CTNF 18/434,871 CTNF 79362 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restrictions Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-10) in the reply filed on May 29 th , 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 11-20 withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner, 37 CFR. 1.142(b), as being drawn to non-elected invention. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The IDS filed on February 07 th , 2024 has been considered. Specification 06-11 AIA The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. 06-11-01 AIA The following title is suggested: Display device comprising a light emitting element layer including a first area separated from a second area . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (U.S. Pub. 2020/0013836) in view of Yang (U.S. Pub. 2018/0301521) . In re claim 1, Li discloses a display device comprising a bank (pixel defined layer) 24 including an opening overlapping an emission area (see paragraph [0038] and fig. 2); and a light emitting element layer 26 disposed on the bank 24, wherein the light emitting element layer 26 includes a first area 251 (film thickness uniform region) and a second area 252 (film thickness non-uniform region), and a thickness of the first area 251 is different from a thickness of the second area 252 (see paragraph [0038] and fig. 2 , note that the thickness of the first area 252 is inherently different from the thickness of the second area 252 since the thickness of the first area is uniform whereas the thickness of the second area is non-uniform ). PNG media_image1.png 405 616 media_image1.png Greyscale Li is silent to wherein the first and second areas of the light emitting element layer are separated from each other in the opening. However, Yang discloses in a same field of endeavor, a display device including, inter-alia, a bank (pixel defining layer) 3 including an opening overlapping an emission area; and a light emitting element layer 5 disposed on the bank 3 (see paragraph [0039] and fig. 1), wherein the light emitting element layer 5 includes a first area (portion in the center) and a second area (portion near edges of the bank 3), the first and second areas of the light emitting element layer 5 are separated from each other in the opening (via groove 321) (see paragraph [0039] and fig. 1). PNG media_image2.png 419 781 media_image2.png Greyscale Therefore, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to incorporate the technique as taught by Yang into the display device of Li in order to enable wherein the first and second areas of the light emitting element layer are separated from each other in the opening in Li to be formed in order to effectively eliminate the light leakage phenomenon between two adjacent pixels and improve the display quality of the OLED display panel (see paragraph [0019] of Yang). Furthermore, it would have been obvious because all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. (KSR) , 550 U.S. 398 (2007). “If a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond that person’s skill.” Id. In re claim 2, as applied to claim 1 above, Li in combination with Yang discloses wherein the second area 252 surrounds the first area 251 (see paragraphs [0038], [0040] and fig. 2 of Li). In re claim 3, as applied to claim 1 above, Li in combination with Yang discloses wherein the first area 251 is disposed in a middle of the opening (see paragraphs [0038], [0040] and fig. 2 of Li). In re claim 4, as applied to claim 1 above, Li in combination with Yang discloses wherein the second area 524 is in contact with the bank 24 (see paragraph [0038] and fig. 2 of Li). In re claim 5, as applied to claim 1 above, Li in combination with Yang discloses wherein the first area 251 has uniform thicknesses (see paragraph [0040] and fig. 2 of Li). In re claim 6, as applied to claim 1 above, Li in combination with Yang discloses wherein the second area 252 has non-uniform thicknesses (see paragraph [0040] and fig. 2 of Li). In re claim 7, as applied to claim 1 above, Li in combination with Yang discloses wherein the light emitting element layer includes a first layer 5 disposed on the bank 3 and a second layer 4 disposed on the first layer 5, and a thermal expansion coefficient of the first layer 5 is different from a thermal expansion coefficient of the second layer 4 (see paragraphs [0032], [0033], [0034] and fig. 1 of Yang, note that, since the material of the first layer 5 is different from the material of the second layer 4 it is inherent that the thermal expansion coefficient of the first layer is different form the thermal expansion coefficient of the second layer ). In re claim 8, as applied to claim 7 above, Li in combination with Yang discloses wherein the second layer 4 is disposed directly on the first layer 5 (see paragraphs [0032], [0033] and fig. 1) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (U.S. Pub. 2020/0013836) in view of Yang (U.S. Pub. 2018/0301521) , as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Yamagata et al. (U.S. Pub. 2014/0183515) . In re claim 9, as applied to claim 7 above, Li in combination with Yang discloses wherein the light emitting element layer further includes a third layer 6 disposed on the second layer 4 (see paragraph [0034] and fig. 1 of Yang). However, Yang is silent to wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the third layer is different from the thermal expansion coefficient of the second layer. However, Yamagata discloses in a same field of endeavor, a display device, including, inter-alia, wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the third layer is different from the thermal expansion coefficient of the second layer (see paragraph [0013]). Therefore, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to incorporate the technique as taught by Yamagata into the display device of Li being modified by Yang in order to enable wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the third layer is different from the thermal expansion coefficient of the second layer in Li to be formed since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of it suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. In re claim 10, as applied to claim 9 above, Li in combination with Yang and Yamagata discloses wherein the third layer 6 is disposed directly on the second layer 4 (see paragraph [0034] and fig. 1 of Yang) . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kim (U.S. Pub. 2019/0181376) discloses a display device including, inter-alia, a bank 400 including an opening overlapping an emission area (see paragraph [0037] and fig. 5); and a light emitting element layer EML disposed on the bank 400 (see paragraph [0065] and fig. 5). Liu et al. (U.S. Pub. 2018/0183012) discloses a display device including, inter-alia, a bank 105 including an opening overlapping an emission area (see paragraph [0092] and fig. 5); and a light emitting element layer 106 disposed on the bank 105 (see paragraph [0100] and fig. 5). 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To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /KHIEM D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/434,871 Page 2 Art Unit: 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/434,871 Page 4 Art Unit: 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/434,871 Page 5 Art Unit: 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/434,871 Page 6 Art Unit: 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/434,871 Page 7 Art Unit: 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/434,871 Page 8 Art Unit: 2892
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