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 .
This Office Action is in response to the election filed November 20, 2025.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of claims 1-15 and 20 in the reply filed on November 20, 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the first light transmitting portion overlapping the light blocking film must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING LIGHT TRANSMITTING PORTIONS.
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.
Claim 1 is 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.
It is not understood how the first light transmitting portion overlaps the light blocking film when the reverse is true.
Claims 2-15 are rejected as being dependent upon rejected claim 1.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-11, 15 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lim et al. (US 2021/0357613 A1).
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
In regard to claim 1, Lim et al. teach a display device 10 comprising: a substrate SUB1/BF1/SUB2; a light emitting element layer 170/190 disposed on the substrate SUB1/BF1/SUB2 and including a plurality of light emitting areas (at 170) each including a light emitting element 170 that emits light; an encapsulation layer TFE disposed on the light emitting element layer 170/190; and a light control layer 420 disposed on the encapsulation layer TFE, wherein the light control layer 420 includes: a light transmitting film LT1/LT2 that transmits the light, and a light blocking film LS that blocks the light, and the light transmitting film LT1/LT2 includes: a first light transmitting portion LT1 overlapping the light blocking film LS in a thickness direction of the substrate SUB1/BF1/SUB2; and a plurality of second light transmitting portions LT2 each surrounded by the light blocking film LS, and a thickness of the light blocking film LS is greater than a thickness of the first light transmitting portion LT1 (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0130]).
In regard to claim 2, Lim et al. teach a first width (See LT2 right above LT1), which is a width of each of the plurality of second light transmitting portions LT2 in a first direction X, being greater than a first distance, which is a distance between two adjacent second light transmitting portions LT2 among the plurality of second light transmitting portions LT2 in the first direction X (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0130]).
In regard to claim 3, Lim et al. teach a ratio of the first distance (See paragraph [0120]) to the first width (See paragraph [0114]) being substantially equal to a ratio of the thickness L1 of the first light transmitting portion LT1 to the thickness L2 of the light blocking film LS (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0130]).
In regard to claim 4, Lim et al. teach the ratio of the first distance (See paragraph [0120]) to the first width (See paragraph [0114]) being about 1:9 to about 2:3 (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0130]).
In regard to claim 5, Lim et al. teach the first width (See paragraph [0114]) being about 6 μm to about 9 μm, and the first distance (See paragraph [0120]) being about 1 μm to about 4 μm (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0130]).
In regard to claim 6, Lim et al. teach the thickness L2 of the light blocking film LS being about 10 μm to about 25 μm, and the thickness L1 of the first light transmitting portion LT1 being about 2 μm to about 8 μm (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0130]).
In regard to claim 7, Lim et al. teach the light transmitting film having a refractive index (See paragraph [0133]) in a range of about 1.1 to about 1.6 (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0133]).
In regard to claim 8, Lim et al. teach the light blocking film LS including a light blocking organic material, and the light transmitting film LT1/LT2 including a transparent organic material (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0130]).
In regard to claim 9, Lim et al. teach a third light transmitting portion LT3, wherein the third light transmitting portion LT3 disposed on the light blocking film LS and overlaps the light blocking film LS in the thickness direction of the substrate SUB1/BF1/SUB2 (Figures 1-8, 10 and 13, pages 2-11, paragraphs [0032]-[0130] and [0142]-[0157]).
In regard to claim 10, Lim et al. teach the third light transmitting portion LT3 made of photoresist or a transparent conductive oxide (Figures 1-8, 10 and 13, pages 2-11, paragraphs [0032]-[0130] and [0142]-[0157]).
In regard to claim 11, Lim et al. teach the thickness L2 of the light blocking film LS is smaller than a thickness (See Figure 12 above L1) of each of the plurality of second light transmitting portions LT2 (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0130]).
In regard to claim 15, Lim et al. teach the light blocking film LS does not overlap the plurality of light emitting areas (at 170) in the thickness direction of the substrate SUB1/BF1/SUB2 (Figures 1-8, pages 2-9, paragraphs [0032]-[0130]).
In regard to claim 20, Lim et al. teach a fingerprint sensor 410 comprising: a light sensing layer (at 410) including a light sensing element SP that generates a sensing current according to incident light (Claims directed to apparatus must be distinguished from the prior art in terms of structure rather than function, In re Danly, 263, F.2d 844, 847, 120 USPQ 528, 531 (CCPA 1959). Apparatus claims cover what a device is, not what a device does. Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Bausch & Lomb Inc., 909 F.2d 1464, 1469, 15 USPQ2d 1525, 1528 (Fed. Cir. 1990).); and a light control layer 420 disposed on the light sensing layer (at 410), wherein the light control layer 420 includes: first light transmitting portions LT1 spaced apart from each other; light blocking films LS respectively overlapping the first light transmitting portions LT1 in a thickness direction; and second light transmitting portions LT2 disposed between the first light transmitting portions LT1 and between the light blocking films LS, and a thickness LS of each of the light blocking films LS is greater than a thickness L1 of each of the first light transmitting portions LT1 (Figures 1-8, 10 and 13, pages 2-11, paragraphs [0032]-[0130] and [0142]-[0157]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-13 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.
Claim 14 is objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to display devices:
Higano et al. (JP 2020184208 A) Jeon (US 2022/0131018 A1)
Lee et al. (US 2020/0380239 A1) Lee et al. (US 2021/0399025 A1)
Park et al. (US 11,361,581 B2) Wu et al. (US 2018/0373945 A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IDA M SOWARD whose telephone number is (571)272-1845. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ajay Ojha can be reached at 571-272-8936. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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IMS
December 1, 2025
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898