DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/21/2023 and 06/07/2024. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In pg. 18, ¶ [105], last line “first sub-pixels SP2” should read “first sub-pixels SP1.”
In pg. 19, ¶ [110], line 4, space in “SP 1” should read “SP1.”
In pg. 21, ¶ [123], last line “fourth sub-pixel SP3” should read “fourth sub-pixel SP4.”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 8, 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 8, line 2, “first sub-sub pixel” should read “first sub-pixel.”
In claim 14, line 5, “the first electrode” lacks antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 10-11, 13, 15-18 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi (US 20210183900 A1) in view of Jang (US 20210183963 A1).
Re: Claim 1, Choi discloses an organic light-emitting diode display device (light emitting display apparatus, Fig. 1), comprising:
a plurality of sub-pixels (subpixels 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d) on a substrate (substrate 100) and associated with one pixel (unit pixel 12), each sub-pixel having an emission area (light emitting area A1, Fig. 2; ¶ [0081]) and a non-emission area (circuit area A2, Fig. 2; ¶ [0082]);
a horizontal line (GL, Fig. 2) of a first direction (direction X, Fig. 2) and a plurality of vertical lines (PL, RL, DL, Fig. 2) of a second direction (direction Y, Fig. 2) over the substrate (Fig. 3), wherein the horizontal line crosses the plurality of vertical lines to define the plurality of sub-pixels (Figs. 2 and 3);
a thin film transistor (Tsw, Tdr) in the non-emission area of each sub-pixel (Fig. 2; ¶ [0086]);
an overcoat layer (overcoat layer 140) over the thin film transistors (¶ [0096]-[0097]), and including a plurality of micro lenses (uneven pattern portion 150, Fig. 5) in the emission area of each sub-pixel (¶ [0117]);
a light-emitting diode (light emitting device layer EDL, Fig. 3) in the emission area of each sub-pixel over the overcoat layer, and connected to the corresponding thin film transistor (¶¶ [0080]-[0085]), wherein the plurality of vertical lines include first, second, third, and fourth lines (PL2j-1, DL4i-3, DL4i-2, RL, Fig. 2), and wherein, for a first sub-pixel (12a, Fig. 3) among the plurality of sub-pixels, and for a second sub-pixel (Choi: SPA2; Fig. 3) among the plurality of sub-pixels.
While Choi discloses that in an embodiment, a bank pattern a bank pattern at the edge portion of the anode electrode and the flat portion of the overcoat layer may be removed per design (Choi ¶ [0135]), one of ordinary skill would appreciate that Choi implies that bank patterns serve as subpixel separators and may be employed as one of the predictable solutions yielding the reasonable result for light interference shielding, such that Choi may teach employing a bank over the overcoat layer.
Choi is silent to the bank having an opening corresponding to the emission area of each sub-pixel; and wherein for the first sub-pixel, an edge of the opening of the bank is spaced apart from the first and second lines, and for the second sub-pixel an edge of the opening of the bank coincides with one side of each of the third and fourth lines.
Jang discloses an organic light emitting device comprising a bank (bank pattern 160) over the overcoat layer (overcoat layer 140), and having an opening (uneven pattern portion 150, ¶ [0117]) corresponding to the emission area of each sub-pixel (Fig. 5).
The modification of Jang to Choi would result for the first sub-pixel, an edge of the opening of the bank is spaced apart from the first and second lines, and for the second sub-pixel an edge of the opening of the bank coincides with one side of each of the third and fourth lines.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adopt the bank pattern as taught by Jang to the organic light-emitting diode of Choi, to reduce a step difference and electrical short prevention (Jang: ¶ [0166]).
Re: Claim 2, Choi in view of Jang discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 1. Choi further discloses wherein one of the first line (PL2j-1) and the fourth line is a power line (pixel driving voltage line PL, Fig. 2), and another of the first line and the fourth line (RL) is a reference line (reference voltage line RL, Fig. 2), and wherein the second line and the third line (DL4i-3, DL4i-2) are data lines (data line DL, Fig. 2).
