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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6, 9-10, 12-14, 16, and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hwang et al. (US 2020/0381489).
Regarding claim 1, Hwang discloses (Figs. 3-4, 6-7) a display substrate (100; Paragraph [0053]), comprising a plurality of sub-pixels (Pg & Pb & Pr; Paragraph [0066]) and a pixel definition layer, wherein a plurality of pixel openings are formed in the pixel definition layer (150; Paragraph [0086]), and each sub-pixel comprises at least one pixel opening (150 & Pg & Pb & Pr); the plurality of sub-pixels comprise a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel, wherein at least one first sub-pixel is adjacent to a second sub-pixel and a third sub-pixel, and a closest distance between a pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel and a pixel opening of an adjacent second sub-pixel is different from a closest distance between the pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel and a pixel opening of an adjacent third sub-pixel (d1 & d2 & d3; Paragraph [0074]).
Regarding claim 2, Hwang further discloses wherein the at least one first sub-pixel is at least adjacent to two second sub-pixels, and the at least one first sub-pixel is at least adjacent to two third sub-pixels, and a closest distance between the pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel and a pixel opening of another adjacent second sub-pixel is the same as a closest distance between the pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel and a pixel opening of another adjacent third sub-pixel (Fig. 6, Pb & Pg & Pr & d1 & d2; Paragraph [0102, 0105]).
Regarding claim 3, Hwang further discloses wherein one first sub-pixel, one second sub-pixel, and one third sub-pixel are sequentially arranged in a first direction, and a closest distance between a pixel opening of a first sub-pixel and a pixel opening of a second sub-pixel is different from a closest distance between the pixel opening of the second sub-pixel and a pixel opening of a third sub-pixel, and the first direction is one of a row direction or a column direction (Fig. 7, d1 & d2 & d3; Paragraph [0106-0108]).
Regarding claim 4, Hwang further discloses wherein the at least one first sub-pixel is at least adjacent to two second sub-pixels, and closest distances between the pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel and pixel openings of the adjacent two second sub-pixels are different (Fig. 6, Pb & Pg & Pr & d1 & d2; Paragraph [0102, 0105]).
Regarding claim 6, Hwang further discloses wherein a closest distance from a pixel opening of a sub-pixel located in a same row as a pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel and adjacent to the at least one first sub-pixel to the pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel is different from a closest distance from a pixel opening of a sub-pixel located in a different row from the pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel and adjacent to the at least one first sub-pixel to the pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel (Fig. 6, Pb & Pg & Pr & d1 & d2; Paragraph [0102, 0105]).
Regarding claim 9, Hwang further discloses the plurality of sub-pixels comprise light emitting layers corresponding to pixel openings, the first sub-pixel comprises a first light emitting layer, the second sub-pixel comprises a second light emitting layer, and the third sub-pixel comprises a third light emitting layer; a closest distance from at least one first light emitting layer to an adjacent second light emitting layer is different from a closest distance from the at least one first light emitting layer to an adjacent third light emitting layer (Fig. 4, 220g & 220b & 220r; Paragraph [0087]).
Regarding claim 10, Hwang further discloses wherein light emitting layers of at least a portion of adjacent sub-pixels are spaced, and spacings between light emitting layers of different sub-pixels are different (220g & 220b & 220r & d1 & d2 & d3; Paragraph [0074, 0087]).
Regarding claim 12, Hwang further discloses wherein the at least one first light emitting layer is at least adjacent to two second light emitting layers, and the at least one first light emitting layer is at least adjacent to two third light emitting layers, and a closest distance from the at least one first light emitting layer to another adjacent second light emitting layer is the same as a closest distance from the at least one first light emitting layer to another adjacent third light emitting layer (Fig. 6, Pb & Pg & Pr & d1 & d2; Paragraph [0102, 0105]).
Regarding claim 13, Hwang further discloses wherein one first light emitting layer, one second light emitting layer, and one third light emitting layer are sequentially arranged in a first direction, and a closest distance between a first light emitting layer and a second light emitting layer is different from a closest distance between the second light emitting layer and a third light emitting layer, and the first direction is one of a row direction or a column direction (Fig. 7, d1 & d2 & d3; Paragraph [0106-0108]).
