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 .
Note by the Examiner
For clarity, the references to specific claim numbers are presented in bold. Cited claim limitations are presented in bold the first time they are associated with a particular prior art disclosing the cited limitations, and subsequent reference to the already disclosed claim limitations are presented un-bolded. Certain elements from prior art which are not required by the claims are also presented un-bolded if they are particularly pertinent to understanding how the references are being combined. Item-to-item matching and Examiner explanations for 102 and/or 103 rejections have been provided in parenthesis.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8, 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mi (WO 2019/067500 A1). See evidentiary references Wirth (Shape Analysis & Measurement).
Regarding claim 1, Mi discloses a Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure ([0002] “present disclosure […] relates to tiled microLED displays including multiple sub-displays arranged adjacent to each other”), comprising (see Fig. 3):
a plurality of pixel groups arranged in an array (elements 222, [0041] "first peripheral region 222”; these elements include the peripheral regions 222a, 222b),
wherein each of the plurality of pixel groups comprises a plurality of sub-pixels (elements 222, [0041] “first peripheral region 222 includes an array of first sub-pixels 224”),
wherein an arrangement direction of each sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on a leftmost column (element 222b, [0042] “peripheral region 222b”), and in the plurality of pixel groups located on a rightmost column (element 222a, [0042] “peripheral region 222a”) in the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure is perpendicular to an arrangement direction of each sub-pixel in other pixel groups located on a first row or on a last row (see Fig. 3 in which the arrangement of elements 230a-c on the leftmost and rightmost columns, elements 222b and 222a, of the sub-displays 200a are arranged with the sub-pixels oriented horizontally and pixel groups in the first and last rows, elements 204, are arranged with elements 210a-c oriented vertically; [0041] “each second light source 230 is orthogonal to each first light source 210.”).
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Regarding claim 2, Mi discloses the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 1,
wherein the plurality of sub-pixels comprises: a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel and a third sub-pixel (elements 230a-c, [0041] “each first sub-pixel 224 includes second light sources 230a, 230b, 230c”; “each second light source 230 of each first sub-pixel 224 may be a LED, such as a micro-LED”).
Regarding claim 3, Mi discloses the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 2,
wherein the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on the leftmost column have a same distance away from a leftmost side of the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure (see Fig. 3 wherein the elements 230a-c of column 222b are arranged equidistant from the leftmost side of the sub-display 200a); and
the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on the rightmost column have a same distance away from a rightmost side of the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure (see Fig. 3 wherein the elements 230a-c of column 222a are arranged equidistant from the rightmost side of the sub-display 200a).
Regarding claim 4, Mi discloses the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 1,
wherein each sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on the leftmost column is arranged close to a left side (see Fig. 3 wherein the elements 230a-c of column 222b are arranged equidistant from the leftmost side of the sub-display 200a), and
each sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on the rightmost column is arranged close to a right side (see Fig. 3 wherein the elements 230a-c of column 222a are arranged equidistant from the rightmost side of the sub-display 200a).
Regarding claim 5, Mi discloses the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 4,
wherein the sub-pixels in the plurality of pixel groups located on the leftmost column and in the plurality of pixel groups located on the rightmost column are arranged at an interval from top down respectively (see Fig. 3 in which the arrangement of elements 230a-c on the leftmost and rightmost columns, elements 222b and 222a, of the sub-displays 200a are arranged with elements 230a-c arranged top to bottom).
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Regarding claim 6, Mi discloses the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 2,
wherein the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel are in a circular shape or a polygonal shape with a side number no less than four ([0041] “each light source 230 may have another suitable shape, such as a square or circular shape.”).
Regarding claim 7, Mi discloses the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 3,
wherein major axis of the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on the leftmost column and in the plurality of pixel groups located on the rightmost column are parallel to a horizontal direction (see Fig. 3 in which the arrangement of elements 230a-c on the leftmost and rightmost columns, columns 222a and 222b, of the sub-displays are arranged with elements 230a-c oriented horizontally and parallel to a horizontal direction; see Wirth slide 14, wherein the major axis of the plurality of sub-pixels is interpreted to be the longest diameter of the shape or object; see annotated close-up of sub-display 250a of Fig. 3).
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Regarding claim 8, Mi discloses the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 2,
wherein the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel are one of a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel ([0041] “second light source 230a may be a second blue light source, such as a second blue microLED; second light source 230b may be a second red light source, such as a second red microLED; second light source 230c may be a second green light source, such as a green microLED.”); and
wherein the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel are different colors ([0041] “second light source 230a may be a second blue light source, such as a second blue microLED; second light source 230b may be a second red light source, such as a second red microLED; second light source 230c may be a second green light source, such as a green microLED.”).
Regarding claim 10, Mi discloses the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 2,
wherein major axis of the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel in other pixel groups located in middle in the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure are parallel to a horizontal direction or a vertical direction (the major axis is interpreted to be the axis with the longest length, similar to the geometrical definition associated with elliptical shapes; see Fig. 3 in which the longest length of the elements 210a-c of pixel group 204 in the central region 202 is oriented in a vertical direction; [0039] “each central region 202 includes array of pixels 204” [0040] “each pixel 204 includes first light sources 210a, 210b, 210c” see annotated close-up of sub-display 250a of Fig. 3).
