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 .
Status of Claims
In response to the filing of this application, the status of the claims is as follows:
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 1-20 are examined on the merits below.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Korea on 07/19/2023, as indicated in the Application Data Sheet (ADS). Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. It is noted that there is no filed translation of the certified foreign priority document at this time. Should Applicant wish to overcome the effective date of an intervening prior art reference in the future, Applicant will need to file an English translation of the certified foreign priority, along with a statement that the translation of the certified copy is accurate. (See MPEP 215 & 216.)
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed on 6/18/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Specification
Title
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. Following title is suggested: “DISPLAY DEVICE WITH LIGHT EMITTING ELEMENTS ARRANGED IN CORRESPONDING TRENCH STRUCTURES WITHIN EACH PIXEL”
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 7 and 19 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.
Claims 1 and 11 disclose “the trench”. Claims 7 and 19 further state “the trench overlaps each of the first light emitting area, the second light emitting area, and the third light emitting area”. It is not clear how the singular trench overlaps each of the first through third light emitting areas. Rather, as understood by Applicant’s specification and Figure 9, it seems there are a plurality of trenches and each trench is overlapping a respective light emitting area. Thus, for the purpose of examination, “the trench” is interpreted broadly to include a plurality of trenches, which is consistent with Applicant’s support for trench, as shown in FIG. 9 of the application.
Appropriate correction is required on the applicant’s end.
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.
Claims 1, 3-7, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Negishi (US 2023/0189612 A1, hereinafter referred as Negishi).
Claim 1 teaches a display device ([0001], FIG. 41)
comprising:
a first substrate ([0216], FIG. 41, 51)
including a light emitting area ([0193], FIG. 41, 101/102/103, light emitting elements are light emitting area hereinafter);
a via-insulating layer disposed on the first substrate 51 ([0228], FIG. 41, the insulating layers 26 and 28 [0247], a via- insulating layer 26/28 hereinafter, disposed on substrate 51), the via-insulating layer 26/28 defining a trench including a substantially inclined surface and a substantially flat surface (Negishi, FIG. 41, see annotated figure below), the trench overlapping the light emitting area 101/102/103 (Negishi, FIG. 41);
a light emitting layer ([0192], FIG. 41, light emitting region 33, a light emitting layer hereinafter) disposed on the via-insulating layer 26/28 in the light emitting area 101/102/103 (FIG. 41, 33 is disposed on the via-insulating layer 26/28 in the light emitting area 101/102/103), the light emitting layer 33 including a first portion disposed parallel to the substantially inclined surface and a second portion disposed parallel to the substantially flat surface (FIG. 41, see annotated figure below);
and a color conversion layer disposed on the light emitting layer 33 and overlapping the light emitting area 101/102/103 ([0215], FIG. 41, the wavelength conversion layer 41 and the second wavelength conversion layer 42, hereinafter as color conversion layer 41/42, are disposed on the light emitting layer 33, overlapped with the light emitting area 101/102/103), wherein a first angle formed between a first imaginary straight line, which connects a point where the first portion and the second portion of the light emitting layer meet and an edge of the color conversion layer 41/42 and forms an obtuse angle with the first portion, and a second imaginary straight line, which extends perpendicular to the first portion, is greater than a second angle formed between a travel direction of a light having a greatest luminous intensity among lights emitted from the first portion and the second imaginary straight line (FIG. 41, refer to the annotation below. The angle between imaginary line L1 and L4 is obtuse while L1 and L3 are acute, that resemble the present embodiments).
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FIG. 41 (Negishi) discloses a display device having Light emitting Layer 33 within the inclined as well as flat portion of the trench as well as first, second and third portion of the emitter layer 33, along with other embodiments.
Regarding claim 3, Negishi teaches the display device of claim 1,
wherein the trench has a substantially inverted trapezoid cross-sectional shape ([0325], FIG. 41, light exit unit adopts alternating shapes, trench has an inverted trapezoid shape as annotated in FIG. 41 above).
Regarding claim 4, Negishi teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising:
a lower electrode ([0189], FIG. 41, first electrode 31, a lower electrode hereinafter) disposed between the via-insulating layer 26/28 and the light emitting layer 33 (FIG. 41, a lower electrode 31 is disposed between the via insulating layer 26/28 and light emitting layer 33) wherein the lower electrode 31 extends into an interior of the trench on the via-insulating layer 26/28 ([0189], FIG. 41).
Regarding claim 5, Negishi teaches the display device of claim 4, wherein the lower electrode 31 includes:
a substantially inclined surface disposed parallel to the substantially inclined surface of the trench; and a substantially flat surface disposed parallel to the substantially flat surface of the trench (FIG. 41, see annotated figure above).
