
For Claim 8: Compound 289 reads on formula 1-6.
For Claim 9: Compound 289 reads on Rb3 and Rb4 are each hydrogen.
For Claim 11: PD30 reads on formula ET-1 wherein one of Z1 to Z3 is a nitrogen and the other are CH, one of Ar2 to Ar4 is an a substituted aryl group, each of L2 to L4 are a direct linkage, the other two of Ar2 to Ar4 are hydrogen.
For Claim 12: PD23 Reads on formula D-1 wherein C1 and C4 are each pyridine, C2 and C3 are each phenyl, L12 is a methylene, d2 and d3 are each 2 and R52 and R53 are each a halogen.
In reference to claim 5, the claim further limits the Formula 3, which is an optional embodiment of claim 1 (i.e. at least one of R4 or R14 is a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group or a substituent represented by formula 3) and therefore not required. As such, claim 5 is rejected based on similar reasons to claim 1.
Claims 1-6 and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feldman (US 2024/0051977).
In reference to claims 1-2, 4-6, and 10-12, Feldman teaches the compound as described above for claim 13.
Feldman further teaches these compounds are used as host materials in organic electronic devices and exemplifies a device example 1 comprising an alternative compound to the material above as a host in an emitting layer, with electrodes, and further comprising an additional host material of compound 4 and a dopant compound emitter 1 (Feldman [0208]).
While Feldman does not exemplify the device with the alternative host material as described above for claim 13, it would have been obvious to the ordinarily skilled artisan before the effective fling date of the instant application to use the material of Feldman in the specific application of Feldman with the expectation of providing an organic EL device with similarly functional properties.
For Claim 1: Reads on a device as claimed wherein in formula 1, Ar1 is an unsubstituted aryl group of 6 ring forming carbon atoms, R6 is bonded to formula 2, and R14 is a group of formula 3 wherein n1 and n3 are each 0 and n2 is 2 wherein two adjacent X2 are combined to form a ring.
For Claim 2: Reads on a is 0.
For Claim 4: Reads on formula 1-2.
For Claim 5: Reads on formula 3-1 wherein n4 is 2 wherein two adjacent X4 are combined to form a ring.
For Claim 6: Reads on formula 1-4.
For Claim 10: Reads on formula 121.
For Claim 11: Compound 4 reads on formula ET-1 wherein each of Z1 to Z3 is a nitrogen, one of Ar2 to Ar4 is a substituted aryl group, the other two of Ar2 to Ar4 are carbazole.
For Claim 12: Emitter 1 reads on formula D-1 wherein C1 is a substituted benzimidazole, C2 is a phenyl, L12 is O, C3 is a carbazole, and C4 is a substituted pyridine.
In reference to claim 3, the claim further limits the A1, which is an optional embodiment of claim 1 (i.e. a is an integer of 0 to 5) and therefore not required. As such, claim 3 is rejected based on similar reasons to claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sean M DeGuire whose telephone number is (571)270-1027. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer A. 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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/Sean M DeGuire/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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