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
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 23-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wolk (US 2014/0021492).
Regarding independent claim 23, Wolk teaches a display apparatus comprising: a plurality of subpixels including an emitting area (Fig. 6; areas between Elements 100) and a non-emitting area (Fig. 6; area of Element 100) surrounding the emitting area; a pattern portion (Fig. 6, Element 100) disposed in the non-emitting area and surrounding a plurality of subpixels; a reflective portion (Fig. 6, Element 102; ¶ [0033]) disposed on the pattern portion and having a curved surface; and at least one optical path changing portion (Fig. 6, Element 104; ¶ [0032]) disposed in the emitting area and the non-emitting area.
Regarding claim 24, Wolk teaches the pattern portion having a bottom surface and an inclined surface extended from the bottom surface (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 25, Wolk teaches the pattern portion including a pixel electrode (Fig. 6, Element 102) disposed along the inclined surface of the pattern portion; a bank layer (Fig. 6, Element 100) disposed on the pixel electrode; and a light emitting layer (Fig. 6, Element 99) disposed on the bank layer.
Regarding claim 26, Wolk teaches the at least one optical path changing portion including a plurality of nano-lenses disposed on the pixel electrode (¶ [0033]).
Regarding claim 27, Wolk teaches the pixel electrode including a first part (102) and a second part (106) extended from the first part, and wherein the first and second parts of the pixel electrode have an upper surface and a lower surface, and the lower surface of the first part is flat and faces the substrate (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 28, Wolk teaches the reflective portion including a reflective electrode disposed on the light emitting layer (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 29, Wolk teaches the at least one optical path changing portion having a width greater than a width of the emission area (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 30, Wolk teaches the plurality of nano-lenses disposed on an upper surface of the first and second parts of the pixel electrode (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 31, Wolk teaches the pattern portion including a first pattern line extended along a first direction and a second pattern line extended along a second direction (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 32, Wolk teaches the first pattern line disposed between adjacent subpixels for emitting light with a same color, and the second pattern line disposed between adjacent subpixels for emitting light with different color light (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 33, Wolk teaches the reflective portion and the at least one optical path changing portion configured to change optical paths of light in the emitting area and the non-emitting area (Fig. 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-22 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding independent claim 1, the prior art of record neither shows or suggests a display apparatus comprising, in addition to other limitations of the claim, a substrate including a plurality of subpixels; a pattern portion having a concave shape; and a reflective portion disposed on the pattern portion, wherein each of the plurality of the subpixels includes a nano-lens portion spaced apart from the reflective portion.
Due to their dependencies upon independent claim 1, claims 2-22 are also allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Shin (US 2022/0206612) teaches a display panel with nanostructure in a non-light emitting region. Kim (US 2019/0348624) teaches a light emitting display apparatus with a metal layer having an uneven surface. Lee (US 2018/0211979) teaches a light emitting display device with a light-emitting layer including semiconductor nanoparticles. Wolk (US 9,997,573) teaches nanostructures for OLED devices.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Quarterman whose telephone number is (571)272-2461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached at (571) 272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kevin Quarterman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875 3 October 2026
