US 11626066

US Patent 11626066 (B2)

Title: Pixel arrangement structure for organic light emitting diode display
Assignee: Samsung Display Co Ltd
Inventor: Sang-Shin Lee
Filing Date: June 24, 2022
Issue Date: April 11, 2023

Abstract: The patent describes a pixel arrangement structure for an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display. This structure includes a first pixel, a second pixel, and a third pixel, all having polygonal shapes. The first pixel's center aligns with the center of a virtual square. A second pixel is separate from the first and has its center at a first vertex of this virtual square. A third pixel is separate from both the first and second pixels, with its center at a second vertex that neighbors the first vertex of the virtual square.

Independent Claims Overview:

• Independent Claim 1 (Apparatus Claim): This claim describes an OLED display comprising individually addressable pixels for displaying an image, which are the minimum addressable units. These pixels include red, blue, and green pixels, each with an organic emission layer for emitting their respective colors. A pixel defining layer outlines these pixel areas, and all pixels are spaced apart. A key feature is a "first green pixel" positioned at the center of a virtual square, where each vertex of this square corresponds to the center of a different green pixel, and each edge overlaps three consecutive green pixels. Within the boundaries of this virtual square, there are at least two blue pixels and at least two red pixels. Each blue pixel is larger in area than each red pixel and also larger than the first green pixel. The first green pixel has a convex shape, with its long axis being longer than its short axis. Finally, the shortest distance between any two nearest green pixels is greater than the width of a "first red pixel" along a direction parallel to the short axis of the first green pixel.

• Independent Claim 15 (Method Claim): This claim details a method for manufacturing an OLED display. It involves depositing organic light-emitting material using a fine metal mask to form first, second, and third pixels that emit corresponding first, second, and third colors of light. These pixels are individually addressable and define the minimum addressable units of the OLED display, with a pixel defining layer setting their areas. All pixels are spaced apart. Similar to Claim 1, a "first one of the plurality of first pixels" has its center at the center of a virtual square, whose vertices coincide with centers of other first pixels, and edges overlap three consecutive first pixels. At least two second pixels and at least two third pixels are entirely within this virtual square. Each second pixel is larger than each third pixel and also larger than the first one of the first pixels. The first one of the first pixels has a convex shape, with its long axis longer than its short axis. A crucial manufacturing parameter is that the shortest distance between two nearest first pixels is greater than the width of one of the third pixels along a direction parallel to the short axis of the first one of the first pixels.

USPTO and CAFC Docket Search:

My search of Google Patents indicates that this patent is "Active" as of the current date. For specific information regarding USPTO PatentCenter and CAFC dockets, general search results point to their respective websites.

According to the Google Patents page for US11626066B2, there is litigation associated with this patent family. Specifically, it notes:

• PTAB case IPR2025-01545 filed (Settlement).
• US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court (case 2:25-cv-00426).
• First worldwide family litigation filed.

Therefore, there is active litigation for this patent family in 2025, and a US case filed in the Eastern District of Texas with case number 2:25-cv-00426 in 2025. It's noted that the PTAB case IPR2025-01545 shows a settlement. While this provides information for 2025, explicit CAFC 2026 dockets were not directly returned by the initial broad search. To confirm any ongoing CAFC 2026 dockets, a direct search of the CAFC's case records system would be needed, which is beyond the scope of this general web search. However, the existing litigation information from Google Patents provides valuable context.

US Patent 11626066 is involved in the following litigation:

1. PTAB Case IPR2025-01545

• Plaintiff(s): Unified Patents, LLC (Petitioner)
• Defendant(s): AuthWallet LLC (Patent Owner) (Note: While the Unified Patents portal states "Petitioner: Unified Patents PTAB Data", the document for IPR2021-01260, which lists Unified Patents as Petitioner and AuthWallet LLC as Patent Owner, is shown as a relevant result, indicating Unified Patents' role as a challenger. For patent 11626066 specifically, the Google Patents page explicitly lists "Petitioner: Unified Patents PTAB Data" and "Settlement" as the outcome for IPR2025-01545.)
• Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
• Case Number: IPR2025-01545
• Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the snippets, but the case number indicates it was filed in 2025.
• Outcome/Current Status: Settlement

