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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 29 April 2026 have been fully considered and the responses are set forth below:
Regarding the drawing objection (Remarks; pg. 14) of the previous Office action, the corrected drawings were received on 29 April 2026. These drawings are acceptable and the objection to the drawings is withdrawn.
Regarding the specification objection (Remarks; pg. 15) of the previous Office action, the amendment to the specification was received on 29 April 2026. This amendment to the specification is acceptable and the objection to the specification is withdrawn.
Regarding the 35 U.S.C. § 112 (a)/(b) rejections (Remarks; pg. 15-16) of claim(s) 1-11, 13, 15, 17-19, 21-22, and 25-26 made in the previous Office action (see Non-Final Rejection of 29 January 2026). The remarks/amendments to the claims have overcome each and every 35 USC 112 (a)/(b) rejection of the previous Office action, and therefore have been withdrawn.
Regarding the prior art rejection of Claim 1 (Remarks; pg. 17-21). The amendment to independent claim 1 of “wherein a surface of the first filling structure close to the base substrate is flush with a bottom surface of the defining portion close to the base substrate, in the first direction, a qap is between the surface, away from the base substrate, of the first filling structure and a surface of the defining portion away from the base substrate” has been fully considered.
This amendment has overcome the prior art of record Yu and Lee as previously applied in the prior rejection. However, the claim has not been amended with sufficient specificity to overcome the prior art of record Lv (Fig. 1A) and Shi (Fig. 6). The details of the rejection in view of these disclosures is updated and detailed below according to the amendment.
Regarding the prior art rejection of Claim 4 (Remarks; pg. 22). It has been amended as an independent claim incorporating all limitations from claim 1 and overcomes the prior art of record.
Regarding the prior art rejection of Claim 26 (Remarks; pg. 22). It has been amended as an independent claim incorporating all limitations from claim 25 and overcomes the prior art of record.
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 and 27 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 13. As recited, “the cavity” of line 13 lacks antecedent basis leaving the claim unclear as to which “the cavity” refers to. For the purpose of applying prior art, this will be interpreted as “the at least one cavity”.
For at least this reason claim 27 is also rejected under 35 USC 112(b) due to its dependency from claim 1.
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.
(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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhijun Lv et al. (US 20210233980 A1; hereinafter Lv).
Regarding Claim 1, Lv discloses a display substrate (Fig. 1A), 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; ¶0046), the pixel-defining pattern comprising a plurality of openings (SPR) and a defining portion (21) that surrounds the plurality of openings, at least a portion of the light-emitting element (30) being in one opening of the plurality of openings (SPR),
wherein the defining portion (21) comprises at least one cavity (filled with 4), and each cavity of the at least one cavity surrounds at least one opening of the plurality of openings (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. 1A), 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 one opening of the plurality of openings (SPR),
wherein a surface of the first filling structure close to the base substrate (bottom of 4) is flush with a bottom surface of the defining portion close to the base substrate (bottom of 21) (as shown in Fig. 1A), in the first direction, a qap is between the surface, away from the base substrate, of the first filling structure (top of 4) and a surface of the defining portion away from the base substrate (top of 21) (as shown in Fig. 1A; there is a gap between the top of 4 and the top of 21).
Claims 1 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhan Shi (US 20230120390 A1; hereinafter Shi).
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Regarding Claim 1, Shi discloses a display substrate (Fig. 6 in view of Fig. 1), comprising:
a base substrate (11; ¶004661);
a plurality of sub-pixels (200; ¶0048) on the base substrate (11), wherein each of at least part of the plurality of sub-pixels comprises a light-emitting element (in view of Fig. 1; 31/32/33; ¶0063), the light-emitting element comprises a light-emitting functional layer (32), a first electrode (31) and a second electrode (33) 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 (11), and the first direction (up/down) is perpendicular to the base substrate (11);
a pixel-defining pattern (20/21; ¶0058), the pixel-defining pattern comprising a plurality of openings (area of 200) and a defining portion (20) that surrounds the plurality of openings, at least a portion of the light-emitting element (31/32/33) being in one opening of the plurality of openings (in area 200),
wherein the defining portion (20) comprises at least one cavity (at least one cavity 21), and each cavity of the at least one cavity surrounds at least one opening of the plurality of openings (cavities 21 surrounds opening of 200 on the sides), and the display substrate further comprises a first filling structure (filling material of 21 which is a filling structure that includes the slanted and perpendicular 21’s which is filled with material as shown in Fig. 6; ¶0074), and the first filling structure is in the cavity (as shown in Fig. 6; wherein material filling 21 forming the filling structure is in the middle 21 and in each cavity of the plurality of cavities), and a surface, away from the base substrate, of the first filling structure (annotated Fig. 6; S1) is farther away from the base substrate (11) than a surface, away from the base substrate, of at least a portion of the light-emitting functional layer (bottom of 32; labeled S2) which is in contact with the first electrode (31) in the one opening of the plurality of openings (area of 200),
wherein a surface of the first filling structure close to the base substrate (labeled S3) is flush with a bottom surface of the defining portion close to the base substrate (labeled S4) (as shown in annotated Fig. 6), in the first direction, a qap is between the surface, away from the base substrate, of the first filling structure (S1) and a surface of the defining portion away from the base substrate (labeled S5) (as shown in annotated Fig. 6; there is a gap between S1 and S5).
Regarding Claim 27, Shi discloses the display substrate according to claim 1, wherein the cavity (middle 21) is perpendicular to the base substrate (11) (as shown in Shi Fig. 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-11, 13, 15, 17-19, 21-22, and 26 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding Claim 4, the references of the Prior Art of record and considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure and to the Examiner’s knowledge does not teach or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan, all the limitations of the instant invention in their entirety (the individual limitations may be found just not in combination with proper motivation): specifically including (but not only limited to) the plurality of grooves that is on a top of the cavity away from the base substrate that is filled with a second filling structure including a material that is a light transmitting material that is different than the material of the defining portion.
For at least this reason, claims 2-3, 5-11, 13, 15, 17-19, and 21-22 are also allowed based on their dependency from claim 4.
Regarding Claim 26, the references of the Prior Art of record and considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure and to the Examiner’s knowledge does not teach or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan, all the limitations of the instant invention in their entirety (the individual limitations may be found just not in combination with proper motivation): specifically including (but not only limited to) forming the plurality of grooves/portions that is on a top of the cavity away from the base substrate that is filled with a second filling structure including a material that is a light transmitting material that is different than the material of the defining portion.
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 NATHAN PRIDEMORE whose telephone number is (703)756-4640. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JULIO MALDONADO can be reached at (571) 272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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NATHAN PRIDEMORE
Examiner
Art Unit 2898
/NATHAN PRIDEMORE/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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