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 .
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 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.
Status of the application
This office Action is in response to Applicant's Application filled on 03/26/2026. Claims 1-20 are pending for this examination.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed on 02/23/2024.
Oath/Declaration
The oath or declaration filed on 01/06/2024 is acceptable.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election, without traverse species I, Figure [4], claims 1-11, 15-17 and 19, in the “Response to Election / Restriction Filed” filed on 03/26/2026 is acknowledged.
However, the features of claims 2, 4-5, 15-17 and 19-20 does not support elected species I, (Figure.[4]), as indicted below. Therefore, claims 2, 4-5, 15-17 and 19-20 are withdrawn.
Regarding claim 2. wherein the first part protrudes further than the second part from a boundary of the display area and the non-display area in a plan view.
Regarding claim 4. wherein the first part and the second part protrude from a boundary of the display area and the non-display area toward a first direction.
Claim 5 is withdrawn based on the dependency of claim 4.
Regarding claim 15. A display device, comprising:
a first substrate including a display area and a non-display area, a transistor disposed on the first substrate, a light emitting diode disposed on the first substrate and electrically connected to the transistor, a color conversion layer and a transmission layer which are disposed on the light emitting diode, and a partition wall disposed on the light emitting diode, wherein the partition wall comprises: a first partition wall disposed in the display area between the color conversion layer and the transmission layer, and a second partition wall disposed in the non-display area, wherein the second partition wall includes a protruding part and a recessed part in a plan view.
Claims 16-17 and 19-20 are withdrawn based on the dependency of claim 15.
This office action considers claims 1-20 pending for prosecution, wherein claims 2, 4-5 and 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration, and 1, 3, and 6-11 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejection- 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.
Claims 1, 3, 6-9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KIM et al (US 2022/0077197 A1; hereafter KIM) in view of KIM et al (US 2020/0119237 A1; hereafter KIM’237).
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Regarding claim 1. KIM discloses a display device, comprising:
a substrate (Fig 6, display substrate 10, Para [ 0061]) including a display area (light emitting areas LA (Fig 6, LA1 through LA3 corresponding to subpixels, Para [ 0061]) and a non-display area (Fig 6, non-light emitting area NLA, Para [ 0061]);
a transistor (Fig 6, thin-film transistors TFT, Para [0104]) disposed on the substrate (Fig 6, display substrate 10, Para [ 0061]);
a light emitting diode (Fig 6, light emitting elements ED, Para [ 0125]) disposed on the transistor (Fig 6, thin-film transistors TFT, Para [0104]) and electrically connected to the transistor (Fig 6, thin-film transistors TFT, Para [0104]);
a color conversion layer (Fig 6, wavelength conversion pattern [WLC1, WLC2], Para [ 0136]) and a transmission layer (Fig 6, light transmission layer LTU, Para [ 0094]), which are disposed on the light emitting diode (Fig 6, light emitting elements ED, Para [ 0125]); and
a partition wall (Fig 6, first capping layer CAP1, Para [ 0130]) disposed on the light emitting diode (Fig 6, light emitting elements ED, Para [ 0125]), wherein the partition wall comprises:
a first partition wall (Fig 6, first capping layer CAP1, Para [ 0130]) disposed in the display area between (at least a portion) the color conversion layer (Fig 6, wavelength conversion pattern [WLC1, WLC2], Para [ 0136]) and the transmission layer (Fig 6, light transmission layer LTU, Para [ 0094]); and
a second partition wall (Fig 6, other side of first capping layer CAP1, Para [ 0130]) disposed in the non-display area (non-light emitting area NLA, Para [ 0061]).
But KIM does not disclose explicitly wherein the second partition wall comprises: a first part having a first length from a first end to a boundary of the display area and the non-display area; and a second part having a second length from a second end to a boundary of the display area and the non-display area, wherein the first length is greater than the second length.
In a similar field of endeavor, KIM237 discloses wherein the second partition wall comprises:
a first part having a first length from a first end to a boundary of the display area and the non-display area (Fig [ 9,12], partition walls BRm1 and BRm2, Para [ 0175-0181]); and a second part having a second length from a second end to a boundary of the display area and the non-display area (Fig [ 9,12], partition walls BRm1 and BRm2, Para [ 0175-0181]), wherein the first length is greater than the second length (Fig [ 9,12], partition walls BRm1 and BRm2, Para [ 0175-0181]).
