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.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "23" and "21" have both been used to designate sidewalls of the LEDs.
Drawings 1-8 have labeled the sidewalls of the LEDs as 21, however, paragraph [0056], consistent with Fig 9, teach the sidewalls of the LEDs as 23. Proper correction is required.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cummings (US 20020190643 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 20, Cummings teaches a display device (flat panel display, [0062], Fig 3), comprising a display substrate (42),
the display substrate (42), including:
a base (54);
a plurality of light-emitting devices (56) disposed on (shown on) a side (54T: top of 54) of the base (54),
the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) being spaced (shown spaced) apart from each other; and
a light adjustment layer (60),
at least portion of the light adjustment layer (60) being located in (shown in) gaps (Gp: gap between 56) among the plurality of light-emitting devices (56), so that side walls (56SW: sidewalls of 56) of at least one of the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) are surrounded (shown surrounded, Fig 4) by the light adjustment layer (60),
a material (60M: sodium, [0013]; well known to be light-absorbing) of the light adjustment layer (60) including a light-absorbing material (sodium); wherein
orthogonal projections of the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) on (shown on) the base (54) are located within (shown within) an orthogonal projection of the light adjustment layer (60) on (shown on) the base (54), and
a surface (60T: top of 60) of the light adjustment layer (60) away (shown away) from the base (54) covers (shown covering) surfaces (56T: top of 56) of the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) away (shown away) from the base (54).
Regarding claim 2, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein the light adjustment layer (60, Fig 3) is of a single-layer film structure (shown as a single layer), and
the light adjustment layer (60) is composed of (sodium, [0013]) the light-absorbing material (sodium).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claims 1 and 2, and goes on to teach further comprising a light reflecting layer (60, Fig 3) covering (shown covering) side walls (56SW: sidewalls of 56) of each light-emitting device (56), wherein
the light reflecting layer (60) is configured to reflect (shown configured to reflect; since the reflective layer 60 is on top of the light-emitting 56, light from 56 that is emitted upward will reflect back down to the light-emitting 56) light incident from the light-emitting device (56) to the reflecting layer (60) back into the light-emitting device (56).
Regarding claim 5, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein a ratio (1.2, Fig 9) of a thickness (T1: total thickness of 70/72 in vertical direction) of the portion of the light adjustment layer (60; shown as 70/72 in Fig 9) located in the gaps (Gp) among the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) to a thickness (T2: total vertical thickness of 56) of the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) is greater (shown greater) than 1 and less (shown less) than or equal to 1.5.
Regarding claim 6, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein the light-absorbing material (sodium) of the light adjustment layer (60) includes at least one of a black ink (carbon, [0019]; alternative embodiment wherein the reflective layer includes an overcoat layer containing carbon, which is a well-known black ink), a black glue, or a black photoresist material.
Regarding claim 7, claim 7 was not examined since the black glue of claim 6 was not cited to reject claim 6.
Regarding claim 8, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein an absorption coefficient (1.35x10-2 m-1; well known in the art to be the absorption coefficient of spherical carbon particles) of the light-absorbing material (carbon, [0019]; alternative embodiment wherein the reflective layer includes an overcoat layer containing carbon) of the light adjustment layer (60, Fig 3; alternatively shown as 70 in Fig 9) is 2×10-5 m-1 to 0.8 m-1 (1.35x10-2 m-1).
Regarding claim 9, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein a difference (T3: thickness of 60; 70 nm, [0075) between a distance (D1: distance from 54 to 60T directly above 56) from the surface (60T) of the light adjustment layer (60) away (shown away) from the base (54) to the base (54) and a distance (D2: distance from 54 to 56T) from the surfaces (56T) of the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) away (shown away) from the base (54) to the base (54) is greater (shown greater) than 0 and less (shown less) than or equal to 50 μm.
