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 Species I (Fig. 2), claims 1-4, 6-11 and 13-20 in the reply filed on July 2, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 5 and 12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 6-10, 15, 16, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nitta (US 2022/0199937 A1) in view of Hatano et al. (US 2012/0217516 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nitta discloses a display apparatus (Fig. 4) comprising: a first sub-pixel electrode (E11) arranged in a sub-pixel area; a conductive bank layer (30) disposed on the first sub-pixel electrode, including a first opening, a first conductive layer (31, ¶[0059]) and a second conductive layer (32, ¶[0060]), wherein the first opening overlaps the first sub-pixel electrode (E11); a first intermediate layer (EL2) disposed on the first sub-pixel electrode; a first opposite electrode (E21) disposed on the first intermediate layer; an insulating layer (12, ¶[0059]) disposed between the conductive bank layer (30) and an edge of the first sub-pixel electrode (E11) in a non-sub-pixel area which surrounds the sub-pixel area. Nitta fails to exemplify an organic layer including an opening overlapping the first opening and including a first organic material portion overlapping the insulating layer in the non-sub-pixel area.
Hatano discloses a display apparatus (Fig. 1B) comprising: a first sub-pixel electrode (118) arranged in a sub-pixel area; a conductive bank layer (126, ¶[0083]) disposed on the first sub-pixel electrode, including a first opening, wherein the first opening overlaps the first sub-pixel electrode (118); a first intermediate layer (120) disposed on the first sub-pixel electrode; a first opposite electrode (122) disposed on the first intermediate layer; an insulating layer (124, ¶[0080]) disposed between the conductive bank layer (126) and an edge of the first sub-pixel electrode (118) in a non-sub-pixel area which surrounds the sub-pixel area, and an organic layer (164, ¶[0098]) including an opening overlapping the first opening and including a first organic material portion overlapping the insulating layer (124) in the non-sub-pixel area, which acts as a light shielding layer preventing color mixture between pixels. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filling of the claimed invention to incorporate the organic layer disclosed by Hatano in the display apparatus of Nitta in order to provide a light shielding layer preventing color mixture between pixels.
Regarding claim 6, Nitta discloses a display apparatus wherein the second conductive layer (32) is disposed on an upper surface of the first conductive layer (31), and wherein the second conductive layer (32) includes a tip protruding (S22, S21) from a point at which a lateral surface of the first conductive layer (31) facing the first opening meets a bottom surface of the second conductive layer (32).
Regarding claim 7, Nitta discloses a display apparatus further comprising: a first dummy intermediate layer (OR3) disposed on the tip and including a same material as a material of the first intermediate layer (OR2); and a first dummy opposite electrode (E23) disposed on the first dummy intermediate layer and including a same material as a material of the first opposite electrode (E21).
Regarding claim 8, Nitta discloses a display apparatus wherein the organic layer includes an organic insulating material (164, ¶[0098]).
Regarding claim 9, Nitta discloses a display apparatus wherein the organic layer includes black pigment (164, ¶[0098]).
Regarding claim 10, Nitta discloses a display apparatus comprising: a first sub-pixel electrode (E12) and a second sub-pixel electrode (E11) disposed adjacent to each other; a conductive bank layer (30) including a first opening overlapping the first sub-pixel electrode (E12), and a second opening overlapping the second sub-pixel electrode (E11), and including a first conductive layer (31) and a second conductive layer (32) disposed on the first conductive layer; a first intermediate layer (OR2) disposed on the first sub-pixel electrode (E11); a first opposite electrode (E22) disposed on the first intermediate layer; a second intermediate layer (OR1) disposed on the second sub-pixel electrode (E11); a second opposite electrode (E21) disposed on the second intermediate layer (OR1); an insulating layer (12) overlapping an edge of the first sub-pixel electrode (E12) and an edge of the second sub-pixel electrode (E11) and disposed under the conductive bank layer (30) in a non-sub-pixel area between the first sub-pixel electrode (E12) and the second sub-pixel electrode (E11). Nitta fails to exemplify an organic layer including a first organic layer opening overlapping the first opening, a second organic layer opening overlapping the second opening, and a first organic material portion arranged in the non-sub-pixel area.
