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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-13 and 20, in the reply filed on 01 July 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 14-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 01 July 2026.
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 1-5, 9-13, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Choung (US 2022/0077257).
Regarding independent claim 1, Choung teaches a display panel comprising a base layer (Fig. 1B, Element 102; ¶ [0027]); a pixel defining film (Fig. 1B, Element 126; ¶ [0028]) disposed on the base layer and defining a light emitting opening therein; a partition wall (Fig. 1B, Element 110A; ¶ [0030]) disposed on the pixel defining film and defining a partition wall opening therein overlapping the light emitting opening in a plan view; a plurality of light emitting elements each including an anode (Fig. 1B, Element 104; ¶ [0027]), a light emitting pattern (Fig. 1B, Element 112; ¶ [0029]), and a cathode (Fig. 1B, Element 114; ¶ [0032]) and arranged inside the light emitting opening and the partition wall opening, wherein the cathode is in contact with the partition wall (Fig. 2); a plurality of lower encapsulation inorganic patterns (Fig. 1B, Element 122; ¶ [0037]) configured to cover the plurality of light emitting elements, respectively; and a common inorganic film (Fig. 1B, Element 116; ¶ [0034]) configured to cover the plurality of lower encapsulation inorganic patterns and fill spaces between the partition wall and the plurality of lower encapsulation inorganic patterns.
Regarding claim 2, Choung teaches the plurality of light emitting elements including first light emitting elements, second light emitting elements, and third light emitting elements configured to emit different color lights (¶ [0029]), and the plurality of lower encapsulation inorganic patterns includes first lower encapsulation inorganic patterns configured to cover the first light emitting elements, second lower encapsulation inorganic patterns configured to cover the second light emitting elements, and third lower encapsulation inorganic patterns configured to cover the third light emitting elements (¶ [0037]).
Regarding claim 3, Choung teaches the common inorganic film covering the first to third lower encapsulation inorganic patterns (¶ [0034]). The Examiner notes that the patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production (MPEP § 2113(I)). Thus, the recitation that the encapsulation inorganic patterns being dried has been considered but not given any patentable weight.
Regarding claim 4, Choung teaches first additional encapsulation inorganic patterns configured to cover the first lower encapsulation inorganic patterns; second additional encapsulation inorganic patterns configured to cover the dried second lower encapsulation inorganic patterns; and third additional encapsulation inorganic patterns configured to cover the dried third lower encapsulation inorganic patterns (Fig. 1A, Element 123; ¶ [0035]).
Regarding claim 5, Choung teaches the common inorganic film covering the first to third additional encapsulation inorganic patterns (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 9, Choung teaches each of the plurality of lower encapsulation inorganic patterns including an upper surface; first side surfaces extending from the upper surface in a thickness direction of the base layer; lower surfaces extending from the first side surfaces toward a center of the anode in the plan view; and second side surfaces extending from the lower surfaces in the thickness direction of the base layer (Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 10, Choung teaches the common inorganic film covers the upper surface, the first side surfaces, the lower surfaces, and the second side surfaces of each of the plurality of lower encapsulation inorganic patterns (Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 11, Choung teaches the common inorganic film including an inorganic material (¶ [0034]).
Regarding claim 12, Choung teaches the common inorganic film includes at least one of a silicon nitride or a silicon oxy nitride (¶ [0034]).
Regarding claim 13, Choung teaches an encapsulation organic film (Fig. 1A, Element 121; ¶ [0035]) configured to cover the common inorganic film; and an upper encapsulation inorganic film (Fig. 1A, Element 123; ¶ [0035]) configured to cover the encapsulation organic film.
Regarding independent claim 20, Choung teaches a display panel comprising a base layer (Fig. 1B, Element 102; ¶ [0027]); a pixel defining film (Fig. 1B, Element 126; ¶ [0028]) disposed on the base layer and defining a light emitting opening therein; a partition wall (Fig. 1B, Element 110A; ¶ [0030]) disposed on the pixel defining film and defining a partition wall opening therein overlapping the light emitting opening in a plan view; a plurality of light emitting elements each including an anode (Fig. 1B, Element 104; ¶ [0027]), a light emitting pattern (Fig. 1B, Element 112; ¶ [0029]), and a cathode (Fig. 1B, Element 114; ¶ [0032]) and arranged inside the light emitting opening and the partition wall opening, wherein the cathode is in contact with the partition wall; and a plurality of lower encapsulation inorganic patterns (Fig. 1B, Element 122; ¶ [0037]) configured to cover the plurality of light emitting elements, respectively, wherein only an inorganic material (Fig. 1B, Element 116; ¶ [0034]) is disposed between the plurality of lower encapsulation inorganic patterns and an upper surface of the partition wall.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choung (US 2022/0077257) in view of Chen (US 2023/0263012).
Regarding claim 6, Choung teaches limitations of independent claim 1 discussed earlier but fails to exemplify an inner area defined in the common inorganic film, wherein the inner area is empty space.
Chen teaches a display panel comprising an inner area (Fig. 1B, Element 150; ¶ [0033]) defined in a common inorganic film (Fig. 1B, Element 116; ¶ [0047]), wherein the inner area is empty space (¶ [0033]). Chen discloses the inner area being provided for preventing a resist from becoming trapped (¶ [0069]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the display panel of Choung with the inner area taught by Chen for preventing a resist from becoming trapped.
Regarding claim 7, Chen teaches the inner area having a shape surround the light emitting opening (Fig. 1B). Same motivation applies as for claim 6 earlier.
Regarding claim 8, Chen teaches a portion of the inner area overlapping a plurality of lower encapsulation inorganic patterns in a plan view (Fig. 1B; ¶ [0028]). Same motivation applies as for claim 6 earlier.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Shin (US 2022/0392977) teaches a display device with an anti-contact layer. Bae (US 2019/0348482) teaches a display device with an intermediate layer on a portion of a pixel electrode. Tsai (US 2019/0058020) teaches a transparent display device with a wall structure having an undercut sidewall.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Quarterman whose telephone number is (571)272-2461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached at (571) 272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kevin Quarterman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875 9 September 2026
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