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 § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (US 20210405797 A1, hereafter Bae) in view of Ochi et al. (US 20210098548 A1, hereafter Ochi).
Regarding claim 1, Bae teaches a light-emitting display device comprising:
a substrate (SUB) including a display area (AA) and a non-display area (NA) (Fig. 9, [0136]);
a buffer layer (BUF) disposed on the substrate (Fig. 9 [0136]);
a first organic layer (PLN) disposed on the buffer layer (Fig. 9, [0140]);
a transistor (T1) disposed between the buffer layer and the first organic layer (Fig. 9, [0137]);
an encapsulation layer (ENCAP) disposed on the first organic layer (Fig. 9, [0146]-[0148]);
a touch buffer layer (T-BUF) disposed on the encapsulation layer (Fig. 9, [0162]-[0163]);
a touch sensor (X-TE/Y-TE) disposed on the touch buffer layer (Figs. 8 and 9, [0167]-[0175]); and
an organic pattern (DAM) disposed in the non-display area and covering a part of an upper surface and a part of a side surface of at least one of insulation layers (Fig. 9, [0192], where DAM material disposed in the non-display area NA covers a side surface of an insulation layer such as ENCAP).
But, Bae does not teach the light-emitting display device further comprising a reflective metal overlapped with the organic pattern and covering the organic pattern. However, this was well known in the art as evidenced by Ochi (Fig. 7, [0062], [0072]-[0073], where reflection film 55 is disposed in the frame region 3 and covers organic layer elements such as first wall layer 47 and second wall layer 48). Both Bae and Ochi teach display devices comprising touch sensor metals and dams. Ochi is silent with respect to the inclusion of touch layers. Bae is silent with respect to the inclusion of a reflective metals layer. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bae with the teaching of Ochi, so as reflect light emitting from display.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 1. Ochi in the combination further teaches the device wherein the reflective metal is disposed on the same layer as the touch sensor (Fig. 7, [0072]-[0073], where the reflection metal 55 is disposed over a plurality of layers that the touch electrodes X-TE/Y-TE of Bae are similarly disposed over, including a substrate, organic layers, etc.).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 1. Ochi in the combination further teaches the device wherein the reflective metal and the touch sensor are made of a same material ([0072], where a metal such as Mo is used; Bae [0180]-[0181], where Mo is used).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 1. Bae further teaches the device wherein the buffer layer is configured as multilayer made of at least one of an inorganic material ([0136], where the buffer layer BUF may have a multi-layer structure including a layer or layers of inorganic material).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 1. Ochi in the combination further teaches the device comprising a bank dispose between the encapsulation layer and the transistor, wherein the first organic layer includes a same material as the bank ([0157], where elements such as the DAM, planarization layer PLN, and bank BANK are formed of a same material).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 1. Ochi in the combination further teaches the device comprising a second organic layer disposed on the touch sensor, wherein the second organic layer covers the reflective metal ([0074], where an organic layer 40 is formed over the reflection film 55).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 1. Bae further teaches the device comprising a touch insulation layer (T-ILD) disposed on the touch buffer, wherein the reflective metal is in contact with a portion of the upper surface of the touch insulation layer and covers a portion of the side surface of the touch insulation layer (Fig. 9, [0169]-[0174], where the touch insulating T-ILD is disposed over T-BUF; in the combination it would be under the reflective metal similar to the touch electrodes).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 7. Bae further teaches the device wherein the touch insulation layer is disposed between the encapsulation layer, the touch sensor and the organic pattern and disposed on the touch buffer (Fig. 9, where T-ILD is located between DAM, Y-TE, and ENCAP and disposed on T-BUF).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 1. Bae further teaches the device wherein the organic pattern is a dam (Figs. 8 and 9, [0131]-[0134], where there is a dam DAM).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 9. Bae further teaches the device comprising one or more dams, wherein the one or more dams are disposed between the display area and the organic pattern (Fig. 9, where DAM1 is disposed between display area AA and DAM2).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 10. Ochi in the combination further teaches the device wherein the one or more dams have a structure different from a structure of the organic pattern (Fig. 7, [0059]-[0063], where first dam wall 45 and second dam wall 46 have different structures).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 9. Bae further teaches the device wherein the one or more dams includes more dam patterns than the organic pattern (Fig. 9, [0284], where the damn comprises a plurality of dam structures or patterns DM1, DM2, DM3).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Bae and Ochi would show the light-emitting display device of claim 1. Bae in the combination further teaches the device wherein the first organic layer includes a first planarization layer, a second planarization layer and a bank, wherein the second planarization layer is disposed on the first planarization layer and the bank is disposed on the second planarization layer (Fig. 9, [0143], where there is a bank BANK adjacent to and grouped with the planarization layer PLN; [0229], where the planarization layer PLN is formed of double layers, i.e., a first planarization layer and second planarization layer).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER D MCLOONE whose telephone number is (571)272-4631. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, LunYi Lao can be reached at 5712727671. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER D MCLOONE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621