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 1-7) in the reply filed on 01/13/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 8-12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/13/2026.
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.
Claims 1-3, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)/(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jeon (US 2022/0109039).
Regarding claim 1, Jeon discloses a mother substrate for a display device comprising: an insulating substrate (Fig.5, numeral 100) comprising a first main surface and a second main surface on an opposite side of the first main surface; a conductive shielding layer (BML) ([0103]) provided in the first main surface or the second main surface of the insulating substrate (100); and first and second panel portions (portions in (CA)) provided on the first main surface side of the insulating substrate (100) and overlapping the shielding layer (BML), wherein each of the first panel portion and the second panel portion comprises a display area which displays an image and a surrounding area outside the display area ( [0052]), and the shielding layer comprises: a first shielding portion (Fig.5, BML)overlapping the first panel portion (CA); a second shielding portion (BML) spaced apart from the first shielding portion and overlapping the second panel portion (CA) ([0101]); and a connection portion (Fig. 7, BMLC) provided for connecting the first shielding portion (BMLO) to the second shielding portion (BMLO) and formed into a belt-like shape ([0139]).
Regarding claim 2, Jeon discloses wherein an area of the first shielding portion (BML) is greater than an area of the first panel portion (right part of (CA)), and an area of the second shielding portion (BML) is greater than an area of the second panel portion (left part of (CA)) (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 3, Jeon discloses wherein the shielding layer is formed of one of metal ([0133]).
Regarding claim 7, Jeon discloses wherein a width of the connection portion (BMLC) is less than a width of each of the first shielding portion and the second shielding portion (BMLO) (Fig.7).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of So (US 2021/0389861).
Regarding claim 4, Jeon does not disclose wherein the first shielding portion and the second shielding portion overlap a plurality of cut lines intersecting with each other, and each of the connection portions is located between the cut lines adjacent to each other.
So however discloses wherein the first shielding portion (Fig. 13, numeral 600Pa2) and the second shielding portion (600pa3) overlap a plurality of cut lines (CL1-CL 4) intersecting with each other ([0192]), and each of the connection portions (451cp) is located between the cut lines adjacent to each other ([0198]).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was field to modify Jeon with So to have the first shielding portion and the second shielding portion overlap a plurality of cut lines intersecting with each other, and each of the connection portions is located between the cut lines adjacent to each other for the purpose of prevention short-circuit failure (So, [0197]).
Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Choung (US 2022/0344417).
Regarding claim 5, Jeon discloses wherein the display area comprises: a lower electrode (221a) provided above the insulating substrate (100); a rib (119) and overlapping a peripheral portion of the lower electrode (221a); an organic layer provided on the lower electrode and including a light emitting layer (222ab) ([0124]); and an upper electrode (223) which covers the organic layer.
Jeon does not disclose that rib is formed of an inorganic insulating material a partition which comprises a lower portion provided on the rib and formed of a conductive material and an upper portion provided on the lower portion and protruding from a side surface of the lower portion and that the upper electrode is in contact with the lower portion of the partition.
Jeon however discloses that rib is a pixel defining layer ([0120]). And Choung discloses that pixel defining layer rib is formed of an inorganic insulating material (Fig.1A, numeral 126; [0024]) a partition (110a) ; (110b) which comprises a lower portion (110A) provided on the rib (126) and formed of a conductive material ([0028]) and an upper portion (110b) provided on the lower portion (110A) and protruding from a side surface of the lower portion (110A) and that the upper electrode (114) is in contact with the lower portion of the partition (110A) (Fig.1A).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Jeon with Choung to have the rib formed of an inorganic insulating material a partition which comprises a lower portion provided on the rib and formed of a conductive material and an upper portion provided on the lower portion and protruding from a side surface of the lower portion and that the upper electrode is in contact with the lower portion of the partition for the purpose of fabrication OLED structures with improved performance (Choung, [0004]).
Regarding claim 6, Jeon discloses wherein the display area further comprises: a cap layer (Fig.5, numeral 310) provided on the upper electrode (223); and a sealing layer (330) which is formed of an inorganic insulating material ([0127]) is provided on the cap layer (310).
Jeon does not disclose that the sealing layer is in contact with the lower portion of the partition.
Choung however discloses that the sealing layer (116) is in contact with the lower portion of the partition (110A).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Jeon with Choung to have the sealing layer is in contact with the lower portion of the partition for the purpose of fabrication OLED structures with improved performance (Choung, [0004]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIA SLUTSKER whose telephone number is (571)270-3849. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9 am-6 pm.
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/JULIA SLUTSKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891