Obviousness

The obviousness analysis for US patent 11828425 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 considers whether the claimed invention, as a whole, would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) at the time of the invention, given the prior art. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has already found several claims (2, 4, 9-12, and 17) of this patent unpatentable as obvious, suggesting that the combinations discussed below align with the PTAB's reasoning.

Obviousness of Independent Claim 17 (Transparent Organic Light-Emitting Diode)

Independent Claim 17 describes an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) comprising an organic layer sequence with a radiation-emitting region, a radiation exit area, and an encapsulation, wherein the organic light-emitting diode is embodied as transparent.

Combination of Prior Art References:

A person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) would find Claim 17 obvious by combining the teachings of:

• US6855964B2 ("Transparent display panel"), US7335921B2 ("Organic light-emitting display with transparent anode, transparent top-emitting cathode, and light scattering layer"), or US7132064B2 ("Organic light emitting diode with a top-emission transparent cathode structure"), which explicitly teach transparent OLEDs or transparent display panels incorporating OLEDs.
• EP1562305A1 ("Organic light emitting diode device") or WO2008129202A1 ("Organic light-emitting diode"), which describe general OLED structures including organic layer sequences and encapsulation.

Motivation for Combination:

The primary motivation for a POSA to combine these references would be to realize a practical and robust transparent OLED device. Documents like US6855964B2, US7335921B2, and US7132064B2 clearly demonstrate the concept and desirability of transparent OLEDs for applications such as transparent displays or windows that can also emit light. A POSA would understand that any functional OLED, whether transparent or not, requires a radiation-emitting organic layer sequence and an encapsulation for protection against environmental influences like moisture and oxygen. Therefore, it would be an obvious engineering choice to integrate the known and necessary components of an OLED structure, including the organic layer sequence and encapsulation (as commonly taught by references like EP1562305A1 and WO2008129202A1), into the transparent OLED designs already disclosed in the art. This combination would lead to a fully functional and durable transparent OLED device, addressing a known need for transparent light-emitting elements.

Obviousness of Independent Claim 1 (Structured Radiation Exit Area for Directional Emission)

Independent Claim 1 describes an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) comprising an organic layer sequence with a radiation-emitting region, a radiation exit area which is structured, so that the electromagnetic radiation has a directional emission profile, and an encapsulation.

Combination of Prior Art References:

A POSA would find Claim 1 obvious by combining the teachings of:

• Any general OLED prior art document, such as US6696781B2 ("Organic light emitting diode for general illumination") or EP1881655A1 ("Organic light-emitting diode and luminaire"), which teach an OLED with an organic layer sequence, a radiation-emitting region, and an encapsulation.
• US7335921B2 ("Organic light-emitting display with transparent anode, transparent top-emitting cathode, and light scattering layer"), which mentions a "light scattering layer" for light management, combined with general optical engineering principles known at the time for directing light.

Motivation for Combination:

OLEDs are generally known for their diffuse light emission. For many lighting applications, particularly general illumination (as suggested by US6696781B2 and EP1881655A1), a POSA would recognize the benefit of controlling the directionality of the emitted light. This control could improve efficiency by directing light to a specific area, reduce glare, or fulfill specific design requirements. The use of optical elements to shape the emission profile is a fundamental and well-established technique in the field of optics and display technology. For example, prismatic films or micro-lens arrays were commonly used in backlights for liquid crystal displays to direct light. Even the patent itself describes the structured radiation exit area as being formed by a "multiplicity of prisms arranged parallel to one another." Therefore, applying well-known optical structuring methods (such as prisms or scattering layers, as broadly implied by US7335921B2's "light scattering layer" or general optical knowledge) to the radiation exit area of an OLED would be an obvious design choice for a POSA seeking to optimize the light output for various applications. This combination would be driven by the common objective of improving the utility and efficiency of OLEDs by controlling their emission characteristics.

Obviousness of Dependent Claims (2, 4, 9-12)

The PTAB explicitly found claims 2, 4, 9-12, and 17 to be unpatentable as obvious in IPR2024-01095. While the Director Review for claim 2 is ongoing, the initial finding indicates that these dependent claims represent obvious variations or combinations of known elements.

Obviousness of Claim 2 (Charge Carrier Transport Layers)

Claim 2 specifies that "the organic layer sequence comprises at least one first charge carrier transport layer and at least one second charge carrier transport layer."

Motivation for Combination:
Charge carrier transport layers (e.g., hole transport layers and electron transport layers) are fundamental and essential components in virtually all functional OLEDs. They are crucial for efficient device operation by facilitating the injection and transport of charge carriers to the emissive layer and blocking the passage of unwanted carriers, thereby improving efficiency and device longevity. Prior art documents like US7071626B2 ("OLED having a low work function cathode and a thick organic layer") and non-patent literature such as "Effect of MoO.sub.3 thickness on hole injection from indium-tin-oxide electrode into an organic layer of alpha-NPB in organic light-emitting diodes" explicitly detail the structure and importance of such layers. A POSA would inherently understand the necessity and benefit of including these standard layers in any OLED structure, including those described by Claim 1, as they are integral to achieving efficient and stable operation.

Obviousness of Claim 4 (Multiple Emission Layers for Different Wavelengths)

Claim 4 specifies that "the radiation-emitting region comprises at least two emission layers which emit electromagnetic radiation in different or the same wavelength ranges during operation."

Motivation for Combination:
The technique of combining multiple emission layers that emit light in different or the same wavelength ranges is a well-established method in OLED technology for achieving desired spectral characteristics, such as white light or specific colors. For example, the non-patent literature "Highly efficient white organic light-emitting devices..." (M. Helen et al., 2008) directly addresses advancements in white OLED technology, which typically employs multiple emission layers (e.g., red, green, blue emitters) to produce a broad spectrum. A POSA would be motivated to combine multiple emission layers, as taught in the art, with the basic OLED structure of Claim 1 to achieve a desired light output, such as white light for general illumination (as suggested by US6696781B2) or specific colored light for other applications. This is a common and obvious design choice for tailoring the spectral output of OLEDs.

Obviousness of Claims 9-12 (Specific Encapsulation Features)

Claims 9-12 detail various aspects of encapsulation, including thin-film encapsulation, diffusion barriers, resist layers, and pre-encapsulation layers, often in combination or sequence.

Motivation for Combination:
OLEDs are highly sensitive to moisture and oxygen, which degrade their performance and lifetime, making robust encapsulation a critical requirement. Prior art like EP1562305A1 broadly teaches encapsulation for OLED devices. A POSA would be highly motivated to employ and combine known and effective encapsulation techniques to ensure the longevity and reliability of an OLED, especially for devices intended for diverse or potentially harsh environments (e.g., as described in the patent's definitions for luminaires in shower cubicles). Thin-film encapsulation, diffusion barriers, and resist layers are all well-known methods in the field of device protection, particularly in display and semiconductor manufacturing. Combining these individual encapsulation elements in various configurations to improve hermetic sealing, mechanical robustness, and planarization (as detailed in the patent's definitions of these layers) would be an obvious engineering optimization. For instance, a thin-film encapsulation provides a basic barrier, while an additional diffusion barrier further enhances protection against ingress. A planarization layer (pre-encapsulation layer) improves the quality and uniformity of subsequent layers. These are standard engineering considerations for improving device performance, reliability, and manufacturability in OLED technology.