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 certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55, which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/27/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 10/27/2023. These drawings are considered acceptable by Examiner.
America Invents Act
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 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.
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.
1. Claim(s) 15, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0025634 A1).
Regarding Claim 15, Park et al., teaches a display device comprising: a first base portion (BS1, ¶ [0071]; see at least Figs. 4-6) including a first emission area (PXa) and a non-emission area (A, area bordering periphery of PXa); a first light emitting element (of 1) disposed on the first base portion (BS1) and overlapping the first emission area (PXa); a thin film encapsulation layer (CE) disposed on the first light emitting element (of 1); a bank pattern layer (120) disposed on the thin film encapsulation layer (CE) and overlapping the non-emission area (A); a first wavelength conversion pattern layer (330) disposed on the thin film encapsulation layer (CE) and overlapping the first emission area (PXa), a capping layer (500) covering the first wavelength conversion pattern layer (330) and the bank pattern layer (120); a low refractive layer (120g) disposed on the capping layer (500); and a first color filter disposed on the low refractive layer and overlapping the first emission area (PXa), wherein the bank pattern layer (120) comprises a first portion (1st 120) and a second portion (2nd 120) facing each other along a first direction, the first wavelength conversion pattern layer (330) is disposed between the first portion of the bank pattern layer (120) and the second portion of the bank pattern layer (120), a side surface of the first wavelength conversion pattern layer (330) and a side surface of the bank pattern layer (120) are spaced apart from each other along the first direction with a separation space between the first wavelength conversion pattern layer (330) and the bank pattern layer (120), and the low refractive layer (120g) is disposed in the separation space.
Regarding Claim 17, Park et al., teaches the display device of claim 15, wherein the separation space overlaps the first emission area (PXa), and in the separation space, the capping layer (500) is in direct contact with the thin film encapsulation layer and the low refractive layer (as clearly depicted in Fig. 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
A. Claim(s) 1-14, 16 are allowed over the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art of record (most comprehensive prior art of record to Park et al.,) suggests a display device comprising: a first base portion including a first emission area and a non-emission area; a first light emitting element disposed on the first base portion and overlapping the first emission area; a thin film encapsulation layer disposed on the first light emitting element; a filler disposed on the thin film encapsulation layer; a second base portion disposed on the filler; a first color filter disposed on a surface of the second base portion facing the first base portion and overlapping the first emission area; a bank pattern layer disposed on the first color filter and overlapping the non-emission area; and a first wavelength conversion pattern layer disposed on the first color filter and overlapping the first emission area, wherein the bank pattern layer comprises a first portion and a second portion facing each other along a first direction, the first wavelength conversion pattern layer is disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the bank pattern layer.
However, the prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art the display device comprising the various elements as claimed above in combination with the specific limitation of a side surface of the first wavelength conversion pattern layer and a side surface of the bank pattern layer are spaced apart from each other along the first direction with a separation space between the first wavelength conversion pattern layer and the bank pattern layer and the filler is disposed in the separation space as set forth in Claim 1.
Claim(s) 2-14, 16 are allowable because of their dependency status from Claim 1.
B. Claim(s) 18-20 are allowed over the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art of record (most comprehensive prior art of record to Park et al.,) suggests a display device comprising: a first base portion including a first emission area and a non-emission area; a first light emitting element disposed on the first base portion and overlapping the first emission area; a thin film encapsulation layer disposed on the first light emitting element; a bank pattern layer disposed on the thin film encapsulation layer and overlapping the non-emission area; a first wavelength conversion pattern layer disposed on the thin film encapsulation layer and overlapping the first emission area; a second base portion disposed on the first wavelength conversion pattern layer; a first color filter disposed on a surface of the second base portion facing the first base portion and overlapping the first emission area; and a filler disposed between the first color filter and the first wavelength conversion pattern layer.
However, the prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art the display device comprising the various elements as claimed above in combination with the specific limitation of the bank pattern layer and the first wavelength conversion pattern layer are spaced apart from each other with a separation space between the bank pattern layer and the first wavelength conversion pattern layer and the filler is disposed in the separation space as set forth in Claim 18.
Claim(s) 19-20 are allowable because of their dependency status from Claim 18.
Other Prior Art Cited
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Espacenet Patent Search Complete (Global Dossier).
Examiner's Note
The Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner H. Featherly whose telephone number is (571) 272-8654. The examiner can normally be reached on M-R 10 AM - 2 PM. 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 571-272-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/H. Featherly/
Examiner H. Featherly
Art Unit 2889 Patent Examiner
/JAMES R GREECE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875