Regarding claim 6, Negishi teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein the light emitting layer 33 is disposed along a profile of the lower electrode 31 ([0172], FIG. 41).
Regarding claim 7, Negishi teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the light emitting area 101/102/103 includes a first light emitting area, a second light emitting area, and a third light emitting area ([0227], FIG. 41, 102, 103, 101 are the first, second and third light emitting area respectively);
the trench (as best understood as explained in the 112b rejection above, this is a plurality of trenches as shown in Figure 41) overlaps each of the first light emitting area 102, the second light emitting area 103, and the third light emitting area 101; (FIG. 41, the light emitting area 101, 102, 103 are laid over the trench, the same arrangements as in the present disclosure);
the light emitting layer 33 overlaps each of the first light emitting area 102, the second light emitting area 103, and the third light emitting area 101 ([0216], FIG. 41, the light emitting layer 33 overlaps in each of the first light emitting area 102, the second light emitting area 103 and third light emitting area 101),
and the color conversion layer 41/42 includes a first color conversion pattern overlapping the light emitting layer in the first light emitting area 102 ([0214], FIG. 41, the color conversion layer 41 has color conversion patterns 411 and 412, and 42 has 421 and 422. The first color conversion pattern (411/421) overlapped in the light emitting layer 33 of 302 in the first light emitting area 102),
a second color conversion pattern overlapping the light emitting layer in the second light emitting area 103 ([0214], FIG. 41, The second color conversion pattern (412/422) is overlapped in the light emitting layer 33 of 303 in the second light emitting area 103),
and a transmission pattern (FIG. 41, color filter CF1, transmission pattern hereinafter) overlapping the light emitting layer 33 in the third light emitting area 101 (CF1 is overlapped in the third light emitting area 101).
Regarding claim 10, Negishi teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising: a second substrate disposed on the color conversion layer 41/42 ([0224], FIG. 41, the second substrate 52 are disposed on the color conversion layers 41/42);
and a filling layer disposed between the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 52 ([0226], FIG. 41, a sealing resin layer 36, a filling layer hereinafter, is in between the first substrate 51 and second substrate 52).
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Negishi in view of Lin et al. (US 20220130908 A1, referred to hereinafter as Lin).
Regarding claim 2, Negishi teaches a display device of claim 1.
Negishi doesn’t teach the following:
wherein light having the greatest luminous intensity among the lights emitted from the light emitting layer is incident on the color conversion layer.
However, Lin teaches a display device ([0002], FIG. 1, 10), with a light emitting layer ([0025], FIG. 1, 12) and a color conversion layer ([0025], FIG. 1, 14 is a light converting layer is a color conversion layer)
wherein light having the greatest luminous intensity among the lights emitted from the light emitting layer is incident on the color conversion layer ([0025], FIG. 1, all the input light IL from light emitting layer 12 is incident on the color conversion layer, some of which is absorbed and remaining penetrates the color conversion layer 14; [0028], FIG. 2, third peak PK3 of the intensity spectrum corresponds to the peak intensity of input light incident on color conversion layer 14).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Negishi as modified by Lin above such that the light having the greatest luminous intensity among the emitted lights from light emitting layer is incident on the color conversion layer. This modification would enable the tuning of spectrum of the light emitted from the emitting layer as it passes the color conversion layer, which results in a user preferred colors in the output of a display device (Lin, [0004]).
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Negishi in view of Yun et al. (US 20180158887 A1, referred to hereinafter as Yun).
Regarding claim 8, Negishi teaches the display device of claim 4, however, does not explicitly teach the following:
Further comprising: a pixel defining layer disposed on the via-insulating layer and defining an opening exposing the trench.
However, Yun teaches a display device ([0002], FIG. 3) with a pixel defining layer ([0058], FIG. 3, 190) disposed on the via-insulating layer ([0170], FIG. 3, 122) and defining an opening 195 exposing the trench ([0068], FIG. 3, 711).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Negishi with that of Yun above to have a display device wherein pixel defining layer is disposed on the via-insulating layer and defining an opening exposing the trench. This modification would enable the display device to consume low power, provide high luminescence resulting in color accuracy and better image quality (Yun, [0003]).
Regarding claim 9, Negishi as modified by Yun teaches the device of claim 8, as discussed above, and further teaches a display device wherein the pixel defining layer (Yun, FIG. 3, 190) overlaps at least a portion of the trench 711 (Yun, [0005], FIG. 3, 711) in a plan view (FIG. 3).
