DETAILED ACTION
This correspondence is in response to the communications received July 3, 2024. Claims 1-20 are pending.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 13, and the claims that depend therefrom 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. The recitation, “the second electrode including … a second region that extends an outside of the first optical layer”, renders the claim indefinite as the metes and bounds of this limitation are unclear. First, looking at Applicant’s Fig. 4, the “second electrode’s second region” is element 172, which is outside an external boundary of “first optical layer” 141, but then all of 171, 172, 173 are outside of 141. So it is unclear what this limitation is intending to set forth.
Relevant Prior Art
BRI (Samsung) Choi et al. (US 2024/0313167) Fig. 13, shown below.
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(LG) Lee et al. (US 2024/0258454) Fig. 10, shown below.
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(LG) Lee et al. (US 2024/0222419) Fig. 6A, shown below.
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BRI (Samsung) Lee et al. (US 2024/0014351) Fig. 6A, shown below.
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BRI (Samsung) Yun et al. (US 2023/0361259) Fig. 22, shown below.
(LG) Son (US 2020/0185470) Fig. 5, shown below.
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LG Son et al. (KR 20180079078 A) Fig. 5, shown below.
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(Samsung) Seo et al. (US 2022/0352132) Fig. 7A, shown below.
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Kwon et al. (US 2019/0393387) Fig. 3 (and more), shown below.
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Lee et al. (US 2018/0190672) Fig. 6, shown below.
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Kim et al. (US 10,373,985) Fig. 2, shown below.
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Lee et al. (US 2017/0336690) Fig. 1, shown below.
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Kuo et al. (US 2017/0338212) Fig. 1, shown below.
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Kwon et al. (US 2017/0294480) Fig. 2B, shown below.
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Kim (US 2017/0294565) Fig. 4, shown below.
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Jeong (US 2017/0294424) Fig. 2, shown below.
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Fan et al. (US 2015/0084054) Fig. 3, shown below.
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Bibl et al. (US 2014/0367705) Fig. 11, shown below.
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Sakariya et al. (US 2014/0159064) Fig. 15C, shown below.
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Applicant’s Claim to Figure Comparison
It is noted that this comparison is merely for the benefit of reviewers of this office action during prosecution, to allow for an understanding of the examiner’s interpretation of the Applicant’s independent claims as compared to disclosed embodiments in Applicant’s Figures. No response or comments are necessary from Applicant.
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Regarding claim 1, the Applicant discloses in Figs. 3 and 4, a display device comprising:
a substrate (110);
a plurality of first electrodes (161) on the substrate (on 110);
a contact electrode (163) on the substrate (on 110);
a plurality of light-emitting elements (10: 11, 12, 13) on the plurality of first electrodes (on 161);
a first optical layer (141) between the plurality of light-emitting elements (between 10: 11, 12, 13); and
a second electrode (170) on the plurality of light-emitting elements (on 10: 11, 12, 13),
the second electrode (170) including a first region (171) that is on the plurality of light-emitting elements (shown in Fig. 4) and a second region (172, ¶ 0074) that extends an outside of the first optical layer (172 on outside surface of 141, see Fig. 4) and is in contact with the contact electrode (172 on 163 in Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 13, the Applicant discloses in Figs. 3 and 4, a display device comprising:
a substrate (110);
a plurality of first electrodes (161) on the substrate;
a plurality of light-emitting elements (10: 11, 12, 13) on the plurality of first electrodes (on 161);
a first optical layer (141) between the plurality of light-emitting elements;
a second electrode (170) on the plurality of light-emitting elements,
the second electrode including a first region (171) that is on the plurality of light-emitting elements and a second region (172) extends an outside of the first optical layer (172 extends past boundary of 141); and
a second optical layer surrounding the first optical layer (142),
the second optical layer (142) on the second region of the second electrode (on 172 of 170).
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.
Claims 1-3, 8, 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bibl et al. (US 9,111,464).
