DETAILED ACTION
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Domestic Benefit
No claim to an application for domestic benefit.
Foreign Benefit
No claim to an application for foreign priority.
Four Information Disclosure Statements
The four information disclosure statements respectively submitted on 06/18/2024, 10/01/2024, 01/07/2025 and 03/03/2025 were filed before first Office action. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the four information disclosure statements have been considered.
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.
The following title is suggested:
-- DISPLAY DEVICE WITH BANK SEPARATING EMITTING AREA AND NON-EMITTING AREA --.
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.
Claims 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR 10-2022-0056592 A to Howon et al. (“Howon”).
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Regarding independent claim 19, Howon teaches in Figure 4 of a display device (see title), comprising:
a substrate 110 including a display area DA (see Figure 1) having a plurality of subpixels SP1, SP2, SP3 and a non-emitting area NEA (see Figure 4) between the plurality of subpixels SP1, SP2, SP3 (see Figure 4) and a non-display area NDA (see Figure 1) adjacent (see Figure 1) to the display area DA;
a respective first electrode 411 in each of the plurality of subpixels SP1, SP2, SP3;
a bank 118/118a-c on the non-emitting area NEA and between the plurality of subpixels SP1, SP2, SP3;
an emitting layer 412 on the first electrodes 411;
a second electrode 413 on the emitting layer 412; and
a cut (see Figure 4 and Figures 5d to 5F: 412 is separated from dummy light emitting layer 612) in the emitting layer 412 between two adjacent subpixels SP1-SP2 and SP2-SP3 of the plurality of subpixels SP1, SP2, SP3.
Regarding claim 20, Howon teaches in Figure 5d with Figure 4 wherein the bank 118/118a-c includes a plurality of bank holes (i.e., where the pixel is located) corresponding to the plurality of subpixels SP1, SP2, SP3, respectively, and a bank trench (i.e., where the dummy 600 = 611/612 is located) in the non-emitting area NEA.
Allowable Subject Matter
Independent claim 1 is allowed, because the closest prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other elements of claim 1, a display device, comprising: a substrate having first and second subpixels each including a respective emitting area; and a non-emitting area surrounding the emitting areas; a respective first electrode in each of the first and second subpixels;
a bank, the bank having a respective bank hole in each of the emitting areas and a bank trench in the non-emitting area; a first spacer on the bank; a second spacer in the bank trench; an emitting layer on the first electrode and the bank trench and including a plurality of stacks and at least one charge generating layer between the plurality of stacks; and a second electrode on the emitting layer.
Dependent claims 2-18 contains allowable subject matter, because they depend on the allowable subject matter of claim 1.
Regarding independent claim 1, the closest prior art is listed on the current Notice of References Cited-892 Form:
Reference A: US 2018/0062109 A1: Figure 3 shows banks 161/162 that have holes that contain the pixels while also having bank trenches that have spacer 170 topped with light emitting layer.
Reference B: US 2023/0209910 A1: Figures 7-8: show banks 152 with spacers 254; the banks have holes that contain the pixels while also having bank trenches in an area with no light emitting layer.
Claims 21-24 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.
Claim 21 contains allowable subject matter, because the closest prior art of record, singularly or in combination, fails to disclose or suggest, in combination with the other elements of parent claim 19, further comprising a first spacer on the bank.
Dependent claims 22-24 contain allowable subject matter, because they depend on the allowable subject matter of claim 21.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN P DULKA whose telephone number is (571)270-7398. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ELISEO RAMOS-FELICIANO can be reached at (571)272-7925. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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03 April 2026
/John P. Dulka/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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