DETAILED ACTION
1. 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 communications dated 10/24/2023.
Claims 1-17 are pending in this application.
Acknowledges
2. Receipt is acknowledged of the following items from the Applicant.
Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 10/24/2023. The references cited on the PTOL 1449 form have been considered.
Applicant is requested to cite any relevant prior art if being aware on form PTO-1449 in accordance with the guidelines set for in M.P.E.P. 609.
Foreign Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Specification
4. The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 103
5. 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.
6. Claims 1-6, and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. (US 2021/0257419) in view of Kang et al. (US 2020/0212312)
Regarding claim 1, Jang discloses an organic light emitting display apparatus, comprising:
a substrate 110 (see figs. 6-7) including a first display area DA2 (figs. 1-4) and a second display area DA1 or DA3 adjacent to the first display area DA2, the first display area DA2 including emission areas PA2 and transmissive areas TA;
a plurality of sub-pixels SRA2, SGA2, SBA2 disposed in the first display area DA2; and
a plurality of transistors TR (fig. 7) disposed on the substrate 110 and electrically connected to the plurality of sub-pixels,
wherein the plurality of sub-pixels SRA2, SGA2, SBA2 include a plurality of first sub-pixels disposed in the emission areas of the first display area DA2 and having a structure comprising a plurality of light emitting stacks EU1-EU3 (fig. 10, and paras. 0130-0134).
Jang does not specifically teach the structure in which the plurality of light emitting stacks configured to emit light of different colors are stacked.
Kang discloses an organic light emitting display apparatus, as shown in figs. 2-7, and 10, comprising:
a plurality of sub-pixels 420, 440 (fig. 4) disposed in the first display area RP;
wherein the plurality of sub-pixels include a plurality of first sub-pixels 420, 440 disposed in the emission areas D of the first display area and having a structure in which a plurality of light emitting stacks 412 (red light, paras. 0124, 0128), 414 (green light), 444 (blue light) configured to emit light of different colors are stacked (fig. 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the invention of Jang to have a plurality of sub-pixels, as that/those taught by Kang, in order to improve the emitting efficiency and the lifespan of the OLED. See paras. 0005, 0116, 0122, 0154 of Kang.
Regarding claim 2, Jang/Kang discloses the organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sub-pixels 420, 440 further include a plurality of second sub-pixels 440 disposed in the emission areas D of the first display area RP and having a structure 444 in which a single light emitting stack 444/440 is stacked. See fig. 4 of Kang.
Regarding claim 3, Jang/Kang discloses the organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of first sub-pixels 410-414 and the plurality of second sub-pixels 440 are configured to emit light of different colors. See fig. 4, and paras. 0124, 0128 of Kang.
Regarding claim 4, Jang/Kang discloses the organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of first sub-pixels 412, 414, 444 have a structure in which a first light emitting stack 412 configured to emit red light and a second light emitting stack 414 configured to emit green light are stacked, and wherein the plurality of second sub-pixels include a third light emitting stack 444 configured to emit blue light. See fig. 4, and paras. 0124, 0128 of Kang.
Regarding claim 5, Jang/Kang discloses the organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 4, wherein a pixel circuit configured to drive the first light emitting stack (in area RP of the first display area RP & GP) and a pixel circuit configured to drive the second light emitting stack (in area GP of the first display area RP & GP) are different from each other. See fig. 3 of Kang.
Regarding claim 6, Jang/Kang discloses the organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of first sub-pixels 410, 440 have a structure in which a first anode 362, the first light emitting stack 410, a cathode 450, the second light emitting stack 440, and a second anode 364 are stacked. See fig. 4 of Kang.
Regarding claim 14, Jang/Kang discloses the organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sub-pixels further include a third sub-pixel 412, a fourth sub-pixel 414, and a fifth sub-pixel 444 disposed in the second display area GP and configured to emit light of different colors, and each of the third sub-pixel, the fourth sub-pixel, and the fifth sub-pixel has a single light emission stack. See fig. 3, 4 of Kang.
Regarding claim 15, Jang/Kang discloses the organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a cathode 450 disposed in the first display area RP is disposed only in the emission area among the emission areas and the transmissive areas. See figs. 3, 4 of Kang.
Regarding claim 16, Jang/Kang discloses the organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an optical electronic device 200/210/220 disposed below the substrate in the first display area DA2. See fig. 2 of Jang.
Regarding claim 17, Jang/Kang discloses the organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a number of sub-pixels PA2 per unit area in the first display area DA2 (fig. 4 of Jang) is less than a number of sub-pixels PA1 per unit area in the second display area DA1 (fig. 3 of Jang).
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 7-13 are allowable.
Claims 7-13 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, since the prior art of record and considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure does not teach or suggest the claimed organic light emitting display apparatus (in addition to the other limitations in the claim) comprising:
Claims 7-10:
wherein the plurality of sub-pixels further include a plurality of second sub-pixels disposed in the emission areas of the first display area and having a structure in which a plurality of emission stacks configured to emit light of a same color are stacked.
Claims 11-13:
wherein the plurality of transistors (that are electrically connected to the plurality of sub-pixels disposed in the first display area, as recited in claim 1) are disposed only in the second display area and the bezel area.
Conclusion
8. A shortened statutory period for response to this action is set to expire 3 (three) months and 0 (zero) day from the day of this letter. Failure to respond within the period for response will cause the application to become abandoned (see M.P.E.P 710.02(b)).
A shortened time for reply may be extended up to the maximum six-month period (35 U.S.C. 133). An extension of time fee is normally required to be paid if the reply period is extended. The amount of the fee is dependent upon the length of the extension. Extensions of time are generally not available after an application has been allowed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dao H. Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)272-1791. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Loke, can be reached on (571)272-1657. The fax numbers for all communication(s) is 571-273-8300.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is (571)272-1633.
/DAO H NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818 January 18, 2026