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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) Rejected have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on LIM et al. 20220069245 applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claims 1-3, 12-14 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chae et al. 20180047790 in view of LIM et al. 20220069245.
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Regarding claim 1, fig. 2 of Chae discloses a display device comprising:
a substrate 110 including a first light emitting area, a second light emitting area EA2, and a third light emitting area EA3, and a light blocking area NA (par [0047] - 180 may include a black material and/or may be a black member) positioned between the first, second, and third light emitting areas;
a first light emitting layer151a (par [0051]) disposed in the first light emitting area on the substrate, including an upper surface, and which emits light of a first color;
a second light emitting layer 151b disposed in the second light emitting area on the substrate, including an upper surface, and which emits light of a second color different from the first color;
a third light emitting layer 151c disposed in the third light emitting area on the substrate, including an upper surface, and which emits light of a third color different from the first and second colors; and
a reflection control layer 170/a/b/c (par [0041] - external light reflection preventing layers (or changeable layers) 170a, 170b and 170c) disposed on the first, second, and third light emitting layers.
Chae does not wherein an entirety of the upper surface of each of the first light emitting layer and the third light emitting layer is substantially flat, and a shape of the upper surface of the second light emitting layer is different from a shape of the upper surface of each of the first light emitting layer and the third light emitting layer.
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However, fig. 3 of LIM disclose a display device comprising wherein an entirety of an upper surface of each of a first light emitting layer, a second light emitting layer and a third light emitting layer is substantially flat.
As such it would have been obvious to form a device of Chae comprising wherein an entirety of an upper surface of each of the first light emitting layer and the third light emitting layer is substantially flat in order to form the light emitting layer of each light emitting area to be limited with the pixel defining layer in order to meet the applicant processing requirement.
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In addition, fig. 4 of LIM disclose another embodiment wherein passivation layer 182 surface non-uniformity produces light emitting layer disposed light emitting area on a substrate, including an upper surface having a curved shape in a cross-section. Note that passivation layer has surface non-uniformity as suggest by lim.
As such it would have been obvious to form a display device of Chae and Lim comprising wherein the second light emitting layer disposed in the second light emitting area on the substrate, including an upper surface having a curved shape in a cross-section such as taught by Lim surface non-uniformity shape of passivation produce surface non-uniformity shape of light emitting layer.
Note the resulting structure would have been one wherein a shape of the upper surface of the second light emitting layer is different from a shape of the upper surface of each of the first light emitting layer and the third light emitting layer.
Regarding claim 2, fig. 2 of Chae discloses wherein an edge of the upper surface of the second light emitting layer is inclined with respect to a major upper surface of the substrate.
Regarding claim 3, fig. 2 of Chae discloses wherein the upper surface of the second light emitting layer has a concave shape or a convex shape in the cross-section.
Regarding claim 12, par [0039] of Chae discloses wherein the first color is red, the second color is green, and the third color is blue.
Regarding claim 13, par [0053] of Chae discloses one or more of the external light reflection preventing layers 170a, 170b and 170c may include an electrochromic element for becoming colorless or black which are material wherein the reflection control layer includes an inorganic material or an organic material containing at least one selected from a group consisting of dye and pigment (a transparent film serving as a display layer can be formed by using the fine particles and thus high coloring density of the electrochromic pigment can be obtained – see par [0045] of US 20200301227 A1).
Regarding claim 14, fig. 2 of Chae discloses further comprising: a reflection-reducing inorganic layer 140 ([0049] the second electrode 140 may be a translucent electrode that transmits some rays of light and reflects the other rays of light – since some light transmits and some reflects therefore it is reflection reducing) disposed on the first, second, and third light emitting layers and including an inorganic material.
Regarding claim 17, fig. 2 of Chae discloses further comprising: a light blocking layer 180 disposed in the light blocking area on the substrate and covered by the reflection control layer.
Claims 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chae and Lim in view of Suh 20070267973.
Regarding claim 15, par [0055] of Chae discloses further comprising: an encapsulation layer disposed on the first, second, and third light emitting layers.
