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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “1021” and “1022” has been used to designate both the first and second “defining portions”, respectively, and the first and second “color units”, respectively. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the reference numeral 1021 and 1022 refer to both the first and second “defining portions” and the first and second “color units”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-11, 13, 15, 17-19, 21-22, and 25-26 are 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.
Regarding Claim 1, it recites “the cavity” in line 12. The claim recites directly preceding “at least one cavity”, and it is unclear if “the cavity” is intended to refer to the “at least one cavity” or another cavity. Similarly, the claim recites “the opening” in the last line, and is preceded by “at least one opening”, leaving the limitation unclear. For at least these reasons claims 2-11, 13, 15, 17-19, and 21-22 are also rejected based on their dependency from claim 1.
Regarding Claim 2, it recites “an orthographic projection of the defining portion on the display substrate” in line 6. This limitation is unclear how the “orthographic projection of the defining portion” can be “on the display substrate” when the defining portion is part of “the display substrate” as recited in the preamble of the claim. For the purpose of applying prior art, this will be interpreted as “an orthographic projection of the defining portion on the base substrate”.
Furthermore, the overall language of the claim is confusing and does not precisely and succinctly define the claimed invention. The language of a claim must clearly and precisely define the metes and bounds of the claimed invention, since patented claims place the public on notice of the scope of the patentee's right to exclude. It is important that a person of ordinary skill in the art be able to interpret the metes and bounds of the claims so as to understand how to avoid infringement of the patent that ultimately issues from this application. (MPEP 2173)
For at least these reasons, claims 3 and 15 are also rejected under 35 USC 112(b) based on its dependency from claim 2.
Regarding Claim 3, it recites “orthographic projections of the two cavities on the base substrate are on two side of the center line”. It is unclear how two cavities can be on two side, of a center line. Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding Claim 4, it recites “a plurality of grooves, at least one of the plurality of grooves surrounds the opening, and the groove is on a side of the cavity away from the substrate” in lines 2-3. It is unclear if “the groove” refers to the “at least one of the plurality of grooves”. It is unclear if “the cavity” refers to the “at least one cavity” recited in claim 1. It is unclear what “the substrate” refers to, such as “the base substrate” or “the display substrate” as recited prior.
Claim 4 further recites “the second filling structure is in the groove” in line 4, it is unclear what groove of the plurality of grooves this refers to.
Claim 4 further recites “wherein the plurality of grooves comprise a first groove portion and a second groove portion” in line 7. It is unclear if each of the plurality of grooves comprise these portions or if only some of the plurality of grooves comprise these portions.
Appropriate correction is required, and claims 5-11, 13, and 22 are also rejected under 35 USC 112(b) based on their dependency from claim 4.
Regarding Claim 5, the spatial relationship between “a same cavity” and the groove portions is unclear in the claim, partly based on the confusing language of claim 4. Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding Claim 21, it recites “the display substrate according to 20 claim 1”, it is unclear what “20’ refers to. Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding Claim 25, it recites “the base substrate” in line 3. This lacks antecedent basis, and makes it unclear as to what the limitation refers to. Claim 25 further recites “in the opening” in the last line, which is unclear as to what opening this is meant to refer to, since prior “a plurality of openings” and “each of the plurality of openings” is recited. For at least these reasons, claim 26 is also rejected under 35 USC 112(b) based on its dependence from claim 25.
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 1-3, 19, and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wei Yu (US 2019/0067625 A1; hereinafter Yu).
Regarding Claim 1, Yu teaches a display substrate (Fig. 4), comprising:
a base substrate (10; ¶0023);
a plurality of sub-pixels (plurality of subpixels shown in Fig. 4 each comprising 20/40/50/60; ¶0023-¶0024) on the base substrate (10), wherein each of at least part of the plurality of sub-pixels comprises a light-emitting element (20/40/50; ¶0023), the light-emitting element comprises a light-emitting functional layer (40), a first electrode (anode 20) and a second electrode (cathode 50) on both sides of the light-emitting functional layer (40) in a first direction (up/down), the first electrode (20) is between the light-emitting functional layer (40) and the base substrate (10), and the first direction (up/down) is perpendicular to the base substrate (10 which extends left/right);
a pixel-defining pattern (30/80; ¶0030), the pixel-defining pattern comprising a plurality of openings (openings over each light emitting element 20/40/50) and a defining portion (30) that surrounds the plurality of openings, at least a portion of the light-emitting element (20/40/50) being in the opening (as shown in Fig. 4),
wherein the defining portion (30) comprises at least one cavity (cavity filled with 80; ¶0036), and the cavity surrounds at least one opening (cavity filled with 80 surrounds the opening on the sides), and the display substrate further comprises a first filling structure (80), and the first filling structure is in the cavity (as shown in Fig. 4), and a surface, away from the base substrate (10), of the first filling structure (top of 80) is farther away from the base substrate (10) than a surface, away from the base substrate, of at least a portion of the light-emitting functional layer (top of 40) which is in contact with the first electrode (20) in the opening (as shown in Fig. 4, a top of 80 is further away from 10 than the top of 40 that is in contact with 20).
