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 .
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.
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.
Claims 1-8 and 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (WO 2022025365 and US 20230284512 as English translation), hereinafter Kim.
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a display device (Abstract) comprising:
a substrate (fig. 5, first base portion 110 of display substrate 10; para. 0124);
a light emitting element layer (light emitting layer OL; para. 0140) disposed on the substrate (110) and including a plurality of light emitting elements (first light emitting element ED1, second light emitting element ED2; para. 0140); and
a light control layer (color conversion substrate 30, filler 70; para. 0091) disposed on the light emitting element layer (OL),
wherein the light control layer (30, 70) includes:
a light transmitting film (70, where light transmit) including a plurality of regions (first light transmitting area TA1, second light transmitting area TA2; para. 0111) spaced apart from each other;
a first stopper layer (second capping layer 393; para. 0292) disposed on the light transmitting film (70); and
a light blocking film (bank pattern 370; para. 0292) including a plurality of regions (light blocking area BA; para. 0110) on the first stopper layer (393) and disposed between the regions (TA1, TA2) of the light transmitting film (70), respectively, wherein
the first stopper layer (393) covers upper surfaces and side surfaces of the regions of the light transmitting film (upper surfaces and side surfaces of 70 in TA1, TA2).
Regarding claim 2, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first stopper layer (fig. 5, 393) is conformally disposed on the regions of the light transmitting film (70 in TA1, TA2).
Regarding claim 3, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein each of the regions of the light blocking film (fig. 5, 370 in BA) includes a protrusion portion (370 above 393) protruding from an upper surface of the first stopper layer (upper surface of 393) or the upper surfaces of the regions of the light transmitting film.
Regarding claim 4, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 3, further comprising an overcoat layer (fig. 5, second color filter 233, first optical pattern LR1, second optical pattern LR2; para. 0223) disposed on the first stopper layer (393) and the light blocking film (370) and covering an upper surface and side surfaces of the protrusion portion (upper surface and side surfaces of 370).
Regarding claim 5, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising a second stopper layer (fig. 5, third color filter 235; para. 0134) disposed on the regions (BA) of the light blocking film (370),
wherein the second stopper layer (235) includes a plurality of patterns (pattern on BA) respectively disposed on the regions (BA) of the light blocking film (370).
Regarding claim 6, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein the second stopper layer (fig. 5, 235) includes an inorganic material (pigment, which can be inorganic material; para. 0207), and the light transmitting film (70) includes an organic material (organic material; para. 0099).
Regarding claim 7, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the light control layer (fig. 5, 30, 70) further includes a light transmitting lower film (upper inorganic layer 175; para. 0295) including a plurality of regions (TA1, TA2) respectively disposed below the regions (TA1, TA2) of the light transmitting film (70).
Regarding claim 8, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 7, wherein the light transmitting lower film (fig. 5, 175) includes an inorganic material (inorganic layer), and the light transmitting film (70) includes an organic material (organic material; para. 0099).
Regarding claim 11, Kim teaches a display device (Abstract) comprising:
a substrate (fig. 5, first base portion 110 of display substrate 10; para. 0124);
a light emitting element layer (light emitting layer OL; para. 0140) disposed on the substrate (110) and including a plurality of light emitting elements (first light emitting element ED1, second light emitting element ED2; para. 0140); and
a light control layer (color conversion substrate 30, filler 70; para. 0091) disposed on the light emitting element layer (OL),
wherein the light control layer (30, 70) includes:
a light transmitting film (70, where light transmit) including a plurality of first openings (openings around light blocking area BA; para. 0110);
a first stopper layer (second capping layer 393; para. 0292) disposed on the light transmitting film (70); and
a light blocking film (bank pattern 370; para. 0292) including a plurality of regions (BA) disposed on the first stopper layer (393) respectively in the plurality of first openings (openings around BA), wherein
the first stopper layer (393) covers an upper surface of the light transmitting film (upper surface of 70) and inner surfaces of the plurality of first openings (inner surfaces of openings around BA).
Regarding claim 12, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 11, wherein the first stopper layer (fig. 5, 393) is conformally disposed on the regions of the light transmitting film (70 in TA1, TA2).
