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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species II (claims 5-14) in the reply filed on 06/15/2026 is acknowledged.
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 5 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Yin et al. (Pub. No.: US 2020/0058903 A1) in view of Xu (Pub. No. : CN104300091 (A)).
Regarding Claim 5, Yin et al. discloses a light emitting display device, comprising: a substrate having an active area comprising a plurality of sub-pixels and a non-active area surrounding the active area (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – active area 101, non-active area 102); a light emitting device provided to each of the plurality of sub-pixels (Par. 0036; Figs. 1);
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at least one dam pattern provided in the non-active area to surround the active area (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – dam 20 (partition wall)); a first inorganic encapsulation layer configured to cover the light emitting device and provided in the active area and the non-active area comprising the at least one dam pattern (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – first inorganic encapsulation layer 30); a hydrophobic layer configured to surround the active area and provided on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – hydrophobic layer 40); an organic encapsulation layer provided on the first inorganic encapsulation layer in an area inward from the hydrophobic layer (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – organic encapsulation layer 50); and a second inorganic encapsulation layer configured to cover the organic encapsulation layer and the nanostructure and provided on the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the hydrophobic layer to extend outward from the hydrophobic layer (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – second inorganic encapsulation layer 60). Yin et al. does not explicitly disclose a nanostructure configured to surround the active area and provided on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – nanostructure 40 (hydrophobic layer)); However, Xu at least implicitly teaches a nanostructure provided on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern (Par. 0011, 0032-0034; Figs. 1-2 – this prior art teaches use of a nano-structured hydrophobic layer 22 as a moisture barrier); In short, Yin et al. teaches use of a hydrophobic layer to repel moisture whereas Xu further teaches that the hydrophobic layer could be a nano-structured layer which further improves the moisture repelling ability of a micron-structured layer on which it is deposited. Yin et al. discloses the claimed invention except for a light emitting display device, comprising: wherein a nanostructure is configured to surround the active area and provided on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to adapt the light emitting display device, comprising: wherein a nanostructure is configured to surround the active area and provided on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern, since it has been held that the simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results is obvious.
Regarding Claim 13, Yin et al. discloses a method of manufacturing a light emitting display device, comprising: preparing a substrate having an active area comprising a plurality of sub-pixels and a non-active area surrounding the active area (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – active area 101, non-active area 102); forming a light emitting device in each of the plurality of sub-pixels (Par. 0036; Figs. 1); forming at least one dam pattern in the non-active area to surround the active area (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – dam 20 (partition wall)); forming a first inorganic encapsulation layer covering the light emitting device in the active area and the non-active area comprising the at least one dam pattern (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – first inorganic encapsulation layer 30); forming a hydrophobic layer surrounding the active area on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – hydrophobic layer 40); forming an organic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer in an area inward from the hydrophobic layer (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – organic encapsulation layer 50); and
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forming a second inorganic encapsulation layer covering the organic encapsulation layer and the hydrophobic layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the hydrophobic layer to extend outward from the hydrophobic layer (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – second inorganic encapsulation layer 60 Yin et al. does not explicitly disclose forming a nanostructure surrounding the active area on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern (Par. 0036; Figs. 1 – nanostructure 40 (hydrophobic layer)); However, Xu at least implicitly teaches forming a nanostructure surrounding the active area on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern (Par. 0011, 0032-0034; Figs. 1-2 – this prior art teaches use of a nano-structured hydrophobic layer 22 as a moisture barrier); In short, Yin et al. teaches use of a hydrophobic layer to repel moisture whereas Xu further teaches that the hydrophobic layer could be a nano-structured layer which further improves the moisture repelling ability of a micron-structured layer on which it is deposited. Yin et al. discloses the claimed invention except for a method of manufacturing a light emitting display device, comprising: forming a nanostructure surrounding the active area on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to adapt a method of manufacturing a light emitting display device, comprising: forming a nanostructure surrounding the active area on the first inorganic encapsulation layer over the at least one dam pattern, since it has been held that the simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results is obvious.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Yin et al. (Pub. No.: US 2020/0058903 A1) and Xu (Pub. No. : CN104300091 (A)), as applied to claim 5, in view of Jung et al. (Pub. No. : US 2021/0328184 A1).
Regarding Claim 11, modified Yin et al., as applied to claim 5, does not disclose the light emitting display device, wherein the at least one dam pattern comprises at least one layer of a planarization film or a bank. However, Jung et al. teaches the light emitting display device, wherein the at least one dam pattern comprises at least one layer of a planarization film or a bank (Par. 0085; Fig. 2 – dam pattern 610 which includes first
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layer 611 and a second layer 613 comprises of a planarization film 140 and a bank 150, respectively). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use the teachings of Jung et al. to adapt the light emitting display device, wherein the at least one dam pattern of modified Yin et al. comprises at least one layer of a planarization film or a bank in order to make the fabrication of the device simpler and more cost-effective
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Yin et al. (Pub. No.: US 2020/0058903 A1) and Xu (Pub. No. : CN 104300091 (A)), as applied to claim 5, in view of Pahk et al. (Pub. No. : US 2021/0057498 A1).
Regarding Claim 12, modified Yin et al., as applied to claim 5, does not disclose the light emitting display device, further comprising touch electrodes on the second inorganic encapsulation layer corresponding to the active area. However, Pahk et al. teaches the light emitting display device, further comprising touch electrodes on the second inorganic encapsulation layer corresponding to the active area (Par. 0116-0119; Fig. 3 – touch electrode
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TSL is disposed on thin film encapsulation layer TFE). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use the teachings of Pahk et al. to adapt the light emitting display device, further comprising touch electrodes on the second inorganic encapsulation layer corresponding to the active area of modified Yin et al. in order to fabricate an easier to use display device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 and 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Guo (Pub. No. : US 2021/0104701 A1) – This prior art teaches a light emitting display device, comprising: a substrate (1) having an active area comprising a plurality of sub-pixels and a non-active area surrounding the active area (Figs. 1-2); a light emitting device provided to each of the plurality of sub-pixels (Figs. 1-2); at least one dam pattern (6) provided in the non-active area to surround the active area (Figs. 1-2); a first inorganic encapsulation layer (7) configured to cover the light emitting device and provided in the active area and the non-active area comprising the at least one dam pattern (Figs. 1-2);8) provided on the first inorganic encapsulation layer (7) in an area inward from the nanostructure (Figs. 1-2); and a second inorganic encapsulation layer (11) configured to cover the organic encapsulation layer (8) and inorganic encapsulation layer (7) Figs. 1-2).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SYED I GHEYAS whose telephone number is (571)272-0592. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Britt Hanley, can be reached at telephone number (571)270-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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07/06/2026
/SYED I GHEYAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
Prosecution Insights