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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/17/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s argument that the newly amended claim limitations cannot be found in the cite prior art is not persuasive and the grounds for rejection are set forth below. Therefore, the rejection is maintained and made final.
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 1-7, 9-14 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lv in view of Song, US 2021/0050388.
Regarding claim 1, Lv teaches (at least in Figure 13) a display device (see Figure 2), comprising: a display area and a non-display area (DA and NDA); (a first layer disposed on a first base layer (everything below layer 172); a second layer (everything above layer 172); and a filling layer (172) disposed between the first layer and the second layer (see Figure 13), wherein the first layer comprises: a light-emitting-element layer comprising a light emitting element (151, 152, 153); a pixel circuit layer (CCL) which comprises a pixel circuit and is between the light emitting element layer and the first base layer (between 151,152,153 and 101); a bank (PDL_1) protruding in a thickness direction of the first base layer (101) and comprising a boundary bank disposed throughout the display area and the non-display area (see Figure 13, boundary bank PDL_1); and a color conversion layer (WCL1,2,3) which is disposed in an area surrounded by the bank (see Figure 13) and comprises a color conversion part comprising a quantum dot (WCP1,2,3, see spec regarding WCP), and the bank is disposed between the first base layer (101) and the filling layer (172), the pixel circuit layer (CCL) comprises an organic via layer (VIA, see spec regarding VIA layer is organic) most adjacent to the light emitting element layer (151,152,153), and at least a portion of an upper surface of the organic via layer is in contact with a portion of a lower surface of the boundary bank (see Figure 13, VIA contacting PDL_1). Lv is silent as to the second base layer.
However, in the same field of endeavor of quantum dot display devices, Song teaches a second base layer (Figure 4, second base layer 210). Further, it would have been well known for those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide a second base layer to protect the display device from damage. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the Lv device with a second base layer in order to ensure the display would be further protected from damage.
Regarding claim 2, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and Lv further teaches the light emitting element comprises: a first electrode (Figure 13, 151); a second electrode (153); and a light emitting layer (152) electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, the light-emitting-element layer comprises a first insulating layer (160) which is disposed on the second electrode and comprises an inorganic material (see spec regarding layer 160), and no organic layer is disposed between the first insulating layer and the color conversion layer (no layer between insulating layer 160 and WCL1,2,3).
Regarding claim 3, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 2 and Lv further teaches the surface of the first insulating layer (Figure 13, layer 160) extends to the bank (PDL_1), and the first electrode is directly disposed on the organic via layer (151 directly disposed on VIA).
Regarding claim 4, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and Lv further teaches the color conversion layer (WCL1,2,3) comprises a second insulating layer (171) capping the color conversion part, the second layer comprises a color filter layer (CFL1,2,3) comprising color filters (id) and a third insulating layer (173) capping the color filters, a surface of the filling layer is covered by the second insulating layer, and another surface of the filling layer is covered by the third insulating layer (filling layer 172 is covered by insulating layers 171 and 173).
Regarding claim 5, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 4 and Lv further teaches the surface of the filling layer (172) extends to the second insulating layer (171), and another surface of the filling layer extends to the third insulating layer (173, see Figure 13).
Regarding claim 6, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and Lv further teaches the color conversion part (WCL1,2,3) comprises a first color conversion part (WCL1) comprising a first quantum dot (WCP1) forming a first sub-pixel providing light of a first color (see Figure 13) and a second color conversion part(WCL2) comprising a second quantum dot (WCP2) forming a second sub-pixel providing light of a second color (see Figure 13).
Regarding claim 7, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and Lv further teaches the bank comprises an organic material (PDL_1, figure 13, see spec regarding PDL_1).
Regarding claim 9, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and Lv further teaches the boundary bank covers a side surface of the light-emitting-element layer (PDL_1 and layers 151, 152, 153, see Figure 13).
Regarding claim 10, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 9 and Lv further teaches the boundary bank extends to the first insulating layer (PDL_1 extends to first insulating layer 160, see Figure 13).
Regarding claim 11, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 9 and Lv further teaches the boundary bank extends to the organic via layer (PDL_1 extends to VIA layer).
Regarding claim 12, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and Lv further teaches a sealing part (Figure 13, DM) disposed in the non-display area, the sealing part being disposed along an edge of the display device (see Figure 13), wherein the sealing part and the boundary bank have a same thickness (sealing part DM and boundary bank outermost PDL_1 have same thickness).