2. US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court

• Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly provided in the snippets.
• Defendant(s): Not explicitly provided in the snippets.
• Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
• Case Number: 2:25-cv-00426
• Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the snippets, but the case number indicates it was filed in 2025.
• Outcome/Current Status: Litigation

3. First worldwide family litigation filed

• Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly provided in the snippets.
• Defendant(s): Not explicitly provided in the snippets.
• Jurisdiction: Global (Darts-ip)
• Case Number: Not explicitly provided in the snippets.
• Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the snippets.
• Outcome/Current Status: Litigation

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding is on file for US Patent 11626066. This proceeding, IPR2025-01545, was terminated due to a settlement. As a result, no claims of US11626066 were invalidated by the PTAB in this proceeding, leaving all claims untested by a final written decision. The patent's claims remain robust from a PTAB perspective, though the terms of the settlement are not publicly known.

IPR2025-01545 — BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. v. Samsung Display Co Ltd

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-09-23
• Status: Terminated-Settled. The proceeding concluded due to a settlement between the parties.
• Judge panel: Information regarding the specific judge panel for this IPR is not publicly available in the provided patent details or general PTAB search results at this stage.
• Petition grounds: The exact claims challenged, specific prior art, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) for the petition are not publicly available due to the settlement and lack of an institution decision or full FWD record in the provided information.
• Institution decision: Not applicable or not publicly available. Given the "Terminated-Settled" status, it is likely the case settled before or shortly after the institution decision deadline, or the institution decision was never publicly issued as a final order.
• Final Written Decision: Not issued. The proceeding was terminated due to settlement.
• Settlement / termination: The proceeding was terminated as settled on 2026-05-22. The specific terms of the settlement are confidential.
• Appeal: No Federal Circuit appeal occurred, as no Final Written Decision was issued.
• Defensive value: This proceeding did not result in any claims being invalidated by the PTAB. Therefore, the patent claims of US11626066 remain intact from a PTAB challenge perspective. A defendant would need to consider the grounds raised in the petition (if they become known) for potential estoppel, but the patent itself has not been narrowed by this IPR.

Strategic summary

All claims of US11626066 remain untested by a Final Written Decision from the PTAB. The sole IPR filed against this patent, IPR2025-01545, was terminated as settled between BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. and Samsung Display Co Ltd. This means no claims were canceled or sustained by the PTAB.

Regarding estoppel, since the proceeding was settled and no final written decision was issued, the statutory estoppel provisions of § 315(e)(2) generally do not apply to the petitioner (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.) or its privies concerning any grounds that could have been raised. However, any contractual estoppel agreed to as part of the confidential settlement terms would apply to the petitioner. For other potential defendants, all prior-art grounds remain theoretically available for a new IPR challenge, assuming the one-year window from the date of service of an infringement complaint has not passed. The settlement indicates that the patent owner (Samsung Display Co Ltd) has engaged in litigation or licensing activities with BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. that led to this resolution, but it does not intrinsically harden the patent against future PTAB challenges by unrelated parties.

Recommended next steps

• Since IPR2025-01545 was terminated as settled, no public Final Written Decision is available for review or citation.
• Given the patent's active status and the prior IPR settlement, potential defendants should assume the patent owner is actively enforcing this patent. It would be prudent to conduct a thorough prior art search and invalidity analysis to identify potential new grounds for an IPR or district court defense, as all claims remain patentable from a PTAB perspective.
• Monitor any ongoing district court litigation or new PTAB filings related to US11626066. The fact that a major display technology company like BOE filed an IPR suggests the patent is relevant in the industry.

Inventors

• Sang-Shin Lee (Employer at time of filing: Samsung Display Co Ltd)

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent is Samsung Display Co Ltd. Samsung Display Co Ltd is a major global manufacturer and supplier of display products, including OLED displays, thus it ships products embodying the claims. Its primary line of business is the research, development, and manufacturing of display panels. Samsung Display Co Ltd is currently an operating company.

Assignment timeline

I performed a search for US11626066 on the USPTO Assignment Center (https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/).

As of 2026-05-24, the USPTO Assignment Center records the following assignment for US Patent 11626066:

• 2023-02-07 (executed) / recorded 2023-02-07 — Reel 060593/0187
  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS)
  • Assignor: LEE, SANG-SHIN
  • Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
  • Correspondent: MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP, 500 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, 20001
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest to the original corporate assignee. This is a standard initial assignment from the inventor to their employer, Samsung Display Co Ltd.