Hatano discloses a display apparatus (Fig. 1B) comprising: a first sub-pixel electrode (118) and a second sub-pixel electrode (122) disposed adjacent to each other; a conductive bank layer (126) including a first opening overlapping the first sub-pixel electrode (118), and a second opening overlapping the second sub-pixel electrode (118); a first intermediate layer (120) disposed on the first sub-pixel electrode (118); a first opposite electrode (122) disposed on the first intermediate layer; a second intermediate layer (120) disposed on the second sub-pixel electrode (118); a second opposite electrode (122) disposed on the second intermediate layer (120); an insulating layer (124) overlapping an edge of the first sub-pixel electrode (118) and an edge of the second sub-pixel electrode (118) and disposed under the conductive bank layer (126) in a non-sub-pixel area between the first sub-pixel electrode (118) and the second sub-pixel electrode (118); and an organic layer (164) including a first organic layer opening overlapping the first opening, a second organic layer opening overlapping the second opening, and a first organic material portion (164, ¶[0098]) arranged in the non-sub-pixel area, which acts as a light shielding layer preventing color mixture between pixels. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filling of the claimed invention to incorporate the organic layer disclosed by Hatano in the display apparatus of Nitta in order to provide a light shielding layer preventing color mixture between pixels.
Regarding claim 15, Nitta discloses a display apparatus wherein a first portion of the second conductive layer (32) includes a tip (S21, S22) protruding to the first opening from a point at which a lateral surface of the first conductive layer (31) facing the first opening meets a bottom surface of the second conductive layer (32), and a second portion of the second conductive layer (32) includes a tip protruding (S21, S22) to the second opening from a point at which a lateral surface of the first conductive layer (31) facing the second opening meets a bottom surface of the second conductive layer (32).
Regarding claim 10, Nitta discloses a display apparatus further comprising: a first dummy intermediate layer (OR3) formed on the tip protruding to the first opening and including a same material as a material of the first intermediate layer (OR2); a first dummy opposite electrode (E23) formed on the first dummy intermediate layer and including a same material as a material of the first opposite electrode (E22); a second dummy intermediate layer (OR3) formed on the tip protruding to the second opening and including a same material as a material of the second intermediate layer (OR1); and a second dummy opposite electrode (E23) formed on the second dummy intermediate layer (OR3) and including a same material as a material of the second opposite electrode (E23).
Regarding claim 19, Nitta discloses a display apparatus wherein the organic layer includes an organic insulating material (164, ¶[0098]).
Regarding claim 20, Nitta discloses a display apparatus wherein the organic layer includes black pigment (164, ¶[0098]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 11, 13-14 and 17-18 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 claim(s) 2, the references of the Prior Art of record fail to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim(s) 2, and specifically comprising the limitation of the conductive bank layer includes a first hole arranged in the non-sub-pixel area, wherein the first organic material portion is disposed inside the first hole.
Regarding claim(s) 3-4, claims(s) 3-4 is/are allowable for the reasons given in claim(s) 2 because of its/their dependency status from claim(s) 2.
Regarding claim(s) 11, the references of the Prior Art of record fail to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim(s) 11, and specifically comprising the limitation of the conductive bank layer includes a first hole arranged in the non-sub-pixel area, wherein at least a portion of the first organic material portion is disposed inside the first hole.
Regarding claim(s) 13-14 and 17-18, claims(s) 13-14 and 17-18 is/are allowable for the reasons given in claim(s) 11 because of its/their dependency status from claim(s) 11.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Liang et al. (US 2025/0324893 A1) discloses a display panel including a substrate, a pixel defining layer, multiple light-emitting elements, a conductive partition structure, a hygroscopic layer, and an encapsulation layer, the pixel defining layer is arranged on the substrate and has multiple openings, the multiple light-emitting elements are respectively arranged in the multiple openings, the conductive partition structure is arranged on the pixel defining layer, and the hygroscopic layer is arranged on the conductive partition structure to absorb water vapor or oxygen.
Chang et al. (US 2025/0098430 A1) discloses a display panel including: a base layer; a plurality of light emitting elements arranged on the base layer; a partition wall that is disposed between the light emitting elements and electrically connects electrodes of the light emitting elements; and a plurality of inorganic patterns arranged on the light emitting elements.
Harada (US 2022/0271115 A1) discloses a display device including a first lower electrode, a second lower electrode, a first wiring that is disposed between the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode, a second insulation layer that is disposed on the first wiring, a first organic layer that is disposed on the first lower electrode, a second organic layer that is disposed on the second lower electrode, a first upper electrode that is disposed on the first organic layer, a second upper electrode that is disposed on the second organic layer, and a second wiring that is disposed on the second insulation layer, opposed to the first wiring.
The rejections above rely on the references for all the teachings expressed in the text of the references and/or one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood or implied from the texts of the references. To emphasize certain aspects of the prior art, only specific portions of the texts have been pointed out. Each reference as a whole should be reviewed in responding to the rejection, since other sections of the same reference and/or various combinations of the cited references may be relied on in future rejections in view of amendments.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mariceli Santiago whose telephone number is (571) 272-2464. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James R. Greece, can be reached on (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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/Mariceli Santiago/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2879
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