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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 10/19/21. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202111213438.X application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gai et al. (WO 2019/179393, published 9/26/19; *note: US 2020/0410918 will be relied upon as an English translation for WO 2019/179393) in view of Park et al. (US 2016/0189620).
Regarding claim 21, Gai discloses a brightness compensation method of a display panel, used in a display panel, the display panel, comprising: a plurality of pixel units arranged in an array, wherein each of the pixel units comprises a plurality of sub-pixel units (figs. 6-12, ¶ 60-78, group 200 with sub-pixels P);
and a plurality of sensing units, wherein the sub-pixel units of each of the pixel units are respectively connected to the same sensing unit (figs. 6-12, ¶ 60-78, photosensitive assemblies 10; one assembly 10 may correspond to two or more sub-pixels P);
wherein each of the sensing units is used to measure an actual brightness of each of the sub-pixel units in the corresponding pixel unit and is used to perform a brightness compensation on each of the sub-pixel units according to the actual brightness, so as to make each of the sub-pixel units reach a target brightness (fig. 13, ¶ 78-98, compensated data output based on luminance of the target sub-pixel),
wherein the method comprising: emitting light sequentially by sub-pixel units in each pixel unit on a gap between the frame images displayed by the display panel and measuring the actual brightness of each sub- pixel unit in the corresponding pixel unit by the sensing unit (fig. 13, ¶ 78-98, light emitting phase and detection phase disclosed),
wherein the display of each frame of image by the display panel includes a normal display period and a sensing period, the measurement of the sensing unit is carried out during a respective sensing period (fig. 13, ¶ 78-98, display phase and light emitting/detection phase disclosed);
and performing brightness compensation on each sub-pixel unit according to the actual brightness of each sub-pixel unit measured by the sensing unit, so as to make each sub-pixel unit reach the target brightness (fig. 13, ¶ 78-98),
wherein the emitting light sequentially by sub-pixel units in each pixel unit and measuring the actual brightness of each sub-pixel unit in the corresponding pixel unit by the sensing unit, comprises: emitting light sequentially by one of the sub-pixels in each pixel unit and measuring the actual brightness of one of the sub-pixel units by the sensing unit corresponding to the pixel unit (fig. 13, ¶ 78-98).
Gai fails to disclose a vertical blanking period, the measurement of the sensing unit is carried out during a respective vertical blanking period, wherein the vertical blanking period refers to a time interval for the display panel to return from a lower right corner of an image to an upper left corner of the image after scanning one frame and to start scanning of a new frame, one sub-pixel unit is sensed in each vertical blanking period.
Park teaches a vertical blanking period, the measurement of the sensing unit is carried out during a respective vertical blanking period, wherein the vertical blanking period refers to a time interval for the display panel to return from a lower right corner of an image to an upper left corner of the image after scanning one frame and to start scanning of a new frame, one sub-pixel unit is sensed in each vertical blanking period (figs. 1-4, see ¶ 32, ¶ 49, light sensor measures luminance in a vertical blank period between two successively arranged frames).
Gai and Park are both directed to pixel compensation for OLED display devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the device of Gai with the device of Park since such a modification provides compensation for a luminance error generated when pixels are turned on or off (Park, ¶ 10).
Regarding claim 22, Gai discloses wherein the sensing unit further includes a compensation module (figs. 1-3, ¶ 45-55, e.g., processor 30; see also ¶ 79-83),
and performing brightness compensation on each sub-pixel unit according to the actual brightness of each sub- pixel unit measured by the sensing unit, so as to make each sub-pixel unit reach the target brightness, specifically comprising: calculating a difference between the actual brightness and the target brightness of each sub-pixel unit by the compensation module and adjusting a data voltage provided from a data line to each sub-pixel unit, so as to make the actual brightness of each sub-pixel unit reach the target brightness (fig. 13, ¶ 78-98; see also ¶ 99-100).
Regarding claim 23, Gai discloses wherein each of the sub-pixel units includes a first thin film transistor (TFT), a second TFT, a third TFT, a first storage capacitor, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) (figs. 5-6, ¶ 60-62, e.g., M3, M2, M4, C1, and L; see also ¶ 79-83);
wherein a gate of the first TFT is respectively connected to a drain of the second TFT and a first end of the first storage capacitor; a source of the first TFT is connected to a positive electrode of the power supply; a drain of the first TFT is connected to a second end of the first storage capacitor, an anode of the OLED, and a source of the third TFT; a cathode of the OLED is connected to a negative electrode of the power supply; a gate of the second TFT and a gate of the third TFT are connected to a first scan line; a source of the second TFT is connected to a data line; and a drain of the third TFT is connected to a sensing line (figs. 5-6, ¶ 60-62; see also ¶ 79-83);
wherein the displaying frame images by the display panel, specifically comprising: turning on the first scan line, in a reset phase, to turn on the second TFT and the third TFT and to reset potentials of the first terminal and the second terminal of the first storage capacitor (figs. 5-6, ¶ 60-62; see also ¶ 79-83);
writing a data signal, in a write phase, through the data line to turn on the first TFT and to charge the first storage capacitor (figs. 5-6, ¶ 60-62; see also ¶ 79-83);
and keeping the first TFT turning on, in the light emitting phase, by the coupling effect of the first storage capacitor and emitting light by the OLED through the positive electrode of the power supply (figs. 5-6, ¶ 60-62; see also ¶ 79-83).
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gai in view of Park as applied to claim 23 above, and further in view of Feng (US 2021/0217361).
Regarding claim 24, Gai discloses wherein the sensing unit includes a fourth TFT, a photodiode (figs. 3-6, ¶ 55-62, e.g., M1, D; see also ¶ 79-83);
wherein a gate of the fourth TFT is connected to a second scan line, a drain of the fourth TFT is connected to the sensing line, a source of the fourth TFT is connected to a first end of the photodiode, a second end of the photodiode is connected to a control line (figs. 3-6, ¶ 55-62; see also ¶ 79-83);
wherein the measuring the actual brightness of each sub-pixel unit in the corresponding pixel unit by the sensing unit, further comprising: turning off the first scan line, in the sensing phase after the light-emitting phase, to turn off the second TFT and the third TFT (figs. 5-6, ¶ 60-62; see also ¶ 79-83);
and turning on the second scan line to turn on the fourth TFT, so as to measure the actual brightness of each sub-pixel unit in the corresponding pixel unit by the sensing unit (figs. 5-6, ¶ 60-62; see also ¶ 79-83).
Gai in view of Park fails to disclose a second storage capacitor, and a first end of the second storage capacitor is connected to the sensing line.
Feng teaches a second storage capacitor, and a first end of the second storage capacitor is connected to the sensing line (fig. 4, fig. 9, ¶ 3, ¶ 151-164, capacitor C1).
Gai in view of Park and Feng are both directed to pixel compensation for OLED display devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the device of Gai in view of Park with the integrator of Feng since such a modification provides accurate pixel current detection thereby enabling better external compensation (Feng, ¶ 126).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 21 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEITH L CRAWLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-7616. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10-6 ET.
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/KEITH L CRAWLEY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2626