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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 5-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choung et al. (U.S. 2022/0077251 A1, hereinafter refer to Choung) in view of Hwang et al. (U.S. 2023/0209955 A1, hereinafter refer to Hwang).
Regarding Claim 1: Choung discloses a display device (see Choung, Figs.1- 2 as shown below and ¶ [0002]) comprising:
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a display area which includes a plurality of subpixels (106/108) (see Choung, Figs.1- 2 as shown above and ¶ [0026]- ¶ [0029]); and
a partition which includes a conductive lower portion (110A) and an upper portion (110B) which protrudes from a side surface of the lower portion (110A), and surrounds each of the subpixels (106/108) (note: a second configuration of the inorganic overhang structures 110 includes the upper portion 110B of a conductive inorganic material and the lower portion 110A of a conductive inorganic material) (see Choung, Figs.1- 2 as shown above, ¶ [0030]- ¶ [0031], and ¶ [0040]),
wherein each of the subpixels (106/108) includes:
a lower electrode (104) (see Choung, Figs.1- 2 as shown above);
an organic layer (112) which covers the lower electrode (104) and emits light based on application of voltage (see Choung, Figs.1- 2 as shown above and ¶ [0026- ¶ [0033]); and
an upper electrode (114) which covers the organic layer (112) and is in contact with the lower portion of the partition (110A) (see Choung, Figs.1- 2 as shown above).
Choung is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein the display area has a transmissive area located between the lower electrodes of the adjacent two subpixels, and the partition surrounds the transmissive area.
For support see Hwang, which teaches wherein the display area has a transmissive area (TA) located between the lower electrodes (120) of the adjacent two subpixels (SP), and the partition (124) surrounds the transmissive area (TA) (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown below and ¶ [0006]).
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Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Choung and Hwang to enable the Choung’s display area to have a transmissive area located between the lower electrodes of the adjacent two subpixels, and the partition to be surround the transmissive area as taught by Hwang in order to obtain a high light transmittance in a display area.
Regarding Claim 2: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein the subpixels (SP) include a plurality of first subpixels (SP) which display a first color, and the transmissive area (TA) is located between the lower electrodes (120) of the adjacent two first subpixels (SP) (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 5: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein the display area has first and second columns each of which includes the first subpixels (SP) and the transmissive area (TA) (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above),
the first column and the second column are arranged in a first direction (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above),
the first subpixels (SP) are arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction in each of the first and second columns (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
The combination of Choung and Hwang is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein a position of the transmissive area of the first column and a position of the transmissive area of the second column are misaligned with each other in the second direction.
However, the combination of Choung and Hwang teaches wherein a position of the transmissive area (TA) of the first column and a position of the transmissive area (TA) of the second column are aligned with each other in the second direction (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
Hence, rearranging the position of the transmissive area would not have modified the operation of the device.
Hence, rearranging the position of the transmissive area was held to be an obvious matter of design choice.
Regarding Claim 6: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein the display area has a column which includes the first subpixels (SP) and the transmissive areas (TA), and the first subpixels (SP) and the transmissive areas (TA) are alternately arranged in the column (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 7: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein the display area has a column which includes the first subpixels (SP) and the transmissive areas (TA), and the first subpixels (SP) are provided between the adjacent two transmissive areas (TA) (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 8: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 2 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein each of the first subpixels (SP) is provided in a first area surrounded by the partition (124), and the transmissive area (TA) is smaller than the first area (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 9: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 8 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein a width of the transmissive area in a first direction is equal to a width of the first area in the first direction, and a width of the transmissive area in a second direction intersecting with the first direction is less than a width of the first area in the second direction.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of making semiconductor devices to determine the workable or optimal value for the dimensions of transmissive area with respect to the dimensions the first area through routine experimentation and optimization to obtain optimal or desired light transmittance in a display area because the dimensions of transmissive area with respect to the dimensions the first area is a result-effective variable and there is no evidence indicating that it is critical or produces any unexpected results and it has been held that it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges of a result-effective variable within given prior art conditions by routine experimentation. See MPEP § 2144.05
Regarding Claim 10: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 9 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein the width of the transmissive area in the second direction is greater than a width of the partition located between the first area and the transmissive area in the second direction.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of making semiconductor devices to determine the workable or optimal value for the dimensions of transmissive area with respect to the dimensions the partition located between the first area and the transmissive area through routine experimentation and optimization to obtain optimal or desired light transmittance in a display area because the dimensions of transmissive area with respect to the partition located between the first area and the transmissive area is a result-effective variable and there is no evidence indicating that it is critical or produces any unexpected results and it has been held that it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges of a result-effective variable within given prior art conditions by routine experimentation. See MPEP § 2144.05
Regarding Claim 11: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein a rib (126) having a pixel aperture overlapping the lower electrode (104) in each of the subpixels (106/108), wherein the partition (110) is provided on the rib (126) (see Choung, Figs.1- 2 as shown above), and
the transmissive area (TA) overlaps the rib (122) (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 12: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 1 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein neither the organic layer (130) nor the upper electrode (140) is provided in the transmissive area (TA) (see Hwang, Fig.8).