Re: Claim 4, Choi in view of Jang discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 1. Choi further discloses wherein a color filter (CFL, Fig. 3) is provided between the substrate and the light-emitting diode in at least one of the first and second sub-pixels (¶ [0143]).
Re: Claim 10, Choi in view of Jang discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 1. Jang further discloses wherein the bank is a black bank that blocks light (¶ [0141]).
Re: Claim 11, Choi discloses an organic light-emitting diode display device (light emitting display apparatus, Fig. 1), comprising:
a plurality of sub-pixels on a substrate (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d), and associated with one pixel (unit 12, Fig. 2), each sub-pixel having an emission area (A1, Fig. 2) and a non-emission area (A2, Fig. 2);
a horizontal line (GL, Fig. 1) of a first direction (direction X, Fig. 2) and a plurality of vertical lines (PL, RL, DL, Fig. 2) of a second direction (direction Y, Fig. 2) over the substrate (100, Fig. 3), wherein the horizontal line crosses the plurality of vertical lines to define the plurality of sub-pixels (Fig. 1).
a thin film transistor (Tsw, Tdr) in the non-emission area of each sub-pixel (Fig. 2, ¶ [0086]);
an overcoat layer over the thin film transistors (overcoat 140), and including a plurality of micro lenses in the emission area of each sub-pixel (uneven microlens portion 150, Fig. 3).
a light-emitting diode (EDL (AE, SED, CE)) in the emission area of each sub-pixel over the overcoat layer (EDL in uneven portion 150, Fig. 3), and connected to the corresponding thin film transistor (AE coupled to Tdr, ¶ [0127]]) wherein the plurality of vertical lines includes first, second, third, and fourth lines (PL2j-1, DL4i-3, DL4i-2, RL, Fig. 2).
While Choice discloses in an embodiment, a bank pattern a bank pattern at the edge portion of the anode electrode and the flat portion of the overcoat layer may be removed per design (¶ [0135]), one of ordinary skill would appreciate that Choi implies that bank patterns serve as subpixel separators and may be employed as one of the predictable solutions yielding the reasonable result for interference shielding, such that Choi may teach employing a bank over the overcoat layer.
Choi is silent to the bank having an opening corresponding to the emission area of each sub-pixel, and wherein, for a first sub-pixel among the plurality of sub-pixels, a width of the opening of the bank is smaller than a distance between the first and second lines, and for a second sub-pixel among the plurality of sub-pixels, a width of the opening of the bank is approximately equal to a distance between the third and fourth lines.
Jang discloses an organic light emitting device comprising a bank (bank pattern 160) over the overcoat layer (overcoat layer 140), and having an opening (uneven pattern portion 150, ¶ [0117]) corresponding to the emission area of each sub-pixel (Fig. 5);
The modification of Jang to Choi would result for the first subpixel (12a), a width of the opening of the bank is smaller than a distance between the fist and the second lines (PL2j-1, DL4i-2, Fig. 5), and for a second sub-pixel (12b), a width of the opening of the bank is approximately equal to a distance between the third and fourth lines (DL4i-2, RL, Fig. 7).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adopt the bank pattern as taught by Jang to the organic light-emitting diode of Choi, to reduce a step difference and electrical short prevention (Jang: ¶ [0166]).
Re: Claim 13, Choi in view of Jang discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 11. Choi further discloses a color filter (CFr) is provided between the substrate and the light-emitting diode in at least one of the first and second sub-pixels (12a, Fig. 5).
Re: Claim 15, Choi discloses a light-emitting diode display device (light emitting device apparatus, Fig. 1), comprising:
a plurality of sub-pixels (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) on a substrate (100), and associated with a pixel, each sub-pixel having an emission area (A1, Fig. 2) and a non-emission area (A2, Fig. 2);
a first direction line (GL) of a first direction (direction X, Fig. 1) and a plurality of second direction lines (RL, DL4i-1, DL4i PL2j, Fig. 2) of a second direction over the substrate (direction Y, Fig. 2), wherein the first direction line crosses the plurality of second direction lines to define the plurality of sub-pixels (Fig. 1).
an overcoat layer (140) over the first direction line and the plurality of second direction lines (Fig. 3), and including a plurality of micro lenses (uneven microlens portion 150) in the emission area of each sub-pixel (Fig. 3 and ¶ [0008]);
a light-emitting diode (EDL, Fig. 3) in the emission area of each sub-pixel over the overcoat layer (Fig. 3), and including a first electrode (AE, Fig. 3), a light-emitting layer (SED, Fig. 3) and a second electrode (CE, Fig. 3)
wherein the plurality of sub-pixels include a first sub-pixel (12c) and a second sub-pixel (12d) that are adjacent to each other (Fig. 3),
wherein the plurality of second direction lines (DL, PL, RL, Fig. 1) include a reference line (RL) or a power line (PL2j) and wherein a first electrode of the first sub-pixel (AE3 of 12c) and a first electrode of the second sub-pixel (AE4 of 12d) overlap with the reference line or the power line on opposite sides thereof (AE4 overlaps PL2j, Fig. 9).
While Choi discloses in an embodiment, a bank pattern at the edge portion of the anode electrode and the flat portion of the overcoat layer maybe removed per design (¶ [0135), one of ordinary skill would appreciate that Choi implies the bank pattern serve as subpixel separators and may be employed as a predictable solution for light shielding, such that Choi may teach employing a bank over the overcoat layer.
Choi is silent to a bank over the overcoat layer, and having an opening corresponding to the emission area of each sub-pixel; and wherein the plurality of second direction lines include a reference line or a power line, and wherein a first electrode of the first sub-pixel and a first electrode of the second sub-pixel overlap with the reference line or the power line on opposite sides thereof.
Jang discloses a light emitting diode device comprising a bank (160) over the overcoat layer (140), and having an opening (uneven pattern portion 150, ¶ [0117]) corresponding to the emission area of each sub-pixel (Fig. 5).
The modification of Jang to Choi would result for a first electrode of the fist sub-pixel (Choi: AE3 of 12c) and a first electrode of the second sub-pixel (Choi: AE4 of 12d) overlap with the reference line or the power line on opposite sides thereof (Choi: AE4 overlaps PL2j, Fig. 9, EP2 indicating AE4 is extended in the flat portion 141 as described in ¶ [0135]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adopt the bank pattern as taught by Jang to the organic light-emitting diode of Choi, to reduce a step difference and electrical short prevention (Jang: ¶ [0166]).
Re: Claim 16, Choi in view of Jang discloses the light emitting display of claim 15. Choi further discloses wherein a width in the first direction of a portion of the reference line or the power line that overlaps the first electrodes of the first and second sub-pixels (PL2j overlap AE4 in Fig. 9, AE4 is extended to the flat portion 141 or EP2 as described in ¶ [0135]) is greater than a width in the first direction of a portion of the reference line or the power line that does not overlap the first electrodes of the first and second sub-pixels (PL2j overlap the NPE portion in Fig. 9).
Re: Claim 17, Choi in view of Jang discloses the light emitting diode display of claim 15. Choi further discloses wherein the opening corresponding to the emission area of the first sub-pixel (EPb, Fig. 7) is separated in the first direction from the reference line or the power line (Fig. 7), and the opening corresponding to the emission area of the second sub-pixel (uneven portion EP1 of EPg, Fig. 9) is not separated in the first direction from the reference line or the power line (Fig. 9).
Re: Claim 18, Choi in view of Jang discloses the light-emitting diode display device of claim 15. Choi further discloses wherein a width of the opening corresponding to the emission area of the first sub-pixel in the first direction and a width of the opening corresponding to the emission area of the second sub-pixel in the first direction.