Regarding claim 13, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and Lv further teaches the first base layer (101) and the second base layer (CFL1, 2, 3 with combined teaching of Song) are spaced apart from each other by a first distance in the display area (created by filling layer 172), and the first base layer and the second base layer are spaced apart from each other by a second distance in the non-display area (filling layer 172 creates distance in NDA as well).
Regarding claim 14, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 13 and Lv further teaches the first distance and the second distance are the same (filling layer 172 has constant thickness in the DA and in at least part of the NDA, therefore distance is the same).
Regarding claim 16, Lv teaches a method of manufacturing a display device (Abstract and Figure 13), the method comprising: forming a first layer on a first base layer (everything below filling layer 172); forming a second layer (everything above filling layer 172); and coupling the first layer and the second layer to each other with a filling layer (172) interposed between the first layer and the second layer, wherein the forming of the first layer comprises: disposing a pixel circuit layer (CCL) comprising a pixel circuit on the first base layer (101); disposing a light-emitting-element layer (151, 152, 153) comprising a light emitting element on the pixel circuit layer (CCL); disposing a bank (PDL_1) protruding in a thickness direction of the first base layer (101); and disposing a color conversion layer (WCL1,2,3) comprising a color conversion part (WCP1,2,3) which is disposed in an area surrounded by the bank (PDL_1, see Figure 13) and comprises a quantum dot (id), the display device comprises a display area (DA) and a non-display area (NDA), the bank comprises a boundary bank (PDL_1 disposed in DA and NDA) disposed throughout the display area and the non-display area, the pixel circuit layer comprises an organic via layer (VIA) most adjacent to the light emitting element layer (151,152,153), and at least a portion of an upper surface of the organic via layer is in contact with a portion of a lower surface of the boundary bank (VIA in contact with PDL_1). Lv is silent as to the second base layer.
However, in the same field of endeavor of quantum dot display devices, Song teaches a second base layer (Figure 4, second base layer 210). Further, it would have been well known for those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide a second base layer to protect the display device from damage. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the Lv device with a second base layer in order to ensure the display would be further protected from damage.
Regarding claim 17, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 16 and Lv further teaches the light emitting element comprises: a first electrode (151, Figure 13); a second electrode (153); and a light emitting layer (152) electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, the light-emitting-element layer comprises a first insulating layer (160) which is disposed on the second electrode (153) and comprises an inorganic material (“the first film encapsulation layer 160 may be an inorganic film made of an inorganic material”, see specification regarding layer 160), and no organic layer is disposed between the first insulating layer and the color conversion layer (layer 160 and color conversion layer WCL1,2,3 are directly contacting without a layer in between).
Regarding claim 18, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 17 and Lv further teaches the forming of the second layer (everything above filler 172 in Figure 13) comprises forming a color filter layer (CFL1,2,3), the color conversion layer (WCL1,2,3) comprises a second insulating layer (171) capping the color conversion part, the color filter layer (CFL1,2,3) comprises color filters (id) and a third insulating layer (173) capping the color filters, a surface of the filling layer (172) is covered by the second insulating layer (see Figure 13), and another surface of the filling layer is covered by the third insulating layer (see Figure 13, surface of 172 is covered by insulating layers 171 and 173). Lv is silent as to the second base layer.
However, in the same field of endeavor of quantum dot display devices, Song teaches a second base layer (Figure 4, second base layer 210). Further, it would have been well known for those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide a second base layer to protect the display device from damage. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the Lv device with a second base layer in order to ensure the display would be further protected from damage.
Regarding claim 19, Lv and Song teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 1, and Lv further teaches an electronic device comprising the display device (Abstract and Figure 13).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Son et al., US 2021/0143358 teaches a display comprising a first and second panel and having a filler therebetween. Son further teaches a color conversion layer comprising quantum dots, but fails to teach the quantum dots are formed within the boundaries of banks on the first panel. Another prior art, Jang et al., US 2022/0052121 teaches a display comprising a first and second panel, and further teaches a quantum dot conversion layer on the first panel surrounded by banks. However, Jang specifically teaches away from a filler between the first and second panel.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARY-ELLEN BOWMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5383. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday; 7:00 am-5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James 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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MARY ELLEN BOWMAN
Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/MARY ELLEN BOWMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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