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Regarding claim 1, the prior art of Bibl discloses in Fig. 12F, 12A (utilized to identify elements not identified in Fig. 12F) and 20, a display device (see title, “LED Display …”) comprising:
a substrate (“FIGS. 12A-12F the display substrate 102”, ¶ 0027);
a plurality of first electrodes (elements 142, “The configuration illustrated in FIG. 12F is similar to that of FIG. 12A, with the difference being that the light pipe 320 is formed over multiple subpixels in a pixel, with each reflective bank layer 142 corresponding to a separate subpixel that is independently addressable by its own underlying circuitry 210.”, col. 30, lines 14-19, “a reflective bank layer 142 can be formed for each subpixel, wherein each reflective bank layer functions as a bottom electrode and is independently addressable from working circuitry within the substrate.”, col. 10, lines 7-11) on the substrate (plural 142 on 102);
a contact electrode (element 144, “a top electrode layer 318, or separate top electrode layers 318 can connect the micro LED devices 400 to a ground tie line 144”, col. 33, lines 30-32) on the substrate (on 102);
a plurality of light-emitting elements (“the micro LED devices 400”, col. 33, lines 30-32) on the plurality of first electrodes (400 on 142);
a first optical layer (element 316, “passivation layer 316 may be transparent or semi-transparent to the visible wavelength spectrum so as to not significantly degrade light extraction efficiency from sidewalls of the micro LED devices 400.”, col. 27, lines 45-58) between the plurality of light-emitting elements (as can be seen in Fig. 12F, 316 can be seen between plural 400); and
a second electrode (“top electrode layer 318”, col. 31, line 16) on the plurality of light-emitting elements (on plural 400),
the second electrode (318) including a first region that is on the plurality of light-emitting elements (region of 318 immediately over 400) and a second region that extends an outside of the first optical layer and is in contact with the contact electrode (region of 318 outside of 316, and is in contact with 144).
Bibl does not label the “substrate” as such in Fig. 12F.
Bibl labels the lower most base layer the “substrate 102” in Fig. 12A, “FIGS. 12A-12F the display substrate 102”, ¶ 0027.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to utilize the substrate, as disclosed by Fig. 12A of Bibl in the system of Fig. 12F of Bibl, for the purpose of utilizing a base layer as the basis for manufacturing a display device array, which can support the various device circuitries and display elements. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 2, the prior art of Bibl disclose the display device of claim 1, further comprising: a second optical layer (combination of 202 and 304, where, “a black matrix material 202 can be formed over the substrate 102 and between the light pipes to absorb light and prevent color bleeding into adjacent pixels 106 or subpixels 108. Alternatively, the black matrix material 202 can be substituted with a white matrix material to reflect light and prevent color bleeding into adjacent pixels 106 or subpixels 108.”, col. 24, lines 18-24, and “patterned bank layer 304”, col. 30, line 20. Both features contributing to the optical handling of the emitting arrangement.) that covers the second region of the second electrode (portion 202 on region of 318 outside of 316).
Regarding claim 3, the prior art of Bibl disclose the display device of claim 2, wherein the first optical layer includes a first material (316, col. 27, lines 45-59) and the second optical layer includes a second material (202, col. 29, lines 16-38, 304 is the same layer as 126 of Fig. 1B, which is not disclosed for Figs. 12A-12F, which will be combined below) that is different from the first material (materials for 316 compared to 202 and 304/126 are different).
Bibl does not state what material is used for layer 304 in Figs. 12a-12F.
