DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. The chemical structures in claims 1, 2 and 5 are smudgy with illegible labels. The other claims are indefinite by dependency.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2018/070641 A2 (= US 2019/0229275 A1) to Lee et al.
Regarding claim 1, Lee et al. discloses an OLED wherein the EML comprises the following compound as a host material:
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.
This compound is representative of the claimed compound of formula 1-A-1 wherein X1 = O, L1-3 = single bond, Ar1-2 = Ph, a = 4, and adjacent R1 groups are joined to form 2 rings. Claim 1 is therefore unpatentable. So are claims 2-4 and 7-8. The features of claim 6 are disclosed on page 11, and those of claims 9-10 at [0113].
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2019/013509 A1 to Suh et al.
Regarding claim 1, Suh et al. discloses an OLED wherein the EML comprises one of the following compounds as a host material:
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(p. 12). These compounds are representative of the claimed compound of formula 1-A-1 wherein X1 = O, L1-3 = single bond, Ar1 = Ph, Ar2 = dibenzofuranyl or dibenzothiophenyl, a = 4, and adjacent R1 groups are joined to form 2 rings. Claim 1 is therefore unpatentable. So are claims 2-8.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2019/013509 A1 to Suh et al.
Regarding claims 9-10, the organic electric element of claim 7 is disclosed by Suh et al. as explained above. While Suh et al. discloses an organic light-emitting diode having a low driving voltage and a long operational lifetime, it fails to disclose a light-emitting device equipped with a control unit. Nevertheless, since the fabrication of displays having organic light-emitting diodes equipped with thin-film transistors on the same substrate, where the TFT’s drive the OLED’s, is well established in the art, it would have been obvious to a PHOSITA at the time the instant invention was filed to make such displays in order to market the OLED disclosed by Suh et al.
Other Prior Art of Record
The compound of claim 1 is also disclosed by KR10-1847347-B1 (see compound 278 on page 57 of the English-language application publication US 2020/0251659 A1).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VU ANH NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-5454. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ROBERT JONES can be reached at (571) 270-7733. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VU A NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1762
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