This is the only assignment record found on the USPTO Assignment Center for US11626066. The "Current Assignee" listed on Google Patents as "Samsung Display Co Ltd" is consistent with this finding.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11626066
    2012 : Priority date KR1020120022967A
    2022 : Application filed by Samsung
    2023 : Inventor assigned to Samsung
         : Patent Issued to Samsung

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Not present. The only recorded assignment is from the individual inventor to Samsung Display Co Ltd, a large operating company.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Samsung Display Co Ltd is an operating company, not a known NPE.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not present. There is only one assignment recorded, with McDermott Will & Emery LLP as the correspondent. Without multiple assignments, recurrence cannot be determined.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. Only one assignment is recorded.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present. The only assignment (from inventor to Samsung Display) was recorded in February 2023. While litigation for the patent family was filed in 2025, the initial assignment is a standard inventor-to-company transfer, not indicative of pre-litigation transfer for assertion purposes by a new owner.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication of Samsung Display Co Ltd filing for bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — Unclear. There is no public information in the patent details or search results to suggest a privateering arrangement.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current owner is Samsung Display Co Ltd, an operating company, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion

This verdict is based on the single recorded assignment (Reel 060593/0187, recorded 2023-02-07) showing the patent transferred from the inventor to Samsung Display Co Ltd. Samsung Display Co Ltd is a large operating company that manufactures OLED displays. The litigation filed against this patent family appears to involve Samsung as the patent owner, defending its intellectual property as an operating company.

USPTO Patent Assignment Search for US11626066

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 11626066, I will use the citations listed within the patent itself, as this is the authoritative source for prior art considered during examination. I will search for the full citation details and descriptions of these patents.

Based on the provided patent text, I will extract the "Citations" section to list the prior art.

Prior Art Cited in US Patent 11626066:

Here is a list of prior art patents cited in US11626066, along with their publication/filing dates, a brief description, and potential claims they may anticipate under 35 U.S.C. § 102. Please note that a definitive determination of anticipation would require a detailed claim-by-claim analysis, but general areas of overlap can be identified.

1. US4491863A

• Full Citation: US4491863A - Color display apparatus
• Publication Date: 1985-01-01 (Priority Date: 1979-12-04)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a color display apparatus. While specific details of pixel arrangement are not provided in the snippet, general color display technology forms a foundational background.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Could potentially anticipate general concepts of a display device displaying images with different colored pixels, as broadly mentioned in the background of independent claims 1 and 15. However, it is unlikely to anticipate the specific geometric arrangements and relative sizing of pixels detailed in US11626066.

2. US4642619A

• Full Citation: US4642619A - Non-light-emitting liquid crystal color display device
• Publication Date: 1987-02-10 (Priority Date: 1982-12-15)
• Brief Description: This patent pertains to a non-light-emitting liquid crystal color display device. This is distinct from an OLED display in its light-emission mechanism but contributes to the general field of color displays.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Similar to US4491863A, it might touch upon the broad concept of displaying color images. However, it is highly unlikely to anticipate specific OLED pixel arrangements or the unique challenges related to FMM deposition in OLEDs.

3. EP0322106A2

• Full Citation: EP0322106A2 - Display device
• Publication Date: 1989-06-28 (Priority Date: 1987-11-28)
• Brief Description: This European patent describes a display device. Without further details from the patent itself, its specific relevance to pixel arrangement in OLEDs is unclear but generally contributes to display technology.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Broad aspects of display device architecture.

4. US4965565A

• Full Citation: US4965565A - Liquid crystal display panel having a thin-film transistor array for displaying a high quality picture
• Publication Date: 1990-10-23 (Priority Date: 1987-05-06)
• Brief Description: This patent describes an LCD panel with a thin-film transistor array for high-quality pictures. Again, this is an LCD technology, not OLED.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: General display panel concepts, but not the specific OLED pixel structure or manufacturing method.

5. JPH0336239A

• Full Citation: JPH0336239A - Austenitic iron-base alloy
• Publication Date: 1991-02-15 (Priority Date: 1989-07-04)
• Brief Description: This Japanese patent describes an austenitic iron-base alloy. This appears to be unrelated to display technology or pixel arrangements. It is likely cited for a tangential aspect or as part of a broader material science context that may not directly anticipate the core claims of US11626066.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Highly unlikely to anticipate any claims related to pixel arrangement or display technology.

