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
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 9, and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hamashita (US 2024/0032392).
With regard to claim 1, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, a display device comprising: a bank (14) exposing a first open portion (13) of a first sub-pixel (below 17R) and a first open portion (13) of a second sub-pixel (below 17G); a plurality of first lenses (18A) disposed to correspond to the first open portion of the first sub-pixel and the first open portion of the second sub-pixel; an optical layer (17) disposed between the bank and the plurality of first lenses, the optical layer including a first groove (12) between one of the plurality of first lenses corresponding to the first open portion of the first sub-pixel and another one of the plurality of first lenses corresponding to the first open portion of the second sub-pixel, the first groove having a first thickness (Wc); and a filler (portion of 18 filled into the groove) disposed in the first groove of the optical layer, wherein the filler is aligned with the one of the plurality of first lenses corresponding to the first open portion of the first sub-pixel and the another one of the plurality of first lenses corresponding to the first open portion of the second sub-pixel, in a first direction (see figure).
With regard to claim 2, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, that the filler is connected to an edge of one or more of the plurality of first lenses (see figure).
With regard to claim 3, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, that the first groove overlaps with the bank (see figure).
With regard to claim 9, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, that the filler has a thickness (Hc) greater than the first thickness ([0075]).
With regard to claim 16, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, a display device comprising: a bank (14) including a first open portion (13) for a first light-emitting device (of 17R) and a second open portion (13) for a second light-emitting device (of 17G); an optical layer (17) overlapping with the first open portion and the second open portion; a first lens (relevant instance of 18A) disposed on the optical layer and overlapping with the first open portion; a second lens (relevant instance of 18A) disposed on the optical layer and overlapping with the second open portion; a first groove (12) in the optical layer between the first lens and the second lens; and a filler (portion of 18 filled into the groove) disposed in the first groove of the optical layer.
With regard to claim 17, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, that the filler is connected to the first lens and the second lens (see figure), and wherein the filler, the first lens and the second lens include a same material ([0079]).
With regard to claim 18, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, that a thickness of the first groove is equal to or less than a thickness of the optical layer.
With regard to claim 19, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 12, a planarization film (19) disposed on the first lens and the second lens, a portion of the planarization film extending between the first lens and the second lens, wherein the planarization film has a uniformly flat upper surface (see figure).
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) 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hamashita (US 2024/0032392) in view of Shin et al. (US 2022/0399529).
With regard to claim 4, Hamashita teaches most of the limitations of this claim, as set forth above with regard to claim 1.
Hamashita does not explicitly teach that each of the plurality of first lenses has a length in the first direction longer than a length in a second direction intersecting the first direction.
Shin teaches, in Fig 8, that each of the plurality of first lenses (Lz1g, Lz1h) has a length in the first direction (horizontal in the figure) longer than a length in a second direction (vertical in the figure) intersecting the first direction to, “increase a lifetime and realize high luminance of the display device by improvement of light efficiency,” ([0025]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan at the effective time of filing to combine the device of Hamashita with the pixel and lens configuration of Shin to increase a lifetime and realize high luminance of the display device by improvement of light efficiency.
With regard to claim 5, Shin teaches, in Figs 2B and 8, a plurality of second lenses (Lz2) disposed on the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel, wherein each of the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel includes a plurality of second open portions (OP1) exposed by the bank (BK), wherein the plurality of second open portions are respectively disposed to correspond to the plurality of second lenses, and wherein a length of each of the plurality of second lenses in the first direction is less than a length of each of the plurality first lenses in the first direction (see figures).
With regard to claim 6, Hamashita/Shin teach that the optical layer includes a second groove disposed between the plurality of second lenses of the first sub-pixel (here applying the lens disposition of Shin with the lens configuration of Hamashita meets this limitation).
Claim(s) 7 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hamashita (US 2024/0032392) in view of Huang (US 2022/0328794).
With regard to claim 7, Hamashita teaches most of the limitations of this claim, as set forth above with regard to claim 1.
Hamashita also teaches, in Fig 1, an encapsulation layer (15) disposed between the optical layer and the bank.
Hamashita does not explicitly teach a black matrix disposed between the encapsulation layer and the optical layer, the black matrix overlapping with the bank, wherein the first groove exposes the black matrix.
