DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/19/2024 and 03/24/2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Pg. 16, ¶ [00149], line 4, “GW” should be “GWL” (referencing Fig. 6C); ¶ [00150], lines 3 and 6, “GI” should be “GIL” (referencing Fig. 6C), line 5, “initialize a voltage the gate electrode” should be “initialize a voltage to the gate electrode.”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kwon (US 20230207537 A1)
Regarding claim 1, Kwon discloses (Fig. 1) A display apparatus comprising: a substrate (111) comprising a plurality of island portions (PX) spaced apart from each other, a bridge portion (122) connecting the plurality of island portions to each other, and an opening portion (portions between PX and 122) arranged between the plurality of island portions; light-emitting elements (SP1, SP2, SP3, Fig. 2) arranged in each of the plurality of island portions; and protruding electrodes (CP12c+I1c+CP13c+I2c, I1b+CP12b Fig. 4) arranged between the substrate and the light-emitting elements (160c, 160b, Fig. 4) and connected to the light-emitting elements, wherein the protruding electrodes comprise a first protruding electrode (CP1c) and a second protruding electrode (CP1b), and wherein a thickness of the first protruding electrode is different from a thickness of the second protruding electrode (CP1c is thicker than CP1b).
Regarding claim 2, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protruding electrodes are spaced apart from each other (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein (Fig. 4, ¶ [0067]) the light-emitting elements comprise a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element, wherein the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element are configured to emit lights of different colors from each other, wherein the first light-emitting element is arranged on the first protruding electrode, and the second light-emitting element is arranged on the second protruding electrode.
Regarding claim 4, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: (Fig. 3) a circuit layer (150) arranged between the substrate and the protruding electrodes, wherein the circuit layer includes a pixel driving circuit portion (150) and a bottom insulating layer (144) covering the pixel driving circuit portion; a common electrode pad (CP21, Fig. 5) and electrode pads (CP11c, CP11b, Fig. 4) arranged on the bottom insulating layer; a top insulating layer (BR) at least partially covering the light-emitting elements and comprising a contact hole (CP23, CP22, Fig. 5) exposing the common electrode pad; and a common electrode (161, 164, Fig. 5) arranged on the top insulating layer, wherein each of the light-emitting elements comprises a first electrode (165, Fig. 3) arranged at a bottom of each of the light-emitting elements and a second electrode (161) arranged at a top of each of the light-emitting elements, wherein second electrodes of the light-emitting elements are electrically connected to the common electrode pad (CP2) through the contact hole.
Regarding claim 5, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the protruding electrodes comprises: a protrusion comprising an organic insulating material (I1c+I2c, I1b, ¶ [0124]) and comprising a via hole (CP12c+CP13c, CP12b) disposed in a middle portion of the protrusion; and a bonding pad (horizontal portions connecting the vertical via portions) arranged inside the via hole and disposed on the protrusion and comprising a conductive material (¶ [0129]).
Regarding claim 6, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 5, wherein the thickness of the second protruding electrode (CP12c+zI1c+CP13c+I2c, Fig, 4) is greater than the thickness of the first protruding electrode (I1b+CP12b), wherein a protrusion of the second protruding electrode covers at least a portion of a protrusion of the first protruding electrode.