Regarding Claim 13: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 12 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein a sealing layer (116) formed of an inorganic insulating material which covers a stacked film including the organic layer (112) and the upper electrode (114), wherein the sealing layer (116) is not provided in the transmissive area (see Choung, Figs.1- 2 as shown above and see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
Regarding Claim 14: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 13 as above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein a resin layer (Fig.1, 118 and Fig.9, CPL) which covers the sealing layer (116), wherein an inner space of the partition (Fig.1, 110 and Fig.9, 124) which surrounds the transmissive area (TA) is filled with the resin layer (CPL) (see Choung, Figs.1- 2 as shown above and see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
Claim(s) 3-4 and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choung et al. (U.S. 2022/0077251 A1, hereinafter refer to Choung) and Hwang et al. (U.S. 2023/0209955 A1, hereinafter refer to Hwang) as applied to claims 1 above, and further in view of Wang et al. (U.S. 2024/0356640 A1, hereinafter refer to Wang).
Regarding Claim 3: Choung as modified teaches a display device as applied to claim 2 above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein the subpixels further include a plurality of second subpixels (SP2) which display a second color different from the first color, and a plurality of third subpixels (SP3) which display a third color different from the first color and the second color (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
The combination of Choung and Hwang is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein an aperture ratio of each of the first subpixels is greater than an aperture ratio of each of the second subpixels and an aperture ratio of each of the third subpixels.
For support see Wang, which teaches wherein an aperture ratio of each of the first subpixels (Blue) is greater than an aperture ratio of each of the second subpixels (green or red) and an aperture ratio of each of the third subpixels (green or red) (see Wang, Fig.19-20, ¶ [0030], ¶ [0167], and ¶ [0173]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Choung, Hwang, and Wang to enable the combination of Choung’s and Hwang’s aperture ratio of each of the first subpixels to be greater than an aperture ratio of each of the second subpixels and an aperture ratio of each of the third subpixels.as taught by Wang in order to achieve a high-speed uplink and downlink two-way light wave communication.
Regarding Claim 4: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 3 as above. The combination of Choung, Hwang, and Wang further teaches wherein the first color is blue, the second color is green, and the third color is red (see Wang, Fig.19-20, ¶ [0030], ¶ [0167], and ¶ [0173]).
Regarding Claim 15: Choung as modified teaches a display device as applied to claim 1 above. The combination of Choung and Hwang further teaches wherein the subpixels (SP) include a first subpixel (SP1) which displays a first color, a second subpixel (SP2) which displays a second color different from the first color, and a third subpixel (SP3) which displays a third color different from the first color and the second color (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above),
the first subpixel (SP1) is provided in a first area surrounded by the partition (124) (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above),
the second subpixel (SP2) is provided in a second area surrounded by the partition (124) (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above),
the third subpixel (SP3) is provided in a third area surrounded by the partition (124) (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above),
the transmissive area (TA) and the first area are arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
The combination of Choung and Hwang is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein a width of the first area in a first direction is greater than each of a width of the second area in the first direction and a width of the third area in the first direction.
For support see Wang, which teaches wherein a width of the first area in a first direction is greater than each of a width of the second area in the first direction and a width of the third area in the first direction (see Wang, Fig.19-20, ¶ [0030], ¶ [0167], and ¶ [0173]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Choung, Hwang, and Wang to enable the combination of Choung’s and Hwang’s width of the first area in a first direction to be greater than each of a width of the second area in the first direction and a width of the third area in the first direction.as taught by Wang in order to achieve a high-speed uplink and downlink two-way light wave communication.
Regarding Claim 16: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 15 as above. The combination of Choung, Hwang, and Wang is silent upon explicitly disclosing wherein a width of the first area in the second direction is less than each of a width of the second area in the second direction and a width of the third area in the second direction.
However, the combination of Choung, Hwang, and Wang further teaches wherein a width of the first area in the second direction is equal to each of a width of the second area in the second direction and a width of the third area in the second direction (see Wang, Figs.19-20).
Hence, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of making semiconductor devices to determine the workable or optimal value for the width of the first area, the second area, the third area in the second direction through routine experimentation and optimization to achieve a high-speed uplink and downlink two-way light wave communication because the width of the first area, the second area, the third area in the second direction is a result-effective variable and there is no evidence indicating that it is critical or produces any unexpected results and it has been held that it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges of a result-effective variable within given prior art conditions by routine experimentation. See MPEP § 2144.05
Regarding Claim 17: Choung as modified teaches a display device as set forth in claim 15 as above. The combination of Choung, Hwang, and Wang further teaches wherein a width of the transmissive area (TA) in the first direction is equal to the width of the first area in the first direction, and a width of the transmissive area (TA) in the second direction is less than the width of the first area in the second direction (see Hwang, Figs.6A and 9 as shown above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BITEW A DINKE whose telephone number is (571)272-0534. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7 a.m. - 5 p.m..
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/BITEW A DINKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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