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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I, claims 1-17 in the reply filed on December 24, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 18-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-6, 9, 11 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shim et al. (US 2016/0087018 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Shim discloses a display apparatus, comprising: a substrate (100) with a pixel area; a light-emitting device (110/130/140) formed in the pixel area for emitting light; an encapsulation unit (600) on the light-emitting device; a black matrix (210) on the encapsulation unit, the black matrix formed with an opening (212), the opening in the black matrix overlapping with the light-emitting device in a first direction (Fig. 8); an insulating layer (500, ¶[0060]) on the encapsulation unit, an upper surface of the insulating layer (500) formed with a groove that is a recessed portion toward the substrate, the groove overlapping with the opening in the black matrix in the first direction (Fig. 8); and an optical lens (304) disposed above the groove in the insulating layer.
Regarding claim 2, Shim discloses a display apparatus wherein a refractive index of the optical lens (304, ¶[0055]) is greater than a refractive index of the insulating layer (500, ¶[0060]).
Regarding claim 3, Shim discloses a display apparatus wherein the black matrix (210) is formed on the insulating layer, and the groove is formed within the opening (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 5, Shim discloses a display apparatus wherein at least a part of the optical lens (304) has a convex shape or a semicircular shape (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 6, Shim discloses a display apparatus wherein the recessed portion is filled with at least a portion of the optical lens (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 9, Shim discloses a display apparatus wherein the light-emitting device includes a first electrode (110), a light-emitting layer (130), and a second electrode (140), and wherein a size of an emission area of the light-emitting device where the first electrode, the light-emitting layer, and the second electrode overlap is larger than an area of the opening (212) of the black matrix (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 11, Shim discloses a display apparatus wherein a surface of the recessed portion of the groove is curved (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 17, Shimi discloses a display apparatus wherein the optical lens is disposed on at least a portion of the black matrix (Fig. 8).
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, 9, 11 and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi al. (US 2014/0339509 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Choi discloses a display apparatus, comprising: a substrate (100) with a pixel area; a light-emitting device (200) formed in the pixel area for emitting light; an encapsulation unit (300) on the light-emitting device; a black matrix (520) on the encapsulation unit, the black matrix formed with an opening, the opening in the black matrix overlapping with the light-emitting device in a first direction (Fig. 4); an insulating layer (410) on the encapsulation unit, an upper surface of the insulating layer (410) formed with a groove that is a recessed portion toward the substrate, the groove overlapping with the opening in the black matrix in the first direction (Fig. 4); and an optical lens (420) disposed above the groove in the insulating layer.
Regarding claim 2, Choi discloses a display apparatus wherein a refractive index of the optical lens (420, ¶[0065]) is greater than a refractive index of the insulating layer (410, ¶[0065]).
Regarding claim 3, Choi discloses a display apparatus wherein the black matrix (520) is formed on the insulating layer, and the groove is formed within the opening (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 5, Choi discloses a display apparatus wherein at least a part of the optical lens (420) has a convex shape or a semicircular shape (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 6, Choi discloses a display apparatus wherein the recessed portion is filled with at least a portion of the optical lens (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 7, Choi discloses a display apparatus wherein the recessed portion is formed with at least a first surface inclined in a second direction and a second surface inclined in a third direction different from the second direction (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 9, Choi discloses a display apparatus wherein the light-emitting device includes a first electrode (221), a light-emitting layer (222), and a second electrode (223), and wherein a size of an emission area of the light-emitting device where the first electrode, the light-emitting layer, and the second electrode overlap is larger than an area of the opening of the black matrix (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 11, Choi discloses a display apparatus wherein a surface of the recessed portion of the groove is curved (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 15, Choi discloses a display apparatus further comprising a lens passivation layer (510) covering the optical lens, wherein a refractive index of the lens passivation layer is equal to or greater than a refractive index of the optical lens (¶[0065]).
Regarding claim 16, Choi discloses a display apparatus wherein a first width of the recessed portion of the groove from a first distance from the substrate is wider than a second width of the recessed portion of the groove from a second distance smaller than a first distance from the substrate (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 17, Choi discloses a display apparatus wherein the optical lens is disposed on at least a portion of the black matrix (Fig. 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 12-14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim(s) 4, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim(s) 4, and specifically comprising the limitation of the insulating layer is disposed on the black matrix, and the display apparatus further comprising: a second black matrix on the insulating layer, the second black matrix formed with a second opening, the second opening of the black matrix overlapping with the light-emitting device and the opening in the first direction, and wherein the groove is formed within the second opening.
Regarding claim(s) 12, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim(s) 12, and specifically comprising the limitation of wherein a bottom surface of the recessed portion is substantially flat, and a side surface of the recessed portion is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the recessed portion.
Regarding claim(s) 13, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim(s) 13, and specifically comprising the limitation of the recessed portion is formed with at least a first surface inclined in a second direction and a second surface inclined in a third direction different from the second direction, and a third surface perpendicular to the upper surface of the insulating layer.
Regarding claim(s) 14, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in claim(s) 14, and specifically comprising the limitation of the recessed portion is filled with an optical insulating layer, and the optical lens is disposed on the optical insulating layer, and wherein a refractive index of the optical insulating layer is between a refractive index of the optical lens and a refractive index of the insulating layer.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shiozaki (US 2012/0261698 A1) discloses a display device comprising a light absorbing layer, and forming a foundation layer such that the foundation layer covers a region where the lens portion is to be formed, wherein the foundation layer is in contact with the light absorbing layer and the lens portion once the lens portion is formed.
Li et al. (US 2023/0060696 A1) discloses a display panel, including: a base substrate, a first electrode layer, a luminescent material layer, a second electrode layer, an elastic lens layer and at least one light wavelength conversion layer arranged in sequence.
The rejections above rely on the references for all the teachings expressed in the text of the references and/or one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood or implied from the texts of the references. To emphasize certain aspects of the prior art, only specific portions of the texts have been pointed out. Each reference as a whole should be reviewed in responding to the rejection, since other sections of the same reference and/or various combinations of the cited references may be relied on in future rejections in view of amendments.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mariceli Santiago whose telephone number is (571) 272-2464. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
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/Mariceli Santiago/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2879