Bibl does state the materials used for the layer 126 in Fig. 1B, as stated in, col. 8, line 64 to col. 9, line 13. This layer 126 is analogous to Figs. 12A-12F’s layer 304.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to utilize “the second optical layer includes a second material that is different from [all of] the first material”, as disclosed by Fig. 1B of Bibl in the system of Fig. 12A-12F of Bibl, for the purpose of utilizing second optical layers which aid in the extraction of the light from the emitting array. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
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Regarding claim 8, the prior art of Bibl disclose the display device of claim 2, and Bibl discloses in Fig. 20, further comprising:
a plurality of second electrodes (plural 318 shown, “top electrode layer 318”, col. 31, line 16) including the second electrode (318), the plurality of second electrodes arranged across a plurality of pixel rows (several rows of pixels shown in Fig. 20) and each of the plurality of second electrodes is spaced apart from each other for each pixel row from the plurality of pixel rows (rows of plural 318 separated from each other as shown in Fig. 20), wherein the plurality of second electrodes are electrically connected to the contact electrode (plural 318 connect to interpreted “contact electrode” 144, where element 144, “a top electrode layer 318, or separate top electrode layers 318 can connect the micro LED devices 400 to a ground tie line 144”, col. 33, lines 30-32).
Regarding claim 13, the prior art of Bibl discloses in Fig. 12F, 12A (utilized to identify elements not identified in Fig. 12F) and 20, a display device (see title, “LED Display …”), comprising:
a substrate (“FIGS. 12A-12F the display substrate 102”, ¶ 0027);
a plurality of first electrodes (elements 142, “The configuration illustrated in FIG. 12F is similar to that of FIG. 12A, with the difference being that the light pipe 320 is formed over multiple subpixels in a pixel, with each reflective bank layer 142 corresponding to a separate subpixel that is independently addressable by its own underlying circuitry 210.”, col. 30, lines 14-19, “a reflective bank layer 142 can be formed for each subpixel, wherein each reflective bank layer functions as a bottom electrode and is independently addressable from working circuitry within the substrate.”, col. 10, lines 7-11) on the substrate (plural 142 on 102);
a plurality of light-emitting elements (“the micro LED devices 400”, col. 33, lines 30-32) on the plurality of first electrodes (400 on 142);
a first optical layer (element 316, “passivation layer 316 may be transparent or semi-transparent to the visible wavelength spectrum so as to not significantly degrade light extraction efficiency from sidewalls of the micro LED devices 400.”, col. 27, lines 45-58) between the plurality of light-emitting elements (as can be seen in Fig. 12F, 316 can be seen between plural 400); and
a second electrode (“top electrode layer 318”, col. 31, line 16) on the plurality of light-emitting elements (on plural 400),
the second electrode (318) including a first region that is on the plurality of light-emitting elements (region of 318 immediately over 400) and a second region extends an outside of the first optical layer (region of 318 outside of 316); and
a second optical layer (combination of 202 and 304, where, “a black matrix material 202 can be formed over the substrate 102 and between the light pipes to absorb light and prevent color bleeding into adjacent pixels 106 or subpixels 108. Alternatively, the black matrix material 202 can be substituted with a white matrix material to reflect light and prevent color bleeding into adjacent pixels 106 or subpixels 108.”, col. 24, lines 18-24, and “patterned bank layer 304”, col. 30, line 20. Both features contributing to the optical handling of the emitting arrangement.) surrounding the first optical layer (both features 202 and 304 surround 316),
the second optical layer on the second region of the second electrode (portion 202 on region of 318 outside of 316).
Bibl does not label the “substrate” as such in Fig. 12F.
Bibl labels the lower most base layer the “substrate 102” in Fig. 12A, “FIGS. 12A-12F the display substrate 102”, ¶ 0027.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to utilize the substrate, as disclosed by Fig. 12A of Bibl in the system of Fig. 12F of Bibl, for the purpose of utilizing a base layer as the basis for manufacturing a display device array, which can support the various device circuitries and display elements. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 14, the prior art of Bibl disclose the display device of claim 13, wherein the first optical layer includes a first material (316, col. 27, lines 45-59) and the second optical layer includes a second material (202, col. 29, lines 16-38, 304 is the same layer as 126 of Fig. 1B, which is not disclosed for Figs. 12A-12F, which will be combined below) that is different from the first material (materials for 316 compared to 202 and 304/126 are different).