Claims 11-13, 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Negishi (US 2023/0189612 A1, hereinafter referred as Negishi) in view of Yun et al. (US 20180158887 A1, referred to hereinafter as Yun).
Regarding Claim 11, Negishi teaches a display device ([0001], FIG. 41)
comprising:
a first substrate ([0216], FIG. 41, 51)
including a light emitting area ([0193], FIG. 41, 101/102/103, light emitting elements are light emitting area hereinafter);
a via-insulating layer disposed on the first substrate 51 ([0228], FIG. 41, the insulating layers 26 and 28 [0247], a via- insulating layer 26/28 hereinafter, disposed on substrate 51), the via-insulating layer 26/28 defining a trench including a substantially inclined surface and a substantially flat surface (see annotated FIG. 41 above), the trench overlapping the light emitting area 101/102/103 (Negishi, FIG. 41);
a light emitting layer ([0192], FIG. 41, light emitting region 33, a light emitting layer hereinafter) disposed on the via-insulating layer 26/28 in the light emitting area 101/102/103 (FIG. 41, 33 is disposed on the via-insulating layer 26/28 in the light emitting area 101/102/103), the light emitting layer 33 including a first portion disposed parallel to the substantially inclined surface and a second portion disposed parallel to the substantially flat surface (FIG. 41, see annotated FIG. 41 above);
and a color conversion layer disposed on the light emitting layer 33 and overlapping the light emitting area 101/102/103 ([0215], FIG. 41, the wavelength conversion layer 41 and the second wavelength conversion layer 42, hereinafter as color conversion layer 41/42, are disposed on the light emitting layer 33, overlapped with the light emitting area 101/102/103), wherein a first angle formed between a first imaginary straight line, which connects a point where the first portion and the second portion of the light emitting layer meet and an edge of the color conversion layer 41/42 and forms an obtuse angle with the first portion, and a second imaginary straight line, which extends perpendicular to the first portion, is greater than a second angle formed between a travel direction of a light having a greatest luminous intensity among lights emitted from the first portion and the second imaginary straight line (FIG. 41, refer to the annotation below. The angle between imaginary line L1 and L4 is obtuse while L1 and L3 are acute, as well as resemble the present embodiments).
Negishi does not explicitly teach the following limitations in combination with the rest of the claim;
a pixel defining layer disposed on the via-insulating layer, defining an opening exposing the trench and spaced apart from the trench by a selectable distance in a plan view;
However, Yun teaches a display device ([0002], FIG. 3) with a pixel defining layer ([0058], FIG. 3, 190) disposed on the via-insulating layer ([0170], FIG. 3, 122) and defining an opening 195 exposing the trench ([0068], FIG. 3, 711) and spaced apart from the trench by a selectable distance in a plan view ([0005], FIG. 1, s1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Negishi with that of Yun to have a display device wherein pixel defining layer is disposed on the via-insulating layer and defining an opening exposing the trench spaced apart from the trench by a selectable distance in a plan view. This modification would enable the display device to consume low power, provide high luminescence resulting in color accuracy and better image quality from the modification of Yun to include a pixel defining layer in given arrangements (Yun, [0003]).
Regarding Claim 12, Negishi as modified by Yun above as discussed in claim 11, further teaches the following:
wherein a separation distance between the pixel defining layer 190 and the trench 711 is about 6.6 micrometers or less in the plan view ([0157], FIG. 3, The pixel defining layer 190 overlaps the end portion of the first electrode 171 and protrudes along it. [0005], FIG. 1, The trench 711 is spaced from the first electrode 171 by a distance s1 of about 1-5 micrometers).
Regarding claim 13, Negishi as modified by Yun above, as discussed in claim 11, further teaches the following:
wherein the light emitting layer (Negishi, 33) further includes: a third portion disposed on the via-insulating layer 26/28, extending from the first portion, and contacting the pixel defining layer (FIG. 41, Light emitting layer 33 has third portion as annotated in figure above, a third portion hereinafter).
Regarding claim 15, Negishi as modified by Yun above, as discussed in claim 11, further teaches the following:
wherein the trench has a substantially inverted trapezoid cross-sectional shape ([0325], FIG. 41 light exit unit adopts alternating shapes, trench has an inverted trapezoid shape as annotated in FIG. 41 above).
