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 Group I, claims 1-11, in the reply filed on May 20, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, and 5-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sung et al. (US 2023/0329042).
Regarding claim 1, Sung discloses (Figs. 4A) a display panel comprising: a base layer (BS; Paragraph [0079]); a circuit layer on the base layer (DP-CL; Paragraph [0090]); a light emitting element layer on the circuit layer (ED-1 & ED-2 & ED-3; Paragraph [0084]); and an encapsulation layer on the light emitting element layer (EN & CN1 & CN2; Paragraph [0092, 0147]); wherein the light emitting element layer comprises: a lower electrode on the circuit layer (AE; Paragraph [0093]), a lower pixel defining film on the circuit layer and covering a portion of the lower electrode and defining a light emitting opening portion (ML1; Paragraph [0112]), a light emitting pattern inside the light emitting opening portion and on the lower electrode (EL; Paragraph [0093]), an upper electrode on the light emitting pattern (CE; Paragraph [0093]), and an upper pixel defining film on the lower pixel defining film and defining an upper opening portion (ML2; Paragraph [0112]), wherein the encapsulation layer comprises: a first inorganic encapsulation film on the upper electrode and the upper pixel defining film (EN; Paragraph [0092]), and a transparent conductive oxide film on the first inorganic encapsulation film (CN1 & CN2; Paragraph [0147]).
Regarding claim 3, Sung further discloses wherein the transparent conductive oxide film comprises: a first transparent conductive oxide film inside the upper opening portion (CN1; Paragraph [0147]); and a second transparent conductive oxide film on the upper pixel defining film (CN2; Paragraph [0147]).
Regarding claim 5, Sung further discloses a transparent conductive oxide film opening portion defined by the second transparent conductive oxide film on the upper pixel defining film (CN2; Paragraph [0147]).
Regarding claim 6, Sung further discloses wherein the light emitting element layer further comprises a protective pattern on the lower electrode and covered by the lower pixel defining film (IOL; Paragraph [0085]).
Regarding claim 7, Sung further discloses wherein the upper pixel defining film comprises: a first inorganic film on the lower pixel defining film (ML2; Paragraph [0112]); and a second inorganic film on the first inorganic film (ML3; Paragraph [0112]).
Regarding claim 8, Sung further discloses wherein the second inorganic film has a side surface that protrudes toward a center of the lower electrode more than a side surface of the first inorganic film in a plan view (Fig. 4A, ML2 & ML3).
Regarding claim 9, Sung further discloses wherein each of the first inorganic film and the second inorganic film comprise an inorganic insulation film or a conductive metal (ML2 & ML3; Paragraph [0112]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4, and 10-11 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.
Specifically, with regard to claim 2, the prior art of record fails to teach or disclose the requirement wherein the transparent conductive oxide film has a thickness in a range of 500 Å to 2000 Å.
Specifically, with regard to claim 4, the prior art of record fails to teach or disclose the requirement wherein a thickness of the first transparent conductive oxide film is equal to a thickness of the second transparent conductive oxide film.
Specifically, with regard to claim 10, the prior art of record fails to teach or disclose the requirement wherein the upper pixel defining film further comprises a third inorganic film above the lower pixel defining film and below the first inorganic film, and the third inorganic film has a side surface that protrudes toward a center of the upper opening portion more than a side surface of the first inorganic film in a plan view.
Specifically, with regard to claim 11, the prior art of record fails to teach or disclose the requirement wherein the light emitting element layer further comprises a capping pattern on the upper electrode, and the encapsulation layer further comprises: an organic encapsulation film on the first inorganic encapsulation film and the transparent conductive oxide film, and a second inorganic encapsulation film on the organic encapsulation film.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNE M HINES whose telephone number is (571)272-2285. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:00-4:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece, can be reached on 571-272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. 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.
/Anne M Hines/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2879
Prosecution Insights