Chae does not disclose that the encapsulation including: a first inorganic encapsulation layer including sequentially disposed first, second, third, and fourth sub-layers, an organic encapsulation layer disposed on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer disposed on the organic encapsulation layer.
However, par [0034] of Suh discloses The organic layer 310 may include first, second, third and fourth organic sub-layers 310a, 310b, 310c, and 310d, respectively, to enhance flattening and flexibility of the encapsulation layer 300. The first organic sub-layer 310a, as illustrated in FIG. 3, may be deposited on an upper surface of the cathode electrode 230 to a relatively high thickness to enhance flattening. The inorganic layer 320 may include first, second, third and fourth inorganic sub-layers 320a, 320b, 320c and 320d, respectively, to minimize diffusion of oxygen and moisture through the encapsulation layer 300. The plurality of organic and inorganic sub-layers 310 and 320 may be arranged in an alternating pattern, so that the second inorganic sub-layer 320b, for example, may be deposited between two organic sub-layers, i.e., second and third organic sub-layers 310b and 310c, while a thickness of the second inorganic sub-layer 320b may be lower than a thickness of the second and third organic sub-layers 310b and 310c. However, other configurations of the organic and inorganic layers 310 and 320 are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.
As such it would have been obvious to form a display device of Chae and Lim further comprising where the encapsulation including: a first inorganic encapsulation layer including sequentially disposed first, second, third, and fourth sub-layers, an organic encapsulation layer disposed on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer disposed on the organic encapsulation layer such as taught by Suh in order to minimize diffusion of oxygen and moisture through the encapsulation layer.
Regarding claim 16, par [0032] of Suh discloses that the encapsulation layer 300 of the organic light-light emitting display device may be formed on the cathode electrode 230, and may include at least one inorganic layer 320 and at least one organic layer 310 to provide sufficient protection to the cathode electrode 230 from moisture and oxygen. The inorganic layer 310 of the encapsulation layer 300 may include, e.g., aluminum (Al), aluminum oxide (A.sub.2O.sub.3), silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2), silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy), and aluminum oxynitride (AlOxNy), and may be deposited to a thickness of about 30 nm to about 100 nm. A thickness of the inorganic layer below about 30 nm may be insufficient to prevent penetration of moisture and oxygen therethrough. A thickness above about 100 nm may result in an increased overall thickness of the organic light emitting display device.
As such it would have been obvious to form a display device comprising wherein the first sub-layer includes silicon nitride, each of the second, third, and fourth sub-layers includes silicon oxynitride, and the second inorganic encapsulation layer includes silicon oxynitride to prevent penetration of moisture and oxygen therethrough.
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chae and Lim in view of LEE et al. 20230031230.
Regarding claim 18 (see rejection of claim 1 and 12 above), Chae and Lim disclose discloses all the limitations except
a touch sensing layer disposed on the encapsulation layer and including a first touch electrode and a second touch electrode connected to the first touch electrode; and the reflection control layer disposed on the touch sensing layer.
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However, Lee discloses a display device comprising a touch sensing layer TU disposed on an encapsulation layer TFE and including a first touch electrode MTL1 and a second touch electrode MTL2 connected to the first touch electrode in order to obtain (or sense) coordinate information of an external input (e.g., touch event).
As such it would have been obvious to form a display device of Chae and Lim further comprising a touch sensing layer disposed on the encapsulation layer and including a first touch electrode and a second touch electrode connected to the first touch electrode such as taught by Lee in order to obtain (or sense) coordinate information of an external input (e.g., touch event).
The resulting structure would have been one wherein the reflection control layer disposed on the touch sensing layer
Regarding claim 19, fig. 2 of Chae discloses wherein an edge of the upper surface of the second light emitting layer is inclined with respect to a major upper surface of the substrate.
Regarding claim 20, fig. 2 of Chae discloses wherein the upper surface of the second light emitting layer has a concave shape or a convex shape in the cross-section.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VONGSAVANH SENGDARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5770. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM EST.
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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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