Bibl does not state what material is used for layer 304 in Figs. 12a-12F.
Bibl does state the materials used for the layer 126 in Fig. 1B, as stated in, col. 8, line 64 to col. 9, line 13. This layer 126 is analogous to Figs. 12A-12F’s layer 304.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to utilize “the second optical layer includes a second material that is different from [all of] the first material”, as disclosed by Fig. 1B of Bibl in the system of Fig. 12A-12F of Bibl, for the purpose of utilizing second optical layers which aid in the extraction of the light from the emitting array. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Claims 4 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bibl et al. (US 9,111,464) in view of Ahn (US 2023/0335698).
Regarding claim 4, the prior art of Bibl disclose the display device of claim 3, however Bibl does not disclose, “wherein the first optical layer includes light scattering particles.”
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Ahn discloses in Fig. 11, wherein the first optical layer (“layer CCL”, ¶ 0194, where CCL is analogous to Bibl’s Fig. 12F layer 316, which immediately surrounds the LED. CCL is a base matrix of resin, see ¶ 0200, “CCL1 may include first quantum dots QD1 dispersed in a specific matrix material such as base resin”) includes light scattering particles (“scattering particle SCT”, ¶ 0205 not disclosed for Fig. 11 in specification, but identified in ¶ 0205, as scattering particles).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to utilize the substrate, as disclosed by Fig. 12A of Bibl in the system of Fig. 12F of Bibl, for the purpose of including particles in the optical layer which can aid in creating consistent light emission from all viewing angles, thus improving the quality of light emission of the display. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art of Bibl disclose the display device of claim 14, however Bibl does not disclose, “wherein the first optical layer includes light scattering particles.”
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Ahn discloses in Fig. 11, wherein the first optical layer (“layer CCL”, ¶ 0194, where CCL is analogous to Bibl’s Fig. 12F layer 316, which immediately surrounds the LED. CCL is a base matrix of resin, see ¶ 0200, “CCL1 may include first quantum dots QD1 dispersed in a specific matrix material such as base resin”) includes light scattering particles (“scattering particle SCT”, ¶ 0205 not disclosed for Fig. 11 in specification, but identified in ¶ 0205, as scattering particles).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to utilize the substrate, as disclosed by Fig. 12A of Bibl in the system of Fig. 12F of Bibl, for the purpose of including particles in the optical layer which can aid in creating consistent light emission from all viewing angles, thus improving the quality of light emission of the display. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bibl et al. (US 9,111,464) in view of Liu et al. (US 2021/0175391).
Regarding claim 11, the prior art of Bibl disclose the display device of claim 1, however even though Bibl states that 400 are micro LED (“micro LED devices 400”, col. 10, line 2), Bibl does not explicitly teach, “wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements are inorganic light-emitting diodes.”
Liu teaches in ¶ 0003, “micro LED displays use inorganic material, they have better reliability and a longer lifetime than OLED displays.”
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to utilize “wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements are inorganic light-emitting diodes.”, as disclosed Liu in the system of Bibl, for the purpose of including light emitting devices which are brighter, have better reliability and have a longer lifetime than organic based emitters. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Claims 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bibl et al. (US 9,111,464) in view of Ikeda et al. (US 2022/0013684).
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of Bibl disclose the display device of claim 1, however Bibl does not teach the specifics of the device below the pixel layers and only teaches that 210 are “substrate 102 including an underlying circuitry 210”, col. 27, lines 22-23, and thus does not teach, “further comprising:
an insulating layer on the substrate;
a plurality of connection lines between the substrate and the insulating layer; and
a pixel driving circuit connected to the plurality of connection lines,
wherein the plurality of connection lines are electrically connected to the plurality of first electrodes and the contact electrode.”
