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 .
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, 4, and 7-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee (US 2022/0158043).
Regarding independent claim 1, Lee teaches a display apparatus (Fig. 10, Element 1000; ¶ [0044]) comprising a light-emitting panel comprising a first substrate (Fig. 10, Element 110; ¶ [0051]) and a plurality of light-emitting devices (Fig. 10, Element 180; ¶ [0051]) disposed on the first substrate; and a color panel comprising a second substrate (Fig. 10, Element 210; ¶ [0086]), a bank (Fig. 10, Element 250; ¶ [0086]) disposed on a lower surface of the second substrate in a direction to the first substrate and comprising a plurality of first openings (Fig. 10; spaces between adjacent banks 10) each corresponding to emission areas (Fig. 10, Element PX) of the plurality of light-emitting devices, a functional layer (Fig. 10, Element 270; ¶ [0086]) arranged in the plurality of first openings, a first protrusion pattern (Fig. 10, Element 250b; ¶ [0150]) disposed on the bank, and a second protrusion pattern (Fig. 10; adjacent element 250b) disposed on the bank; wherein the first protrusion pattern is arranged between adjacent ones of the plurality of first openings, and the second protrusion pattern is spaced apart from the first protrusion pattern (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 4, Lee teaches a width of the first protrusion pattern being less than a width of the bank arranged between adjacent ones of the plurality of first openings in a direction that adjacent ones of the plurality of first openings are arranged (Fig. 10; ¶ [0152]).
Regarding claim 7, Lee discloses the second protrusion pattern and the bank comprising a same material (¶ [0151]).
Regarding claim 8, Lee discloses the first protrusion pattern and the bank comprising a same material (¶ [0151]).
Regarding claim 9, Lee discloses each of the first protrusion pattern and the second protrusion pattern integrally formed with the bank (¶ [0159]).
Regarding claim 10, Lee discloses a surface of the first protrusion pattern having a curved shape in a cross-sectional view (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 11, Lee discloses the first protrusion pattern comprising a plurality of first protrusion patterns arranged between adjacent ones of the plurality of first openings (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 12, Lee teaches the color panel comprising a capping layer (Fig. 10, Element 290; ¶ [0158]) disposed on the functional layer, the first protrusion pattern, and the second protrusion pattern.
Regarding claim 13, Lee teaches the color panel comprising a color filter layer (Fig. 10, Element 230; ¶ [0158]) arranged between the functional layer and the second substrate and comprising a first color filter (230a), a second color filter (230b), and a third color filter (230c).
Regarding claim 14, Lee teaches the functional layer comprising a first color conversion layer (270a), a second color conversion layer (270b), and a transmission layer (270c), the first color conversion layer comprises first quantum dots (Fig. 10, Element 271a; ¶ [0118]), and the second color conversion layer comprises second quantum dots (Fig. 10, Element 271b; ¶ [0118]).
Regarding claim 15, Lee teaches the plurality of light-emitting devices being organic light-emitting diodes emitting blue light (¶s [0069], [0072]).
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.
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 2-3 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2022/0158043).
Regarding claim 2, Lee teaches the limitations of independent claim 1 discussed earlier but fails to exemplify a thickness of the first protrusion pattern less than a thickness of the second protrusion pattern in a thickness direction of the second substrate. However, Lee discloses the bank may have various sizes and shapes (¶ [0139]).
Therefore, it would have been an obvious choice of design to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the display apparatus of Lee with a thickness of the first protrusion pattern being less than a thickness of the second protrusion pattern in a thickness direction of the second substrate, since where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation (MPEP § 2144.05(II)(A)).
Regarding claim 3, Lee teaches the limitations of independent claim 1 discussed earlier but fails to exemplify a width of the first protrusion pattern is less than a width of the second protrusion pattern in a direction that adjacent ones of the plurality of first openings are arranged. However, Lee discloses the bank may have various sizes and shapes (¶ [0139]).
Therefore, it would have been an obvious choice of design to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the display apparatus of Lee with a width of the first protrusion pattern being less than a width of the second protrusion pattern in a direction that adjacent ones of the plurality of first openings are arranged, since where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation (MPEP § 2144.05(II)(A)).
Regarding independent claim 16, Lee teaches a display apparatus (Fig. 10, Element 1000; ¶ [0044]) comprising a first substrate (Fig. 10, Element 110; ¶ [0051]) and a second substrate (Fig. 10, Element 210; ¶ [0086]) facing the first substrate; a light-emitting device (Fig. 10, Element 180; ¶ [0051]) disposed on the first substrate and comprising an emission area (Fig. 10, Element PX); a pixel-defining layer disposed on the first substrate and defining the emission area (¶ [0072]); an encapsulation layer (Fig. 10, Element 190; ¶ [0051]) covering the light-emitting device; a bank (Fig. 10, Element 250a; ¶ [0151]) disposed above the encapsulation layer and having a plurality of openings corresponding to the emission area; a first protrusion pattern (Fig. 10, Element 250b; ¶ [0150]) arranged between the bank and the encapsulation layer; a second protrusion pattern (Fig. 10; adjacent element 250b) arranged between the bank and the encapsulation layer; a functional layer (Fig. 10, Element 270; ¶ [0086]) arranged in the plurality of openings; and a color filter layer (Fig. 10, Element 230; ¶ [0158]) arranged between the functional layer and the second substrate, and between the bank and the second substrate, wherein the second protrusion pattern and the bank comprise a same material (¶ [0159]).
Lee teaches the limitations of independent claim 16 discussed earlier but fails to exemplify the second protrusion pattern having a thickness greater than a thickness of the first protrusion pattern in a thickness direction of the second substrate. However, Lee discloses the bank may have various sizes and shapes (¶ [0139]).
Therefore, it would have been an obvious choice of design to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the display apparatus of Lee with the second protrusion pattern having a thickness greater than a thickness of the first protrusion pattern in a thickness direction of the second substrate, since where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation (MPEP § 2144.05(II)(A)).
Regarding claim 17, Lee teaches each of the first protrusion pattern and the second protrusion pattern overlapping the bank and the pixel-defining layer in a plan view (Fig. 10; ¶ [0072]).
Regarding claim 18, Lee teaches the bank and the second protrusion pattern integral with each other (¶ [0159]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 and 19-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claims 5 and 19, the closest prior art of record (Lee) neither shows or suggests a display apparatus comprising, in addition to other limitations of the claims, a bank comprising a plurality of second openings disposed adjacent to a plurality of first openings, and the plurality of second openings do not overlap the emission areas of the plurality of light-emitting devices in a plan view.
Due to their respective dependencies upon claims 5 and 19, claims 6 and 20 are also allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Shin (US 2021/0391395) teaches a display apparatus with banks including black pigment. Lim (US 2019/0172874) teaches an electroluminescent display device with partition wall between encapsulation films.
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 21 February 2026