Regarding claim 10, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 1 and goes on to teach wherein the light adjustment layer (60, Fig 3) includes:
a first sub-light adjustment layer (60A: optional oxide layer on lower surface of 60, [0068]) located in (shown in) the gaps (Gp) among the plurality of light-emitting devices (56),
a surface (60AT: top surface of 60A which would correspond to the lower surface of 60 shown) of the first sub-light adjustment layer (60A) away from the base (54) being flush with the surfaces (56T) of the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) away from the base, or being higher or
lower (shown lower) than the surfaces (56T) of the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) away (shown away) from the base (54) relative to the base (54); and
a second sub-light adjustment layer (60B: top layer of 60, shown as 60 in Fig 3) disposed on (on; oxide on lower surface of 60, places 60B on top away from base 54) a side (60AT) of the first sub-light adjustment layer (60A) away (shown away) from the base (54),
a surface (60BT: top of 60B) of the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B) away (shown away) from the base (54) being higher (shown higher) than the surfaces (56T) of the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) away (shown away) from the base (54) relative to the base (54),
a material (60M: sodium, [0013]; well known to be light-absorbing) of the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B) including the light-absorbing material (sodium), and
the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B) being configured to absorb light (well known in the art that sodium absorbs light) incident on the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B).
Regarding claim 11, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 10 and goes on to teach wherein a material (aluminum, [0014]) of the first sub-light adjustment layer (60A) includes a reflective material (Al; well known to be a reflective material), and
the first sub-light adjustment layer (60A) is configured to reflect light (light-reflective layer, [0014]) incident from the light-emitting devices (56) to the first sub-light adjustment layer (60A) back into (since the reflective layer 60 is on top of the light-emitting 56, light from 56 that is emitted upward will reflect back down to the light-emitting 56) the light-emitting devices (56).
Regarding claim 12, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 11 and goes on to teach wherein a reflectivity (90%; well known in the art that Al reflects 90% or higher of incident light) of the reflective material (Al) in the first sub-light adjustment layer (60A) is 85% to 95% (90%).
Regarding claim 13, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 11 and goes on to teach wherein the reflective material (Al) of the first sub-light adjustment layer (60A) includes at least one of a white ink, a white glue, or a metal material (Al; aluminum metal).
Regarding claim 14, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 13 and goes on to teach wherein the white glue is a silica gel doped with titanium dioxide; and the metal material is gold, copper (copper, [0193]; alternate embodiment with reflective layer 70 of copper replacing layer 60), or molybdenum.
Regarding claim 15, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 10 and goes on to teach wherein the surface (60BT, Fig 3) of the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B) away (shown away) from the base (54) is parallel (shown parallel) to a plane (XY-plane: horizontal plane of Fig 3) where a surface (54T: top of 54) of the base (54) facing (shown facing) the plurality of light-emitting devices (56) is located.
Regarding claim 16, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 10 and goes on to teach wherein the first sub-light adjustment layer (60A, Fig 3) and the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B) are provided in contact (in contact, [0068]) with each other; and
surfaces (60AT/60BB: top layer of 60A and bottom layer of 60B), in contact (in contact, [0068]) with each other, of the first sub-light adjustment layer (60A) and the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B) are conformal (conformal, [0068]) to each other.
Regarding claim 17, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 10 and goes on to teach wherein the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B, Fig 3) is provided in contact (shown in contact) with the plurality of light-emitting devices (56).
Regarding claim 18, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 10 and goes on to teach wherein a thickness (10 μm, [0214], Fig 22; the thickness of layer 92 is shown as comparable to the thickness of the light-adjustment layer 70U which corresponds to the second sub-light adjustment layer 60B) of the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B) is 10 μm to 15 μm (10 μm).
Regarding claim 19, Cummings teaches the display substrate of claim 10 and goes on to teach wherein the orthogonal projections of the plurality of light-emitting devices (56, Fig 4) on (shown on) the base (54) are located within (shown within) an orthogonal projection of the second sub-light adjustment layer (60B) on (shown on) the base (54).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lai (US 20230109528 A1) - a2, u-LED display with absorbing layer
Schick (US 20130114255 A1) - a1, u-LED array with optical substrate covering LEDs
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/JEREMY DANIEL WATTS/Examiner, Art Unit 2897 /CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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