DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to Application’s Election dated 07/17/2026.
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 of claims 1-18 in the reply filed on 07/17/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 19-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention. Election was treated being made without traverse based on the reply filed on 07/17/2026.
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.
(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, 3-4, 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lim et al [US 2021/0043705]
► With respect to claim 1, Lim et al (figs 4 & 6, text [0001]-[0220]) discloses the claimed display apparatus comprising a first light-emitting device (P1), a second light-emitting device (P2), a first coloring layer (CF1), a second coloring layer (CF2), and a first insulating layer(115),
wherein the first light-emitting device comprises a first pixel electrode (121) over the first insulating layer, a first EL layer (131) over the first pixel electrode, and a common electrode (170) over the first EL layer,
wherein the second light-emitting device comprises a second pixel electrode (122) over the first insulating layer, a second EL layer (132) over the second pixel electrode, and the common electrode (170) over the second EL layer,
wherein the first coloring layer (CF1) is provided to overlap with the first light-emitting device (P1),
wherein the second coloring layer (CF2) is provided to overlap with the second light- emitting device (P2),
wherein the first coloring layer and the second coloring layer transmit light of different wavelength ranges (text [0140]),
wherein in a cross-sectional view, the first insulating layer comprises a depressed portion (T) between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode,
wherein a third EL layer (134) is provided in the depressed portion of the first insulating layer,
wherein the first EL layer, the second EL layer, and the third EL layer contain the same material (text [0086]-[0095]), and
wherein a sum of a thickness of the first pixel electrode and a depth of the depressed portion is larger than a thickness of the third EL layer (figs 4 & 6).
► With respect to claim 3, Lim et al (figs 4 & 6) discloses the thickness of the first pixel electrode is larger than or equal to the thickness of the third EL layer.
► With respect to claim 4, Lim et al (figs 4 & 6) discloses the depth of the depressed portion is larger than or equal to the thickness of the third EL layer, and wherein the third EL layer is not in contact with neither the first pixel electrode nor the second pixel electrode.
► With respect to claim 17, Lim et al (figs 4, 5 & 6) discloses wherein the first EL layer comprises a first light-emitting unit (131a) over the first pixel electrode (121), a first charge-generation layer (131b) over the first light-emitting unit, and a second light-emitting unit (131c) over the first charge-generation layer; wherein the second EL layer (132) comprises a third light-emitting unit (132a) over the second pixel electrode (122), a second charge-generation layer (132b) over the third light-emitting unit, and a fourth light-emitting unit (132c) over the second charge-generation layer; wherein the third EL layer (134) comprises a fifth light-emitting unit (134a) over the first insulating layer (115), a third charge-generation layer (134b) over the fifth light-emitting unit, and a sixth light-emitting unit (134c) over the third charge-generation layer.
► With respect to claim 18, Lim et al discloses wherein the first light-emitting unit, the third light-emitting unit, and the fifth light- emitting unit contain the same material, wherein the first charge-generation layer, the second charge-generation layer, and the third charge-generation layer contain the same material, and wherein the second light-emitting unit, the fourth light-emitting unit, and the sixth light-emitting unit contain the same material.
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.
Claims 5-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim et al [US 2021/0043705] in view of Ukigaya et al [US 2019/0043934]
► With respect to claim 5, Lim et al substantially discloses the claimed display apparatus but does not expressly teach each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode comprises a first conductive layer over the first insulating layer and a second conductive layer over the first conductive layer, and wherein a side surface of the second conductive layer projects from a side surface of the first conductive layer; wherein each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode comprises a third conductive layer under the first conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer has a reflecting property, wherein the second conductive layer and the third conductive layer are configured to protect the first conductive layer.
However, Ukigaya et al teaches using a pixel electrode (110) comprising a first conductive layer (112) over a first insulating layer (102) and a second conductive layer (113) over the first conductive layer, and wherein a side surface of the second conductive layer projects from a side surface of the first conductive layer; wherein the pixel electrode (110) comprises a third conductive layer (111) under the first conductive layer (112), wherein the first conductive layer (112) has a reflecting property, wherein the second conductive layer and the third conductive layer are configured to protect the first conductive layer.
Therefore, it would have been obvious for those skilled in the art to modify the display apparatus of Lim et al by each using each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode comprising the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer and the third conductive layer as being claimed, per taught by Ukigaya et al to provide an improved display apparatus with improved light emitting efficiency (see Ukigaya et al, text [0045] for details).
► With respect to claim 6, the claimed range parameters of thicknesses and depth would have been obvious to an ordinary artisan practicing the invention because, absent evidence of disclosure of criticality for the range giving unexpected results, it is not inventive to discover optimal or workable ranges by routine experimentation. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). Furthermore, it appears that these changes produce no functional differences and therefore would have been obvious. See In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 1578, 16 USPQ2d 1934, 1936 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
► With respect to claim 8, the same reason given above, Ukigaya et al teaches the first conductive layer contains aluminum.
► With respect to claim 9, the same reason given above, Ukigaya et al teaches the second conductive layer contains titanium oxide.
► With respect to claim 10, the same reason given above, Ukigaya et al teaches the third conductive layer contains titanium.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 11-16 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANHHA S PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-1696. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/THANHHA S PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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