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 .
Attorney Docket Number: 12732-2402US1
Filling Date: 01/10/2024
Priority Date: 06/30/2022
Inventor: Sasagawa et al
Examiner: Bilkis Jahan
DETAILED ACTION
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-5, 11, 13-14, 15-18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kato (US 2021/0265432 A1) in view of Hirohide et al (JP2008-108482, machine translation is used for the rejection and attached).
Regarding claim 1, Kato discloses a display apparatus (Figs. 1, 21) comprising a first light-emitting device 117G (Para. 96), a second light-emitting device 117B (Para. 83) adjacent to the first light-emitting device 117G, and a first insulating layer 114G (Paras. 77, 79) and a second insulating layer 114B (Paras. 77, 79) between the first light-emitting device 117G and the second light-emitting device 117B, wherein the first light-emitting device 117G comprises a first pixel electrode 118G (Para. 50), a first light- emitting layer 117G over the first pixel electrode 118G, and a common electrode 416 (Para. 130) over the first light-emitting layer 117G, wherein the second light-emitting device 117B comprises a second pixel electrode 118B (Para. 50), a second light-emitting layer 117B over the second pixel electrode 118B, and the common electrode 416 over the second light-emitting layer 117B, wherein the first insulating layer 114G covers a side surface and part of a top surface of the first light-emitting layer 117G and a side surface and part of a top surface of the second light-emitting layer 117B (diagonally), wherein the second insulating layer 114B faces the side surface and the part of the top surface of the first light-emitting layer 117G (diagonally) and the side surface and the part of the top surface of the second light-emitting layer 117B with the first insulating layer 114G therebetween, wherein the common electrode 416 covers the second insulating layer 114B (obvious from figures 1 and 21) wherein the second insulating layer 114B covers at least part of a side surface of the first insulating layer 114G.
Kato does not explicitly disclose in a cross-sectional view, an end portion of the second insulating layer has a tapered shape with a taper angle less than 900.
However, Hirohide discloses in a cross-sectional view, an end portion of the second insulating layer has a tapered shape with a taper angle less than 900 (Fig. 1-5, Para. 5).
Hirohide teaches the above modification is used to improve display quality of the device (Para. 5). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill of the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to substitute Kato second insulating layer angle with Hirohide insulating layer as suggested above to improve display quality of the device (Para. 5).
Regarding claim 2, Kato further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end portion of the second insulating layer 114B is outward from an end portion of the first insulating layer 114G.
Regarding claim 3, Kato further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a top surface of the second insulating layer 114B has a convex shape (Fig. 1, obvious).
Regarding claims 4 and 5, Kato does not explicitly disclose the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the cross-sectional view, an end portion of the first insulating layer has a tapered shape with a taper angle less than 90°; the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a side surface of the second insulating layer has a concave shape.
However, Hirohide discloses the first insulating layer 114G has a tapered shape with a taper angle less than 90° (Fig. 5, Para. 5) and kato discloses a side surface of the second insulating layer has a shape 114B (Fig. 1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill of the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to obtain in the cross-sectional view, an end portion of the first insulating layer has a tapered shape with a taper angle less than 90°; the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a side surface of the second insulating layer has a concave shape for intended purposes.
the applicants have not established the criticality (see next paragraph below) of the shape.
CRITICALITY
The specification contains no disclosure of either the critical nature of the claimed shape or any unexpected results arising therefrom. Where patentability is said to be based upon particular chosen dimensions or upon another variable recited in a claim, the applicant must show that the chosen dimensions are critical. In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 1578, 16 USPQ2d 1934, 1936 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Regarding claim 11, Kato further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer 114G and the second insulating layer 114B each comprise a portion overlapping with the first pixel electrode 418G and a portion overlapping with the second pixel electrode 418B.
Regarding claim 13, Hirohide further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the cross-sectional view, an end portion of the first pixel electrode 303 and an end portion of the second pixel electrode 303 each have a tapered shape with a taper angle less than 90° (Figs. 1-5, Para. 37).
Regarding claim 14, Kato further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer 114G is an inorganic insulating layer (Para. 77), and wherein the second insulating layer 114B is an organic insulating layer (Para. 78).
Regarding claim 15, Kato further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer 114G comprises aluminum oxide (Para. 77).
Regarding claim 16, Kato further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer 114B comprises an acrylic resin (Para. 78, very common in the art, Paras. 80-81).
Regarding claim 17, Kato further discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first light-emitting device 117G comprises a common layer 415G between the first light- emitting layer 117G and the common electrode 416, wherein the second light-emitting device 117B comprises the common layer 415B between the second light-emitting layer 117B and the common electrode 416, and wherein the common layer 416 is between the second insulating layer 114B and the common electrode 416.
Regarding claim 18, Kato further discloses a display module comprising: the display apparatus according to claim 1; and at least one of a connector (electrode 118G connects with the silicon substrate 120) and an integrated circuit.
Regarding claim 19, Kato further discloses an electronic device comprising: the display module according to claim 18; and at least one of a housing, a battery, a camera (Para. 2, camera uses display), a speaker, and a microphone.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 and 12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 20-24 and 25 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The applied prior arts neither anticipate nor render the claimed subject matter obvious because they fail to teach the claimed method for fabricating a display apparatus, comprising: processing the second insulating film to form a second insulating layer overlapping with a region interposed between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode; performing first etching treatment using the second insulating layer as a mask to remove part of the first insulating film and to thin down part of the first mask layer and part of the second mask layer; performing heat treatment and then performing second etching treatment using the second insulating layer as a mask to remove the part of the first mask layer and the part of the second mask layer and to expose a top surface of the first layer and a top surface of the second layer; and forming a common electrode to cover the first layer, the second layer in combination with all other limitations as recited in claim 20.
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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BILKIS JAHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5022. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5 Pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marlon T Fletcher can be reached at (571)272-2063. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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BILKIS . JAHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2817
/BILKIS JAHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817