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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of invention I, claims 1-15, in the reply filed on 7/9/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/9/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the limitation in lines 9-10 is suggested to be amended to “a conductive pattern disposed on the insulating layer separated from the pixel electrodes of the pixels” for clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
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 3 and 8-14 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.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the pixel electrode" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the light emitting layer" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the pixel electrode" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the light emitting layer" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the light emitting layer" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the light emitting layer" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the objection(s), and rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record, Choi (US 2019/0172898), discloses a display device comprising: a substrate on which a display area and a non-display area are defined; pixels disposed on the substrate, wherein the pixels include pixel electrodes disposed respectively in emission areas positioned in the display area, light emitting layers disposed respectively on the pixel electrodes, and a common electrode disposed on the light emitting layers; an insulating layer disposed on the substrate and positioned in a non-emission area between the emission areas of the pixels and in the non-display area; a conductive pattern disposed on the insulating layer to be separated from the pixel electrodes of the pixels, wherein a first voltage is applied to the conductive pattern, wherein the insulating layer includes: a lower insulating layer positioned in the non-display area; an upper insulating layer disposed on the lower insulating layer and having a greater area than an upper surface of the lower insulating layer. See Choi, FIG. 7, and paragraphs [0046]-[0047], [0056], [0063]-[0064] and [0069]-[0070]. The prior art of records, individually or in combination, do not disclose nor teach “a lower insulating layer positioned between the pixel electrodes in the display area” in combination with other limitations as recited in claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHIH TSUN A CHOU whose telephone number is (408)918-7583. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-16:00 Arizona Time.
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/SHIH TSUN A CHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811
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