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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I in the reply filed on 3/9/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 5, 7, 8, and 11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/9/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the second upper planarization layer" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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)(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 1-4, 12, 16, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by KIM et al. (US PG Pub 2023/0317762, hereinafter Kim).
Regarding claim 1, figures 6 and 8 of Kim disclose a display device, comprising:
a substrate (BSL) including a plurality of sub pixels (within display area DA, see figure 4);
a first assembly line (TE1) and a second assembly line (TE2) which are disposed in the plurality of sub pixels on the substrate and are spaced apart from each other;
a first upper planarization layer (BNK1) which is disposed on the first assembly line and the second assembly line;
an opening (OPN) in the first upper planarization layer, the opening overlapping the first assembly line and the second assembly line;
a light emitting diode (LD) which is disposed in the opening and includes a first electrode (CNE1) and a second electrode (CNE2) on the first electrode, the light emitting diode having a side surface and a top surface;
a contact electrode (ELT1) which electrically connects with the first assembly line (TE1), the second assembly line (TE2), and the first electrode (CNE1) (TE1 and TE2 are electrically connected when the transistor is operating); and
an organic (¶ 150) insulating layer which (INP) is disposed in a part of the opening and covers (blocks from the side) a part of the side surface of the light emitting diode (LD).
Regarding claim 2, figures 6 and 8 of Kim disclose a part of the side surface of the light emitting diode (LD) is in contact with a first part of the organic insulating layer (INP), and another part of the side surface of the light emitting diode is in contact with the contact electrode (CNE1).
Regarding claim 3, figures 6 and 8 of Kim disclose a second upper planarization layer (INS4) disposed on the light emitting diode and the organic insulating layer (INP), wherein the second upper planarization layer is in a part of the opening (OPN).
Regarding claim 4, figures 6 and 8 of Kim disclose the opening includes an organic insulating layer opening, and wherein the second upper planarization layer (INS4) is in the organic insulating layer opening of the opening.
Regarding claim 12, figures 6 and 8 of Kim disclose an area in which the side surface of the light emitting diode (LD) and the contact electrode (CNE1) are in contact with each other is smaller than an area in which the side surface of the light emitting diode and the first part are in contact with each other.
Regarding claim 16, figures 6 and 8 of Kim disclose the organic insulating layer (INP) further includes a third part (lower portion) disposed below (lower than) the light emitting diode (LD).
Regarding claim 18, figures 6 and 8 of Kim disclose the second upper planarization layer (INS4) is disposed on the contact electrode (ELT1) at the inside of the opening.
Regarding claim 20, figures 6 and 8 of Kim disclose a display device, comprising:
a substrate (BSL);
a plurality of assembly lines (TE1, TE2) on the substrate and are spaced apart from each other;
a first upper planarization layer (BNK1) on the plurality of assembly lines;
an opening (OPN) in the first upper planarization layer;
an organic insulating layer (INP);
a light emitting diode (:D) disposed in the opening, the light emitting diode having a side surface; and
a contact electrode (ELT1) disposed in the opening,
wherein the contact electrode is disposed to contact with the plurality of assembly lines and the light emitting diode (TE1 and TE2 are electrically connected when the transistor is operating), and
wherein the organic insulating layer overlaps (at an angle) with the plurality of assembly lines in the opening and is contact (indirectly, or in thermal contact) with the side surface of the light emitting diode.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 9, 10, 13-15, 17 and 19 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YU-HSI DAVID SUN whose telephone number is (571)270-5773. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-4pm ET.
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/YU-HSI D SUN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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