US 7279708

To provide a comprehensive analysis of U.S. Patent 7,279,708, I will conduct a thorough search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database. This search will be performed today, April 26, 2026, to ensure the most current information is obtained.

The search will focus on retrieving the following key details associated with this specific patent number:

• Title: The official title of the invention as recorded by the USPTO.
• Assignee: The legal entity or individual to whom the patent rights have been assigned.
• Inventors: The names of the individuals credited with the invention.
• Filing Date: The date on which the patent application was originally filed.
• Issue Date: The date on which the patent was granted.
• Abstract: The summary of the invention provided in the patent document.
• Independent Claims: A plain-language explanation of each independent claim, which defines the scope of the patent's protection.

In addition to the USPTO database search, I will also search the 2026 dockets of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) to identify any recent or ongoing litigation related to this patent. This will provide a more complete picture of the patent's legal status and history.

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Patent Analysis: US 7,279,708

Date of Analysis: April 26, 2026

Patent Number: 7,279,708

Title: Electroluminescence display device and method of manufacturing the same

Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd. (Based on the latest assignment records)

Inventors: Won-Kyu Kwak, Kwan-Hee Lee, Seung-Yong Song

Filing Date: May 27, 2005

Issue Date: October 9, 2007

Abstract:

An electroluminescence (EL) display device is disclosed that includes a display area with pixels, each having a first and second electrode layer on a substrate with an electroluminescence unit in between. An electrode power supply line provides power to the display area. An insulating layer with via holes, containing an organic material, is disposed on the power supply line. A sub-conductive layer is formed on the insulating layer and in the via holes, connecting the power supply line to the second electrode layer. This sub-conductive layer includes one or more penetration portions.

Plain-Language Summary of Independent Claims:

U.S. Patent 7,279,708 contains three independent claims. Below is a simplified explanation of the scope of each:

Claim 1: This claim describes a light-emitting display. At its core, it is about a display with a grid of pixels. Each pixel has a sandwich-like structure with a light-emitting material between two electrode layers. A key feature is how the power is delivered to one of these electrode layers (the second electrode). There's a power line running along the outside of the pixel area. On top of this power line is an insulating layer with a hole (a "via hole") in it. A "sub-conductive" layer sits on top of this insulator and goes down through the hole to connect the power line to the second electrode. The most important part of this claim is that this sub-conductive layer has "penetration portions" or holes in it. The purpose of these holes is to allow gas, which can be generated from the organic material in the insulating layer during manufacturing, to escape. This prevents damage to the device.

Claim 9: This claim is also for a light-emitting display with a similar overall structure to what is described in claim 1. It includes the pixels with a first and second electrode and a light-emitting unit, a power supply line, and an insulating layer with a via hole. The key difference in this claim is the structure of the "sub-conductive layer." Instead of a single layer with holes in it, this claim describes the sub-conductive layer as being made of multiple, separate "unit sub-conductive layers." These separate pieces are arranged along the power supply line. This design also helps gas to escape from the underlying insulating layer, as the gas can vent through the spaces between these separate conductive pieces.

Claim 11: This claim outlines a method for manufacturing an electroluminescence display device. The steps are as follows:

1. Start with an electrode power supply line and form an insulating layer (containing an organic material) on top of it.
2. Create a "via hole" through this insulating layer to expose a part of the power supply line.
3. On top of the insulating layer and inside the via hole, form both a "sub-conductive layer" and a "first electrode layer" for the pixels.
4. Crucially, create a "penetration portion" (a hole) in the sub-conductive layer.
5. Form the organic light-emitting material on top of the first electrode layer.
6. Finally, form a second electrode layer over the light-emitting material.

Claim 15: This claim describes another method for making an electroluminescence display device. It is very similar to the method in claim 11, but with a key difference in how the sub-conductive layer is formed. The steps are:

1. Begin with an electrode power supply line and deposit an organic insulating layer over it.
2. Create a via hole in the insulating layer.
3. Form a "sub-conductive layer" that is composed of a number of separate "unit sub-conductive layers" on the insulating layer, along with the first electrode layer for the pixels.
4. Deposit the organic light-emitting material over the first electrode layer.
5. Complete the device by adding a second electrode layer on top of the light-emitting material.

CAFC Litigation Search:

A search of the CAFC dockets for 2026 for "7279708" did not yield any results.

Disclaimer: This summary is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. The legal scope of the patent is determined by the full language of the claims and the prosecution history.