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.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Heo et al. (United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0208867 A1, hereinafter “Heo”).
In reference to claim 15, Heo discloses a device which meets the claim. Fig. 8 and 10 of Heo discloses a display device which comprises a substrate (110) including a pixel (SP1, SP2) with a plurality of sub-pixels (SP1, SP2). A first electrode (121) is in each of the plurality of sub-pixels (SP1, SP2). A bank (note unlabeled bank directly in contact and overlapping right side of 121 in fig. 8 and 10) is between adjacent sub-pixels (SP1, SP2) from the plurality of sub-pixels (SP1, SP2) on the first electrode (121). A common emission layer (EML) is on an upper surface of the first electrode (121) that is exposed by the bank (note unlabeled bank directly in contact and overlapping right side of 121 in fig. 8 and 10). The bank (note unlabeled bank directly in contact and overlapping right side of 121 in fig. 8 and 10) has an asymmetric shape and the common emission layer (EML) is separated from the bank (note unlabeled bank directly in contact and overlapping right side of 121 in fig. 8 and 10) with the asymmetric shape.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 are allowed.
Claims 16-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: in the examiner’s opinion, it would not be obvious to implement a display device which comprises a substrate with a pixel that comprises a plurality of sub-pixels which has a first electrode in each of the plurality of sub-pixels such that the first electrode of a second sub-pixel among the plurality of sub-pixels is under the first electrode of a first sub-pixel in combination with a bank between adjacent sub-pixels from the plurality of sub-pixels such that a bank on the first electrode includes a plurality of side surfaces with different lengths between the plurality of side surfaces as required by the applicant in claim 1.
In the examiner’s opinion, it would also not be obvious to implement a display device which comprises a substrate with a pixel that comprises a plurality of sub-pixels which has a first electrode in each of the plurality of sub-pixels, an asymmetrically shaped bank between adjacent sub-pixels from the plurality of sub-pixels, a common emission layer on an upper surface of the first electrode exposed by the bank such that the common emission layer is separated from the bank by its asymmetric shape in combination with the explicit overlapping structure of the bank between first electrodes of first and second sub-pixels specified by the applicant in claim 16.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN QUINTO whose telephone number is (571)272-1920. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Britt Hanley can be reached at 571-270-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN QUINTO/Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/Britt Hanley/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