6. JPH0378390A

• Full Citation: JPH0378390A - Liquid crystal display device
• Publication Date: 1991-04-03 (Priority Date: 1989-08-21)
• Brief Description: This Japanese patent relates to a liquid crystal display device.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: General display device concepts.

7. US5113274A

• Full Citation: US5113274A - Matrix-type color liquid crystal display device
• Publication Date: 1992-05-12 (Priority Date: 1988-06-13)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a matrix-type color liquid crystal display device.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: General display device concepts.

8. US5142392A

• Full Citation: US5142392A - Color liquid crystal display having light shielding layers and method of manufacturing thereof
• Publication Date: 1992-08-25 (Priority Date: 1987-11-18)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a color LCD with light shielding layers and its manufacturing method.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Concepts related to display manufacturing and light control in displays, but specific pixel geometries and OLED manufacturing are distinct.

9. US5461503A

• Full Citation: US5461503A - Color matrix display unit with double pixel area for red and blue pixels
• Publication Date: 1995-10-24 (Priority Date: 1993-04-08)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a color matrix display unit where red and blue pixels have double the area. This is highly relevant as it addresses differing pixel areas for different colors, a feature present in claims 1 and 15 of US11626066 (e.g., blue pixels having a larger area than red pixels, and larger than green pixels).
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1 and 15 related to the relative areas of different colored pixels (e.g., "each of the at least two blue pixels has a larger area than each of the at least two red pixels," and "each of the at least two blue pixels has a larger area than that of the first green pixel"). However, the specific arrangement in a virtual square and the polygonal shapes described in US11626066 would likely differentiate it.

10. US5485293A

• Full Citation: US5485293A - Liquid crystal display including color triads with split pixels
• Publication Date: 1996-01-16 (Priority Date: 1993-09-29)
• Brief Description: This patent describes an LCD with color triads and split pixels. This deals with pixel organization for color displays.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: General pixel arrangement strategies for color displays, but likely not the specific virtual square arrangement, polygonal shapes, or OLED characteristics.

11. JPH08227276A

• Full Citation: JPH08227276A - Organic electroluminescence display panel and manufacturing method thereof
• Publication Date: 1996-09-03 (Priority Date: 1995-02-21)
• Brief Description: This Japanese patent specifically describes an organic electroluminescence display panel and its manufacturing method. This is highly relevant as it directly addresses OLED technology and manufacturing. It could potentially anticipate aspects of OLED structure and manufacturing, especially the use of deposition for organic emission layers.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Could potentially anticipate the general use of an organic emission layer for different colors, and the manufacturing method using deposition. The specific pixel arrangement and relative sizes/shapes would be the differentiating factors for US11626066.

12. JPH08335060A

• Full Citation: JPH08335060A - Driving method of matrix type color liquid crystal display device
• Publication Date: 1996-12-17 (Priority Date: 1996-06-28)
• Brief Description: This Japanese patent describes a driving method for a matrix-type color LCD.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Unlikely to anticipate pixel arrangement claims, as it focuses on driving methods for LCDs.

13. JPH09182091A

• Full Citation: JPH09182091A - Solid-state imaging device, driving method of solid-state imaging device, camera device, and camera system
• Publication Date: 1997-07-11 (Priority Date: 1995-12-21)
• Brief Description: This Japanese patent concerns a solid-state imaging device, not a display device.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Highly unlikely to anticipate display pixel arrangement claims.

14. JPH1039791A

• Full Citation: JPH1039791A - Organic electroluminescence display device
• Publication Date: 1998-02-13 (Priority Date: 1996-07-22)
• Brief Description: This Japanese patent describes an organic electroluminescence display device, making it highly relevant to OLED technology.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Could potentially anticipate general OLED display structures, similar to JPH08227276A. The specific geometric arrangement and sizing of pixels in relation to a virtual square, as claimed in US11626066, would be key differentiators.

15. JP2000235891A

• Full Citation: JP2000235891A - Organic electroluminescent device
• Publication Date: 2000-08-29 (Priority Date: 1998-12-14)
• Brief Description: This Japanese patent describes an organic electroluminescent device, directly relevant to OLEDs.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: General OLED device aspects.

