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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/10/2023 has been
considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 4, 9-10, and 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, linking claim 1 to claims 4, 9-10 . Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 04/21/2026. Claims 1-3,5-8 and 11-12 are pending an action on merits is below.
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 § 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 1-3 and 5 -8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choung et al. (US 20220077251 A1, ids) (Choung, hereafter).
Regarding claim 1, Choung discloses (Figures 1-7 and corresponding text) (Figures display device comprising: a plurality of display elements (108a,108b) each including a lower electrode, an upper electrode opposing the lower electrode (104) and an organic layer (112)disposed between the lower electrode(104) and the upper electrode (114), which emits light according to a potential difference between the lower electrode(104) and the upper electrode (202); and a partition (PDL structure 126, 110, overhang)) (π28) which surrounds each of the plurality of display elements (108a,108b) and includes a conductive lower portion(110A) and an upper portion (1106) protruding from a side surface of the lower portion(, Choung fails to explicitly disclose wherein the partition comprising an aperture(no number) through which the lower portion and the upper portion penetrate.
Choung however discloses a second configuration of the inorganic overhang structures includes the upper portion of a conductive inorganic material and the lower portion of a conductive inorganic material.(π22-24); At least a bottom surface (107) of the upper portion (1106) is wider than a top surface (105) of the lower portion (110A) to form an overhang (109). The bottom surface(107) larger than the top surface (105) forming the overhang (109) allows for the upper portion (1106) to shadow the lower portion (110A) (π32).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Choung based on the teachings of Choung to derive wherein the partition comprising an aperture(no number) through which the lower portion and the upper portion penetrate the motivation being too reduce manufacturing process, reduces size of the finished produce and enhance luminosity.
Regarding claim 2, Choung also discloses (Figured 1C) wherein the partition includes a first partition extending in a first direction; and a second partition connected to the first partition and extending in a second direction which intersects the first direction, and the aperture is provided at an intersection of the first partition and the second partition (Figure 1C and π39) .
Regarding claim 3, Choung further discloses wherein a portion of the upper electrode and the organic layer is disposed on an inner side of the aperture(π28 and π33).
Regarding claim 5, Choung discloses a plurality of first sealing layers which individually cover the plurality of display elements, respectively; and a second sealing layer which continuously covers the plurality of first sealing layers (π34).
Regarding claim 6, Choung discloses wherein an inner surface of the aperture is covered by the first sealing layer or the second sealing layer (π34). .
Regarding claims 7 and 8, the limitations wherein an insulating rib which surrounds each of the plurality of display elements, wherein an end portion of the lower electrode is covered by the rib, the partition is disposed on the rib, and the aperture is provided at a position that does not overlap the lower electrode in plan view *claim 7) , wherein the aperture is circular (claim 8) etc do not do not appear to contain any additional features which define more than slight constructional changes which come within the scope of the customary (design) practice followed by persons skilled in the art, especially as the advantages thus achieved can be readily contemplated in advance. Alternatively, these limitations are not deemed patentable since the applicant’s disclosure fails to show such limitations to solve any problems or to yield any unobvious advantage that is not within the scope of the teachings applied. Therefore, such limitations would be a matter of design alternative.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Choung based on the teachings of Choung limitations wherein an insulating rib which surrounds each of the plurality of display elements, wherein an end portion of the lower electrode is covered by the rib, the partition is disposed on the rib, and the aperture is provided at a position that does not overlap the lower electrode in plan view ; wherein the aperture is circular the motivation to provide a device reduced in size with high performance, and since design alternative require routine skill.
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choung et al. (US 20220077251 A1, ids) (Choung, hereafter) in view of Yeke Yazdandoost et al. (US 20200319731 A1) (Yeke Yazdandoost, hereafter).
Regarding claims 11 and 12, Choung discloses the display device above ( see rejection claim 1). Choung fails to explicitly discloses a light receiving element which overlaps the aperture in plan view and is configured to detect light passing through the aperture (claim 11);: a controller configured to adjust luminance of the plurality of display elements based on a signal output by the light receiving element (claim 12).
Yeke Yazdandoost discloses The individual light sensors of the light sensing system coupled to the controller are disposed or formed directly onto one or more layers of the display stack that defines the active display area 104.; the individual light sensors are disposed in inter-pixel regions of the active display area 104. ach light sensor of the light sensing system is a photodiode, such as an organic photodiode, that generates an electrical current when exposed to light. In this example, the controller can be configured to measure electrical current generated by one or more light sensors of the light sensing system. The electrical measurements and/or other value(s) derived therefrom can be correlated to one or more values that correspond to a property of light incident to the active display area 104. In this manner, the light sensing system can be used by the electronic device 100 to perform one or more actions in response to changes in light incident to the active display area 104.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date to modify the display device of Choung as disclosed by Yeke Yazdandoost wherein a light receiving element which overlaps the aperture in plan view and is configured to detect light passing through the aperture (claim 11);: a controller configured to adjust luminance of the plurality of display elements based on a single output from the light receiving element the motivation being to improve light extraction efficiency for the displayed image,
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 20190363275 A1- general state of the art- display device and a production method thereof can be provided in which the number of locations capable of holding back a liquid organic material is increased, and the liquid organic material is more reliably held back, while an area of an installation region of a bank functioning as an organic layer stopper can be reduced, and frame narrowing can be achieved.
US 20090009069 A1- general state of the art- organic EL display apparatus in which an auxiliary wiring and a second electrode serving as a cathode can be connected with each other without patterning an organic layer for each pixel or without forming the second electrode at a thickness equal to or larger than a required thickness.
US 20080303424 A1- general state of the art- an organic electroluminescent device in which problems resulting from plasma surface treatment are prevented to exhibit superior light-emitting characteristics over a long time.
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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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James R Greece can be reached at (571)272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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TRACIE Y. GREEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/TRACIE Y GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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