While Choi is silent to the size comparison between the emission areas, Choi discloses emission requirements according to application (¶ [0103]), such that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art (sizing adjustments), it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges (emission area) by routine experimentation. MPEP 2144.05.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to size the emission area as taught by Choi, to ensure proper light emission in picture quality (¶ [0103]).
Claim 3, 12 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi (US 20210183900 A1) in view of Jang (US 20210183963 A1) and Kim (US 20180130856 A1).
Re: Claim 3, Choi in view of Jang discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 2. While Choi discloses the third line and second line, Choi is silent to line widths.
Kim discloses the organic light emitting display (¶ [0003]) wherein the resistance of the first data line DL1 connected to green pixel is larger than the resistance of the second data line DL2 connected to the red and blue pixels ([0199]) to match the degree of delay of the data signals and prevent a vertical line defect. Note that it inherent to have resistance inversely proportional with the width or the thickness of the metal line or the data line. By controlling the differences in resistances of the data lines (or the width or thickness of the data lines), the delay signals of pixels can be matched ([0199]).
Choi in view of Jang discloses the first and second data lines but is silent to the widths of them. Kim discloses the resistance of the first data line to be greater than that of the second data line. It is well known in the art to control the resistance of the metal line (data line) by adjusting the width or the thickness of the metal line. As such, the width of the second data line of Kim is greater than the width of the first data line.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the resistivity matching taught by Kim to the device of Choi to adjust the width of the second data line in compared to the width of the first data line for the purpose of matching the delay signals of the subpixels (Kim: ¶ [0199]).
Re: Claim 12, Choi in view of Jang discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 11. Choi further discloses wherein one of the first line and the fourth line is a power line (PL2j-1), and another of the first line and the fourth line is a reference line (RL, Fig. 2), and the second line and the third line are data lines (DL4i-1, DL4i, Fig. 2)
While Choi in view of Jang discloses the data lines, he is silent to the line widths.
Kim discloses the organic light emitting display (¶ [0003]) wherein the resistance of the first data line DL1 connected to green pixel is larger than the resistance of the second data line DL2 connected to the red and blue pixels ([0199]) to match the degree of delay of the data signals and prevent a vertical line defect. Note that it inherent to have resistance inversely proportional with the width or the thickness of the metal line or the data line. By controlling the differences in resistances of the data lines (or the width or thickness of the data lines), the delay signals of pixels can be matched ([0199]).
Choi in view of Jang disclose the first and second data lines but is silent to the widths of them. Kim discloses the resistance of the first data line to be greater than that of the second data line. It is well known in the art to control the resistance of the metal line (data line) by adjusting the width or the thickness of the metal line. As such, the width of the second data line of Kim is greater than the width of the first data line.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the resistivity matching taught by Kim to the device of Choi to adjust the width of the second data line in compared to the width of the first data line for the purpose of matching the delay signals of the subpixels (Kim: ¶ [0199]).
Claim 5, 7 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi (US 20210183900 A1) in view of Jang (US 20210183963 A1) and Jang2 (US 20200058708 A1).
Re: Claim 5, Choi in view of Jang discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 1. Choi is silent to for each of the first and second sub-pixels, the overcoat layer further includes a dummy lens in the non-emission area, and the dummy lens is spaced apart from the opening.
Jang2 discloses an organic light emitting display device including an overcoat layer (overcoating layer 108, Fig. 1), wherein the overcoat layer further includes a dummy lens (microlens ML extended into to the non-emission area) in the non-emission area (¶ [0123]). Jang2 further discloses light extraction efficiency may be increased by extending the microlens into the non-emission area (¶ [0124]).
The modification to Choi in view of Jang will result in the dummy lens is spaced apart from the opening.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the dummy lens of Jang2 to the organic light emitting device of Choi to increase light extraction efficiency (Jang2: ¶ [0124]).
Re: Claim 7, Choi, in view of Jang and Jang2 discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 5. Jang2 further discloses wherein the dummy lens has a same size and shape as the plurality of micro lenses (Jang2: [0123]).
