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 Group I, claims 1-13 and 19-24, in the reply filed on 01 December 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 14-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01 December 2025.
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 19-24 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.
Independent claim 19 recites “…and a second wall of second, different height adjacent to the second wall of the trench” in line 9 of the claim. It is unclear which height “different height” is being compared to. The Examiner suggests re-wording the recitation to make it clear that the second wall has a height different from the first height of the first wall.
Due to their dependencies upon independent claim 19, claims 20-24 are also deemed indefinite.
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 1-13 and 19-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Park (US 2016/0300894).
Regarding independent claim 1, Park teaches a light emitting display device comprising a substrate (Fig. 2, Element 100; ¶ [0031]) having an active area (Fig. 2, Element EA; ¶ [0043]); a plurality of anodes (Fig. 2, Element 231; ¶ [0042]) spaced apart from each other in the active area; a bank (Fig. 2, Element 240; ¶ [0043]) positioned between emissive portions of the plurality of anodes and having an opening (Fig. 2, Element 241; ¶ [0042]) that exposes an emissive portion of each of the plurality of anodes; and a light emitting unit (Fig. 2, Element 232; ¶ [0045]) and a cathode (Fig. 2, Element 233; ¶ [0042]) sequentially provided on the plurality of anodes and the bank, a first trench (Fig. 2; area between spacers 251 and 252) in the bank that is positioned between the emission portions, the first trench having two sides that are asymmetric relative to each other (Fig. 2; ¶s [0052]-[0053]).
Regarding claim 2, Park teaches the first trench structure of the bank comprising a first area (Fig. 2, Element 252; ¶ [0031]) having a first height (¶ [0052]), a second area (Fig. 2, Element 251; ¶ [0031]) having a second height less than the first height (¶ [0052]), and a third area provided between the first area and the second area, the third area having a third height less than the second height (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Park teaches wherein the active area of the substrate including a first side (right) and a second side (left) spaced from the first side on the substrate and the second bank area located closer to the first side of the substrate than the first bank area is to the first side of the substrate (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Park teaches a plurality of banks, each bank of the plurality being in a line extending from the first side of the substrate to the second side of the substrate, wherein the height of the second bank area is lower for those banks spaced further from the first side (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Park teaches the height of the second bank area gradually decreasing with each bank further from the first side with the increase in distance from the third area (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Park teaches the first trench structure comprising a first side surface between the first area and the third area and a second side surface between the second area and the third area (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 7, Park teaches the first side surface and the second side surface having different angles with respect to the third area (¶ [0053]).
Regarding claim 8, Park teaches an angle of the first side surface with respect to the top surface of the bank in the third area being smaller than an angle of the second side surface with respect to the top surface of the bank in the third area (¶ [0053]).
Regarding claim 9, Park teaches the first trench structure comprising a bottom surface and a first side surface and a second side surface having different angles with respect to the bottom surface (¶ [0053]), the upper surface of the bank is the first height, and the bottom surface is the third height.
Regarding claim 10, Park teaches the first trench structure provided along an edge of the active area of the substrate in one direction (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11, Park teaches the plurality of banks comprising a second bank having a second trench structure in which both sides are symmetric (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 12, Park teaches the second trench structure comprising fourth areas each having a fourth height equal to the first height and a fifth area provided between the fourth areas, the fifth area having a fifth height equal to the third height (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 13, Park teaches the light emitting unit comprising a first stack and a second stack overlapping each other and a charge generation layer provided between the first stack and the second stack, and at least one layer of the second stack is continuously provided in the first trench structure (¶ [0082]).
Regarding independent claim 19, Park teaches a light emitting display device comprising a substrate (Fig. 2, Element 100; ¶ [0031]) having an active area (Fig. 2, Element EA; ¶ [0043]); a plurality of subpixels (Fig. 1, Element 200; ¶ [0034]) positioned in the active area, each subpixel having an anode (Fig. 2, Element 231; ¶ [0042]) on the substrate, a light emitting stack on the anode and a cathode on the light emitting stack (Fig. 2, Element OLED; ¶ [0042]); a bank (Fig. 2, Element 240; ¶ [0043]) positioned between first sub-pixel and a second subpixel of the plurality of subpixels; and a trench in the bank (Fig. 2; area between spacers 251 and 252), the trench being located between the first and second subpixels, wherein the bank has a first wall of a first height adjacent to a first side of the trench and a second wall of second, different height adjacent to second wall of the trench (¶ [0053]), the first and second walls being positioned between the first and second subpixels (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 20, Park teaches the trench having a first sidewall adjacent to the first wall and a second sidewall adjacent to the second wall (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 21, Park teaches the angle of the first sidewall relative to the first substrate is greater than the angle of the second sidewall to the relative to the substrate (¶ [0053]).
Regarding claim 22, Park teaches a width of the trench being less than a width of each of the first and second walls (Fig. 2; ¶ [0053]).
Regarding claim 23, Park teaches a width of the first wall is less than a width of the second wall (¶ [0053]).
Regarding claim 24, Park teaches the trench offset from a center point between the first and second subpixels (Fig. 2).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Choung (US 11,552,143) teaches an OLED panel with trench overhang structures. Kim (US 2022/0013603) teaches a display device with spacer having height greater than that of a pixel defining layer. Cho (US 2021/0126068) teaches an organic light emitting diode display device with protection layer including a trench pattern and recessed portion. Byun (US 2021/0066419) teaches a display device with spacer having increasing width toward the substrate. Choi (US 10,466,748) teaches a rollable display device. Yen (US 9,985,078) teaches a display panel with insulating layer including protrusions.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Quarterman whose telephone number is (571)272-2461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached at (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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/Kevin Quarterman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875 15 March 2026