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 8/4/2026, specifically for claim 1 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Please see rejection for claim 1 below for explanation. Rejection will be made final.
Claims 7 and 12 have been be treated as independent claims.
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)(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.
Claims 1-6 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tano (20070138943).
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Regarding claim 1, Tano teaches a display panel comprising:
a pixel region (please see region between 18Lc taken up by organic EL element) and a non-pixel region (please see region defined by 18Lc) adjacent to the pixel region; and
a light-emitting element layer (organic EL element) disposed on a base layer (fig. 5: 11),
wherein the light-emitting element layer comprises:
a first electrode (fig. 5: 15) disposed on the base layer;
a pixel defining film (fig. 5: 18x) disposed on the base layer and having pixel openings corresponding to the pixel region (please see fig. 5);
a heating line (fig. 5: 18a; please note that par. 72 teaches 17 receiving a common voltage; par. 85 teaches that 18a also receives this this voltage and this will heat up) disposed on the pixel defining film and configured to generate heat in response to a voltage applied to the heating line (par. 85 teaches the bank metal portion 18a of the bank 18 can function as a wiring layer (common voltage line Lc) which can apply a predetermined voltage (common voltage Vcom) simultaneously to the display pixels PIX (organic EL elements OEL) arrayed all over the display panel 10; please note that voltage lines are configured to generate heat, since power lines generate heat from electrical resistance; this property is exemplified by Joules law);
an organic layer comprising a light-emitting layer (fig. 5: 16) and disposed on the first electrode; and
a second electrode (fig. 5: 17) disposed on the organic layer, and the heating line is disposed in the non-pixel region (please see 18a in the designated non-pixel region) and surrounds the pixel region in a plan view (please see fig. 5 which shows 18a surrounding each organic EL element).
Regarding claim 2, Tano teaches a display panel of claim 1, wherein the pixel region comprises: a first pixel region; and a second pixel region adjacent to the first pixel region, and the first pixel region and the second pixel region are spaced apart from each other with the heating line interposed between the first pixel region and the second pixel region (please see fig. 5 which shows this).
Regarding claim 3, Tano teaches a display panel of claim 1, wherein the heating line comprises: a first portion having a first width; and a second portion having a second width greater than the first width, and the first portion of the heating line contacts and is electrically connected to the second electrode (please see the right top corner of 18a being the first portion with a width and the and the largest diagonal of 18a being the second portion with a second width).
Regarding claim 4, Tano teaches a display panel of claim 1, wherein the organic layer comprises a first organic layer (16a) and a second organic layer (16b) disposed on the first organic layer, and in a plan view, the heating line is spaced apart from the first organic layer and covered by the second organic layer (please see figure above).
Regarding claim 5, Tano teaches a display panel of claim 1, wherein in a plan view, the heating line is spaced apart from the organic layer, and the heating line contacts and is electrically connected to the second electrode (please see figure above which shows elements not overlapping).
Regarding claim 6, Tano teaches a display panel of claim 1, wherein in a plan view, the heating line is spaced apart from the organic layer, the heating line contacts and is electrically connected to the second electrode, the organic layer comprises a first organic layer and a second organic layer disposed on the first organic layer, and the first organic layer is covered by the second organic layer (please see figure above).
Regarding claim 9, Tano teaches a display panel of claim 1, wherein the non-pixel region comprises: a first region in which the heating line is disposed at a high density; and a second region in which the heating line is disposed at a low density, and the heating line disposed in the first region contacts and is electrically connected to the second electrode (please see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Tano teaches a display panel of claim 1, wherein the heating line comprises a metal (par. 103).
Regarding claim 11, Tano teaches a display panel of claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises a glass substrate or a silicon (Si) substrate (par. 51).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 8 allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: prior art fails to anticipate and/or obviate the heating line comprises a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a second width greater than the first width, the organic layer comprises a first organic layer and a second organic layer disposed on the first organic layer, the first portion of the heating line contacts and is electrically connected to the second electrode, and in a plan view, the second portion of the heating line is spaced apart from the first organic layer and covered by the second organic layer..
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claim 12 allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: prior art fails to anticipate and/or obviate wherein a width of each of the pixel openings is in a range of about 1 pm to about 2 pm; and a width of the heating line is in a range of about 0.1 pm to about 0.3 pm.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
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 CALEB E HENRY whose telephone number is (571)270-5370. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached at (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CALEB E HENRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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