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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Species I (claims 1-4, 7, 8, 13-16, and 24) in the reply filed on 3/13/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 6, 9, 11, and 18-23 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/13/26.
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.
Claim(s) 1 thru 3, 7, 8, and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Iguchi et al. US 2020/0176655 A1. Iguchi discloses (see, for example, FIG. 1) a display panel comprising a base substrate 50, plurality of light-emitting units 100, first electrode 40, first semiconductor layer 11, light-emitting layer 12, second semiconductor layer 13, and second electrode 10. The first electrode 40 is provided on a side of the second electrode 10 facing away from the base substrate 50, and the plurality of light-emitting units 100 share a common first electrode 40.
Regarding claim 2, see, for example, FIG. 1 wherein Iguchi discloses an isolation
structure 60, at least part of the isolation structure 60 being located between adjacent two of the light-emitting units 100, and a surface of the isolation structure 60 facing away from the base substrate 50 being further away than a surface of each light-emitting layer 12 facing away from the base substrate 50 in a thickness direction of the base substrate 50.
Regarding claim 3, see, for example, FIG. 1 wherein Iguchi discloses the isolation structure 60 being provided on the base substrate 50 and comprises a plurality of openings, and the plurality of light-emitting units 100 being provided one-to-one in the plurality of openings, and the first electrode 40 being provided on a side of the isolation structure 60 facing away from the base substrate 50.
Regarding claim 7, see, for example, paragraph [0092] wherein Iguchi discloses the isolation structure 60 being carbon black or white resin, a type of retro-reflective material.
Regarding claim 8, see, for example, FIG. 1 wherein Iguchi discloses the second electrode 10 being bonded to the base substrate 50.
Regarding claim 24, see, for example, paragraph [0003] wherein Iguchi discloses a
display devices such as glasses-like devices, etc. which are types of display apparatus.
Claim(s) 1 thru 3, 8, and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mezouari et al. US 2023/0333379 A1. Mezouari discloses (see, for example, FIG. 12E) a display panel comprising a base substrate 1270, plurality of light-emitting units 1280/1220/1230/1240/1262, first electrode 1280, first semiconductor layer 1220, light-emitting layer 1230, second semiconductor layer 1240, and second electrode 1262. The first electrode 1280 is provided on a side of the second electrode 1262 facing away from the base substrate 1270, and the plurality of light-emitting units share a common first electrode 1280.
Regarding claim 2, see, for example, FIG. 12E wherein Mezouari discloses an isolation
structure 1250, at least part of the isolation structure 1250 being located between adjacent two of the light-emitting units, and a surface of the isolation structure 1250 facing away from the base substrate 1270 being further away than a surface of each light-emitting layer 1230 facing away from the base substrate 1270 in a thickness direction of the base substrate 1270.
Regarding claim 3, see, for example, FIG. 12E wherein Mezouari discloses the isolation structure 1250 being provided on the base substrate 1210 and comprises a plurality of openings, and the plurality of light-emitting units are provided one-to-one in the plurality of openings, and the first electrode 1280 being provided on a side of the isolation structure 1250 facing away from the base substrate 1270.
Regarding claim 8, see, for example, FIG. 12E wherein Mezouari discloses the second electrode 1262 being bonded to the base substrate 1270.
Regarding claim 24, see, for example, FIG. 20 wherein Mezouri discloses a display module (i.e. display apparatus) 2060.
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(s) 4, 13, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mezouari et al. US 2023/0333379 A1 as applied to claims 1-3, 8, and 24 above. In FIG. 12E, Mezouari discloses the first semiconductor layers 1220 of the plurality of light-emitting units being arranged in a same layer and are of a monolithic structure, the first semiconductor layers 1220 are provided on the surface of the isolation structure 1250 facing away from the base substrate 1270. However, Mezouri does not specifically disclose a refractive index of the isolation structure being the same as that of the first semiconductor layers. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at a time prior to the effective filing date, to have a refractive index of the isolation structure being the same as that of the first semiconductor layers in order to reduce the total internal reflection of the display panel, and thereby improve the overall light extraction. Also, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Regarding claim 13, see, for example, FIG. 12E wherein Mezouari discloses the first
semiconductor layers comprising a common film layer (i.e. upper horizontal portion) 1220 and a plurality of protrusions (i.e. lower vertical portions), wherein the plurality of protrusions being provided one-to-one on surfaces of the light-emitting layers 1230 of the plurality of light-emitting units facing away from the second semiconductor layer 1240, and the common film layer being provided on a side of the plurality of protrusions facing away from the second semiconductor layer 1240.
Regarding claim 14, Mezouri does not specifically disclose a ratio of a thickness of each
of the protrusions to a thickness of the common film layer is 1/4 to 1/2. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have disclose a ratio of a thickness of each
of the protrusions to a thickness of the common film layer is 1/4 to ½ in order to provide adequate separation between the light-emitting units while minimizing size, and since it has been held that discovering the optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim(s) 15, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iguchi et al. US 2020/0176655 A1 as applied to claims 1-3, 7, 8, and 24 above, and further in view of Xia et al. US 2020/0035748 A1. Iguchi does not disclose a metal grid provided on a side of the first electrode facing away from the base substrate and connected with the first electrode, wherein the metal grid comprises a plurality of holes corresponding to the light-emitting units one-to-one, and an orthographic projection of each light-emitting layer onto the base substrate is located within an area of an orthographic projection of a respective hole of the metal grid onto the base substrate. However, Xia discloses (see, for example, Figure 8) a display panel comprising a metal grid 41 with a plurality of holes corresponding to light-emitting units 20. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at a time prior to the effective filing date, to have a metal grid provided on a side of the first electrode facing away from the base substrate and connected with the first electrode, wherein the metal grid comprises a plurality of holes corresponding to the light-emitting units one-to-one, and an orthographic projection of each light-emitting layer onto the base substrate is located within an area of an orthographic projection of a respective hole of the metal grid onto the base substrate in order to simplify the manufacturing process, and improve uniformity between the light-emitting units, increasing image quality.
Regarding claim 16, see, for example, Figure 8 wherein Xia discloses a connecting wire
40 in a peripheral area outside the display area of the light-emitting units 20, and is electrically connected to the metal grid 41.
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Eugene Lee
March 23, 2026
/EUGENE LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
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