Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/502,432

ELECTROLUMINESCENCE DISPLAY

Non-Final OA §102§103§112
Filed
Nov 06, 2023
Priority
Dec 30, 2022 — RE 10-2022-0190573
Examiner
GREEN, TRACIE Y
Art Unit
2875
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
LG Display Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
89%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allowance Rate
1115 granted / 1404 resolved
+11.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +9% lift
Without
With
+9.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 2m
Avg Prosecution
22 currently pending
Career history
1431
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
§103
88.7%
+48.7% vs TC avg
§102
2.0%
-38.0% vs TC avg
§112
1.2%
-38.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1404 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103 §112
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. Election/Restrictions Claims 8-29 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 04/21/2026. 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 § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1 recites “induction electrode” , paragraph 127 of PGPUB of instant application recites “The induction electrode IE is an electrode formed on the same layer and made of the same material as the anode electrode ANO. The induction electrode IE is an electrode layer that contacts the emission layer EL to discharge out the leakage current occurring between one pixel and a diagonally neighboring pixel. Also, the induction electrode IE can be disposed between the driving current line VDD and the data line DL.” Nothing by way of specification is there given special meaning to an inducing electrode, as such the examiner to induction electrode to mean any electrode. Claims 2-7 are rejected to due to their dependency upon claim 1. 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. (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 1and 7 ire rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 a1/a2 as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 20200135818 A1 ) (KIM, hereafter). Regarding claim 1, Figure 3 of LG discloses an electroluminescence display device comprising four pixels arranged is a 2x2 array, with vertical and horizontal trenches T1, T2 disposed in between. An electrode 900 (the specification states that the partition wall 900 is formed of the same material as the first electrodes 310-330 and so itself can be considered an electrode) is disposed where the vertical and horizontal trenches T1, T2 meet. Regarding claim 7, Kim discloses that the electrode 900 is disposed in a central region where the trenches meet to form a cross trench (see particularly Figure 3). 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) 2-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 20200135818 A1 ) (KIM, hereafter). Regarding claims 2-6, the limitations a first emission layer disposed in the first, second, third and fourth pixels, the first emission layer being disconnected by the first vertical trench, the second vertical trench, the first horizontal trench and the second horizontal trench, and connected to the induction electrode; a charge generation layer disposed on the first emission layer, the charge generation layer being disconnected by the first vertical trench, the second vertical trench, the first horizontal trench and the second horizontal trench, and continuously extending over opposite sides of the induction electrode; and a second emission layer disposed on the charge generation layer, the second emission layer continuously extending over the first vertical trench, the second vertical trench, the first horizontal trench, the second horizontal trench, and the induction electrode. (claim 2);a plurality of first electrodes disposed in the first, second, third and fourth pixels; and a second electrode disposed on the second emission layer, the second electrode continuously extending over the first vertical trench, the second vertical trench, the first horizontal trench, the second horizontal trench, and the induction electrode(claim 3);wherein the induction electrode is disposed at a same layer and made of a same material as the plurality of first electrode claim 4): an induction line disposed between the substrate and the first vertical trench, the second vertical trench, the first horizontal trench and the second horizontal trench; wherein the induction electrode is electrically connected to the induction line (claim 5); an intermediate electrode connected between the induction electrode and the induction line (claim 6) etc 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 be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kim as need based on the disclosure of Kim to incorporate the changes need to derive the limitations above the motivation being to alleviating the masking process during manufacturing, and preventing current leakage between pixels thus preventing display degradation and since design alterative require only routine skill. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Can be found in the 892 provided with this office action and below. US 20210202651 A1-SAME ASSIGNEE-Similar material/no double patenting- a display device that may reduce a luminance difference between an outer portion of a panel and a center portion of the panel. US 20200044178 A1- SAME ASSIGNEE-Similar material/no double patenting-prevent leakage current in producing white light US 20160079334 A1-General state of the art- an organic light emitting display device including an auxiliary electrode formed on an overcoating layer. 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. 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 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. 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. TRACIE Y. GREEN Primary Examiner Art Unit 2875 /TRACIE Y GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 06, 2023
Application Filed
Jun 03, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103, §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Patent 12669728
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Patent 12669727
ARRAY SUBSTRATE, MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR, LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE, AND TILED DISPLAY DEVICE
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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
89%
With Interview (+9.3%)
2y 2m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1404 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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