Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/560,082

ELECTRONIC DEVICE

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Nov 09, 2023
Examiner
GREEN, TRACIE Y
Art Unit
2875
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 2m
To Grant
89%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allow Rate
1097 granted / 1385 resolved
+11.2% vs TC avg
Moderate +9% lift
Without
With
+9.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 2m
Avg Prosecution
32 currently pending
Career history
1417
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
60.3%
+20.3% vs TC avg
§102
20.3%
-19.7% vs TC avg
§112
11.6%
-28.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1385 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 02/07/2024 has been considered by the examiner. Response to Amendment Receipt is acknowledged of applicant’s amendment filed 11/09/2023 . Specification amended, Claims 12-13 added; Claims 1-13 are now pending and an action on the merits is as follows. Specification The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. 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 s 1-2,4,7-8, 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 a1/a2 as being anticipated by Sugimoto ( US 20100065832 A1 ) . Regarding claim 1, Sugimoto discloses electronic device: a display apparatus (Figures 1 and 13, claims 5-7)a light-emitting apparatus )having a light-emitting region formed by arranging a plurality of light-emitting panel units, comprising: each of the light-emitting panel units including a flexible substrate (10) having a flat portion including an extended portion formed on each side of the flat portion, a light-emitting portion formed on one surface of the substrate to extend to the extended portion (11), and an electrode terminal formed at an end portion (13) of the extended portion (11) of the substrate (10), wherein the extended portion(11) of the substrate(10) is curved together with the light-emitting portion (12) to connect both the curved light-emitting portions (12) of the adjacent light-emitting panel units (1). wherein the light emitting portion (12) has a structure in which includes a light-transmitting anode (14) serving as a first electrode, an EL layer (15), and a cathode (16) serving as a second electrode are stacked in order over one surface of the substrate (10). The anode (14) (first electrode) is formed to extend to the end portions of a set of opposite extended portions (11) (extended portions in a horizontal direction of the sheet) out of the extended portions (11) in the cross directions, and the exposed portions at the end portions (13) function as anode terminals (14A). On the other hand, the cathode (16) (Second electrode) is formed to extend to the end portions of the remaining set of opposite extended portions (11) and the exposed portions at the end portions (13) function as cathode terminals (16A). the light emitting panels units c an be connected relatively easily only by inserting the end portions 13 of the extended portions 11, into the socket portions (22) of the wiring substrate (2) that is cylindrical in shape (Figure 13) (Support substrate) (π46-π52) . Regarding claim 2, Sugimoto discloses electronic device: a display apparatus (Figures 1 and 13, claims 5-7)a light-emitting apparatus )having a light-emitting region formed by arranging a plurality of light-emitting panel units, comprising: each of the light-emitting panel units including a flexible substrate (10) having a flat portion including an extended portion formed on each side of the flat portion, a light-emitting portion formed on one surface of the substrate to extend to the extended portion (11), and an electrode terminal formed at an end portion (13) of the extended portion (11) of the substrate (10), wherein the extended portion(11) of the substrate(10) is curved together with the light-emitting portion (12) to connect both the curved light-emitting portions (12) of the adjacent light-emitting panel units (1). wherein the light emitting portion (12) has a structure in which includes a light-transmitting anode (14) serving as a first electrode, an EL layer (15), and a cathode (16) serving as a second electrode are stacked in order over one surface of the substrate (10). The anode (14) (first electrode) is formed to extend to the end portions of a set of opposite extended portions (11) (extended portions in a horizontal direction of the sheet) out of the extended portions (11) in the cross directions, and the exposed portions at the end portions (13) function as anode terminals (14A). On the other hand, the cathode (16) (Second electrode) is formed to extend to the end portions of the remaining set of opposite extended portions (11) and the exposed portions at the end portions (13) function as cathode terminals (16A). the light emitting panels units c an be connected relatively easily only by inserting the end portions 13 of the extended portions 11, into the socket portions (22) of the wiring substrate (2) that is cylindrical in shape (Figure 13) (Support substrate) (π46-π52) and wherein each of the first light-emitting apparatus and the second light-emitting device comprises (π52): a lower electrode (14,anode); a first (HIL or hil transfer layer)functional layer over the lower electrode (14); a light-emitting layer over the first functional layer; a second functional layer (electron transfer layer) over the light-emitting layer; and an upper electrode (16, cathode) over the second functional layer(π52) . Regarding claim 4, Sugimoto discloses wherein the first functional layer comprises one or both of a hole-injection layer and a hole-transport layer, and wherein the second functional layer comprises one or both of an electron-transport layer and an electron-injection layer (π52). Regarding claim 7, Sugimoto discloses wherein light emitted from the first light-emitting apparatus and light emitted from the second light-emitting apparatus have the same color (See claim 13). Regarding claim 8, Sugimoto discloses wherein the first light-emitting apparatus comprises: a first lower electrode; a first