Since KIM and KIM’237 are both from the similar field of endeavor, and KIM’237 discloses plurality of wavelength conversion parts disposed on one surface of the base layer; a partition wall disposed between adjacent wavelength conversion parts of the plurality of wavelength conversion parts and having a first refractive index. Therefore, the purpose disclosed by KIM’237 would have been recognized in the pertinent art of KIM. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify KIM in light of KIM’237 teaching “wherein the second partition wall comprises: a first part having a first length from a first end to a boundary of the display area and the non-display area (Fig [ 9,12], partition walls BRm1 and BRm2, Para [ 0175-0181]); and a second part having a second length from a second end to a boundary of the display area and the non-display area (Fig [ 9,12], partition walls BRm1 and BRm2, Para [ 0175-0181]), wherein the first length is greater than the second length (Fig [ 9,12], partition walls BRm1 and BRm2, Para [ 0175-0181])” for further advantage such as colors are mixed between the adjacent pixels may be prevented by the partition wall to improve the display quality ( KIM’237, Para [198]).
Regarding claim 3. KIM in light of KIM’237 discloses the display device of claim 1, But KIM does not disclose explicitly wherein the first partition wall defines a first opening in which the color conversion layer and the transmission layer are disposed, and the second partition wall defines a second opening having a same shape as the first opening.
In a similar field of endeavor, KIM237 discloses wherein the first partition wall defines a first opening in which the color conversion layer (conversion parts CCF1a ) and the transmission layer are disposed (Fig [ 9,12], “First wavelength conversion parts CCF1a overlapping the first openings OPARa and third wavelength conversion parts CCF3a overlapping the third openings OPABa may be alternately arranged in the first direction DR1 and the second direction DR2”, Para [ 0064, 0176-0181]), and the second partition wall defines a second opening having a same shape as the first opening (Fig [ 9,12], openings OPARa, OPAGa, and OPABa, Para [ 0176-0181]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify KIM in light of KIM’237 teaching “wherein the first partition wall defines a first opening in which the color conversion layer (conversion parts CCF1a ) and the transmission layer are disposed (Fig [ 9,12], “First wavelength conversion parts CCF1a overlapping the first openings OPARa and third wavelength conversion parts CCF3a overlapping the third openings OPABa may be alternately arranged in the first direction DR1 and the second direction DR2”, Para [ 0064, 0176-0181]), and the second partition wall defines a second opening having a same shape as the first opening (Fig [ 9,12], openings OPARa, OPAGa, and OPABa, Para [ 0176-0181])” for further advantage such as colors are mixed between the adjacent pixels may be prevented by the partition wall to improve the display quality ( KIM’237, Para [198]).
Regarding claim 6. KIM in light of KIM’237 disclose the display device of claim 1, further comprising:
KIM further disclose a color filter (first to third color filters CF1, CF2, and CF3, Para [ 0135]) disposed on the color conversion layer (wavelength conversion pattern [WLC1, WLC2], Para [ 0136]), the transmission layer (light transmission layer LTU, Para [ 0094]) and the partition wall (first capping layer CAP1, Para [ 0130]).
Regarding claim 7. KIM in light of KIM’237 disclose the display device of claim 6, KIM further disclose wherein the color filter comprises a first color filter (first to third color filters CF1, CF2, and CF3, Para [ 0135]) disposed on the transmission layer (light transmission layer LTU, Para [ 0094]), a second color filter (first to third color filters CF1, CF2, and CF3, Para [ 0135]) disposed on a second color conversion layer (wavelength conversion pattern [WLC1, WLC2], Para [ 0136]) of the color conversion layer (wavelength conversion pattern [WLC1, WLC2], Para [ 0136]), and a third color filter disposed on a first color conversion layer (first to third color filters CF1, CF2, and CF3, Para [ 0135]) of the color conversion layer (wavelength conversion pattern [WLC1, WLC2], Para [ 0136]), wherein the partition wall (first capping layer CAP1, Para [ 0130]) overlaps at least two selected from the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter (first to third color filters CF1, CF2, and CF3, Para [ 0135]).
Regarding claim 8. KIM in light of KIM’237 disclose the display device of claim 7, KIM further disclose wherein the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter (first to third color filters CF1, CF2, and CF3, Para [ 0135]) continuously extend in the non-display area (non-light emitting area NLA, Para [ 0061]).
Regarding claim 9. KIM in light of KIM’237 disclose the display device of claim 3, KIM further disclose further comprising:
a filling layer (filling layer 50, Para [ 0158]) disposed between the light emitting diode (light emitting elements ED, Para [ 0125]) and the color conversion layer (wavelength conversion pattern [WLC1, WLC2], Para [ 0136]) and between the light emitting diode (light emitting elements ED, Para [ 0125]) and the transmission layer (light transmission layer LTU, Para [ 0094]).
Regarding claim 11. KIM in light of KIM’237 disclose the display device of claim 1, KIM further disclose further comprising: a column spacer (second passivation layer PAS, Para [ 0127]) disposed between the partition wall (first capping layer CAP1, Para [ 0130]) and the light emitting diode (light emitting elements ED, Para [ 0125]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is 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 the Examiner's Reasons for Allowance:
The prior art fails to disclose and would not have rendered obvious:
Regarding claim 10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the filling layer fills the second opening.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOIN M RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5002. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio Maldonado can be reached at 571-272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOIN M RAHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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