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Regarding Claim 2, Yu teaches the display substrate according to claim 1 (see annotated Yu Fig. 4), wherein a minimum distance in a second direction between an edge of a surface of the defining portion (e30) at a side away from the base substrate (e30 is away from 10) and an edge of an orthographic projection of the first filling structure (e80) on the base substrate (10), which are adjacent to each other, is a first distance (d1), and the second direction (left/right) is a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the edges (the edges extend up/down); a distance between a center line (center line C) of an orthographic projection of the defining portion (30) on the display substrate and an orthographic projection of [the] first filling structure (80) next to the center line on the display substrate is a second distance (d2), the first distance (d1) is smaller than the second distance (d2), and the center line (C) is parallel to an extending direction of the defining portion (30 extends up/down and C is parallel as shown in Yu annotated Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 3, Yu teaches the display substrate according to claim 2, wherein two cavities (two cavities containing 80) are arranged between two adjacent sub-pixels (adjacent 20/40/50) that are arranged in the second direction, and orthographic projections of the two cavities on the base substrate are on two side of the center line (C), respectively (as shown in Yu annotated Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 19, Yu teaches the display substrate according to claim 1, wherein a material of the first filling structure (80) is a light-shielding material (80 reflects light and is therefore light shielding; ¶0038), a thermal conductivity K of the material of the first filling structure satisfies: 350 < K < 550 (this limitation is satisfied implicitly due to the arbitrary/lack of units of measurement).
Regarding Claim 25, Yu teaches a manufacturing method of a display substrate, comprising:
forming a first electrode (20; ¶0023), a light-emitting functional layer (40; ¶0023), and a second electrode (50; ¶0023) of a light- emitting element on the base substrate (10; ¶0023);
before forming the light-emitting functional layer (40), forming a pixel-defining pattern (30/80) on the first electrode (20) (as described in the method steps of Fig. 1 S2 and S3), wherein the pixel-defining pattern (30/80) comprises a plurality of openings (openings over each light emitting element 20/40/50) and a defining portion (30; ¶0023) that surrounds the plurality of openings (as shown in Fig. 4), each of the plurality of openings exposes at least a portion of the first electrode (20) (as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4);
forming a first type of groove (groove containing 80) in the defining portion (30), the first type of groove surrounding at least one of the plurality of openings (groove containing 80 surrounds the opening on the sides); and
forming a first filling structure (80; ¶0036) in the first type of groove, wherein a surface, away from the base substrate (10), of the first filling structure (top of 80) is farther away from the base substrate (10) than a surface, away from the base substrate, of at least a portion of the light-emitting functional layer (top of 40) in the opening (as shown in Fig. 4).
Claims 1-2, 15, 19, and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Junhee Lee et al. (US 2022/0149136 A1; hereinafter Lee).
Regarding Claim 1, Lee teaches a display substrate (Fig. 3), comprising:
a base substrate (200; ¶0047);
a plurality of sub-pixels (plurality of pixels comprising OLED; ¶0053) on the base substrate (200), wherein each of at least part of the plurality of sub-pixels (comprising respective OLED) comprises a light-emitting element (OLED), the light-emitting element comprises a light-emitting functional layer (290; ¶0054), a first electrode (270; ¶0054) and a second electrode (320; ¶0054) on both sides of the light-emitting functional layer (290) in a first direction (DR3), the first electrode (270) is between the light-emitting functional layer (290) and the base substrate (200), and the first direction (DR3) is perpendicular to the base substrate (200);
a pixel-defining pattern (280/310/311a which define the pixel areas), the pixel-defining pattern comprising a plurality of openings (opening with OLED therein) and a defining portion (280; ¶0053) that surrounds the plurality of openings, at least a portion of the light-emitting element (OLED) being in the opening (as shown in Fig. 3),
wherein the defining portion (280) comprises at least one cavity (cavity filled with 311a), and the cavity surrounds at least one opening (on the sides, as shown in Fig. 3), and the display substrate further comprises a first filling structure (311a; ¶0071), and the first filling structure is in the cavity (as shown in Fig. 3), and a surface, away from the base substrate, of the first filling structure (top of 311a) is farther away from the base substrate (200) than a surface, away from the base substrate, of at least a portion of the light-emitting functional layer (top of 290) which is in contact with the first electrode (270) in the opening (as shown in Fig. 3).