Regarding claim 16, Negishi as modified by Yun above, as discussed in claim 11, further teaches the following:
further comprising: a lower electrode ([0189], FIG. 41, first electrode 31, a lower electrode hereinafter) disposed between the via-insulating layer 26/28 and the light emitting layer 33 (FIG. 41, a lower electrode 31 is disposed between the via insulating layer 26/28 and light emitting layer 33) wherein the lower electrode 31 extends into an interior of the trench on the via-insulating layer 26/28 ([0189], FIG. 41).
Regarding claim 17, Negishi as modified by Yun above, as discussed in claim 16, further teaches the following:
wherein the lower electrode 31 includes: a substantially inclined surface disposed parallel to the substantially inclined surface of the trench; and a substantially flat surface disposed parallel to the substantially flat surface of the trench (see annotated FIG. 41 above).
Regarding claim 18, Negishi as modified by Yun above, as discussed in claim 17, further teaches the following:
wherein the light emitting layer 33 is disposed along a profile of the lower electrode 31 ([0172], FIG. 41).
Regarding claim 19, Negishi as modified by Yun above, as discussed in claim 11, further teaches the following:
wherein the light emitting area 101/102/103 includes a first light emitting area, a second light emitting area, and a third light emitting area ([0227], FIG. 41, 102, 103, 101 are the first, second and third light emitting area respectively);
the trench (as best understood as explained in the 112b rejection above, this is a plurality of trenches as shown in Figure 41)” overlaps each of the first light emitting area 102, the second light emitting area 103, and the third light emitting area 101; (FIG. 41, the light emitting area 101, 102, 103 are laid over the trench, the same arrangements as in the present disclosure);
the light emitting layer 33 overlaps each of the first light emitting area 102, the second light emitting area 103, and the third light emitting area 101 ([0216], FIG. 41, the light emitting layer 33 overlaps in each of the first light emitting area 102, the second light emitting area 103 and third light emitting area 101),
and the color conversion layer 41/42 includes a first color conversion pattern overlapping the light emitting layer in the first light emitting area 102 ([0214], FIG. 41, the color conversion layer 41 has color conversion patterns 411 and 412, and 42 has 421 and 422. The first color conversion pattern (411/421) overlapped in the light emitting layer 33 of 302 in the first light emitting area 102),
a second color conversion pattern overlapping the light emitting layer in the second light emitting area 103 ([0214], FIG. 41, The second color conversion pattern (412/422) is overlapped in the light emitting layer 33 of 303 in the second light emitting area 103),
and a transmission pattern (FIG. 41, color filter CF1, transmission pattern hereinafter) overlapping the light emitting layer 33 in the third light emitting area 101 (CF1 is overlapped in the third light emitting area 101).
Regarding claim 20, Negishi as modified by Yun above, as discussed in claim 11, further teaches the following:
further comprising: a second substrate disposed on the color conversion layer 41/42 ([0224], FIG. 41, the second substrate 52 are disposed on the color conversion layers 41/42);
and a filling layer disposed between the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 52 ([0226], FIG. 41, a sealing resin layer 36, a filling layer hereinafter, is in between the first substrate 51 and second substrate 52).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Negishi and Yun, as discussed above for claim 11, and in further in view of Lin et al. (US 20220130908 A1, referred to hereinafter as Lin).
Regarding claim 14, Negishi as modified by Yun above, teaches a display device of claim 11, however does not teach the following:
wherein light having the greatest luminous intensity among the lights emitted from the light emitting layer is incident on the color conversion layer.
However, Lin teaches a display device ([0002], FIG. 1, 10), with a light emitting layer ([0025], FIG. 1, 12) and a color conversion layer ([0025], FIG. 1, 14 is a light converting layer is a color conversion layer)
wherein light having the greatest luminous intensity among the lights emitted from the light emitting layer 12 is incident on the color conversion layer 14 ([0025], FIG. 1, all the input light IL from light emitting layer 12 is incident on the color conversion layer, some of which is absorbed and remaining penetrates the color conversion layer 14; [0028], FIG. 2, third peak PK3 of the intensity spectrum corresponds to the peak intensity of input light incident on color conversion layer 14).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Negishi as modified by Yun and further to include the teachings of Lin as discussed above such that the light having the greatest luminous intensity among the emitted lights from light emitting layer is incident on the color conversion layer. This modification would enable the tuning of spectrum of the light emitted from the emitting layer as it passes the color conversion layer, which results in a user preferred colors in the output of a display device (Lin, [0004]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PRABIN BARAL whose telephone number is (571)270-5330. The examiner can normally be reached Mo -Fr, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davienne Monbleau can be reached at 571-272-1945. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Prabin Baral, AU 2812
/Prabin Baral/
/DAVIENNE N MONBLEAU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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