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
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 and 17 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the first sidewall" in lines 4-5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 9-113 are rejected due to their dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 8-9, 14 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lim (US Pub. 20240224695).
As per claim 1, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) a display panel, comprising a display region (active area AA), wherein the display panel further comprises: a base substrate (substrate 110); a plurality of light-emitting units (light emitting diodes OLE) disposed on a side of the base substrate, wherein the plurality of light-emitting units are disposed in the display region; a color filter layer (color filter CF) disposed on a side of the plurality of light-emitting units (light emitting diodes OLE) facing away from the base substrate (substrate 110), wherein the color filter layer (color filter CF) comprises a plurality of color filter units (a red color filter CFR, a green color filter CFG and a blue color filter CFB), and in a thickness direction of the display panel, a color filter unit (blue color filter CFB) of the plurality of color filter units at least partially overlaps a light-emitting unit (light emitting diodes OLE formed in the blue pixel BP) of the plurality of light-emitting units (light emitting diodes OLE); and an optical adjustment layer (empty spaces ES) disposed on a side of the base substrate, wherein the optical adjustment layer comprises a plurality of optical adjustment units (each region of empty space ES), and in a first direction (horizontal direction as shown in figure 6), at least one of the plurality of optical adjustment units (each region of empty space ES) is disposed between adjacent color filter units (formed between CRF and CFG, CFG and CFB, and CFB and CFR), of the plurality of color filter units, and the first direction is a direction parallel to a flat surface (upper surface of substrate 110) in which the base substrate (substrate 110) is disposed; and wherein a refractive index of the color filter unit is greater than a refractive index of an optical adjustment unit of the plurality of optical adjustment units (the empty space ES is filled with air, see paragraph 108).
As per claim 8, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) a light-shielding unit (black matrix BM) disposed on at least one side of the color filter unit (blue color filter CFB) in the first direction (horizontal direction as shown in figure 6); wherein the light-shielding unit is disposed on a side of the optical adjustment unit (lower side of empty space ES) facing to the base substrate (substrate 110); wherein the color filter unit (blue color filter CFB) further comprises a second sidewall (side surface of the blue color filter BCF contacting black matrix BM) interconnected to a first sidewall (side wall of the blue color filter BCF contacting empty space ES), the second sidewall is at least partially in contact with the light-shielding unit, and the first sidewall is not in contact with the light-shielding unit (see figure 6); and wherein in the thickness direction of the display panel, the optical adjustment unit (empty space ES) at least partially overlaps the light-shielding unit (black matrix BM) (see figure 6).
As per claim 9, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) that in the first direction (horizontal direction as shown in figure 6), an extending width of the optical adjustment unit (empty space ES) is greater than or equal to an extending width of the light-shielding unit (black matrix BM) (see figure 6); and wherein in the thickness direction of the display panel, a sum of a height of the light-shielding unit (center height of black matrix BM) and a height of the optical adjustment unit (center height of empty space ES) is greater than a height of the color filter unit (height of the blue color filter BCF measured from the upper surface of 440 to the midpoint of the side surface S1).
As per claim 14, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) a pixel definition layer (bank BA) disposed on a side of the base substrate (substrate 110), wherein the pixel definition layer is provided with pixel definition structures (banks BA) and a first opening disposed between adjacent pixel definition structures of the pixel definition structures (areas between banks BA in the blue pixel BP), and in the thickness direction of the display panel, the first opening at least partially overlaps a light-emitting unit (light emitting diode OLE in the blue pixel BP) and a color filter unit (blue color filter CFB) separately, and a pixel definition structure of the pixel definition structures at least partially overlaps an optical adjustment unit (empty space ES); and wherein in the first direction (horizontal direction in figure 6), an extending width of the pixel definition structure (equal to the width of the non-emission area NEA) is greater than an extending width of the optical adjustment unit (width of empty space ES at the interface with black matrix BM).
As per claim 18, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) a preparing method for a display panel, comprising: providing a base substrate (substrate 110); preparing a plurality of light-emitting units (light emitting diodes OLE) on a side of the base substrate; preparing a patterned optical adjustment unit (empty space ES) on a side of a light-emitting unit of the plurality of light-emitting units facing away from the base substrate; and in a first direction (horizontal direction in figure 6), preparing a color filter unit (a red color filter CFR, a green color filter CFG and a blue color filter CFB) on at least one side of the optical adjustment unit, wherein in a thickness direction of the display panel, the color filter unit at least partially overlaps the light-emitting unit; the first direction is a direction parallel to a flat surface (upper surface of substrate 11) in which the base substrate is disposed; and a refractive index of the color filter unit is greater than a refractive index of the optical adjustment unit (the empty space ES is filled with air, see paragraph 108).
