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 .
This Office Action is in response to the application filed June 10, 2024.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the encapsulation layer on the pixel electrode must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING PIXEL CIRCUIT LAYER THROUGH HOLE.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
It is not understood how the encapsulation layer is on the pixel electrode when the encapsulation layer is actually on the opposite electrode.
Claims 2-20 are rejected as being dependent upon rejected claim 1.
Claims 22-25 are rejected as being dependent upon rejected claim 21.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 8-10, 14 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2018/0145125 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Lee et al. teach a display device 1 comprising: a substrate 100; a pixel circuit layer (at IL) on the substrate 100, the pixel circuit layer (at IL) comprising a thin-film transistor T6 and defining a through hole OW extending to the substrate 100; a first layer PL1 on the pixel circuit layer (at IL) and in contact with the substrate 100 through the through hole OW; a second layer PL2 on the first layer PL1; a pixel electrode 310 on the second layer PL2 ; and an encapsulation layer 400 on the pixel electrode 310 (Figures 5 and 9, pages 5-10, paragraphs [0085]-[0134]).
In regard to claim 2, Lee et al. teach the first layer PL1 defining a first opening 183 positioned on the thin-film transistor T6 and exposing at least a portion of an upper surface of the pixel circuit layer (at IL), and wherein the second layer PL2 covers the first opening 183 (Figures 5 and 9, pages 5-10, paragraphs [0085]-[0134]).
In regard to claim 8, Lee et al. teach the through hole OW and the first layer PL1 filled with a same organic material (Figures 5 and 9, pages 5-10, paragraphs [0085]-[0134]).
In regard to claim 9, Lee et al. teach the first layer PL1 in direct contact with the substrate 100 through the through hole OW (Figures 5 and 9, pages 5-10, paragraphs [0085]-[0134]).
In regard to claim 10, Lee et al. teach a third layer 150 on the second layer PL1, the third layer 150 defining an emission area OLED by covering an edge of the pixel electrode 310 and exposing a central portion of the pixel electrode 310 (Figures 5 and 9, pages 5-10, paragraphs [0085]-[0134]).
In regard to claim 14, Lee et al. teach the thin-film transistor T6 comprising a semiconductor layer 176f/130f/177f, a gate electrode 125f overlapping at least a portion of the semiconductor layer 176f/130f/177f, and a source electrode 175 and a drain electrode 175 connected to the semiconductor layer 176f/130f/177f, and wherein the first layer PL1 defines a first opening 183 exposing at least a portion of an upper surface of the pixel circuit layer (at IL) comprising at least one of the source electrode 175 or the drain electrode 175 (Figures 5 and 9, pages 5-10, paragraphs [0085]-[0134]).
In regard to claim 18, Lee et al. teach the substrate 100 comprising an organic material (Figures 5 and 9, pages 5-10, paragraphs [0085]-[0134]).
In regard to claim 19, Lee et al. teach the first layer PL1 contacting the substrate 100 through the through hole OW (Figures 5 and 9, pages 5-10, paragraphs [0085]-[0134]).
In regard to claim 20, Lee et al. teach each of the first layer PL1 and the third layer 150 being an organic layer, and the second layer PL2 being an inorganic layer (Figures 5 and 9, pages 5-10, paragraphs [0085]-[0134]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 7, 11-12, 15 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.
Claim 4 is objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 3.
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 5.
Claim 13 is objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 12.
Claims 16-17 are objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 15.
As best understood, claims 21-25 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to display devices:
Chan et al. (US 2009/0174322 A1) Ha et al. (US 2011/0204369 A1)
Kim (US 2017/0200775 A1) Lee et al. (US 2013/0182203 A1)
Oh (US 2017/0125505 A1) Senda et al. (US 2017/0287994 A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IDA M SOWARD whose telephone number is (571)272-1845. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Leonard Chang can be reached at 571-270-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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IMS
June 30, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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