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Regarding Claim 2, Lee teaches the display substrate according to claim 1, wherein a minimum distance in a second direction (DR1) between an edge of a surface of the defining portion (280) at a side away from the base substrate (200) and an edge of an orthographic projection of the first filling structure (311a) on the base substrate, which are adjacent to each other, is a first distance (d1), and the second direction (DR1) is a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the edges (DR3); a distance between a center line (c) of an orthographic projection of the defining portion (380) on the display [base] substrate and an orthographic projection of [the] first filling structure next to the center line on the display substrate is a second distance (d2), the first distance (d1) is smaller than the second distance (d2), and the center line (c) is parallel to an extending direction of the defining portion (280 extends in DR3) (as shown in Lee annotated Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 15, Lee teaches the display substrate according to claim 2, wherein a size of the first filling structure (a size of the portion of 311a in the cavity) in the first direction (DR3) is not greater than 1/2 of a maximum size of the defining portion (280) in the first direction (as shown in Fig. 3),
in the second direction (DR1), a size of the first filling structure (a size of 311a in the cavity in the DR1 direction) is 1/10 to 1/6 of a maximum size of the defining portion (DR1 directional size of 280 between adjacent OLEDs) (as shown in Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 19, Lee teaches the display substrate according to claim 1, wherein a material of the first filling structure (311a) is a light-shielding material (¶0071-¶0072), a thermal conductivity K of the material of the first filling structure satisfies: 350 < K < 550 (this limitation is satisfied implicitly due to the arbitrary/lack of units of measurement).
Regarding Claim 25, Lee teaches a manufacturing method of a display substrate (Fig. 3), comprising:
forming a first electrode (270), a light-emitting functional layer (290), and a second electrode (320) of a light-emitting element (OLED; ¶0054) on [a] base substrate (200; ¶0053);
before forming the light-emitting functional layer (290), forming a pixel-defining pattern (280/310/311a; ¶0053) on the first electrode (270) (as described in ¶0142-¶0144), wherein the pixel-defining pattern (280) comprises a plurality of openings (containing respective OLEDs) and a defining portion (280) that surrounds the plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings exposes at least a portion of the first electrode (as shown in view of Fig. 10/11);
forming a first type of groove in the defining portion (groove filled with 311a), the first type of groove surrounding at least one of the plurality of openings (as shown in Fig. 3); and
forming a first filling structure (311a) in the first type of groove, wherein a surface, away from the base substrate (200), of the first filling structure (top of 311a) is farther away from the base substrate (200) than a surface, away from the base substrate, of at least a portion of the light-emitting functional layer (top of 290) in the opening (as shown in Fig. 3).
Claims 1 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhijun Lv et al. (US 2021/0233980 A1; hereinafter Lv).
Regarding Claim 1, LV teaches a display substrate (Fig. 2A), comprising:
a base substrate (1; ¶0046);
a plurality of sub-pixels (SA; ¶0046) on the base substrate (1), wherein each of at least part of the plurality of sub-pixels comprises a light-emitting element (30; ¶0046), the light-emitting element comprises a light-emitting functional layer (32; ¶0067), a first electrode (31; ¶0081) and a second electrode (33; ¶0081) on both sides of the light-emitting functional layer (32) in a first direction (up/down), the first electrode (31) is between the light-emitting functional layer (32) and the base substrate (1), and the first direction (up/down) is perpendicular to the base substrate (1);
a pixel-defining pattern (21/4/22; ¶0046), the pixel-defining pattern comprising a plurality of openings (SPR) and a defining portion (21/22) that surrounds the plurality of openings, at least a portion of the light-emitting element (30) being in the opening (SPR),
wherein the defining portion (21/22) comprises at least one cavity (filled with 4), and the cavity surrounds at least one opening (4 surrounds SPR on the sides), and the display substrate further comprises a first filling structure (4; ¶0050), and the first filling structure is in the cavity (as shown in Fig. 2A), and a surface, away from the base substrate, of the first filling structure (top of 4) is farther away from the base substrate (1) than a surface, away from the base substrate, of at least a portion of the light-emitting functional layer (bottom of 32 which is a distance away from 1) which is in contact with the first electrode (31) in the opening (SPR).
Regarding Claim 17, LV teaches the display substrate according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the first filling structure (bottom of 4) close to the base substrate (1) is flush with a bottom surface of the defining portion (21/22) close to the base substrate (1) (as shown in Fig. 2A).
Regarding Claim 18, LV teaches the display substrate according to claim 17, wherein an orthographic projection of the first filling structure (4) on the base substrate does not overlap with an orthographic projection of the first electrode (31) on the base substrate (as shown in Fig. 2A).
Regarding Claim 19, LV teaches the display substrate according to claim 1, wherein a material of the first filling structure (4) is a light-shielding material (reflective; ¶0050), a thermal conductivity K of the material of the first filling structure satisfies: 350 < K < 550 (this limitation is satisfied implicitly due to the arbitrary/lack of units of measurement).
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.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei Yu (US 2019/0067625 A1; hereinafter Yu).
Regarding Claim 21, Yu teaches the display substrate according to [20] claim 1, but is silent regarding wherein a material of the first filling structure (80) comprises silver.
However, ¶0036 states that the material of 80 is reflective, and in ¶0022 that silver is a material that is used for reflecting light. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to utilize reflective silver from ¶0022 for the material of the reflector (80) because they are art recognized equivalents for the intended purpose of reflecting light. (MPEP 2144.07)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zhan Shi (US 2023/0120390 A1) teaches similar grooves and reflective structures (Fig. 6) in the pixel defining layers.
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NATHAN PRIDEMORE
Examiner
Art Unit 2898
/NATHAN PRIDEMORE/Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /JULIO J MALDONADO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898