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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/28/23 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kanegae et al., US 2010/0309101.
Regarding claim 8, Kanegae teaches (at least in Figure 1) a display apparatus comprising: a first light-emitting device (far left pixel); a second light-emitting device (middle pixel); a first sidewall (22); and a second sidewall (21), wherein the first light-emitting device comprises a first pixel electrode (11), a first light- emitting layer (13) over the first pixel electrode, and a common electrode (14) over the first light-emitting layer, wherein the second light-emitting device comprises a second pixel electrode (11), a second light-emitting layer (13) over the second pixel electrode, and the common electrode (14) over the second light-emitting layer, wherein the first light-emitting device and the second light-emitting device is configured to emit light of different colors ([0010]), wherein the first sidewall covers at least a side surface of the first pixel electrode and a side surface of the first light-emitting layer (see Figure 1), and wherein the second sidewall covers at least the side surface of the first pixel electrode and the side surface of the first light-emitting layer with the first sidewall positioned therebetween (id at Figure 1, first sidewall 22 is between second sidewall 21 and the side surface of the layers).
Regarding claim 9, Kanegae teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 8 and further teaches wherein the first light-emitting device comprises a first hole-injection layer over the first pixel electrode, a first hole-transport layer over the first hole-injection layer, and a first electron- transport layer over the first light-emitting layer ([0010]), wherein side surfaces of the first hole-injection layer, the first hole-transport layer, and the first electron-transport layer are covered with the first sidewall (see [0010] and Figure 1, side surface of all layers between anode and cathode would be covered by the first sidewall), and wherein the first light-emitting device further comprises an electron-injection layer over the first electron-transport layer ([0010]).
Regarding claim 10, Kanegae teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 8 and further teaches the first light-emitting device comprises a first hole-injection layer over the first pixel electrode, a first hole-transport layer over the first hole-injection layer, a first electron- transport layer over the first light-emitting layer, and a first electron-injection layer over the first electron-transport layer ([0010]), and wherein side surfaces of the first hole-injection layer, the first hole-transport layer, the first electron-transport layer, and the first electron-injection layer are covered with the first sidewall (see Figure 1, the side surfaces of all layers between the anode and cathode would be covered by the first sidewall).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 11-16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kanegae in view of Nowatari et al., US 2010/0301317.
Regarding claim 11, Kanegae teaches a display apparatus (at least in Figure 1) comprising: a first light-emitting device (far left pixel); a second light-emitting device (middle pixel); a first sidewall (22); and a second sidewall (21), wherein the first light-emitting device and the second light-emitting device are configured to emit light of different colors ([0010]), wherein the first sidewall (22) covers at least a side surface of the first pixel electrode and a side surface of the first charge-generation layer (all side surfaces of the layers between the anode and cathode are covered by sidewall 22), and wherein the second sidewall (21) overlaps with the side surface of the first pixel electrode and the side surface of the first charge-generation layer with the first sidewall positioned therebetween (see Figure 1). Kanegae fails to teach a stacked EL structure.
However, in the same field of endeavor of display devices, Nowatari teaches (at least in Figure 5a) wherein the first light-emitting device comprises a first pixel electrode (102), a first light- emitting unit (103b) over the first pixel electrode, a first charge-generation layer (109) over the first light- emitting unit, a second light-emitting unit (103c) over the first charge-generation layer, and a common electrode (104) over the second light-emitting unit. Further, it would have been well known to those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing that providing a stacked EL structure would increase efficiency and emission quality. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to use this configuration for each of the light emitting devices in the Kanegae display device in order to improve display quality and efficiency.
Regarding claim 12, Kanegae and Nowatari teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 11, and Kanegae further teaches the first light emitting device emits light of a first color and the second light emitting device emits light of a second color ([0004]-red is first color, green is second color, blue). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide a first and second light emitting unit of one color and a third and fourth light emitting unit of a second color, and a fifth and sixth light emitting unit of a third color, in order to produce a full color display.
Regarding claim 13, Kanegae teaches a display apparatus (at least in Figure 1) comprising: a first light-emitting device (far left pixel); a second light-emitting device (middle pixel); a third light-emitting device (far right pixel); a first sidewall (22); and a second sidewall (21), wherein the first light-emitting device, the second light-emitting device, and the third light-emitting device are configured to emit light of different colors ([0010]), wherein the first sidewall (22) covers at least a side surface of the first pixel electrode and a side surface of the first charge-generation layer (see Figure 1, first sidewall covers side surface of all layers between anode and cathode), and wherein the second sidewall (21) overlaps with the side surface of the first pixel electrode and the side surface of the first charge-generation layer with the first sidewall positioned therebetween (see Figure 1). Kanegae fails to teach a stacked EL structure.
However, in the same field of endeavor of display devices, Nowatari teaches (at least in Figure 5a) wherein the first light-emitting device comprises a first pixel electrode (102), a first light- emitting unit (103b) over the first pixel electrode, a first charge-generation layer (109) over the first light- emitting unit, a second light-emitting unit (103c) over the first charge-generation layer, and a common electrode (104) over the second light-emitting unit. Further, it would have been well known to those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing that providing a stacked EL structure would increase efficiency and emission quality. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to use this configuration for each of the light emitting devices in the Kanegae display device in order to improve display quality and efficiency.
Regarding claim 14, Kanegae and Nowatari teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 13, and Nowatari further teaches the first light emitting element emits light of a first color and the second light emitting element emits light of a second color and the third light emitting element emits light of a third color ([0004]-red, green, blue). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide a first and second light emitting unit of one color and a third and fourth light emitting unit of a second color, and a fifth and sixth light emitting unit of a third color, in order to produce a full color display.
Regarding claim 15, Kanegae and Nowatari teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 14, and Nowatari further teaches the first color is red, the second color is green, and the third color is blue ([0004]). Further, it would have been well known to those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing that red, blue and green are three colors capable of producing a full color display. Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide a red, green and blue light emitting elements in order to produce a full color display device.
Regarding claim 16, Kanegae and Nowatari teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 14, and Kanegae further teaches a protective layer over the common electrode ([0028]).
Regarding claim 19, Kanegae and Nowatari teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 14, and Kanegae further teaches at least one of a connector and an integrated circuit (Figure 7 and [0020]).
Regarding claim 20, Kanegae and Nowatari teach the invention as explained above regarding claim 19, and Kanegae further teaches at least one of a housing, a battery, a camera, a speaker and a microphone ([0005] a flat panel display inherently has a housing).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 are allowed.
Claims 17 and 18 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art fails to teach or suggest a method of manufacturing a display apparatus comprising forming a first sacrificial layer on the first layer, processing the first layer and the first sacrificial layer to expose a portion of the electrically conductive film, forming a second layer on the first sacrificial layer, processing the second layer and the second sacrificial layer to expose a portion of the electrically conductive film, in conjunction with the remaining limitations of the independent claim.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to teach or suggest the electrically insulating layer has a recess in conjunction with the remaining limitations of the claim 17 and a space between the first and second light emitting device in conjunction with the remaining limitations of claim 18.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Okazaki et al., US 2022/0320184 teaches a display device comprising first, second and third light emitting units and first and second sidewalls.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARY-ELLEN BOWMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5383. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday; 7:00 am-5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached at (571) 272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MARY ELLEN BOWMAN
Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/MARY ELLEN BOWMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875