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 papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/27/2023 has been considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of applicant’s amendment filed 08/30/2023. Claims 13-16 were cancelled by the applicant. Claims 1-12 and newly added claims 17-21 are pending and an action on the merits is as follows.
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 1-4 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HAN ET AL, KR20160072010A, machine translation 06-2016) (Han, hereafter) in view Naganuma (US2017/0141167 A1, of record IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Han discloses (Figures 1-12 and corresponding text) (Figure 1, reproduced below) a display apparatus comprising: a first light-emitting device (ED1); a second light-emitting device (ED2); an insulating layer (144,overcoat layer); and a first sidewall (162, bank), wherein the first light-emitting device(ED1) comprises a first pixel electrode (152), a first light-emitting layer (182) over the first pixel electrode (152), and a common electrode(190) over the first light-emitting layer (182), wherein the second light-emitting device (ED2) comprises a second pixel electrode (154), a second light-emitting layer (184)over the second pixel electrode(154), and the common electrode(190) over the second light-emitting layer (184), wherein each of an end portion of the first pixel electrode (153) and an end portion of the second pixel electrode (154), and wherein the first sidewall (162 , 164) is positioned over the insulating layer ((144)(π70-π85). Han fails to disclose wherein the sidewall covers a side surface of the first light-emitting layer.
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Naganuma discloses (Figure 2) a bank layer (109) is provided on respective upper layers of the lower electrode (103) and the light emitting layer (105). The bank layers (109) are respectively located at boundaries among the plurality of pixels (4), to separate the plurality of pixels (4). The bank layer (109) is formed of an insulating film, and is formed of an organic film composed of photosensitive acrylic, for example. The bank layer (109) may be formed of an inorganic film composed of silicon oxide or silicon nitride, for example. The bank layer (109) runs onto a portion of the light emitting layer (105), e.g., onto a peripheral portion of the light emitting layer (105). In other words, the bank layer (109) is located on the opposite side to the lower electrode (103) with the light emitting layer (105) interposed there between, to cover the portion of the light emitting layer (105).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date to modify the display apparatus of Han as disclosed by Naganuma to derive wherein the sidewall covers a side surface of the first light-emitting layer the motivation being to more securely prevent light leakage at the boundaries of individual pixels.
Regarding claim 3, Han discloses wherein the first light-emitting device (ED1) comprises a common layer between the first light-emitting layer (182) and the common electrode(190), wherein the second light-emitting device (ED2)comprises the common layer between the second light-emitting layer (184)and the common electrode (190), and wherein the common layer comprises at least one of a hole-injection layer, a hole-transport layer, an electron-transport layer, and an electron-injection layer (π96).
Regarding claim 4, Han discloses wherein the first light-emitting device (ED1) and the second light-emitting device (ED2) emit light of different colors (π67).
Regarding claims 2, 11 and 12, the limitation, a second sidewall, wherein the second sidewall overlaps with the side surface of the first light-emitting layer with the first sidewall positioned therebetween (claim 2) a display module comprising: the display apparatus (claim 11) and at least one of a connector and an integrated circuit; electronic device at least one of a housing, a battery, a camera, a speaker, and a microphone (claim 12) do not appear to contain any additional features which define more than slight constructional changes which come within the scope of the customary (design) practice followed by persons skilled in the art, especially as the advantages thus achieved can be readily contemplated in advance. Alternatively, these limitations are not deemed patentable since the applicant’s disclosure fails to show such limitations to solve any problems or to yield any unobvious advantage that is not within the scope of the teachings applied. Therefore, such limitations would be a matter of design alternative.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date to further modify the display apparatus of Han as disclosed above, the motivation being to provide excellent color implementation, response speed, viewing angle, and contrast ratio (CR)., and since matters of design alternative require only routine skill.
Claims 5-10 and 17-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al (US 20160118626 A1) (Seo, hereafter) in view of Naganuma (US2017/0141167 A1, of record IDS).
Regarding claim 5, Seo discloses a display apparatus(100) comprising (Figures 3-43 and 7): a first light-emitting device (101B); a second light-emitting device (101G); and a first sidewall(137), wherein the first light-emitting device (101B)comprises a first pixel electrode (104B), a first light-emitting unit (108) over the first pixel electrode(104B), a first charge-generation layer (141a)over the first light-emitting unit (108), a second light-emitting unit over(110) the first charge-generation layer(141b), and a common electrode (112) over the second light-emitting unit (110), wherein the second light-emitting device(101G) comprises a second pixel electrode(104G) a third light-emitting unit (108) over the second pixel electrode(104G), a second charge-generation layer(141a), a fourth light-emitting unit(110) over the second charge-generation layer (141), and the common electrode over the fourth light-emitting unit, wherein each of an end portion of the first pixel electrode and an end portion of the second pixel electrode is covered with the sidewall (137) wherein the first light-emitting device (101B, Blue) and the second light-emitting device(101G, green) are configured to emit light of different colors. Seo fails to explicitly disclose an insulating layer and wherein the first sidewall covers at least a side surface of the first charge-generation layer.
