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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on10/28/24, 5/28/25, and 11/13/25 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 6, and 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park, KR 10-2021-026923.
Regarding claim 1, a display panel (see Figure), comprising: a first subpixel (E) and a second subpixel (not shown, but multiple subpixels) disposed on a substrate (SUB1), the first subpixel being adjacent to the second subpixel (see disclosure, multiple subpixels), and each of the first and second subpixels including a first electrode (ANO), an emission layer (EML) and a second electrode (CAT); a first insulation layer (OC) disposed between the emission layer and the substrate, the first insulation layer including a first concave portion (through hole shown in Figure) disposed between a first emission area of the first subpixel and a second emission area of the second subpixel (surrounding emission area, so necessarily between emission areas); and a second insulation layer (BNK) disposed between the emission layer and the first insulation layer (see Figure), the second insulation layer including a second concave portion (RH) disposed between the first emission area and the second emission area, wherein the second electrode extends across the second concave portion of the second insulation layer (CAT extends into the concave portion), wherein a portion of the second electrode is disposed in the second concave portion, and wherein the portion of the second electrode is located closer to the substrate than both of the first electrode in the first subpixel and the first electrode in the second subpixel, or is located closer to the substrate than an upper surface of the first insulation layer (see Figure).
Regarding claim 2, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches a color filter (CF) layer disposed in at least one of the first subpixel and the second subpixel (E), wherein the first insulation layer (OC) includes an opening region exposing at least a portion of the color filter layer (through hole where emission layer and cathode layer touch CF).
Regarding claim 3, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches the portion of the second electrode is configured to reflect light emitted from at least one of the first and second emissions areas in a direction toward the substrate (see Figure).
Regarding claim 5, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches a first thickness of the first insulation layer in an area overlapping with the first or second emission area is greater than a second thickness of the second insulation layer in an area overlapping with the first or second emission area (see Figure, thickness of OC is thicker than BNK in at least portions of the emission area where the concave portions exist).
Regarding claim 6, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 5 and further teaches the second insulation layer has a third thickness corresponding to a center of the second concave portion, and wherein the third thickness is less than or equal to the second thickness (third thickness is 0 at the center of the concave portion).
Regarding claim 9, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches a lowermost portion of the second electrode between the first and second subpixels is disposed closer to the substrate than an upper surface of the first insulation layer (CAT is touching CF, therefore closer to substrate than upper surface of OC).
Regarding claim 10, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches the first insulation layer includes an opening region (through hole, RH) corresponding to the first concave portion, the opening region being a hole that extends through opposite sides of the first insulation layer (see Figure, hole extends to CF).
Regarding claim 11, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches a bank disposed on an edge of the first electrode in the first subpixel and on an edge of the first electrode in the second subpixel (BNK created by second insulating layer with through holes).
Regarding claim 12, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches both of the first and second insulation layers extend continuously across a non-emission area between the first subpixel and the second subpixel (see Figure), and wherein the first insulation layer includes a first flat surface overlapping with at least one of the first and second emission areas, and a second flat surface overlapping with the non-emission area between the first subpixel and the second subpixel, the second flat surface being disposed closer to the substrate than the first flat surface (OC and BNK both have flat surfaces overlapping non-emission area, and second flat surface is closer to substrate than first flat surface).
Regarding claim 13, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1 and further teaches a cross section of the second electrode has a “V” shape or a “U” shape in a non-emission area between the first subpixel and the second subpixel (see Figure, V shape RH).
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park.
Regarding claim 4, Park teaches the invention as explained above regarding claim 1, but is silent as to the refractive index of the second insulation layer. However, Park does teach the first and second insulation layer may be different materials, and it was well known to those of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing that light moving from a lower refractive index to a higher refractive index would have a greater incidence of reflection. Therefore, in view of the bottom emission design of the Park display, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to choose a higher refractive index material for the second insulation layer in order to ensure more light was reflected downward out of the device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 8, 14 and 15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 16-31 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art fails to teach a display apparatus comprising a first organic insulating layer including a first slope surface between a first subpixel and second subpixel, and a second slope surface on a second insulation layer at least partially overlapping the first slope surface and the second slope surface has a slope which is less than the slope of the first slope surface. The closest prior art is Park, however the first and second slopes are the same and the second slope surface does not partially overlap the first slope surface.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Huh, US 2020/0212140 teaches a display device comprising a trench between pixels and a through hole in the display. The trench comprises the organic layer and the cathode. However, Huh fails to teach the trench is a concave portion in a first and second insulating layer and is formed between pixels.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARY-ELLEN BOWMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5383. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday; 7:00 am-5:00 pm.
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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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MARY ELLEN BOWMAN
Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/MARY ELLEN BOWMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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