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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I, claims 1-11 in the reply filed on 8/4/26 is acknowledged. Claims 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner, 37 C.F.R. 1.142(b) as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 2/27/24 have been considered.
Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration filed on 2/27/24 has been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
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) 1-3, 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ryu et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0293684).
Referring to figures 3-11, Ryu et al. teaches a display device, comprising:
a substrate (100) including a display area (DA) and a non-display area (NDA, see figure 1);
a transistor (M1/M2/M3, see paragraphs# 87-88) located on the substrate;
a light emitting element (LED) electrically connected to the transistor (see figures 4-5);
an encapsulation layer (400) located on the light emitting element;
a bank (540) located on the encapsulation layer (400) and defining an opening therein;
a color conversion layer (510/520/530) positioned within the opening;
a filling layer (550) positioned on the bank and the color conversion layer; and
a transmission layer (700) and a first spacer (611) which are disposed on the filling layer (see figure 11).
Regarding to claim 2, the opening includes a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening, wherein the color conversion layer comprises: a first color conversion layer located in the first opening and including quantum dots, and a second color conversion layer positioned within the second opening and including quantum dots (see paragraphs# 71-76, figures 3, 11).
Regarding to claim 3, the transmission layer (700) overlaps the third opening in a thickness direction of the substrate (see figure 11).
Regarding to claim 7, a second spacer (611) positioned in the non-display area, and a sealant (630) overlapping the second spacer in a thickness direction of the substrate (see figure 11).
Claim(s) 1-4, 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022/0037623).
Referring to figures 7-11, Park et al. teaches a display device, comprising:
a substrate (SUB) including a display area (DA) and a non-display area (NDA, see figure 3);
a transistor (T1/T2) located on the substrate;
a light emitting element (LD) electrically connected to the transistor (see figures 4-5);
an encapsulation layer (BNK1/INS4) located on the light emitting element;
a bank (BNK2) located on the encapsulation layer (BNK1/INS4) and defining an opening therein;
a color conversion layer (CCL) positioned within the opening;
a filling layer (CP1/) positioned on the bank and the color conversion layer; and
a transmission layer (LRL) and a first spacer (BM) which are disposed on the filling layer (see figure 7-10).
Regarding to claim 2, the opening includes a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening, wherein the color conversion layer comprises: a first color conversion layer located in the first opening and including quantum dots, and a second color conversion layer positioned within the second opening and including quantum dots (see figures 7-11).
Regarding to claim 3, the transmission layer (LRL) overlaps the third opening in a thickness direction of the substrate (see figure 10).
Regarding to claim 4, the filling layer (CP1) is positioned in the third opening (see figure 10).
Regarding to claim 9, an insulating layer (UPL, see paragraph# 205, figure 11) positioned on the transmission layer, the first spacer, and the filling layer, and a color filter positioned on the insulating layer (see figure 11).
Regarding to claim 10, the color filter (CF1/CF2/CF3) comprises a first color filter overlapping the transmission layer in the thickness direction; a second color filter overlapping the first color conversion layer in the thickness direction; and a third color filter overlapping the second color conversion layer in the thickness direction, wherein the bank overlaps at least two of the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter in the thickness direction (see figure 11).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6, 8, 11 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.
None of the prior art teaches/suggest the transmission layer and the first spacer include a same type of scatterer (in claim 5); the transmission layer and the first spacer have a same height in a thickness direction of the substrate (in claim 6); the second spacer has a same height as the transmission layer, and the second spacer and the transmission layer include a same type of scatterer (in claim 8); at least one of the first spacer and the second spacer overlaps at least two of the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter in the thickness direction (in claim 11).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thanh Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-1695, or by Email via address Thanh.Nguyen@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 6:00AM to 3:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Yara Green, can be reached on (571) 270-3035. The fax phone number for this Group is (571) 273-8300.
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/THANH T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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