Regarding claim 14, Hwang further discloses wherein the at least one first light emitting layer is at least adjacent to two second light emitting layers, and closest distances between the at least one first light emitting layer and the adjacent two second light emitting layers are different (Fig. 6, Pb & Pg & Pr & d1 & d2; Paragraph [0102, 0105]).
Regarding claim 16, Hwang further discloses wherein a closest distance from a light emitting layer located in a same row as and adjacent to the at least one first light emitting layer to the at least one first light emitting layer is different from a closest distance from a light emitting layer located in a different row from and adjacent to the at least one first light emitting layer to the at least one first light emitting layer (Fig. 6, Pb & Pg & Pr & d1 & d2; Paragraph [0102, 0105]).
Regarding claim 30, Hwang further discloses a display apparatus, comprising a display substrate according to claim 1 (Paragraph [0006]).
Claim(s) 1 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2019/0074329).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-3) a display substrate (SUB; Paragraph [0051]), comprising a plurality of sub-pixels (EM1 & EM2 & EM3; Paragraph [0051]) and a pixel definition layer, wherein a plurality of pixel openings are formed in the pixel definition layer (PDL; Paragraph [0051]), and each sub-pixel comprises at least one pixel opening (Fig. 2, PDL); the plurality of sub-pixels comprise a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel, wherein at least one first sub-pixel is adjacent to a second sub-pixel and a third sub-pixel, and a closest distance between a pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel and a pixel opening of an adjacent second sub-pixel is different from a closest distance between the pixel opening of the at least one first sub-pixel and a pixel opening of an adjacent third sub-pixel (La & Lb; Paragraph [0086]).
Regarding claim 8, Kim further discloses wherein opposite sides of pixel openings of at least a portion of sub-pixels and pixel openings of a portion of adjacent sub-pixels are parallel sides, and parts of pixel openings of the at least a portion of sub-pixels opposite to pixel openings of some other adjacent sub-pixels comprise an angle, a rounded angle, or a side with a side length less than 1/10 of a perimeter of a pixel opening of the sub-pixel (Fig. 3, La & Lb & EM1 & EM2 & EM3; Paragraph [0086]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-20, 23-24, 26, and 29 are 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.
Specifically, in claim 18, the prior art of record neither teaches nor suggests the requirement wherein the at least one first light emitting layer has a hexagonal shape, the hexagonal first light emitting layer comprises a first edge and a second edge provided oppositely in a row direction, in the row direction the first edge of the first light emitting layer is adjacent to an adjacent third light emitting layer, and the second edge of the first light emitting layer is adjacent to an adjacent second light emitting layer, and a size of the second edge in a column direction is greater than or equal to a size of the first edge in the column direction.
Claims 19-20 are objected to based on their dependence from claim 18.
Specifically, in claim 23, the prior art of record neither teaches nor suggests the requirement wherein a drive circuit layer provided on a base substrate, wherein the drive circuit layer comprises a plurality of circuit units, the plurality of sub-pixels comprise light emitting units and circuit units, a light emitting unit is provided on a side of the drive circuit layer away from the base substrate, the light emitting unit comprises an anode and a light emitting layer; the light emitting layer is located on a side of the anode away from the drive circuit layer, a circuit unit at least comprises a pixel drive circuit, the pixel driving circuit at least comprises a storage capacitor and a compensation transistor, a first electrode of the compensation transistor is connected to a first plate of the storage capacitor through a first connection electrode; the anode of the light emitting unit is connected to the pixel drive circuit; in a row direction, an orthographic projection of an anode of at least one light emitting unit on the base substrate is not overlapped with an orthographic projection of a first connection electrode in a circuit unit, which is adjacent to the anode on at least a side, on the base substrate; in a column direction, an orthographic projection of an anode of at least one light emitting unit on the base substrate is at least partially overlapped with an orthographic projection of a first connection electrode in a circuit unit, which is adjacent to the anode on at least a side, on the base substrate.
Claims 24, 26, and 29 are objected to based on their dependence from claim 23.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNE M HINES whose telephone number is (571)272-2285. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:00-4:30.
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/Anne M Hines/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2879
Prosecution Insights