Regarding claim 13, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 11, wherein each of the regions of the light blocking film (fig. 5, 370 in BA) includes a protrusion portion (370 above 393) protruding from an upper surface of the first stopper layer (upper surface of 393) or the upper surfaces of the regions of the light transmitting film.
Regarding claim 14, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 13, further comprising an overcoat layer (fig. 5, second color filter 233, first optical pattern LR1, second optical pattern LR2; para. 0223) disposed on the first stopper layer (393) and the light blocking film (370) and covering an upper surface and side surfaces of the protrusion portion (upper surface and side surfaces of 370).
Regarding claim 15, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 11, further comprising a second stopper layer (fig. 5, third color filter 235; para. 0134) disposed on the regions (BA) of the light blocking film (370),
wherein the second stopper layer (235) includes a plurality of patterns (pattern on BA) respectively disposed on the regions (BA) of the light blocking film (370).
Regarding claim 16, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 15, wherein the second stopper layer (fig. 5, 235) includes an inorganic material (pigment, which can be inorganic material; para. 0207), and the light transmitting film (70) includes an organic material (organic material; para. 0099).
Regarding claim 17, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 11, wherein the light control layer (fig. 5, 30, 70) further includes a light transmitting lower film (lower inorganic layer 171; para. 0191) disposed below the light transmitting film (70) and including a plurality of second openings (opening for non-emission area NLA downward; para. 0208), and
the plurality of second openings (opening for NLA) are formed integrally with the plurality of first openings (opening for BA), respectively.
Regarding claim 18, Kim further teaches the display device of claim 17, wherein the light transmitting lower film (fig. 5, 171) includes an inorganic material (inorganic layer), and the light transmitting film (70) includes an organic material (organic material; para. 0099).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 9-10 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Lee et al. (US 20220320189).
Regarding claim 9, Kim teaches the display device of claim 7 including the light transmitting lower film (fig. 5, 175).
Kim fails to explicitly teach a dam disposed on one side of the plurality of light emitting elements on the substrate and including the same material as the light transmitting lower film.
However, Lee teaches a dam (Lee: fig. 15, first dam portion DP1; para. 0237) disposed on one side (outside) of the plurality of light emitting elements (Lee: organic light-emitting diode OLED; para. 0100, similar to ED1 of Kim) on the substrate (Lee: substrate 100; para. 0074) and including the same material (Lee: DP1 includes same first and second inorganic encapsulation layer 131, 133; para. 0094) as the light transmitting lower film (Lee: 133, similar to 175 of Kim).
Lee and Kim are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of display devices.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a dam as taught by Lee.
Doing so would realize a dam to delay external air or moisture from outside (Lee: para. 0251).
Regarding claim 10, Kim in view of Lee further teaches the display device of claim 9, wherein the regions of the light transmitting film (Lee: fig. 15, region above OLED, similar to TA1 of Kim) are disposed closer to the plurality of light emitting elements (Lee: OLED) than is the dam (Lee: DP1).
Regarding claim 19, Kim teaches the display device of claim 17 including the light transmitting lower film (fig. 5, 171).
Kim fails to explicitly teach a dam disposed on one side of the plurality of light emitting elements on the substrate and including the same material as the light transmitting lower film.
However, Lee teaches a dam (Lee: fig. 15, first dam portion DP1; para. 0237) disposed on one side (outside) of the plurality of light emitting elements (Lee: organic light-emitting diode OLED; para. 0100, similar to ED1 of Kim) on the substrate (Lee: substrate 100; para. 0074) and including the same material (Lee: DP1 includes same first and second inorganic encapsulation layer 131, 133; para. 0094) as the light transmitting lower film (Lee: 131, similar to 171 of Kim).
Lee and Kim are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of display devices.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a dam as taught by Lee.
Doing so would realize a dam to delay external air or moisture from outside (Lee: para. 0251).
Regarding claim 20, Kim in view of Lee further teaches the display device of claim1 9, wherein the regions of the light transmitting film (Lee: fig. 15, region above OLED, similar to TA1 of Kim) are disposed closer to the plurality of light emitting elements (Lee: OLED) than is the dam (Lee: DP1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yoo et al. (US 20220149108) teaches a light control layer.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHIJUN XU whose telephone number is (571)270-3447. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm ET.
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/ZHIJUN XU/Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/BRIAN TURNER/Examiner, Art Unit 2818