Claim 8-9 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi (US 20210183900 A1 in view of Jang (US 20210183963 A1) and Pezzaniti (US 20050024590 A1).
Re: Claim 8, Choi in view of Jang discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 1, Choi further discloses wherein the plurality of sub-pixels include the first sub-pixel (12a), the second sub-pixel (12b), a third sub-pixel (subpixel 12c, Fig. 2) and a fourth sub-pixel (subpixel 12d, Fig. 2), which are provided over the substrate along the first direction (Fig. 2).
Choi is silent regarding wherein the plurality of micro lenses in at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth sub-pixels are rotated at a rotation angle, so that a line connecting centers of the micro lenses adjacent to each other has a specific angle with respect to the first direction.
Pezzaniti discloses a display, wherein the plurality of micro lenses (lenslet 820, ¶ [0035]) in at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth sub-pixels are rotated at a rotation angle (¶ [0030]), so that a line connecting centers of the micro lenses adjacent to each other has a specific angle with respect to the first direction.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adopt the lenslet rotation technique of Pezzaniti to the microlens of Choi to for the purpose of reducing the gap image (¶ [0030]).
Re: Claim 9, Choi in view of Jang and Pezzaniti discloses the organic light-emitting diode display device of claim 8. Pezzxanti further discloses wherein the rotation angle of the plurality of micro lenses is greater than 0 degrees and is equal to or less than approximately 60 degrees (¶ [0035]).
Claims 19-20 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi (US 20210183900 A1) in view of Jang (US 20210183963 A1) and Tak (US 20050024572 A1).
Re: Claim 19, Choi in view of Jang discloses the light emitting diode display of claim 17. While Choi discloses a first color filter of the fist sub-pixel overlaps the opening area at the reference line or the power line (CFg overlaps EPb, Fig. 8) and a second filter color overlaps the opening of the second subpixel at the reference line or the power line (CFg overlaps EP1 of EPg), he is silent to the overlapping of each other of the color filters.
Tak discloses the liquid crystal display (¶ [0004]) comprising a first color filter overlapping the opening of the first sub-pixel and a second color filter overlapping the opening of the second sub-pixel, wherein the first color filter and the second color filter overlap at the data line to light leakage prevention between pixel electrodes (¶ [0127] and Fig. 13).
Choi in view of Jang discloses the color filters of the adjacent subpixels to overlap their own pixel opening area, but he is silent to their overlapping of each other.
Note that similar color filter techniques of liquid crystal display device can be applied to the organic light emitting device. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adopt the color filter techniques of Tak to the organic light emitting device of Choi for the purpose of preventing the light leakage between pixel electrodes (Tak: ¶ [ 0127]).
Re: Claim 20, Choi in view of Jang and Tak discloses light emitting diode device of claim19. Tak further discloses the light-emitting diode display device of claim 19, wherein a height of the first color filter is different from a height of the second color filter at the overlap thereof (Tak: ¶ [0127] and Fig. 13).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 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.
Re: Claim 6, the prior art fails to disclose the device of claim 5, wherein the light-emitting diode includes a first electrode on the overcoat layer and a second electrode overlapping the first electrode, and wherein the dummy lens overlaps each of opposite edges of the first electrode facing each other along the first direction and is spaced apart from the opposite edges of the first electrode facing each other along the second direction.
Re: Claim 14, the prior art fails to disclose the device of claim 11, wherein for each of the first and second sub-pixels, the overcoat layer further includes a dummy lens in the non-emission area, and the dummy lens is spaced apart from the opening, and wherein the dummy lens overlaps each of opposite edges of the first electrode facing each other along the first direction and is spaced apart from opposite edges of the first electrode facing each other along the second direction.
13. Prior art made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to current application
disclosure.
Jo (US 20210202589 A1) and Lee (US 20210202643 A1) disclosing subpixels of a pixel in organic light emitting display.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DZUNG T HOANG whose telephone number is (571)272-5622. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 - 5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Leonard Chang can be reached at 571-272-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DTH/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898