Huang teaches, in Fig 1, a black matrix (62) disposed between the encapsulation layer (4) and the optical layer (63), the black matrix overlapping with the bank (21), wherein the first groove (region between instances of 63) exposes the black matrix, “thereby increasing brightness and chromaticity of the OLED display panel,“ ([0027]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan at the effective time of filing to combine the device of Hamashita with the black matrix of Huang to increase brightness and chromaticity of the OLED display panel.
With regard to claim 8, Huang teaches, in Fig 1, that the filler (64) is in contact with the black matrix (see figure).
Claim(s) 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hamashita (US 2024/0032392) in view of Jang et al. (US 2019/0221779).
With regard to claim 10, Hamashita teaches most of the limitations of this claim, as set forth above with regard to claim 1.
Hamashita does not explicitly teach a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on the optical layer, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes overlap with the bank, and wherein the first groove is between two adjacent sensor electrode among the plurality of sensor electrodes.
Jang teaches, in Fig 9, a plurality of sensor electrodes (TE1, TE2) disposed on the optical layer (330), wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes overlap with the bank (190), and wherein the first groove (of Hamashita) is between two adjacent sensor electrode among the plurality of sensor electrodes to have, “excellent luminous efficiency,” ([0005]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan at the effective time of filing to combine the device of Hamashita with the sensor electrodes of Jang to have excellent luminous efficiency.
With regard to claim 10, Jang teaches, in Fig 9, that one of the plurality of sensor electrodes extends across the groove (here applying Hamashita's groove to the sensor electrodes of Jang).
Claim(s) 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al. (US 2022/0399529) in view of Hamashita (US 2024/0032392).
With regard to claim 12, Shin teaches, in Figs 2B and 8, a display device comprising: a plurality of sub-pixels (indicated by BK1-1, BK1-2, etc), each of the plurality of sub-pixels including a first lower electrode (AE) and a second lower electrode (CE); a first lens (Lz1) overlapping with a first open portion of the first lower electrode, the first lens having a length in a first direction longer than a length in a second direction intersecting the first direction (see figures); a plurality of second lenses (Lz2) respectively corresponding to a plurality of second open portions of the second lower electrode, each of the plurality of second lenses having a length in the first direction less than the length of the first lens in the first direction (see figures).
Shin does not explicitly teach a filling lens disposed on a different layer than the first lens and the plurality of second lenses, wherein the filling lens is disposed between the first lens of one sub-pixel among the plurality of sub-pixels and the first lens of another sub-pixel among the plurality of sub-pixels adjacent to the one sub-pixel in the first direction.
Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, a filling lens (18 filling in 12) disposed on a different layer (15) than the first lens (instance 18A) and the plurality of second lenses (other instances of 18A), wherein the filling lens is disposed between the first lens of one sub-pixel among the plurality of sub-pixels and the first lens of another sub-pixel among the plurality of sub-pixels adjacent to the one sub-pixel in the first direction (see figure), “to provide a display device and an electronic device that can suppress mixing of light and mixing of colors with efficient light extraction,” ([0009]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan at the effective time of filing to combine the device of Shin with the filling lens of Hamashita to provide a display device and an electronic device that can suppress mixing of light and mixing of colors with efficient light extraction.
With regard to claim 13, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, an optical layer (17) covering the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode, wherein the first lens and the plurality of second lenses are disposed on the optical layer, wherein the optical layer includes a groove (12), and wherein the filling lens is disposed in the groove in the optical layer (see figure).
With regard to claim 14, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, that the filling lens is disposed between the plurality of second lenses in each of the plurality of sub-pixels (applying the lens configuration of Hamashita to the lenses of Shin).
With regard to claim 15, Hamashita teaches, in Fig 1, that the filling lens is connected to two adjacent second lenses among the second lenses (see figure).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hamashita (US 2024/0032392) in view of Sun et al. (US 2021/0193763).
With regard to claim 10, Hamashita teaches most of the limitations of this claim, as set forth above with regard to claim 16.
Hamashita also teaches, in Fig 1, that the first lens and the second lens are disposed along a same line (see figures).
Hamashita does not explicitly teach that each of the first lens and the second lens has a semicylindrical shape.
Sun teaches that each of the first lens and the second lens has a semicylindrical shape ([0085]) so that, “the viewing angle is increased,” ([0105]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan at the effective time of filing to combine the device of Hamashita with the lens shape of Sun so that the viewing angle is increased.
Conclusion
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/RAJ R GUPTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
