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
Claims 7 and 16 were withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, claim 1 being the linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/09/2026. Claims 1-6,8-15, 17-19 are pending and an action on the merits is as follows.
Specification
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.
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.
(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.
Claims 2-3,8-10, 17are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 a1/a2 as being anticipated by Ikeda (US 20220399320 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ikeda discloses (figures 1-8 and corresponding text) a display device (Figure 4,examiner’s markup) comprising: at least one pixel, wherein the pixel includes: a first micro light emitting element(3B) including a first region that emits first light(BLUE) and a second region that does not emit the first light; a second micro light emitting element (3R)that emits second light (red); and a third micro light emitting element (3G) that emits third light (green), wherein the second region at least partially overlaps the second and third micro light emitting elements on a plane (π33-π34).
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Regarding claim 2, Ikeda discloses (see figure 4 above) wherein the second region includes an edge region of the first micro light emitting element (3B).
Regarding claim 3, Ikeda discloses wherein the pixel includes: a first sub-pixel (3B)that emits the first light(blue); a second sub-pixel (3R)that emits the second light (red); and a third sub-pixel (3G)that emits the third light (G), wherein the first region defines the first sub-pixel, and wherein the second region at least partially overlaps the second sub-pixel and at least partially overlaps the third sub-pixel.
Regarding claim 8, Ikeda discloses wherein each of the first to third micro light emitting elements (3R,3G, 3(2)B) includes: a lower contact electrode electrically connected to a driving circuit (2)configured to drive the pixel, through a lower wiring; and a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer stacked on the lower contact electrode, wherein the lower contact electrode includes a reflective material (π18-π27, π77)
Regarding claim 9 Ikeda discloses wherein the first light is red light, the second light is green light, and the third light is blue light ; wherein each of the first to third micro light emitting elements includes: a lower contact electrode electrically connected to a driving circuit configured to drive the pixel, through a lower wiring; and a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer stacked on the lower contact electrode, wherein the first micro light emitting element includes any one or more of a GaAs-based semiconductor compound or an AlGaInP-based semiconductor compound,, and wherein the second micro light emitting element and the third micro light emitting element includes any one or more of a GaInN-based semiconductor compound or a GaN-based semiconductor compound( π50-π77)
Regarding claim 10, Ikeda discloses wherein the second region is formed to surround the first region on a plane (π23).
Regarding claim 17 Ikeda discloses a display device comprising (Figures 1-4): at least one pixel, wherein the pixel includes: a first micro light emitting element (3B)that emits first light (blue); and a second micro light emitting element (3G) that emits second light (green), and wherein the second micro light emitting element (3G) overlaps an edge region of the first micro light emitting element on a plan.
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.
Claims 11, 15,18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ikeda (US 20220399320 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Ikeda discloses wherein the pixel includes: a first sub-pixel (SPX-R) that emits the first light (red); a second sub-pixel( SPX-G) that emits the second light (green); and a third sub-pixel (SPX-B) that emits the third light blue. Ikeda fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first sub-pixel has a smaller area than the first micro light emitting element on a plane, and wherein each of the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel has an area smaller than or substantially equal to an area of the second micro light emitting element and the third micro light emitting element on a plane.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Ikeda wherein the first sub-pixel has a smaller area than the first micro light emitting element on a plane, and wherein each of the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel has an area smaller than or substantially equal to an area of the second micro light emitting element and the third micro light emitting element on a plane, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claim 15, Ikeda fails to explicitly discloses wherein the first micro light emitting element has a parallelogram shape on a plane, and wherein each of the second micro light emitting element and the third micro light emitting element has an L shape on a plane.
it would have been obvious to try the particular claimed shape because a change in shape would have been a known option within the technical grasp of a person of ordinary skill in the art and, "a person of ordinary skill in the art has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp. If this leads to the anticipated success; it is likely the product not of innovation but of ordinary skill and common sense." KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (U.S. 2007). See also, Pfizer Inc. v. Apotex Inc., 82USPQ2d 1852 (Fed. Cir. 2007).
Regarding claim 18, Ikeda discloses the second light is transmitted through the edge region of the first micro light emitting element and is emitted to a light exit surface (implied, since nothing at the boundary blocking).
Regarding claim 19, Ikeda discloses wherein the pixel includes: a first sub-pixel (SPX-R) that emits the first light (red); a second sub-pixel( SPX-G) that emits the second light (green); and a third sub-pixel (SPX-B) that emits the third light blue. Ikeda fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first sub-pixel has a smaller area than the first micro light emitting element on a plane, and wherein each of the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel has an area smaller than or substantially equal to an area of the second micro light emitting element and the third micro light emitting element on a plane.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Ikeda wherein the first sub-pixel has a smaller area than the first micro light emitting element on a plane, and wherein each of the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel has an area smaller than or substantially equal to an area of the second micro light emitting element and the third micro light emitting element on a plane, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 12, and 13 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. Claims 5-6 ande14 are objected too due to their dependence on claims 4 and 13 respectively.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the 892 and below:.
US 20210057483 A1-same inventor of primary reference covers one claims
Micro_light_emitting_diodes_with_quantum_dots_in_display_technology
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACIE Y GREEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3104. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thursday, 10am-8pm.
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TRACIE Y. GREEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/TRACIE Y GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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