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Ikeda discloses in Figs. 1 and 4, further comprising:
an insulating layer (this is interpreted to be the plurality of layers of 20, 24, 29, 35, 42, 45, 70 and 80, hereinafter referred to as ‘IL’. Where materials for those layers are, “The undercoat layer 20 and the insulating films 24, 29, and an insulating film 45 are inorganic insulating films and are made of, for example, silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2) or silicon nitride (SiN).”, ¶ 0056, “insulating film 35 is an inorganic insulating film, and the insulating film 42 is an organic insulating film.”, ¶ 0059, “flattening film 80 … insulating film 70”, ¶ 0062) on the substrate (IL on analogous substrate being “substrate 10”, ¶ 0059);
a plurality of connection lines (at least “a drain electrode 41d”, ¶ 0055, “drain coupling wiring lines 43d,”, ¶ 0061, “cathode wiring 60”, ¶ 0059, and the connections lines shown in Fig. 1 connecting 60 to 210, which are in area GA, which as shown in Fig. 4 are under 45 and 42) between the substrate (10) and the insulating layer (IL); and
a pixel driving circuit (“the drive transistors DRT and the writing transistors SST included in the pixels 49”, ¶ 0054) connected to the plurality of connection lines (DRT shown in Fig. 4 connecting to 41d, 43d),
wherein the plurality of connection lines are electrically connected to the plurality of first electrodes (at least 41d and 43d connect to analogous “first electrode”, which are, “coupling layers 50f are provided above the counter anode electrodes 50e”, ¶ 0061) and the contact electrode (connections lines shown in Fig. 1 connecting 60 connects to 210, ¶ 0030, “The drive IC 210 may be mounted as a chip on glass (COG) in the peripheral region GA of the substrate 10”, the connections lines shown in Fig. 1 connecting 60 to 210, which are in area GA, which as shown in Fig. 4 are under 45 and 42).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to utilize “further comprising:
an insulating layer on the substrate;
a plurality of connection lines between the substrate and the insulating layer; and
a pixel driving circuit connected to the plurality of connection lines,
wherein the plurality of connection lines are electrically connected to the plurality of first electrodes and the contact electrode.”, as disclosed Ikeda in the system of Bibl, for the purpose of including circuitry that can drive and operate the light emitters and contribute to the operation of the overall display device. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art of Bibl disclose the display device of claim 10, wherein the pixel driving circuit is a driving circuit (Liu discloses in Figs. 1 and 4, where the pixel driving circuit is, “the drive transistors DRT and the writing transistors SST included in the pixels 49”, ¶ 0054).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 9 and 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.
For claim 5, the prior art of Bibl et al. (US 9,111,464) does not disclose any bank patterns between (vertically) the substrate and plurality of first electrodes, and thus does not teach any of the content of claim 5.
“5. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of bank patterns between the substrate and the plurality of first electrodes, the plurality of first electrodes on an upper surface of the plurality of bank patterns.”
Claims 6 and 7 have been object to, due to their dependence upon claim 5.
For claim 9, the prior art of Bibl et al. (US 9,111,464) Fig. 12F, does not disclose wherein the “second electrode” (318) is ever on a side surface of the first optical layer” (316), and therefore does not show and of the content of claim 9.
“9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second electrode includes a third region on a side surface of the first optical layer, the third region connecting the first region and the second region.”
For claim 16, the prior art of Bibl et al. (US 9,111,464) does not disclose any bank patterns between (vertically) the substrate and plurality of first electrodes, and thus does not teach any of the content of claim 16.
“16. The display device of claim 13, further comprising: a plurality of bank patterns between the substrate and the plurality of first electrodes, the plurality of first electrodes on an upper surface of the plurality of bank patterns.”
Claims 17-20 have been objected to, due to their dependence upon claim 16.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Eduardo A Rodela whose telephone number is (571)272-8797. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30-5:00pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara B Green can be reached on (571) 270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EDUARDO A RODELA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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