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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-9, in the reply filed on 5/19/2026 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/17/2023 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 11/17/2023. 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) 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0176529 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Choi et al., teaches a display device comprising: a display region (10, display region, ¶ [0060]-¶ [0074]; see at least Fig. 8), a first peripheral region (1st 30, peripheral region, ¶ [0075]) surrounding the display region (10), a second peripheral region (2nd 30) surrounding the first peripheral region (1st 30), and an outer region (20, opening region) surrounding the second peripheral region (2nd 30); an emission layer (200, a light emitting structure) disposed on a substrate (111) and overlapping the display region (10); a first inorganic layer (451, a first TFE layer [Wingdings font/0xE0] inorganic materials, ¶ [0104]) disposed on the emission layer (200) and overlapping the first peripheral region (1st 30) and the second peripheral region (2nd 30); an organic layer (490, an organic insulation pattern) disposed on the first inorganic layer (451) and overlapping the first peripheral region (1st 30); an intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410) disposed on the organic layer (490) and overlapping the first peripheral region (1st 30); and a second inorganic layer (410, protective insulation layer [Wingdings font/0xE0] inorganic materials, ¶ [0118]) disposed on the intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410), contacting an upper surface and a side surface of the intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410), and including a material the same as that of the intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410).
Regarding Claim 2, Choi et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the second inorganic layer (410) contacts the intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410) in the first peripheral region (1st 30).
Regarding Claim 3, Choi et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the second inorganic layer (410) contacts a side surface of the organic layer (490).
Regarding Claim 4, Choi et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410) contacts an upper surface of the organic layer (490), and does not contact a side surface of the organic layer (490).
Examiner notes that the phrase “does not contact a side surface” does not recite a positive limitation and instead attempts to claim the disclosed invention by excluding what the applicants did not disclose or invent, rather than distinctly and particularly pointing out what the applicants did disclose or invent. Essentially this claim language fails to provide any structural element or concrete component and therefore is improper [MPEP 2173.05(i)].
Regarding Claim 5, Choi et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein a planar area of the intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410) is substantially the same as a planar area of the organic layer (490).
Regarding Claim 6, Choi et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein a planar area of the second inorganic layer (410) is greater than a planar area of the intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410), since lower surface is smaller than the entirety of the layer 410.
Regarding Claim 7, Choi et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein a planar area of the first inorganic layer (451) is greater than a planar area of the intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410), layer being greater than a surface-only.
Regarding Claim 8, Choi et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the second inorganic layer (410) contacts the first inorganic layer (451) in the second peripheral region (2nd 30).
Regarding Claim 9, Choi et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising: a crack dam structure (via 930) overlapping (via side-view) the outer region (20), wherein the intermediate layer (lower-most surface of 410) overlaps the second peripheral region (2nd 30), and the second inorganic layer (410) contacts the first inorganic layer (451) in the outer region (20).
Other Prior Art Cited
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0334120 A1 to Seo et al., teaches a similarly depicted peripheral region as the claimed invention.
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-F 9 AM-4 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 Featherly
Art Unit 2875 Patent Examiner
/ELMITO BREVAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights