DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species III, Fig. 5 (claims 1-7, and 10-20) in the reply filed on 7/17/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that this structural feature (i.e. “the orthographic projection … is like a grid mesh … at least one isolation structure may be integrally formed. The isolation structure … from each other”) is not exclusive to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. This is noted by the Examiner; however, the requirement is still deemed proper and made FINAL.
Claims 8, and 9 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 7/17/26.
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.
Claim(s) 1 thru 7, 10, and 16 thru 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hatano et al. US 2012/0217516 A1. Hatano discloses (see, for example, FIG. 1B) a display panel, comprising: a base plate 100; a plurality of first electrodes 118 disposed on a side of the base plate 100, first openings (i.e. unlabeled small gaps between the first electrodes 118) are formed between adjacent ones of the first electrodes 118; an insulation layer 124 disposed on a side of the first electrodes 118 away from the base plate 100, at least a part of the insulation layer 124 is located within the first openings, the insulation layer 124 comprises second openings (i.e. openings between the insulation layer 124; i.e. approximately the area that the label 130 in FIG. 1B is directing to) that run through the insulation layer 124, and an orthographic projection of the second opening on the base plate 100 overlaps at least partially with an orthographic projection of the first electrode 118 on the base plate 100; and at least one isolation structure 126 disposed on a side of the insulation layer 124 away from the base plate 100, an orthographic projection of the first opening on the base plate 100 is located within an orthographic projection of the isolation structure 126 on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 2, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses an isolation wall
126 disposed on a side of the insulation layer 124 away from the base plate 100; a barrier part (i.e. unlabeled portion on top of the isolation wall 126) disposed on a side of the isolation wall 126 away from the base plate 100, an orthographic projection of the isolation wall 126 on the base plate 100 is located within an orthographic projection of the barrier part on the base plate 100, and the orthographic projection of the first opening on the base plate 100 is located within the orthographic projection of the barrier part on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 3, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses the orthographic projection of the first opening on the base plate 100 is located within the orthographic projection of the isolation wall 126 on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 4, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses the isolation wall 126 comprises a first side (i.e. upper surface) and a second side (i.e. lower surface), one of which is a lower surface facing the base plate 100 and the other is an upper surface away from the base plate 100, an orthographic projection of the first side on the base plate 100 is located within an orthographic projection of the second side on the base plate 100, and the orthographic projection of the first electrode 118 on the base plate 100 overlaps at least partially with the orthographic projection of the second side on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 5, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses the orthographic projection of the first electrode 118 on the base plate 100 overlaps at least partially with the orthographic projection of the first side on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 6, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses the first side is the upper surface of the isolation wall 126 away from the base plate 100, and the second side is the lower surface of the isolation wall 126 facing the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 7, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses an orthographic projection of an upper surface of the isolation wall 126 on the base plate 100 is located within an orthographic projection of a lower surface of the isolation wall 126 on the base plate 100, and the orthographic projection of the first opening on the base plate 100 is located within the orthographic projection of the upper surface of the isolation wall 126 on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 10, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses the orthographic projection of the second opening on the base plate 100 is offset from the orthographic projection of the first opening on the base plate 100; the insulation layer 124 comprises a fifth side (i.e. upper surface) and a sixth side (i.e. lower surface), wherein the fifth side is a side of the insulation layer 124 away from the base plate 100, and the sixth side is a side of the insulation layer 124 close to the base plate 100, and an orthographic projection of the fifth side on the base plate 100 is located within an orthographic projection of the sixth side on the base plate 100, and the orthographic projection of the first opening on the base plate 100 is located within the orthographic projection of the fifth side on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 16, see, for example, FIG. 1 wherein Hatano discloses a light-emitting functional layer 120 including a plurality of light-emitting functional parts, each of the light-emitting functional parts is located within each of the second openings; a plurality of second electrodes 122 disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional layer 120 away from the base plate 100, at least a part of the second electrode 122 is located within the second opening; the isolation structure 126 is located between adjacent ones of the light-emitting functional parts; and the second electrodes 122 are in contact and connected with the isolation structure 126 such that at least the second electrodes within two adjacent ones of the second openings are electrically connected through the isolation structure. In paragraph [0083], Hatano discloses the isolation structure 126 includes metal material.
Regarding claim 17, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses a display panel
comprising: a base plate 100; a plurality of first electrodes 118 disposed on a side of the base plate 100 and spaced apart from each other; an insulation layer 124 disposed on a side of the first electrodes 118 away from the base plate 100, the insulation layer 124 comprises second openings (i.e. openings between the insulation layer 124; i.e. approximately the area that the label 130 in FIG. 1B is directing to) that run through the insulation layer 124, and an orthographic projection of the second opening on the base plate 100 overlaps at least partially with an orthographic projection of the first electrode 118 on the base plate 100; and at least one isolation structure 126 disposed on a side of the insulation layer 124 away from the base plate 100, wherein an orthographic projection of the isolation structure 126 on the base plate 100 overlaps at least partially with the orthographic projection of the first electrode 118 on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 18, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses the isolation structure comprises: an isolation wall 126 disposed on a side of the insulation layer 124 away from the base plate 100; and a barrier part (i.e. unlabeled portion on top of the isolation wall 126) disposed on a side of the isolation wall 126 away from the base plate 100, an orthographic projection of the isolation wall 126 on the base plate 100 is located within an orthographic projection of the barrier part on the base plate 100, and the orthographic projection of the barrier part on the base plate 100 overlaps at least partially with the orthographic projection of the first electrode 118 on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 19, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Hatano discloses the orthographic projection of the isolation wall 126 on the base plate 100 overlaps at least partially with the orthographic projection of the first electrode 118 on the base plate 100.
Regarding clam 20, see, for example, see paragraph [0020] wherein Hatano discloses the display panel.
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.
Claim(s) 11 thru 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hatano et al. US 20112/0217516 A1 as applied to claims 1-7, 10, and 16-20 above, and further in view of Tabatake US 2023/0301142 A1. Hatano does not clearly disclose first recesses are formed on the side of the insulation layer away from the base plate, an orthographic projection of the first recess on the base plate overlaps at least partially with the orthographic projection of the first opening on the base plate, and at least a part of the isolation structure is located within the first recess. However, Tabatake discloses (see, for example, FIG. 5) a display device comprising an insulation layer 5 wherein the insulation layer includes first recesses that contain a metal layer 611. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at a time prior to the effective filing date to have first recesses are formed on the side of the insulation layer away from the base plate, an orthographic projection of the first recess on the base plate overlaps at least partially with the orthographic projection of the first opening on the base plate, and at least a part of the isolation structure is located within the first recess in order to more stably place the isolation structure into the insulation layer, and thereby make a more reliable device.
Regarding claims 12, and 13, see, for example, FIG. 6C wherein Hatano discloses a
second recess disposed in an unlabeled layer (i.e. barrier part) that directly contacts the isolation wall 210.
Regarding claim 14, see, for example, the rejection for claim 11 above, and FIG. 6C
wherein Hatano discloses an unlabeled structure that directly contacts layer 168 wherein the unlabeled structure includes a third recess that contains the barrier part (i.e. unlabeled structure that directly contacts the top of the isolation wall 210).
Regarding claim 15, see, for example, FIG. 6C wherein Hatano discloses a barrier part (i.e. unlabeled structure that directly contacts the top of the isolation wall 210).
INFORMATION ON HOW TO CONTACT THE USPTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1733. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 730-330 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JOSHUA BENITEZ can be reached at 571-270-1435. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Eugene Lee
July 31, 2026
/EUGENE LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
Prosecution Insights