functional layer over the first lower electrode; a first light-emitting layer over the first functional layer; a second functional layer over the first light-emitting layer; and an upper electrode over the second functional layer, and wherein the second light-emitting apparatus comprises: a second lower electrode; a third functional layer over the second lower electrode; a second light-emitting layer over the third functional layer; and a fourth functional layer over the second light-emitting layer(Examiner note: the invention described in claim 1 satisfies the delimiting features of the invention as in claim 8). Regarding claim 10 , Sugimoto discloses wherein each of the first functional layer and the third functional layer comprises one or both of a hole-injection layer and a hole-transport layer, and wherein each of the second functional layer and the fourth functional layer comprises one or both of an electron-transport layer and an electron-injection layer (π52). Regarding claim 11 , Sugimoto discloses wherein light emitted from the first light-emitting apparatus and light emitted from the second light-emitting apparatus have different colors from each other (claim 12 of Sugimoto ) . 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 3, 5-6 ,9, 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugimoto (US 20100065832 A1) in view of Ke et al. ( US 20180190908 A1 ) (Ke ). Regarding Claim s 3 and 5-6 , Sugimoto discloses the electronic device set forth above (see rejection claim 1).Sugimot o fails to explicitly disclose wherein each of the first light-emitti ng apparatus and the second light-emitting apparatus comprises: the lower electrode; the first functional layer over the lower electrode; a first light-emitting layer over the first functional layer; a common layer over the first light-emitting layer; a second light-emitting layer over the common layer; the second functional layer over the second light-emitting layer; and the upper electrode over the second functional layer (claim 3)); wherein a side surface of the first functional layer and a side surface of the light-emitting layer are aligned or substantially aligned in a cross-sectional view (claim 5); wherein a side surface of the first functional layer, a side surface of the first light-emitting layer, and a side surface of the second light-emitting layer are aligned or substantially aligned in a cross-sectional view (Claim 6). Ke describes an invention pertaining to a three-color OLED device, and indicates that a first device layer 71 for emitting light of a first color, a second device layer 72 for emitting light of a second color, and a third device layer 73 for emitting light of a third color are laminated, and that, by means of photolithographic pattering, the side surfaces of the layers are aligned when viewed in a cross section (see paragraphs [0085]-[0105] and figure 31). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date to modify the electronic device of Sugimoto based on the teachings above and Ke wherein each of the first light-emitting apparatus and the second light-emitting apparatus comprises: the lower electrode; the first functional layer over the lower electrode; a first light-emitting layer over the first functional layer; a common layer over the first light-emitting layer; a second light-emitting layer over the common layer; the second functional layer over the second light-emitting layer; and the upper electrode over the second functional layer (claim 3));wherein a side surface of the first functional layer and a side surface of the light-emitting layer are aligned or substantially aligned in a cross-sectional view ; wherein a side surface of the first functional layer, a side surface of the first light-emitting layer, and a side surface of the second light-emitting layer are aligned or substantially aligned in a cross-sectional view the motivation being to provide a high quality display device with a wide color gamut and low power consumption. Regarding claim 9, Examiner takes the position that one of ordinary skill in the art could take the in the invention as described by Sugimoto and Ke, and thereby arrive at the delimiting features of the invention as in claim 9. Regarding claim 12, Sugimoto discloses wherein each of the first functional layer and the third functional layer comprises one or both of a hole-injection layer and a hole-transport layer, and wherein each of the second functional layer and the fourth functional layer comprises one or both of an electron-transport layer and an electron-injection layer (π52) Regarding claim 1 3 , Sugimoto discloses wherein light emitted from the first light-emitting apparatus and light emitted from the second light-emitting apparatus have different colors from each other (see claim 12 of Sugimoto ) . 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 20200144504 A1 -General state of the art- A light-emitting element containing a fluorescent material and having high emission efficiency US 20180095502 A1 -General state of the art- electronic device can be folded in half and includes a bendable display device Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT TRACIE Y GREEN whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)270-3104 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT Mon-Thursday, 10am-8pm . 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, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT James R Greece can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-3711 . The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. FILLIN "Examiner Stamp" \* MERGEFORMAT TRACIE Y. GREEN Primary Examiner Art Unit 2875 /TRACIE Y GREEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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Prosecution Timeline

Nov 09, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 07, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
89%
With Interview (+9.4%)
2y 2m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1385 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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