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 .
Response to Election/Restrictions
1. Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-20 in the reply filed on 8/22/2024 is acknowledged.
Specification
2. 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.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
3. The claims are objected because of the following reasons:
Re claim 15, line 5: in front of “light emitting device”, delete “a” and insert --the--.
Re claims 16-17, line 2: in front of “light emitting device”, delete “a” and insert --the--.
Re claim 19, line 3: in front of “light emitting device”, delete “a” and insert --the--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
4. Claims 1-6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shim (US 2021/0202658).
Re claim 1, Shim teaches, under BRI, Fig. 1 & 5, [0041, 0042, 0047, 0055, 0058, 0059, 0068], a light-emitting device comprising:
-a pixel region (active area AA) including a plurality of light-emitting elements (112) (Fig. 1); and
-a peripheral region including an electrode terminal (191) for establishing an electrical connection with an external terminal, a first insulation layer (105 only or 105, 106, 107) arranged on the electrode terminal (191), and a second insulation layer (108 only or 106, 107, 108) arranged on the first insulation layer (105-107) (Fig. 5), wherein
the electrode terminal includes a first metal layer (191) exposed by a first opening (between 105 or 105-107) provided in the first insulation layer (105 or 105-107),
an upper surface of an end portion of the first insulation layer (105 or 105-107) is inclined with respect to a bottom surface of the first metal layer (191), the upper surface of the end portion forming a part of the first opening,
the second insulation layer (108 or 106-108) has a second opening (between 108) in the first opening, and
the second insulation layer (108 or 106-108) is in contact with the electrode terminal (191) in the first opening (Fig. 5).
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Re claim 2, Shim teaches, Fig. 5, [0058, 0068], wherein the second insulating layer (108 or 106-107) functions as a sealing layer (based on materials of 106-08).
Re claim 3, Shim teaches, Fig. 5, wherein an upper surface of the sealing layer (108 or 106-108) has a portion inclined with respect to the first metal layer (191).
Re claim 4, Shim teaches, Fig. 5, wherein the upper surface of the sealing layer (108 or 106-108) is in parallel with the first metal layer (side of 191) in a region adjacent to the first opening.
Re claim 5, Shim teaches, Fig. 5, [0068], wherein the sealing layer has a 3-layered structure (106-108) in which an oxide film (107) is sandwiched between insulation layers (106, 108).
Re claim 6, Shim teaches, Fig. 5, wherein an end portion of the first insulation layer (105 or 105-107) is separated from the second opening (defined by 108) in a plan view.
Re claim 10, Shim teaches, Fig. 5, wherein the second insulation layer (108 or 106-108) has a first inclined portion (left portion) having an upper surface inclined with respect to the first metal layer (191), a parallel portion having an upper surface in parallel with the first metal layer (191), and a second inclined portion (right portion) having an upper surface inclined with respect to the first metal layer (191).
Re claim 11, Shim teaches wherein a moisture transmittance of the first insulating layer (105, SiO2) [0058] is greater than a moisture transmittance of the sealing layer (107 of 106-108, SiN) [0059].
Re claim 13, Shim teaches wherein the light-emitting element is an organic EL light -emitting element [0060, 0069].
Re claim 14, Shim teaches, Figs. 1 & 5, [0035, 0040], a display device comprising a display panel including the light emitting device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above), a frame (surrounding 100 or housing) provided with the display panel and a circuit substrate (101).
Re claim 16, Shim teaches, [0035], an electronic apparatus comprising: a display unit including a light emitting device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above); a housing (e.g. of a computer) provided with the display unit; and a communication unit (e.g., network adapter or external connectors of the computer) provided in the housing and configured to perform external communication.
Re claim 17, Shim teaches, [0035], an illumination device comprising: a light source including a light emitting device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above); and a light-diffusing unit or an optical film (e.g., a screen of a monitor) configured to pass light generated by the light source.