Naganuma discloses (Figure 2)an interlayer insulating film formed of an organic film or an inorganic film and provided on an upper layer and a lower layer of each of the various types of wirings and various types of electrodes of the TFT upon which the bank layer sits. a bank layer (109) is provided on respective upper layers of the lower electrode (103) and the light emitting layer (105). The bank layers (109) are respectively located at boundaries among the plurality of pixels (4), to separate the plurality of pixels (4). The bank layer (109) is formed of an insulating film, and is formed of an organic film composed of photosensitive acrylic, for example. The bank layer (109) may be formed of an inorganic film composed of silicon oxide or silicon nitride, for example. The bank layer (109) runs onto a portion of the light emitting layer (105), e.g., onto a peripheral portion of the light emitting layer (105). In other words, the bank layer (109) is located on the opposite side to the lower electrode (103) with the light emitting layer (105) interposed there between, to cover the portion of the light emitting layer (105).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the display apparatus of Seo as disclosed by Naganuma to derive wherein an insulating layer and wherein the first sidewall covers at least a side surface of the first charge-generation layer the motivation being to more securely prevent light leakage at the boundaries of individual pixels.
Regarding claim 6, Seo discloses (Figure 2-8 and corresponding text) wherein the first light-emitting unit (108) and the second light-emitting unit110) emit light of a first color(along 101b,Blue), and wherein the third light-emitting unit (108)and the fourth light-emitting unit emit (110)light of a second color (along 101g,green).
Regarding claim 7, Seo further discloses a display apparatus(100) comprising (Figures 3-4 and 7): a first light-emitting device (101B); a second light-emitting device (101G); an insulating layer; and a first sidewall(137), wherein the first light-emitting device (101B)comprises a first pixel electrode (104B), a first light-emitting unit (108) over the first pixel electrode(104B), a first charge-generation layer (141a)over the first light-emitting unit (108), a second light-emitting unit over(110) the first charge-generation layer(141b), and a common electrode (112) over the second light-emitting unit (110), wherein the second light-emitting device(101G) comprises a second pixel electrode(104G) a third light-emitting unit (108) over the second pixel electrode(104G), a second charge-generation layer(141a), a fourth light-emitting unit(110) over the second charge-generation layer (141), and the common electrode over the fourth light-emitting unit, wherein the third light-emitting device(101R) comprises a third pixel electrode (104R), a fifth light-emitting unit(108) over the third pixel electrode (along 101R)(104R), a third charge-generation layer(141) over the fifth light-emitting unit (108), a sixth light-emitting unit(110) over the third charge-generation layer(141), and the common electrode(112) over the sixth light-emitting unit (110), wherein each of an end portion of the first pixel electrode, an end portion of the second pixel electrode, and an end portion of the third pixel electrode is covered with the partition wall (137), wherein the first light-emitting device(101B), the second light-emitting device(101G), and the third light-emitting device(101R) are configured to emit light of different colors, Seo fails to explicitly disclose an insulating layer and wherein the first sidewall covers a side surface of the first charge-generation layer.
Naganuma discloses (Figure 2)an interlayer insulating film formed of an organic film or an inorganic film and provided on an upper layer and a lower layer of each of the various types of wirings and various types of electrodes of the TFT upon which the bank layer sits. a bank layer (109) is provided on respective upper layers of the lower electrode (103) and the light emitting layer (105). The bank layers (109) are respectively located at boundaries among the plurality of pixels (4), to separate the plurality of pixels (4). The bank layer (109) is formed of an insulating film, and is formed of an organic film composed of photosensitive acrylic, for example. The bank layer (109) may be formed of an inorganic film composed of silicon oxide or silicon nitride, for example. The bank layer (109) runs onto a portion of the light emitting layer (105), e.g., onto a peripheral portion of the light emitting layer (105). In other words, the bank layer (109) is located on the opposite side to the lower electrode (103) with the light emitting layer (105) interposed there between, to cover the portion of the light emitting layer (105).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the display apparatus of Seo as disclosed by Naganuma to derive wherein an insulating layer and wherein the first sidewall covers at least a side surface of the first charge-generation layer the motivation being to more securely prevent light leakage at the boundaries of individual pixels.
Regarding claim 8, Seo discloses (Figure 3)wherein the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit emit light of a first color (along line 101B, blue), wherein the third light-emitting unit and the fourth light-emitting unit emit light of a second color (along line 101G,green), and wherein the fifth light-emitting unit and the sixth light-emitting unit emit light of a third color ((along line 101R, Red)
Regarding claim 9, Seo fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first color is red, the second color is green and the third color is blue. However, Seo does disclose that the first color is blue the second green and the third but it’s not limited to that (π13-π14).One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date would modify the display apparatus of Seo as disclosed by Seo wherein the first color is red, the second color is green the motivation being to offer a wide color gamut for the display,
Regarding claims 10 and 19, the limitation wherein the second sidewall overlaps with a side surface of the first charge-generation layer with the first sidewall positioned there between (claims 10,19);
Regarding claim 17 and 20, Seo discloses (Figure 25) a display module comprising: the display apparatus and at least one of a connector and an integrated circuit (π19).
Regarding claim 18 and 21, Seo discloses (Figures 26A-26E)an electronic device comprising and at least one of a housing, a battery, a camera, a speaker, and a microphone.7
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the 892 and below:
US 20130001607 A1-General state of the art- light-emitting device provided with a plurality of organic EL elements.
US 20120261683 A1 General State of the art-an organic EL device and a manufacturing method thereof
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACIE Y GREEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3104. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thursday, 10am-8pm.
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TRACIE Y. GREEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/TRACIE Y GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875