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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it exceeds 150 words. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 (see MPEP § 606.01).
This may result in slightly longer titles, but the loss in brevity of title will be more than offset by the gain in its informative value in indexing, classifying, searching, etc.
The following title is suggested: “DISPLAY PANEL HAVING AN ENCAPSULATION STRUCTURE ALIGNING WITH AN LIGHT EMITTING PATTERN AND AN ELECTRODE.”
If Applicant does not agree with the suggested title above, Applicant must provide a new title that clearly reflects the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Han et al. (US Pub. 2018/0183003; hereinafter “Han”).
Regarding Claim 1, Han discloses a display panel, comprising: a driving circuit layer 210 (page 3, paragraphs 58 and 60; page 4, paragraph 70); a plurality of light emitting devices 380 (a plurality of pixels P are formed on a thin film transistor layer 210 in a display area DA, and each pixel P includes a light emitting diode 380; page 4, paragraph 66; see figs. 4 and 5), disposed on the driving circuit layer 210 (page 4, paragraph 80; see fig. 6) and each comprising: a first electrode 381 (page 5, paragraph 83); a light emitting pattern 382 (page 5, paragraph 85), disposed on the first electrode 381 (see fig. 6); a second electrode 383 (page 5, paragraph 88), disposed on the light emitting pattern 382 (see fig. 6); and a pixel definition layer 384 (bank; page 5, paragraph 84), disposed on the driving circuit layer 210 and having a pixel opening EA (emission area) overlapping the first electrode 381 (see fig. 6), wherein the light emitting pattern 382 and the second electrode 383 cover the pixel definition layer 384 (see fig. 6), the first electrode 381 located within the pixel opening EA of the pixel definition layer 384 (see fig. 6), and part of the driving circuit layer 210 located outside the pixel opening EA of the pixel definition layer 384 (see fig. 6), and the light emitting pattern 382 is electrically connected to the first electrode 381 through the pixel opening EA (see fig. 6); and a plurality of encapsulation structures 390 (page 5, paragraph 91), covering the light emitting devices 380 (see fig. 6), wherein each of the encapsulation structures 390 comprises a first encapsulation pattern 391 (page 5, paragraph 91), wherein edges of the first encapsulation pattern 391, the light emitting pattern 382, and the second electrode 383 overlapping with each other are aligned with each other (FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I’ of pixel P in FIG. 5, which corresponds to an edge-to-edge cross section of pixel P, accordingly, the edges of the layers 391, 382, 383 shown in FIG. 6 are aligned with each other).
Regarding Claim 4, Han discloses wherein each of the encapsulation structures 390 further comprises a second encapsulation pattern 392 disposed on the first encapsulation pattern 391 (page 5, paragraph 91), an edge of the second encapsulation pattern 392 is aligned with the each of the edges of the first encapsulation pattern 391, the light emitting pattern 382, and the second electrode 383 (FIG. 6 is the cross-sectional view taken along line I-I’ of pixel P in FIG. 5, which corresponds to an edge-to-edge cross section of pixel P, accordingly, the edges of the layers 392, 391, 382, 383 shown in FIG. 6 are aligned with each other).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3 and 5-20 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 2 recites the encapsulation structures comprise a first encapsulation structure covering the first light emitting device and a second encapsulation structure covering the second light emitting device, and materials or film thicknesses of the first encapsulation pattern of the first encapsulation structure and the first encapsulation pattern of the second encapsulation structure are different.
Claim 3 recites the driving circuit layer has a notch overlapping an outer edge of the pixel definition layer of each of the light emitting devices, and the light emitting pattern of each of the light emitting devices and the second electrode have a break corresponding to the notch, the notch of the driving circuit layer and the break between the light emitting pattern and the second electrode are filled with the first encapsulation pattern of one of the encapsulation structures.
Claim 5 recites the encapsulation structures comprise a first encapsulation structure covering the first light emitting device and a second encapsulation structure covering the second light emitting device, and materials or film thicknesses of the second encapsulation pattern of the first encapsulation structure and the second encapsulation pattern of the second encapsulation structure are different.
Claim 12 recites the encapsulation structures comprise a first encapsulation structure covering the first light emitting device and a second encapsulation structure covering the second light emitting device; wherein each of the encapsulation structures further comprises: a second encapsulation pattern, covering the first encapsulation pattern, wherein an edge of the second encapsulation pattern protrudes outwards compared to each of the edges of the first encapsulation pattern, the light emitting pattern, and the second electrode; and a third encapsulation pattern, disposed on the second encapsulation pattern and covering the edge of the second encapsulation pattern and each of the edges of the first encapsulation pattern, the light emitting pattern, and the second electrode.
Claim 13 recites each of the encapsulation structures further comprises a second encapsulation pattern disposed on the first encapsulation pattern, and the second encapsulation pattern covers each of the edges of the first encapsulation pattern, the light emitting pattern, and the second electrode.
Claim 14 recites each of the light emitting devices further comprises: a gap layer, provided on the pixel definition layer and located between the pixel definition layer and the light emitting pattern, wherein the gap layer has an opening overlapping the pixel opening of the pixel definition layer, and is connected to a bottom surface of the pixel definition layer and a side surface defining the opening and connected to the bottom surface, and an angle between the side surface and the bottom surface is greater than or equal to 90 degrees.
Claim 15 recites the display panel has a penetrating display area, and there is a distance between a plurality of light emitting patterns of two adjacent display units disposed in the penetrating display area.
Claim 20 recites the display panel further comprises: a light emitting layer, comprising: a dummy part, provided on the encapsulation structures; and a light emitting part, being the light emitting pattern of the third light emitting device and disconnected from the dummy part.
These features in combination with the other elements of the base claim are neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art of record.
Claims 6-11 and 16-19 variously depend from claim 3 or 15, so they are objected for the same reason.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHEUNG LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-5977. The examiner can normally be reached 9 AM - 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DAVIENNE MONBLEAU can be reached at (571)272-1945. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHEUNG LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812 January 21, 2026