DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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) 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US PG Pub. No. 2023/0180570) in view of Takahashi et al (US PG Pub. No. 2022/0130925) and further in view of Jun et al (US PG Pub. No. 2005/0007525).
Regarding Claim 13, Lee discloses, at least in figure 2: A display device (title) comprising: a plurality of emission areas disposed in a first direction (x direction, see up arrows, those are emission areas), a second direction intersecting the first direction (y direction) and a third direction (Z) intersecting the first direction and the second direction, each of the plurality of emission areas including a light emitting element (paragraph [0097] discloses they are arranged in groups in matrix form which says they are 3 dimensional); a plurality of light transmitting areas (TA) disposed between ones of the plurality of emission areas (see fig. 31), each of the plurality of light transmitting areas being absent of the plurality of light emitting elements (shown absent in fig. 31) ; a light blocking layer including a plurality of holes, each of the plurality of holes overlapping corresponding ones of the plurality of emission areas and corresponding ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas(LS, ¶ [0232], see right half of fig. 31 which shows a single emission area and an opening between two halves of LS with a TA in between), the light blocking layer (LS) being disposed to surround ones of the plurality of emission areas (arrows) and ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas (TA)(shown in fig. 31);
and a plurality of color filters disposed in corresponding ones of the plurality of holes of the light blocking layer( see fig. 2, element 14, and ¶[0085]) and overlapping corresponding ones of the plurality of emission areas(because they correspond to the same color being emitted), wherein each of the plurality of emission areas includes a first emission area, a second emission area spaced apart from the first emission area in the first direction (x direction), and a third emission area spaced apart from the second emission area in the second direction (y direction)(they are in an array),
each of the plurality of color filters includes a first color filter overlapping the first emission area, a second color filter overlapping the second emission area, and a third color filter overlapping the third emission area (¶ [0085])
and the light blocking layer (LS) includes a first light blocking layer (LS) and a color pattern disposed on the first light blocking layer (¶ [0085] since each sub-pixel has a color filter and a blocking layer. Obviously, the blocking layer would be underneath to prevent color mixing), wherein the plurality of holes (between LS in figure 31) are disposed in the first light blocking layer (LS), the color pattern surrounds ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas (see fig. 2, color filters on subpixels between TA’s, on either side and obviously would not cover the transmitting areas since they are not in light emitting areas and don’t need a color filter which would also reduce transmission in TA),
Lee fails to disclose: 1.) the color pattern (could be a portion of a color filter) having a width smaller than that of the first light blocking layer. (In applicant’s specification para. 223-226, the color pattern is defined as a portion of the color filter, (integral and same color)
Lee fails to disclose: 2.) portions of the second color filter are disposed on portions of the first color filter adjacent thereto in the first direction and on portions of the third color filter adjacent thereto in the second direction.
Takahashi teaches 2.) in paragraph [0131] and figure 2, overlapping all of the color filters (7) to reduce or block transmission of mixed colors in the overlap region and improve color purity
Jun teaches in paragraph [0026] that color filters can be found in the Prior Art that are not as wide as the black matrix (light blocking layer) but no motivation is given.
However, applicant has not shown in the specification how providing a color filter pattern smaller than the light blocking layer produces any novel or unexpected result or solves any known problem. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a smaller color filter in the device of Lee, as suggested by Jun, as a matter of obvious design choice and since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Regarding Claim 14, Lee, as modified by Takahashi, teaches: wherein the color pattern includes a same colorant as the first color filter (since the pattern is part of the color filter) and portions of the first color filter adjacent to ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas and the color pattern are integral with each other (since they are the same material, see spec). See claim 13 for motivation.
Regarding Claim 15, Lee, as modified by Takahashi, teaches: wherein the second color filter overlaps each of the first color filter and the third color filter at locations corresponding to the first light blocking layer Takahashi in fig. 2, overlaps all of the color filters (7) with adjacent ones on both sides) (¶ [0131]) See claim 13, for motivation.
Regarding Claim 17, Lee fails to disclose: wherein a difference between the width of the first light blocking layer and the width of the color pattern is at least about 4 μm.
Regarding Claim 18, Lee fails to disclose: wherein a thickness of the first light blocking layer is in a range of about 1.5 μm to about 2.5 μm, and a thickness of the color pattern is in a range of about 1.5 μm to about 4 μm.
However, applicant has not established the criticality of these parameters in the specification and has not shown how they produce novel or unexpected results or solve any known problem. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the claimed parameters of claims 17 and 18 in the device of Lee, as a matter of obvious design choice and, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim(s) 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (570, Takahashi (925) and Jun (525) and further in view of Xiao et al (US PG Pub. No. 2023/0082085).
Regarding Claim 16, Lee, as modified by Takahashi, fails to teach: wherein a portion of the third color filter is disposed on the first color filter at a location corresponding to the first light blocking layer. (Takahashi uses the color filter overlap so that light blocking layers are not needed).
