DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
(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.
2. Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2019/0207150 A1 (the ‘150 reference).
The reference discloses in Fig. 2 and related text a as claimed.
Referring to claim 1, the ‘150 reference discloses a light emitting display device, comprising:
a substrate (110);
a driving element layer on the substrate and including a transistor (DT, para [37] (paragraph(s) [0037])) and a planarization film (120, para [46]) covering the transistor;
a second electrode (CE, para [47]) on the planarization film (120) and including a contact opening (electrode exposing portion 133, para [68]);
a separator (partition 140, para [73]) on the planarization film (120) and has a reverse-tapered sidewall (para [75]);
a pixel defining layer (bank 130, para [68]) including a first opening (“first opening”, label added by the examiner for ease of explanation, Fig. 3, reproduced below) exposing a portion of the second electrode (CE), a second opening (“second opening”) exposing a portion of the separator (140), and a third opening (“third opening”) corresponding to the contact opening (133) of the second electrode (CE); and
a first electrode (AE, para [57]) on the pixel defining layer (130),
wherein the first electrode (AE) is electrically connected (via CH1) to the transistor (DT) of the driving element layer through the contact opening (133) of the second electrode (CE) and the third opening (the “third opening”) of the pixel defining layer (133).
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Referring to claim 2, the reference further discloses that the separator (140) includes an outer portion (right portion) and an inner portion, and the second opening (the “second opening”) of the pixel defining layer (130) exposes at least a portion of the outer portion (the right portion) of the separator.
Referring to claim 3, the reference further discloses that an edge of the first electrode (AE) coincides with the outer portion (the right portion) exposed by the second opening (the “second opening”) on a plane.
Allowable Subject Matter
3. Claims 11-20 are allowable over the prior art of record.
Claims 4-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The cited art, whether taken singularly or in combination, especially when all limitations are considered within the claimed specific combination, fails to teach or render obvious a light emitting display device with all exclusive limitations as recited in claims 4 and 11, which may be characterized (claim 4) in that all side surfaces of the inner portion are covered by the pixel defining layer, and (claim 11) in that a separator is on the planarization film, has a reverse-tapered sidewall, and includes an outer portion, an inner portion, and an additional portion, and in that an edge of the first electrode coincides with the outer portion exposed by the second opening on a plane.
Conclusion
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TU TU V HO whose telephone number is (571)272-1778. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Thursday 6:30 - 15:00, Monday through Thursday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeff W Natalini can be reached on 571-272-2266. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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08-04-2026
/TU-TU V HO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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