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, 7, 8, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by WO’144 (WO 2021201144, cited in IDS, Machine Translation is provided).
Regarding claim 1, WO’144 discloses a display device comprising (Figs. 29E, 34A, 35B, 35C) : a plurality of light emitting elements (12); an insulating member (411); and a common electrode (413), wherein the plurality of light emitting elements (12) is two- dimensionally arranged, the light emitting elements (12) each include a first electrode (121), an organic layer (122) including a light emitting layer (122M), and a second electrode (123) in this order, the first electrode, the organic layer, and the second electrode are isolated for each of the light emitting elements, the common electrode (413) is provided on the second electrodes (123) of two or more of the light emitting elements (12), and the insulating member (411) covers a lateral surface of the organic layer (122) of each of the light emitting elements (12).
Regarding claim 2, WO’144 discloses wherein the insulating member includes a plurality of sidewalls (411), and each of the sidewalls covers the lateral surface of the organic layer of a corresponding one of the light emitting elements (12).
Regarding claim 3, WO’144 discloses wherein a peripheral edge of the organic layer (122) is located inside a peripheral edge of the first electrode, and the common electrode (143) covers the sidewalls.
Regarding claim 4, WO’144 disclose wherein an inner periphery of each of the sidewalls (143) is located inside the peripheral edge of the first electrode (121), and an outer periphery of each of the sidewalls is located outside the peripheral edge of the first electrode (121).
Regarding claim 7, WO’144 discloses wherein the insulating member (411) includes a second insulating layer (412) provided between the light emitting elements adjacent to each other.
Regarding claim 8, WO’144 discloses wherein an upper surface of the second insulating layer (412) is almost the same in height as a top portion of each of the light emitting elements (12) (Fig.35C).
Regarding claim 12, WO’144 discloses wherein the common electrode (413) is in contact with an entire upper surface of the second electrode (123) (note: claim does not require direct contact).
Regarding claim 13, WO’144 discloses an electronic device comprising the display device according to claim 1 ([0007]).
Claim(s) 1, 2, 5, 6, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by McCormick (US 2004/0119403).
Regarding claim 1, McCormick discloses a display device comprising: a plurality of light emitting elements (Fig.12B, numeral 220); an insulating member (240); (460); and a common electrode, wherein the plurality of light emitting elements (220) is two- dimensionally arranged, the light emitting elements each include a first electrode (210), an organic layer including a light emitting layer ([0052]), and a second electrode (230) in this order, the first electrode, the organic layer, and the second electrode are isolated for each of the light emitting elements, the common electrode (250) is provided on the second electrodes of two or more of the light emitting elements (220), and the insulating member (460) covers a lateral surface of the organic layer of each of the light emitting elements (220).
Regarding claim 2, McCormick discloses wherein the insulating member (240); (460) includes a plurality of sidewalls, and each of the sidewalls covers the lateral surface of the organic layer of a corresponding one of the light emitting elements (220).
Regarding claim 5, McCormick discloses comprising a first insulating layer (Fig.12B, numeral 460), wherein the first insulating layer (460) is provided between the sidewalls of the light emitting elements (220) adjacent to each other, and the common electrode (250) is provided on the first insulating layer (460).
Regarding claim 6, McCormick wherein an upper surface of the first insulating layer (460) is almost the same in height as a top portion of each of the light emitting elements (220).
Regarding claim 12, McCormick discloses wherein the common electrode (Fig.10A, numeral 250) is in contact with an entire upper surface of the second electrode (230).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO’ 144 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of WO’862 (WO 2020/100862, wherein US 2021/0376286, is used as English equivalent for the purpose of translation).
Regarding claim 10, WO’144 does not disclose a light shielding layer, wherein the light shielding layer is provided on the common electrode, and the light shielding layer has a plurality of openings, each of the openings being provided for a corresponding one of the light emitting elements.
WO’862 however discloses a light shielding layer (Fig.16, numeral 23), wherein the light shielding layer is provided on the common electrode (12C), and the light shielding layer has a plurality of openings (Fig.16), each of the openings being provided for a corresponding one of the light emitting elements (12).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify WO’144 with WO’862 to have a light shielding layer, wherein the light shielding layer is provided on the common electrode, and the light shielding layer has a plurality of openings, each of the openings being provided for a corresponding one of the light emitting elements for the purpose of suppressing reflected light (WO’ 862, [0118]).
Claim(s) 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO’144 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lin (US 2020/0343315).
Regarding claim 10, WO’144 does not disclose a light shielding layer, wherein the light shielding layer is provided on the common electrode, and the light shielding layer has a plurality of openings, each of the openings being provided for a corresponding one of the light emitting elements.
Lin however discloses a light shielding layer (Fig.2, numeral 180), wherein the light shielding layer is provided on the common electrode (134), and the light shielding layer (180) has a plurality of openings (Fig.2), each of the openings being provided for a corresponding one of the light emitting elements (LU).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify WO’144 with Lin to have a light shielding layer, wherein the light shielding layer is provided on the common electrode, and the light shielding layer has a plurality of openings, each of the openings being provided for a corresponding one of the light emitting elements for the purpose of suppressing unwanted light (Lin, [0038]).
Regarding claim 11, Lin discloses an auxiliary electrode (Fgi.2, numeral AE), wherein the auxiliary electrode is provided at a peripheral edge of a region where the plurality of light emitting elements (LU) is provided, the auxiliary electrode (AE) is connected to the common electrode (134), and the light shielding layer (180) covers the auxiliary electrode (AE).
Claim(s) 7 -9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCormick as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of CN’765 (CN 109509765, cited in IDS, Machine Translation is provided).
Regarding claim 7, McCorminck does not disclose wherein the insulating member includes a second insulating layer provided between the light emitting elements adjacent to each other.
CN’765 discloses wherein the insulating member includes a second insulating layer (Fig.13, numeral 700) provided between the light emitting elements (500) adjacent to each other.
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was field to modify McCormick with CN’765 to have the insulating member includes a second insulating layer provided between the light emitting elements adjacent to each other for the purpose of forming anti-short circuit (CN’765, page 5, paragraph 1).
Regarding claim 8, CN’765 discloses wherein an upper surface of the second insulating layer (702) is almost the same in height as a top portion of each of the light emitting elements (500) (Fig.13).
Regarding claim 9, CN’765 discloses wherein the second insulating layer (700) includes a plurality of layers (701), (702) and the plurality of layers is different from each other in at least one of refractive index or composition (page 4, paragraph 8)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIA SLUTSKER whose telephone number is (571)270-3849. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9 am-6 pm.
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/JULIA SLUTSKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891
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