5. Claims 1-4, 6-8, 13, 14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Back et al. (US 2020/0395428).
Re claim 1, Back teaches, under BRI, Fig. 1, 3, 5 or 9B, [0059-0060, 0067, 0077, 0078], a light-emitting device comprising:
-a pixel region (DA) including a plurality of light-emitting elements (OLED) (Fig. 1); and
-a peripheral region (PA) including an electrode terminal (400) for establishing an electrical connection with an external terminal, a first insulation layer (PVX) arranged on the electrode terminal (400), and a second insulation layer (OL) arranged on the first insulation layer (PVX) (Fig. 3), wherein
the electrode terminal includes a first metal layer (401) exposed by a first opening (between PVX) provided in the first insulation layer (PVX),
an upper surface of an end portion of the first insulation layer (PVX) is inclined with respect to a bottom surface of the first metal layer (401), the upper surface of the end portion forming a part of the first opening,
the second insulation layer (OL) has a second opening (between OL) in the first opening, and
the second insulation layer (OL) is in contact with the electrode terminal (401) in the first opening (Fig. 3).
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Re claim 2, Back teaches, Fig. 3, wherein the second insulation layer (OL) functions as a sealing layer (based on selected material, [0079]).
Re claim 3, Back teaches, Fig. 3, wherein an upper surface of the sealing layer (OL) has a portion inclined with a respect to the first metal layer (401).
Re claim 4, Back teaches, Fig. 3, wherein the upper surface of the sealing layer (OL) is in parallel with the first metal layer (401) in a region adjacent to the first opening.
Re claim 6, Back teaches, Fig. 3, wherein an end portion of the first insulation layer (PVX) is separated from the second opening (defined by OL) in a plan view.
Re claim 7, Back teaches, Fig. 3, [0067], a second metal layer (403) arranged on the first metal layer (401), wherein the first insulation layer (PVX) is arranged on the second metal layer (403).
Re claim 8, Back teaches, Fig. 3, wherein the second metal layer (403) and the second insulation layer (OL) are in contact (*) with each other in the first opening.
(*) Note: contact # directly or physically contact.
Re claim 13, Back teaches wherein the light-emitting element is an organic EL light emitting element [0060].
Re claim 14, Back teaches, Fig. 17, a display device comprising a display panel including the light emitting device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above), a frame (outer cover) provided with the display panel and a circuit substrate (e.g., circuit board, [0141]).
Re claim 16, Back teaches, Figs. 17-19, an electronic apparatus comprising: a display unit including a light emitting device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above); a housing (e.g. of a computer) provided with the display unit; and a communication unit (e.g., network adapter or external connectors of the computer) provided in the housing and configured to perform external communication.
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.
6. Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim in view of Choi et al. (US 2013/0001564).
The teachings of Shim have been discussed above.
Re claim 7, Shim does not explicitly teach a second metal layer arranged on the first metal layer, wherein the first insulation layer is arranged on the second metal layer.
Choi teaches, Fig. 14, [0074, 0076], a second metal layer (115) arranged on the first metal layer (114), wherein the first insulation layer (17) is arranged on the second metal layer (115).
As taught by Choi, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to obtain a second metal layer as claimed, because it aids in improving electrical connection in the formed device.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Choi in combination with Shim due to above reason.
Re claim 8, in combination cited above, Choi teaches, Fig. 14, [0078], wherein the second metal (115) and the second insulation layer (19) are in contact with each other in the first opening (between 17).
6. Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim.
The teachings of Shim have been discussed above.
Re claim 9, Shim’s Fig. 3 does not explicitly teach wherein an inclination of the first insulation layer with respect to the first metal layer has an angle of inclination of at least 20 degrees and not more than 50 degrees.
Shim’s Fig. 7 teaches an inclination of the first insulation layer (103, 105) with respect to the first metal layer (consider horizontal part of 181) has an angle of inclination of about 50 degrees.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ & modify the teaching as taught by Shim’s Fig. 7 to an inclination of the first insulation layer with respect to the first metal layer has an angle of inclination of at least 20 degrees and not more than 50 degrees as claimed, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Alter, 105 USPQ 233.
7. Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim in view of Back et al. (US 2020/0395428).
The teachings of Shim have been discussed above.
Re claim 12, Shim does not explicitly teach wherein the first metal layer has a concave portion at a portion of the second opening, and a depth of the concave portion is at least 1 nm and not more than 100 nm.
Back teaches, Fig. 5, the first metal layer (401) has a concave portion (between 401) at a portion of the second opening, and a depth of the concave portion is at least 1 nm and not more than 100 nm (e.g., based on thickness of 401, 10A-300A) [0076].
As taught by Back, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to obtain a depth of a concave portion of the first metal layer as claimed, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Alter, 105 USPQ 233.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Back in combination with Shim due to above reason.
8. Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Back.
The teachings of Back have been discussed above.
Re claim 12, Back does not explicitly teach wherein the first metal layer has a concave portion at a portion of the second opening, and a depth of the concave portion is at least 1 nm and not more than 100 nm.
Back’s Fig. 5 teaches the first metal layer (401) has a concave portion (between left & right parts of 401) at a portion of the second opening (defined by OL), and a depth of the concave portion is at least 1 nm and not more than 100 nm (e.g., based on thickness of 401, 10A-300A) [0076].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ & modify the teaching as taught by Back’s Fig. 5 to obtain the first metal layer has a concave portion at a portion of the second opening, and a depth of the concave portion is at least 1 nm and not more than 100 nm as claimed, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Alter, 105 USPQ 233.
9. Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim in view of Large et al. (US 2012/0127128).
The teachings of Shim have been discussed above.
Re claim 15, Shim teaches the display unit includes a light emitting device according claim 1.
Shim does not explicitly teach a photoelectric conversion device comprising an optical unit including a plurality of lenses, an image sensor configured to receive light having passed through the optical unit, and a display unit configured to display an image captured by the image sensor.
Large teaches, Fig. 13, a photoelectric conversion device comprising an optical unit including a plurality of lenses (1306), an image sensor (1302) configured to receive light having passed through the optical unit, and a display unit (1304) configured to display an image captured by the image sensor.
As taught by Large, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to obtain a photoelectronic conversion device as claimed, because it aids in achieving desired device with improved performance.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Large in combination with Shim due to above reason.
10. Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim in view of Jeong (US 2016/0211427).
The teachings of Shim have been discussed above.
Re claim 18, Shim teaches a light emitting device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above).
Shim does not explicitly teach a moving body comprising: a lighting appliance including a light emitting device; and a main body provided with the lighting appliance.
Jeong teaches, Fig. 14, [0168], a moving body comprising: a lighting appliance including a light emitting device (2200); and a main body (outer structure) provided with the lighting appliance.
As taught by Jeong, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to obtain a moving body as claimed, because it aids in achieving desired lighting apparatus with improved brightness.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Jeong in combination with Shim due to above reason.
11. Claims 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim in view of Seo et al. (US 2020/0294442).
The teachings of Shim have been discussed above.
Re claim 19, Shim teaches a display device including a light-emitting device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above).
Shim does not explicitly teach a device comprising: an image pick-up device provided on a front surface side of a lens; a display device including a light-emitting device, on a back surface side of the lens.
Seo teaches, Fig. 1, a device comprising: an image pick-up device (150) provided on a front surface side of a lens (140); a display device (130) including a light-emitting device, on a back surface side of the lens (140).
As taught by Seo, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to obtain a device with image pick up as claimed, because it aids in achieving a desired device with improved noise correction.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Seo in combination with Shim due to above reason.
Re claim 20, in combination cited above, Seo teaches, under BRI, Fig. 1, an image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive member (150), an exposure light source (120) opposed to the photosensitive member, the exposure light source including the light-emitting device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above).
Conclusion
12. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Park et al. (US 2014/0346458, Fig. 7) discloses a TFT array including insulation layer that exposes a pixel electrode.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUY T.V. NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7431. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7AM-4PM, alternative Friday off.
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/DUY T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818 9/3/26
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