As per claim 19, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) that preparing the patterned optical adjustment unit (empty space ES) on the side of the light-emitting unit facing away from the base substrate comprises: preparing a patterned light-shielding unit (black matrix BM) on the side of the light-emitting unit facing away from the base substrate; and preparing the patterned optical adjustment unit (empty space ES, formed by the color filters CFR, CFG, and CFB, and transparent layer TL) on a side of the light-shielding unit facing away from the base substrate, wherein in the thickness of the display panel, the optical adjustment unit at least partially overlaps the light-shielding unit (see figure 6).
As per claim 20, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) a display device, comprising a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises a display region (active area AA), wherein the display panel further comprises: a base substrate (substrate 110); a plurality of light-emitting units (light emitting diodes OLE) disposed on a side of the base substrate, wherein the plurality of light-emitting units (light emitting diodes OLE) are disposed in the display region; a color filter layer (color filter CF) disposed on a side of the plurality of light-emitting units facing away from the base substrate, wherein the color filter layer comprises a plurality of color filter units (a red color filter CFR, a green color filter CFG and a blue color filter CFB), and in a thickness direction of the display panel, a color filter unit (blue color filter CFB) of the plurality of color filter units at least partially overlaps a light-emitting unit of the plurality of light-emitting units (light emitting diode OLE in the blue pixel BP); and an optical adjustment layer (empty space ES) disposed on a side of the base substrate, wherein the optical adjustment layer comprises a plurality of optical adjustment units (each region of empty space ES), and in a first direction (horizontal direction in figure 6), at least one of the plurality of optical adjustment units is disposed between adjacent color filter units of the plurality of color filter units (formed between CRF and CFG, CFG and CFB, and CFB and CFR), and the first direction is a direction parallel to a flat surface (upper surface of substrate 110)in which the base substrate is disposed; and wherein a refractive index of the color filter unit is greater than a refractive index of an optical adjustment unit of the plurality of optical adjustment units (the empty space ES is filled with air, see paragraph 108).
Claim(s) 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Han et al. (US Pub. 20240397799, Han).
As per claim 11, Han teaches (in figure 2) a display panel, comprising a display region (region shown in figure 2), wherein the display panel further comprises: a base substrate (base substrate 211); a plurality of light-emitting units (light emitting devices LDR, LDG and LDB) disposed on a side of the base substrate, wherein the plurality of light-emitting units are disposed in the display region; a color filter layer (CF1/24) disposed on a side of the plurality of light-emitting units facing away from the base substrate, wherein the color filter layer comprises a plurality of color filter units (red light transmission pattern CFR1, green light transmission pattern CFG1, and blue light transmission pattern CFB1), and in a thickness direction of the display panel, a color filter unit (blue light transmission pattern CFB1) of the plurality of color filter units at least partially overlaps a light-emitting unit (light emitting device LDB) of the plurality of light-emitting units; and an optical adjustment layer (portions of second packaging layer 25 and low refractive index layer 23 formed between CFR1 and CFG1 and between CFG1 and CFB1) disposed on a side of the base substrate, wherein the optical adjustment layer comprises a plurality of optical adjustment units (portions of second packaging layer 25 and low refractive index layer 23 formed between CFR1 and CFG1 and between CFG1 and CFB1), and in a first direction (horizontal direction as shown in figure 2), at least one of the plurality of optical adjustment units (portion of second packaging layer 25 and low refractive index layer 23 formed between CFG1 and CFB1) is disposed between adjacent color filter units of the plurality of color filter units (CFG1 and CFB1), and the first direction is a direction parallel to a flat surface (upper surface of base substrate 211) in which the base substrate is disposed; and wherein a refractive index of the color filter unit is greater than a refractive index of an optical adjustment unit of the plurality of optical adjustment units (paragraphs 68, 79, and 123-125) a light-shielding unit (light shielding layer BM1) disposed on at least one side of the color filter unit in the first direction; wherein the light-shielding unit is disposed on a side of the optical adjustment unit facing to the base substrate; wherein the color filter unit further comprises a second sidewall (surface of CFB1 forming first interface s1) interconnected to a first sidewall (surface of CFB1 forming second interface s2), the second sidewall is at least partially in contact with the light-shielding unit (through low refractive index layer 23), and the first sidewall is not in contact with the light-shielding unit; and wherein in the thickness direction of the display panel, the optical adjustment unit at least partially overlaps the light-shielding unit (see figure 2) a low refractive index layer (second packaging layer 25 and low refractive index layer 23) disposed on a side of the color filter unit facing away from the base substrate, wherein in the thickness direction of the display panel, the low refractive index layer at least partially overlaps the color filter unit (blue light transmission pattern CFB1) and a light-shielding unit (light shielding layer BM1) separately, and a refractive index of the low refractive index layer is less than the refractive index of the color filter unit (paragraphs 79, 123, and 125); and, wherein the refractive index of the low refractive index layer is less than or equal to the refractive index of the optical adjustment unit (second packaging layer 25 forms both the low refractive index layer and a portion of the optical adjustment unit, additionally see paragraphs 124-125).