Regarding claim 11, Kwon discloses A display apparatus comprising (Fig. 1): a substrate (111) comprising a plurality of island portions (PX) spaced apart from each other, a bridge portion (122) connecting the plurality of island portions to each other, and an opening portion (portions between PX and 122) arranged between the plurality of island portions; (Fig. 3) a circuit layer (150) comprising a pixel driving circuit portion (CP1, CP2, Fig. 2) arranged on the plurality of island portions and a bottom insulating layer (144, Fig. 3) covering the pixel driving circuit portion; (Fig. 4) a first electrode pad (CP11c), a second electrode pad (CP11b), and a third electrode pad (CP1a) arranged on the bottom insulating layer; (Fig, 4) a first protruding electrode (I1c+CP12c+I2c+CP13c), a second protruding electrode (I1b+CP12b), and a third protruding electrode (CP1a) arranged on the bottom insulating layer and corresponding to the first electrode pad, the second electrode pad, and the third electrode pad, respectively; and (Fig. 4) a first light-emitting element (160c), a second light-emitting element (160b), and a third light-emitting element (160a) connected to the first protruding electrode, the second protruding electrode, and the third protruding electrode, respectively, wherein a thickness of the first protruding electrode, a thickness of the second protruding electrode, and a thickness of the third protruding electrode are different from one another (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 12, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first protruding electrode, the second protruding electrode, and the third protruding electrode are spaced apart from one another (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 13, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, and the third light-emitting element are configured to emit lights of different colors from one another (¶ [0067]).
Regarding claim 14, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: a common electrode pad (CP21, Fig. 5) arranged on the bottom insulating layer adjacent the island portion; a top insulating layer (BR, Fig. 4) at least partially covering the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, and the third light-emitting element, and comprising a contact hole (CP23, CP22, Fig. 5) exposing the common electrode pad; and a common electrode (161, 164, Fig. 5) arranged on the top insulating layer, wherein the common electrode is connected to the common electrode pad through the contact hole (Fig. 5).
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) 7, 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon (US 20230207537 A1)
Regarding claim 7. Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 5. Kwon discloses wherein the protrusion protrudes from a lower portion of the light-emitting elements (Fig, 4), but Kwon is silent regarding the bonding pad is arranged under the protrusion.
While Kwon is silent to the bonding pad being arranged under the protrusion, Kwon discloses (Fig. 4) the bonding pad is above the protrusion, such that a reverse of the vertical via in Fig. 4 would result in the bonding pad being under the protrusion. As such where the general part elements (via and bonding pad above the protrusion) are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to rearrange, reverse (via and bonding pad being under the protrusion), or duplicate the part element through routine optimization. MPEP 2144.04
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to reverse the via and bonding pad in the protrusion of Kwon by inversion or a 180-degree rotation without changing its bonding functionality for a diversity of applications.
Regarding claim 15, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 11, wherein each (only the first and second protruding electrodes) of the first protruding electrode, the second protruding electrode, and the third protruding electrode (not the third protruding electrode) comprises: (Fig. 4) a protrusion comprising an organic insulating material (I1c+I2c, I1b, ¶ [0124]) and comprising a via hole (CP12c+CP13c, CP12b) disposed in a middle portion of the protrusion; and a bonding pad (horizontal portions connecting the vertical via portions) arranged inside the via hole and on the protrusion and comprising a conductive material (¶ [0129]).
While Kwon does not disclose the third protrusion electrode formed from an organic dielectric material and via extending the dielectric like the first and the second protrusion electrode, it is predictable to duplicate the structure of the first and the second protrusion electrode for the third protrusion electrode that perform the same function of connecting the light emitting element to the pixel driving circuit. As such it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to duplicate the protrusion structure of the first and second protrusion electrodes as taught by Kwon for the third protrusion electrode for a diversity of applications.
Regarding claim 16, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 15. Kwon further discloses wherein the protrusions of the first protruding electrode, the second protruding electrode, and the third protruding electrode directly cover the first electrode pad, the second electrode pad, and the third electrode pad, respectively (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 17, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 15. Kwon does not disclose wherein the thickness of the second protruding electrode is greater than the thickness of the first protruding electrode, and wherein the protrusion of the second protruding electrode covers at least a portion of the protrusion of the first protruding electrode. However, Kwon discloses the first protruding electrode is greater than the second protruding electrode and the first protrusion electrode covers a portion of the second protrusion electrode. As such where the general conditions (thickness of the protrusion electrode) is disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum (the second is greater than the first) or workable ranges by routine experimentation. MPEP 2144.05
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to select a thickness of the second protrusion electrode to be greater than the first protrusion electrode to optimize a diversity of applications.