16. JP2001033757A

• Full Citation: JP2001033757A - Active matrix type liquid crystal display device
• Publication Date: 2001-02-09 (Priority Date: 1999-07-21)
• Brief Description: This Japanese patent describes an active matrix type LCD.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Unlikely to anticipate specific OLED pixel arrangement.

17. JP2001054127A

• Full Citation: JP2001054127A - Solid-state image pickup device and pixel defect compensation
• Publication Date: 2001-02-23 (Priority Date: 1999-08-05)
• Brief Description: This Japanese patent relates to a solid-state image pickup device, not a display device.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Highly unlikely to anticipate display pixel arrangement claims.

Summary of Most Relevant Prior Art:

Based on the titles and descriptions, the most relevant prior art citations that could potentially anticipate aspects of US11626066 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 are:

• US5461503A (Color matrix display unit with double pixel area for red and blue pixels): This patent directly addresses the concept of differing pixel areas for different colors, which is a key feature in claims 1 and 15 of US11626066.
• JPH08227276A (Organic electroluminescence display panel and manufacturing method thereof): This patent describes OLED panel technology and manufacturing methods, which are central to US11626066.
• JPH1039791A (Organic electroluminescence display device): Similar to JPH08227276A, this patent directly pertains to OLED display devices.
• JP2000235891A (Organic electroluminescent device): Another directly relevant OLED technology patent.

While these patents demonstrate knowledge of varying pixel sizes or OLED technology and manufacturing, the unique combination of geometric arrangement (e.g., first pixel at the center of a virtual square, second and third pixels at vertices), specific polygonal shapes (e.g., quadrilateral, hexagonal, octagonal), and precise spatial relationships (shortest distances) as defined in claims 1 and 15 of US11626066 would be the key elements for novelty and non-obviousness.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 11626066 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis assesses the obviousness of US Patent 11626066, focusing on independent claims 1 (apparatus) and 15 (method), based on the provided prior art. A combination of the cited references, motivated by the known challenges and desired improvements in Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display technology, would likely render the claims obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA).

Identifying Relevant Prior Art

The most relevant prior art references for this analysis are:

• JPH08227276A (Organic electroluminescence display panel and manufacturing method thereof): This patent directly addresses OLED display technology and its manufacturing processes, including the deposition of organic emission layers.
• US5461503A (Color matrix display unit with double pixel area for red and blue pixels): This patent explicitly teaches the concept of varying pixel areas for different colors within a display unit.

Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art (PHOSITA)

A PHOSITA in this field would be an engineer or technician with expertise in OLED display design, materials, and manufacturing processes, including an understanding of pixel arrangements, deposition techniques (like Fine Metal Mask or FMM), and the characteristics of different colored organic light-emitting materials.

Motivation to Combine References

A PHOSITA would be highly motivated to combine the teachings of JPH08227276A and US5461503A to develop an improved OLED display that addresses known challenges in the industry. The primary motivations include:

1. Improving Manufacturing Reliability and Aperture Ratio: As acknowledged in the background of US11626066, there is an inherent trade-off in FMM deposition processes for OLEDs: reducing gaps between pixels to increase aperture ratio can deteriorate deposition reliability, while increasing gaps for reliability can reduce the aperture ratio. JPH08227276A details OLED manufacturing, including deposition processes, making a PHOSITA aware of these issues. A PHOSITA would be motivated to optimize pixel arrangements and spacing to achieve a better balance between these conflicting objectives, thereby improving manufacturing yield and display brightness.
2. Enhancing Display Lifespan and Quality: US5461503A introduces the concept of varying pixel areas for different colors, specifically noting larger areas for red and blue pixels. A PHOSITA applying this concept to OLEDs would be aware that different colored organic light-emitting materials have varying efficiencies and degradation rates, with blue OLEDs typically exhibiting shorter lifespans. Consequently, a PHOSITA would be motivated to increase the area of blue pixels (and potentially red pixels) relative to green pixels to compensate for these differences, thereby extending the overall lifespan of the display and maintaining color balance over time. This motivation is explicitly stated in the detailed description of US11626066 (e.g., for FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, it notes that "the second pixels 200 that emit blue have the shortest life span... Accordingly, the second pixels 200 have a larger area than the third pixels 300, thereby suppressing the deterioration of the life span of the OLED display").