As per claim 12, Han teaches (in figure 2) that part of the low refractive index layer (second packaging layer 25 and low refractive index layer 23) is also served as the optical adjustment unit (portion of second packaging layer 25 between the color filters and low refractive index layer 23 form the optical adjustment unit).
As per claim 13, Han teaches (in figure 2) that the low refractive index layer (second packaging layer 25 and low refractive index layer 23) comprises a first low refractive index section (portion of second packaging layer 25 above CFR1, CFG1, and CFB1) and a second low refractive index section (portion of second packaging layer 25 between CFR1, CFG1, and CFB1 and low refractive index layer 23) connected to each other; in the thickness direction of the display panel, the first low refractive index section at least partially overlaps the color filter unit (CFB1), and the second low refractive index section at least partially overlaps the light-shielding unit (BM1); and the second low refractive index section comprises a low refractive index sub-section (low refractive index layer 23), the low refractive index sub-section is in contact with the light-shielding unit (BM1), and the low refractive index sub-section is also served as the optical adjustment unit (portion of second packaging layer 25 between the color filters and low refractive index layer 23 form the optical adjustment unit).
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) 2-3 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (US Pub. 20240224695).
As per claim 2, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) the display panel of claim 1 (see rejection above), wherein the color filter unit CFB) comprises at least a first sidewall at least partially in contact with the optical adjustment unit (sidewall of CFB in contact with empty space ES and sidewall of CFB in contact with BM), and an angle between a tangent to at least one point on the first sidewall and the base substrate and towards a central region of the optical adjustment unit is θ (paragraph 101)
Lim does not explicitly teach that 100° ≤ θ ≤ 160°.
However, Lim teaches that the angle θ is a result effective variable in that if the angle is too small not enough light will be condensed in the vertical direction and light efficiency will decrease (paragraph 108) and if the angle is too large the amount of light condensed in the vertical direction will to too severely high resulting in a non-uniform light distribution (paragraph 103).
It has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. (See MPEP § 2144.05 (II) (A) and (B)).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to set the angle θ to be in the range of 100 to 160 degrees, in order to increase the light efficiency while providing a uniform light distribution.
As per claim 3, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) that the first sidewall (sidewall of CFB in contact with empty space ES and sidewall of CFB in contact with BM) comprises at least a first sub-sidewall (sidewall of CFB in contact with BM) and a second sub-sidewall (sidewall of CFB in contact with empty space ES), the first sub-sidewall is disposed between the second sub-sidewall and the base substrate, and in the thickness direction of the display panel, an angle between a tangent to at least one point of the first sub-sidewall and the base substrate (110) and towards the central region of the optical adjustment unit is different from an angle between a tangent to at least one point of the second sub-sidewall and the base substrate and towards the central region of the optical adjustment unit (see figure 6).
As per claim 10, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) that the optical adjustment unit (empty space ES) comprises a first side facing to the side of the base substrate (side of ES facing BM) and a second side facing away from the side of the base substrate (side of ES facing TL), the light-shielding unit (black matrix BM) comprises a third surface (upper surface of BM) facing away from the side of the base substrate, the first side formed by the third surface, and in the first direction, an extending width of the first side is less than an extending width of the second side, and an extending width of the third surface is equal to the extending width of the first side.
The embodiment in figure 6 does not teach that the optical adjustment units has a first and second surfaces wherein a first surface faces to the side of the base substrate and a second surface faces away from the side of the base substrate the first surface is in contact with the third surface, and in the first direction, an extending width of the first surface is less than an extending width of the second surface, and an extending width of the third surface is equal to the extending width of the first surface.
However, Lim teaches (in figure 10) filling the empty space with a filling layer (FL) having an index of refraction lower than the color filters (paragraph 135) forming a first surface (upper surface of FL) and a second surface (lower surface of FL) wherein the first surface faces to the side of the base substrate and the second surface faces away from the side of the base substrate, and in the first direction, an extending width of the first surface is less than an extending width of the second surface (see figure 10) in order to prevent damage to the wing parts of the transparent layer (TL) and for enhancing the structural stability of the color filters (CF) (paragraph 135).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the filling layer from the embodiment taught in figure 10 into the display of figure 6.
