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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s amendment filed August 5, 2026.
Drawings
The objection to the drawings has been withdrawn due to the amendment filed.
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 (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.
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (EP 3217265 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Choi et al. teach a display device comprising: a resin substrate 100; a barrier inorganic film 110 above the resin substrate 100; a flattening organic film 140 above the resin substrate 100; a display element layer 300 above the flattening organic film 140; and a sealing layer 400 covering the display element layer 300; and a reinforcement organic film 310 laminated on the sealing layer 400, wherein the display device has a display area DA and an edge area OW located outside of the display area DA in a plan view, the sealing layer 400 has an encapsulation organic film 420 and a pair of encapsulation inorganic films 410/430 that interpose the encapsulation organic film 420, the pair of encapsulation inorganic films 410/430 have a lower encapsulation inorganic film 410 and an upper encapsulation inorganic film 430, the barrier inorganic film 110 and the pair of encapsulation inorganic films 410/430 are arranged except on the edge area OW, the lower encapsulation inorganic film 410 and the upper encapsulation inorganic film 430 are in direct contact with each other outside of the encapsulation organic film 420, and the reinforcement organic film 610 and the pair of encapsulation inorganic films 410/430 have respective tips aligned with one another (Figure 7I, pages 9-46).
In regard to claim 2, Choi et al. teach the edge of the lower encapsulation inorganic film 410 covered with an organic material 730 that extends to the edge area OW (Figures 4I and 7I, pages 9-46).
In regard to claim 3, Choi et al. teach the display element layer 300 including a pixel electrode 310, a counter electrode 330, and an organic electroluminescence layer 320 between the pixel electrode 310 and the counter electrode 330 (Figure 7I, pages 9-46).
In regard to claim 4, Choi et al. teach inorganic films (110-130) include a circuit layer (See 213b/213c/215c) for constituting a circuit, and the circuit layer (See 213b/213c/215c) including the barrier inorganic film 110 laminated on and in contact with the resin substrate 100 (Figure 7I, pages 9-46).
In regard to claim 5, Choi et al. teach all of the inorganic films (110-130) avoid the edge area OW (Figure 7I, pages 9-46).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to display devices:
Lee et al. (US 2016/0095172 A1) Lee et al. (US 2017/0149017 A1)
Lee et al. (US 2017/0323936 A1) Lee et al. (US 2018/0097034 A1)
Lim et al. (KR 20160041708 A) Park et al. (US 2019/0044092 A1)
Song et al. (US 2017/0294500 A1).
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 IDA M SOWARD whose telephone number is (571)272-1845. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm.
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, Leonard Chang can be reached at 571-270-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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IMS
September 14, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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