Xiao teaches, at least in figure 9: overlapping two adjacent color filters (42-2 and 42-1, ¶ [0056]) at a location corresponding to a light blocking layer (41) (¶ [0057]) to increase the light blocking ability in that region (see paragraph [0055]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the claimed structure in the device of Lee, as taught by Xiao, to increase the light blocking ability in that region.
Claim(s) 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (570), Takahashi (925) and Jun (525) and further in view of Kubota et al (US PG Pub. No. 2023/0117024).
Regarding Claim 19, Lee fails to disclose: wherein portions of the light blocking layer (LS)
disposed around ones of the plurality of emission areas are covered by the plurality of color filters, and a portion of the upper surface of the light blocking layer disposed around ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas does not overlap the color filter.
Kubota teaches in figure 7c, wherein portions of the light blocking layer (32) disposed around ones of the plurality of emission areas (dotted lines) are covered by the plurality of color filters, (31) and a portion of the upper surface of the light blocking layer (32) disposed around ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas (the area between the right end of 32 center and the left end of emission area 50G. There are no light emitting elements in that area) does not overlap the color filter (31) to improve the viewing angle of the light emitting element (¶ [0123]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the claimed structure in the device of Lee, as taught by Kubota, to improve the viewing angle of the light emitting element.
Claim(s) 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (570), Takahashi (925) and Jun ((525) and further in view of Joo et al (US PG Pub. No. 2021/0376021).
Regarding Claim 20, Lee teaches in figure 31: wherein each of the plurality of holes of the light blocking layer (LS) has a greater area than corresponding ones of the plurality of emission areas (arrows) (it includes some of (TA)) but fails to disclose: and each of the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter has a greater area than a corresponding one of the plurality of holes.
Joo teaches in figure 8: wherein each of the plurality of holes of the light blocking layer (420, ¶ [0083) has a greater area than corresponding ones of the plurality of emission areas (a,a,c) and each of the first color filter (513 left), the second color filter (513 center), and the third color filter (513 right) has a greater area than a corresponding one of the plurality of holes (between light blocking layers)(they are slanted inward).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to try the structure of Joo in the device of Lee, since it involves combining Prior Art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results (MPEP 21431A).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 are allowed.
Regarding Claim 1, the references of the Prior Art of record fails to teach or suggest the combination of the limitations as set forth in Claim , and specifically comprising the limitation of “the second light blocking layer having a width smaller than a width of the first light blocking layer, in the first display area, the plurality of color filters disposed adjacent to each other are spaced apart from each other by a distance at locations corresponding to the second light blocking layer” including the remaining limitations
Claims 2-12 are allowable, at least, because of their dependencies on claim 1.
Examiner Note: Lee et al (US PG Pub. No. 2023/0180570) discloses, at least in figure 2: A display device (title) comprising: a plurality of emission areas, each of the plurality of emission areas (see up arrows) including a light emitting element, (R,G,B) wherein some of the plurality of emission areas are disposed in a first display area (DA) and others of the plurality of emission areas are disposed in a second display area (CA); a plurality of light transmitting areas disposed in the second display area, each of the plurality of light transmitting areas (TA) being absent of the light emitting elements (they are between them);
a pixel defining film (BNK, ¶ [0242], see fig. 31) including a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings overlapping corresponding ones of the plurality of emission areas (fig. 2 shows many emission areas and para. 242 discloses each is defined by a PDF (bank)) and/or corresponding ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas; a light blocking layer (LS, ¶ [0232], see right half of fig. 31 which shows a single emission area and an opening between two halves of LS ) including a plurality of holes overlapping corresponding ones of the plurality of emission areas (CA, there is an LS on the left of fig. 31 also)and/or corresponding ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas (TA, right half of fig. 31) the light blocking layer being disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of emission areas (the right half of fig. 31 would be for each sub-pixel) and between adjacent ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas(TA);
and a plurality of color filters overlapping corresponding ones of the plurality of holes of the light blocking layer ( see fig. 2, element 14, and ¶[0085]) and overlapping corresponding ones of the plurality of emission areas (because they correspond to the same color being emitted), wherein the light blocking layer (LS) includes a first light blocking layer (LS) and a second light blocking layer disposed on the first light blocking layer, the second light blocking layer having a width smaller than a width of the first light blocking layer, in the first display area, the plurality of color filters disposed adjacent to each other are spaced apart from each other by a distance at locations corresponding to the second light blocking layer, in the second display area, the plurality of color filters are not disposed on the plurality of light transmitting areas and the second light blocking layer is disposed to surround ones of the plurality of light transmitting areas, and a diameter of each of the plurality of openings of the pixel defining film is smaller than a diameter of a corresponding one of the plurality of holes of the light blocking layer.
Lee fails to disclose: 1.) and a second light blocking layer disposed on the first light blocking layer,
2.) the second light blocking layer having a width smaller than a width of the first light blocking layer,
3.) in the first display area, the plurality of color filters disposed adjacent to each other are spaced apart from each other by a distance at locations corresponding to the second light blocking layer.
Could not find a motivation for modifying the device of Lee, as claimed.
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L/DONALD L RALEIGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875