The motivation would have been to prevent damage to the wing parts of the transparent layer TL and for enhancing the structural stability of the color filters
Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (US Pub. 20240224695) as applied to claim 1 above and in further view of Maeda et al. (US Pub. 20200395575, Maeda).
As per claim 7, Lim teaches that the plurality of color filter units comprises at least a first color filter unit (green color filter CFG1) and a second color filter unit (blue color filter CFB1), the first color filter unit and the second color filter unit have different colors.
Lim does not teach that in the thickness direction of the display panel, thickness of the second color filter unit is greater than thickness of the first color filter unit.
However, Maeda teaches (in figure 14) forming a first color filter unit (green color filter 144) and a second color filter unit (blue color filter 142) such that the thickness of the second color filter unit is greater than thickness of the first color filter unit in order to adjust the color balance (paragraph 123).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to set the thickness of the second color filter unit to be greater than thickness of the first color filter unit in order to adjust the color balance.
Claim(s) 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (US Pub. 20240224695) as applied to claim 1 above and in further view of Shin et al. (US Pub. 20210351236, Shin).
As per claim 15, Lim teaches (in figures 1-3 and 6) that the display region (active area AA) comprises: a plurality of color filter units (a red color filter CFR, a green color filter CFG and a blue color filter CFB) disposed a side of the base substrate (substrate 110), the optical adjustment layer (empty spaces ES) comprises a plurality of optical adjustment units (each region of empty space ES), and in a first direction (horizontal direction as shown in figure 6), at least one of the plurality of optical adjustment units (each region of empty space ES) is disposed between adjacent color filter units (formed between CRF and CFG, CFG and CFB, and CFB and CFR), of the plurality of color filter units, and a refractive index of a color filter unit (CFB) of the plurality of color filter units is greater than a refractive index of an optical adjustment unit of the plurality of optical adjustment units (the empty space ES is filled with air, see paragraph 108).
Lim does not specifically teach an optical device region wherein the optical device region comprises: a plurality of color filter sub-units disposed a side of the base substrate; and the optical adjustment layer comprises a plurality of optical adjustment sub-units, and in the first direction, at least one optical adjustment sub-unit of the plurality of optical adjustment sub-units is disposed between adjacent color filter sub-units of the plurality of color filter sub-units, and a refractive index of a color filter sub-unit of the plurality of color filter sub-units is greater than a refractive index of an optical adjustment sub-unit of the plurality of optical adjustment sub-units.
However, Shin teaches (in figures 1, 5, and 9-11) providing an optical device region (camera overlap area A1) in addition to a display region (normal display area A2) wherein the color filter layer (color filter layer 433) is provided in both the optical device region and the display region such that a plurality of color filter units (second color filters 802) are provided in the display region and a plurality of color filter sub-units (first color filters 902) are provided in the optical device region, black matrix (BM) is provided between pixels in both areas, and the structure of individual color filter groups (sets of red, green, and blue) have the same structure in both the display and optical device regions (see paragraphs 129-137) while providing transmission areas (TA) between the color filters in the optical device region in order to provide a camera which is not visually exposed (paragraph 41).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Lim to include a camera and an optical device region in which transmission areas are provided between the pixel sets in Lim.
The motivation would have been to provide a camera which is not visually exposed.
As per claim 16, Lim in view of Shin teaches that the optical device region (area in Lim corresponding to the camera overlap area A1 from Shin under the modification) comprises: a light-shielding sub-unit (BM in Lim as modified by Shin to be formed in the optical device region) disposed on a side of the optical adjustment sub-unit (empty space ES in Lim) facing to the base substrate (substrate 110 in Lim) and between the adjacent color filter sub-units (CFR, CFG, and CFB in Lim as modified by Shin to be located in the optical device region), wherein the light-shielding sub-unit comprises a second opening (openings in BM which are filled with color filters CFR, CFG, and CFB); and an optical adjustment sub-unit (empty space ES in Lim formed above the BM in the optical device region under the modification with Shin), among the at least one optical adjustment sub-unit disposed between the adjacent color filter sub-units, at least partially overlaps both the light-shielding sub-unit and the opening in the thickness direction of the display panel (see figure 6 in Lim).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER P GROSS whose telephone number is (571)272-5660. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-6pm EST.
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/ALEXANDER P GROSS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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