DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, Species IV, FIG. 20 (claims 1-6) in the reply filed on 9/17/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 7-9 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 9/17/26.
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(s) 1, 3, and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR 10-2018-0117182 (i.e. Lee et al. US 2021/0384252 A1) as disclosed in the IDS filed 7/22/24. Lee discloses (see, for example, FIG. 5) a display device comprising: a planarization layer PSV disposed on a substrate SUB; a first alignment electrode EL1_1 and a second alignment electrode EL2 that extend in a first direction and are spaced apart from each other on the planarization layer PSV; a first insulating layer CPL1_1/CPL2 disposed on the first alignment electrode EL1_1 and the second alignment electrode EL2, the first insulating layer CPL1_1/CPL2 comprising a groove located between the first alignment electrode EL1_1 and the second alignment electrode EL2; a light-emitting element LD1 disposed on the first insulating layer CPL1_1/CPL2 and overlapping the groove; a first contact electrode CNE1_1 and a second contact electrode CNE2 disposed on the first insulating layer CPL1_1/CPL2, the first contact electrode CNE1_1 electrically contacting a first end of the light-emitting element LD1 and the second contact electrode CNE2 electrically contacting a second end of the light-emitting element LD1; and a second insulating layer INS2 disposed on the light-emitting element LD1.
Regarding claim 3, see, for example, FIG. 5 wherein Lee discloses the light-emitting
element LD1 being spaced apart from sidewalls of the groove, the first contact electrode CNE1_1 being disposed between one of the sidewalls of the groove and the first end of the light-emitting element LD1, and the second contact electrode CNE2 being disposed between another one of the sidewalls of the groove and the second end of the light-emitting element LD1.
Regarding claim 5, see, for example, FIG. 5 wherein Lee discloses the second insulating layer INS2 does not overlap the first alignment electrode EL1_1 and the second alignment electrode EL2, and has an isolated pattern.
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(s) 4, and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR 10-2018-0117182 (i.e. Lee et al. US 2021/0384252 A1) as applied to claims 1, 3, and 5 above. KR 10-2018-0117182 does not expressly disclose a depth of the groove being about 50% or more of a thickness of the light-emitting element. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at a time prior to the effective filing date, to have a depth of the groove is about 50% or more of a thickness of the light-emitting element in order to minimize light diffusion and protect the light-emitting element, and since it has been held that discovering the optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 6, see, for example, FIG. 5 wherein Lee discloses a width of the
second insulating layer INS2 being smaller than a width of the groove, but does not disclose a width of the second insulating layer is … larger than a length of the light-emitting element in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at a time prior to the effective filing date, to have a width of the second insulating layer is … larger than a length of the light-emitting element in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in order to protect the light-emitting element, and since it has been held that discovering the optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is 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.
INFORMATION ON HOW TO CONTACT THE USPTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1733. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 730-330 PM.
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Eugene Lee
October 8, 2026
/EUGENE LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