Obviousness Argument for Independent Claim 1 (Apparatus) and Claim 15 (Method)

Most elements of independent claims 1 and 15 would be rendered obvious by the combination of JPH08227276A and US5461503A, coupled with the routine design choices of a PHOSITA:

1. OLED Display, R, G, B Pixels, Pixel Defining Layer, Spaced Apart Pixels: JPH08227276A discloses an OLED display panel and its manufacturing, implicitly teaching the use of red, green, and blue pixels (or first, second, and third colored pixels in Claim 15) to produce color images. The use of a pixel defining layer and the concept of spaced-apart, individually addressable pixels are fundamental to display technology and would be well-known to a PHOSITA.
2. Differing Pixel Areas (Blue > Red, Blue > Green): US5461503A teaches the use of different pixel areas for different colors to achieve desired display characteristics. Given the known shorter lifespan of blue OLED emitters, a PHOSITA would readily make blue pixels larger than red and green pixels to improve display longevity and maintain consistent brightness over time. This directly addresses the features in claims 1 and 15 where blue pixels (second pixels) have a larger area than red pixels (third pixels) and green pixels (first pixels).
3. Polygonal and Convex Shapes for Pixels: The selection of specific polygonal shapes for pixels (e.g., quadrilateral, hexagonal, octagonal, or a convex shape with a longer major axis) is a routine design consideration for a PHOSITA. These choices are typically made to maximize the aperture ratio, optimize pixel packing density, or accommodate underlying circuitry and wiring. The patent itself notes that pixel shapes can be modified to avoid interference with other components.
4. Shortest Distance Constraints for FMM Reliability: The background of US11626066 highlights the importance of pixel gaps for FMM deposition reliability. JPH08227276A's disclosure of OLED manufacturing using deposition processes means a PHOSITA would be actively seeking to optimize these gaps. Setting specific shortest distance relationships between pixel types (e.g., the shortest distance between nearest green pixels being greater than the width of a red pixel) would be a matter of routine engineering optimization to improve FMM deposition accuracy and overall manufacturing yield.

Remaining Distinguishing Feature: The Specific "Virtual Square" Arrangement

The most specific and potentially non-obvious feature, based on a literal interpretation of Claim 1, is the definition of the "virtual square" where:

• "a first green pixel of the plurality of green pixels has a center coinciding with a center of a virtual square,"
• "each vertex of the virtual square coinciding with a center of a different one of the plurality of green pixels," and
• "each edge of the virtual square overlapping three consecutive green pixels."
• "at least two blue pixels... and at least two red pixels... are located entirely within boundaries of the virtual square."

This precise geometric arrangement, where the virtual square is conceptually defined by green pixels at its center and vertices, and its edges also overlap green pixels, with other colors placed within its boundaries, is not explicitly taught by any of the provided prior art snippets. While PHOSITAs routinely experiment with various pixel patterns (e.g., grid, delta, stripe, PenTile-like arrays) to optimize factors like resolution, aperture ratio, and manufacturing, the exact topological definition of this "green-centric virtual square" as described in the claim is not directly suggested by the cited prior art.

However, a PHOSITA, motivated by the aforementioned goals of improving FMM reliability and aperture ratio, and efficient pixel packing, might arrive at such a detailed geometric arrangement through routine design iteration and optimization. For instance, creating a repeating unit for green pixels (which often contribute significantly to perceived brightness) and then fitting other color pixels within that framework could be a logical design approach. The novelty here rests heavily on the specific "green-pixel-defined virtual square" structure rather than the broader concept of optimizing pixel arrays.

Conclusion

While the combination of JPH08227276A and US5461503A, driven by the desire for improved OLED display manufacturing, lifespan, and quality, would render many aspects of US11626066 obvious (such as OLED structure, FMM manufacturing, differing pixel areas, and general pixel shaping/spacing), the highly specific "virtual square" arrangement with green pixels at its center and vertices, as literally claimed, presents a challenge for a definitive obviousness rejection based solely on the provided snippets. Without prior art explicitly teaching or clearly suggesting this particular green-pixel-centric virtual square topology, this specific arrangement may retain a degree of non-obviousness, even if the underlying motivations for optimizing pixel layouts are well-known. Nonetheless, a strong argument could be made that such a specific geometric configuration would be within the scope of routine design optimization for a PHOSITA seeking to achieve the known benefits of improved aperture ratio, FMM deposition reliability, and compensatory pixel sizing in an OLED display.