Claim(s) 8-10, 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon (US 20230207537 A1) in view of Nakamura (US 20200357863 A1)
Regarding claim 8, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 1. Kwon further discloses wherein the light-emitting elements comprise a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, and a third light-emitting element emitting light of different colors from one another (¶ [0067]), but Kwon is silent regarding a size of the first light-emitting element is greater than a size of each of the second light-emitting element and the third light-emitting element.
Nakamura discloses (Fig. 1A) a pixel unit (130) including sub-pixels B, R, and G (blue, red, green respectively) wherein B has a greater size than a size of each R and G.
Artisans in the art would have appreciated that blue subpixels are often larger than red and green because blue emitters are less efficient and have a shorted lifespan (due to shorter wavelength and higher energy of blue light stressing out the emitting material) and, thus increasing the size allows the display to maintain brightness while reducing stress and extending overall panel life.
As such it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to substitute the subpixels of Kwon with the subpixels of Nakamura to compensate for the material stressing issue of blue subpixels. Doing so would allow for better performance of panels.
Regarding claim 9, Kwon in view of Nakamura discloses the display apparatus of claim 8. Kwon further discloses wherein the protruding electrodes further comprise a third protruding electrode (CP1a, Fig. 4), wherein the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, and the third light-emitting element are connected to the first protruding electrode, the second protruding electrode, and the third protruding electrode, respectively, and wherein the thickness of the first protruding electrode is greater than the thickness of the second protruding electrode and a thickness of the third protruding electrode (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 10, Kwon in view of Nakamura discloses the display apparatus of claim 9. Kwon is silent regarding wherein the thickness of the second protruding electrode is equal to the thickness of the third protruding electrode. Kwon, instead, discloses the second protrusion is thicker than the third protrusion. As such where the general conditions (thickness of the protrusion) is disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum (equal thickness of the subpixels) or workable ranges by routine experimentation. MPEP 2144.05.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to select the same protrusion thickness for the second and third subpixels of the pixel for a diversity of applications.
Regarding claim 18, Kwon discloses the display apparatus of claim 11. Kwon is silent regarding wherein a size of the first light-emitting element is greater than a size of the second light-emitting element and the third light-emitting element.
Nakamura discloses (Fig. 1A) a pixel unit (130) including sub-pixels B, R, and G (blue, red, green respectively) wherein B has a greater size than a size of each R and G.
Artisans in the art would have appreciated that blue subpixels are often larger than red and green because blue emitters are less efficient and have a shorted lifespan (due to shorter wavelength and higher energy of blue light stressing out the emitting material) and, thus increasing the size allows the display to maintain brightness while reducing stress and extending overall panel life.
As such it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to substitute the subpixels of Kwon with the subpixels of Nakamura to compensate for the material stressing issue of blue subpixels. Doing so would allow for better performance of panels.
Regarding claim 19, Kwon in view of Nakamura discloses the display apparatus of claim 18. Kwon further discloses wherein the thickness of the first protruding electrode is greater than the thickness of the second protruding electrode and the thickness of the third protruding electrode (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 20, Kwon in view of Nakamura disclose the display apparatus of claim 19. Kwon is silent regarding wherein the thickness of the second protruding electrode is equal to the thickness of the third protruding electrode.
While Kwon does not disclose the third protrusion electrode formed from an organic dielectric material and via extending the dielectric like the first and the second protrusion electrode, it is predictable to duplicate the structure of the first and the second protrusion electrode for the third protrusion electrode that perform the same function of connecting the light emitting element to the pixel driving circuit. As such it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to duplicate the protrusion structure of the first and second protrusion electrodes as taught by Kwon for the third protrusion electrode for a diversity of applications.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wildeson (US 20190198709 A1) discloses protrusion electrodes between the substrate and light emitting elements at different heights.
Conclusion
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/DTH/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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