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, which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 10/31/2024. These drawings are considered acceptable by Examiner.
America Invents Act
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 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.
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.
1. Claim(s) 1-8, 10-11, 13-14, 17-23, 25-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yoo et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0266854 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Yoo et al., teaches a display device comprising: an overcoat layer (180, planarization layer, ¶ [0120]-¶ [0130]; see at least Figs. 10 & 13) disposed over a substrate (SUB1); a first anode (CP, code pattern [Wingdings font/0xE0] formed of ITO, ¶ [0124]) disposed over the overcoat layer (180) and comprising an anode open area (hole of CP); a second anode (171, pixel electrodes) disposed over a same layer as the first anode (CP), with a portion of the second anode (171) being disposed in the anode open area (hole of CP, as clearly depicted in Fig. 13); a light-emitting layer (172) disposed over the first anode (CP) and the second anode (171); and a cathode (173) disposed over the light-emitting layer (172).
Regarding Claim 2, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first anode (CP) is a transmitting electrode (some transmittance via ITO), and the second anode (171) is a reflecting electrode (reflectance via Al, Ag, ¶ [0124]).
Regarding Claim 3, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first anode (CP) and the second anode (171) have a same thickness (Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 4, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first anode (CP) comprises a first sloped portion overlapping with the second anode (171) and having an inclination of less than 90° or greater than 90° (as clearly depicted in Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 5, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the first anode (CP) comprises a first sloped portion in an area in which the anode open area (hole of CP) is disposed and a second sloped portion in a peripheral area, and each of the first sloped portion and the second sloped portion of the first anode (CP) has an inclination of 90° or less (as clearly depicted in Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 6, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein the cathode (173) comprises a cathode (173) sloped portion in an area overlapping the second sloped portion of the first anode (CP).
Regarding Claim 7, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 6, wherein the light-emitting layer (172) comprises a flat top surface disposed between cathode (173) sloped portions.
Regarding Claim 8, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein the first sloped portion and the second sloped portion of the first anode (CP) have the same inclination (as clearly depicted in Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 14, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising a second anode (171) peripheral portion disposed over the first anode (CP) and the overcoat layer (180) in a peripheral portion of the first anode (CP).
Regarding Claim 17, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 14, wherein the first anode (CP) comprises a first sloped portion in an area in which the anode open area (hole of CP) is provided and a second sloped portion in a peripheral area, and each of the first sloped portion and the second sloped portion of the first anode (CP) has an inclination of 90° or more (as clearly depicted in Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 18, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the anode open area (hole of CP) has an inverted trapezoidal shape, and penetrates the first anode (CP) to expose the overcoat layer (180) (list of numerous shapes, ¶ [0014]-¶ [0017]).
Regarding Claim 19, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising a bank layer (190) disposed over the overcoat layer (180) and the first anode (CP), and having a bank open area (open area of 190).
Regarding Claim 20, Yoo et al., teaches a display device comprising: an overcoat layer (180) over a substrate (SUB1); a plurality of first anodes (CP) disposed over the overcoat layer (180) to be spaced apart from each other; a plurality of second anodes (171) disposed over a same layer as the first anodes (CP) so that the second anodes (171) are spaced apart from each other, the second anodes (171) alternating with the first anodes (CP) while filling between the first anodes (CP); a light-emitting layer (172) disposed over the first anodes (CP) and the second anodes (171); and a cathode (173) disposed over the light-emitting layer (172).
Regarding Claim 21, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 20, wherein the first anodes (CP) and the second anodes (171) have a same thickness.
Regarding Claim 22, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 20, wherein the cathode (173) comprises a cathode (173) sloped portion in an area overlapping an outermost area of the first anodes (CP) or the second anodes (171).
Regarding Claim 23, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 22, wherein the light-emitting layer (172) comprises a flat top surface disposed between the cathode (173) sloped portions.
Regarding Claim 25, Yoo et al., teaches a display device comprising: a transistor disposed over a substrate (SUB1); an overcoat layer (180) disposed over the transistor and having an open area; a first anode (CP) disposed over the overcoat layer (180) and comprising at least one anode open area (hole of CP); a second anode (171) disposed over a same layer as the first anode (CP), with at least a portion thereof being disposed in the at least one anode open area (hole of CP); and a second anode (171) connector horizontally extending from a peripheral portion of the first anode (CP) and disposed to cover the open area (hole of CP).
Regarding Claim 26, Yoo et al., teaches the display device of claim 25, further comprising a second anode (171) peripheral portion disposed between the first anode (CP) and the second anode (171) connector.
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 of this title, 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.
2. Claim(s) 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Yoo et al., .
Regarding Claim 13, Yoo et al., teaches the claimed invention (see rejection in the claim above) except for the specific limitation of the anode open area horizontal width.
However, Examiner reasonably contemplates that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the anode open area (hole of CP) to have a horizontal width of about 700 nm or more, since optimization of workable ranges is considered within the skill of the art as it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. It has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Further, one of ordinary skill in the art would entertain the idea of providing anode open area (hole of CP) to have a horizontal width of about 700 nm or more in order to improve the light output of the display device during operation.
Allowable Subject Matter
A. Claim(s) 9, 12, 15-16, 24 are objected 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.
Claim(s) 9 recites inter alia; the light-emitting layer comprises a red light-emitting layer, a green light-emitting layer, and a blue light-emitting layer, the first sloped portions of the first anodes included in an area in which the red light-emitting layer is disposed, an area in which the green light-emitting layer is disposed, and an area in which the blue light-emitting layer is disposed, have different inclinations.
Claim(s) 12 recites inter alia; the inclination of the first sloped portion of the first anode is set so that a light having an exit angle of 0° is a light most intense as an incident angle of light on the first anode varies.
Claim(s) 15 recites inter alia; a thickness of the second anode is greater than a thickness of the first anode.
Claim(s) 16 recites inter alia; the thickness of the second anode and the second anode peripheral portion is greater than the thickness of the first anode, and the cathode has a partially convex shape in an area in which the second anode and the second anode peripheral portion are disposed.
Claim(s) 24 recites inter alia; a thickness of each of the second anodes is greater than a thickness of each of the first anodes.
The prior art of record (most comprehensive prior art of record to Yoo et al.,) does not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitation, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitation.
Claim(s) 10-11 are allowable because of their dependency status from Claim 9.
Other Prior Art Cited
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Pub. No. 2024/0172537 teaches a display device with a cutting portion in the anode similar to the structure of instant application.
Examiner's Note
The Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner H. Featherly whose telephone number is 571-272-8654. The examiner can normally be reached on M-. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached on 571-272-3711.
The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-272-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/H. Featherly/
Examiner Featherly
Art Unit 2875 Patent Examiner
/JAMES R GREECE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights