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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-30 are pending in this application.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (Claims 1-16) in the reply filed on 6/22/26 is acknowledged. Claims 17-30 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Claims 1-16 are examined in this Office action.
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made that the information disclosure statement has been received and considered by the examiner. If the applicant is aware of any prior art or any other co-pending applications not already of record, he/she is reminded of his/her duty under 37 CFR 1.56 to disclose the same.
Drawings
There are no objections or rejections to the drawings.
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.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 pre-AIA 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.
Claims 1, 3-6 and 10-11 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choung et al. (US Patent Application Publication No 2017/0373132) hereinafter referred to as Choung.
Per Claim 1 Choung discloses a display apparatus device, comprising
a first pixel (201) disposed on a substrate (100) and comprising (see figure 11, The examiner notes that the term "on" includes "directly on" (no intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween) and "indirectly on" (intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween))
a first pixel electrode (211);
a first emission layer (310) disposed on the first pixel electrode; and
a first opposite electrode (410) disposed on the first emission layer;
a second pixel (202) disposed on the substrate and comprising:
a second pixel (212) electrode;
a second emission layer (320) disposed on the second pixel electrode; and
a second opposite electrode (420) disposed on the second emission layer;
a pixel defining layer (180) disposed on the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode and including an opening (OP), the opening exposing each of at least a portion of the first pixel electrode and at least a portion of the second pixel electrode (as in figure 11);
a trench (CNT) included in the pixel defining layer (as shown in figure 11); and
a connection electrode (515) electrically connecting the first opposite electrode to the second opposite electrode. (as shown in figure 11)
Per Claim 3 Choung discloses the device of claim 1 including where the first emission layer and the second emission layer are disconnected from each other by the trench. (see fig. 11)
Per Claim 4 Choung discloses the device of claim 1 including where the first opposite electrode and the second opposite electrode are disconnected from each other by the trench. (as shown in figure 11)
Per Claim 5 Choung discloses the device of claim 1 including where the trench comprises a plurality of trenches (as shown in figure 11)
Per Claim 6 Choung discloses the device of claim 1 including an insulating layer (109) disposed between the substrate (100) and the pixel defining layer (180), wherein the trench is in at least a portion of the insulating layer.
Per Claim 10 Choung discloses the device of claim 1 including where the first emission layer and the second emission layer emit light of a same color. [0026]
Per Claim 11 Choung discloses the device of claim 1 including where the first emission layer and the second emission layer emit light of different colors. [0266]
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 7-9 and 12-16 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.
Cited Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior art included on the Notice of References Cited (PTOL 892) attached herewith.
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant.
Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMI VALENTINE MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-9786. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 7am-5pm.
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, Eva Montalvo can be reached on (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jami Valentine Miller/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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