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Regarding claim 11, Mi discloses an arrangement method of a Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure ([0007] “other embodiments relate to a method for fabricating a display”), the method comprising:
arranging an arrangement direction of each sub-pixel in a plurality of pixel groups located on a leftmost column and in a plurality of pixel groups located on a rightmost column to be perpendicular to an arrangement direction of each sub-pixel in other pixel groups located on a first row or on a last row ([0041] “each second light source 230 is orthogonal to each first light source 210”; the sub-pixels of the pixel groups on the leftmost and rightmost columns are identified as the second light source 230 and the sub-pixels of other pixel groups in the first or last row are identified as the first light source 210, wherein the subpixel elements 230 of the leftmost and rightmost columns are orthogonal or perpendicular to the subpixel elements 210 of the first or last rows),
the pixel groups are arranged in an array ([0039] “each central region includes an array of pixels 204” [0041] “each first peripheral region 222 includes an array of first sub-pixels” peripheral regions 222 include columns 222a and 222b).
Regarding claim 12, Mi discloses the arrangement method of the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 11, further comprising:
adjusting a distance between each sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on the leftmost column and a leftmost side of the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure to be consistent (see elements 230a-d of column 222b in Fig. 3 (see below) wherein column 222b is the leftmost column of the sub-display, and the distance between elements 230a, 230b, 230c, and 230d are equidistant from each other thereby making the distance between each sub-pixel consistent; elements 230a, 230b, 230c, and 230d are also arranged an equal distance away from the leftmost edge of the sub-display); and
adjusting a distance between each sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on the rightmost column and a rightmost side of the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure to be consistent (see elements 230a-d of column 222a in Fig. 3 (see below) wherein column 222a is the rightmost column of the sub-display, and the distance between elements 230a, 230b, 230c, and 230d are equidistant from each other thereby making the distance between each sub-pixel consistent; elements 230a, 230b, 230c, and 230d are also arranged an equal distance away from the rightmost edge of the sub-display).
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Regarding claim 13, Mi discloses the arrangement method of the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 11, further comprising:
arranging each sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on the leftmost column and in the plurality of pixel groups located on the rightmost column in an interval from top down respectively (see Fig. 3 in which the arrangement of elements 230a-c on the leftmost and rightmost columns, elements 222b and 222a, of the sub-displays are arranged with elements 230a-c arranged top to bottom; see annotated close-up of sub-display 250a of Fig. 3 showing the arrangement of the leftmost column, this arrangement is mirrored in the rightmost column 222a).
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mi (WO 2019/067500 A1) in view of an alternate embodiment of Mi (WO 2019/067500 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Mi discloses the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 7,
The embodiment disclosed in Fig. 3 fails to disclose wherein the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel in other pixel groups located on the first row or the last row are arranged at an interval from left to right
The embodiment disclosed in Fig. 4A discloses a first row and last row wherein the subpixel elements are arranged from left to right (see Fig. 4A in which the arrangement of elements 230a-c on the topmost and bottommost rows, rows 252a and 252b, of the sub-displays are arranged with elements 230a-c arranged from left to right within the pixel groups 254; see annotated close-up of sub-display 250a of Fig. 4A).
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The subpixel arrangement of the first row and last row as taught by the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 4A of Mi is incorporated as the subpixel arrangement of the first row and last row of the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 3 of Mi, wherein the combination discloses wherein the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel in other pixel groups located on the first row or the last row are arranged at an interval from left to right.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 4A of Mi with the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 3 of Mi, because the combination allows for easier transition from seam to seam between the tiled displays ([0048] “The luminance and color of […] each second sub-pixel 254 […] may be independently controlled to minimize or effectively eliminate the visibility of first seam 242 and second seam 244 between sub-displays 250a, 250b, 250c and 250d.”). Additionally, orienting the subpixels in this manner reduces the size of each pixel group ([0045] “Each second sub-pixel 254 of each second peripheral region 252 is about one half the size of each pixel 204 of each central region 202.”), potentially for cost benefits.
The combination is simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results, simple substitution of one subpixel arrangement in a similar tiled display for another to obtain predictable results.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brackley et al. (US 2020/0163233 A1) in view of Mi (WO 2019/067500 A1).
Regarding claim 14, Brackley discloses a display panel (element 320 [0043] “tiled display 320 […] includes a plurality of tiles such as first, second, third, and fourth tiles 330, 332, 334, 336” see also Fig. 5 and [0004] “rectangular tiles or panels are arranged in an array to create a tiled display” wherein a tiled display and a display panel are effectively interchangeable),
Brackley fails to explicitly disclose a display panel comprising the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 1.
Mi discloses, according to claim 1, a Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure ([0002] “present disclosure […] relates to tiled microLED displays including multiple sub-displays arranged adjacent to each other”), comprising (see Fig. 3):
a plurality of pixel groups arranged in an array (elements 222, [0041] "first peripheral region 222”; these elements include the peripheral regions 222a, 222b),
wherein each of the plurality of pixel groups comprises a plurality of sub-pixels (elements 222, [0041] “first peripheral region 222 includes an array of first sub-pixels 224”),
wherein an arrangement direction of each sub-pixel in the plurality of pixel groups located on a leftmost column (element 222b, [0042] “peripheral region 222b”), and in the plurality of pixel groups located on a rightmost column (element 222a, [0042] “peripheral region 222a”) in the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure is perpendicular to an arrangement direction of each sub-pixel in other pixel groups located on a first row or on a last row (see Fig. 3 in which the arrangement of elements 230a-c on the leftmost and rightmost columns, elements 222b and 222a, of the sub-displays 200a are arranged with the sub-pixels oriented horizontally and pixel groups in the first and last rows, elements 204, are arranged with elements 210a-c oriented vertically; [0041] “each second light source 230 is orthogonal to each first light source 210.”).
The micro-LED pixel arrangement of Mi is incorporated into the tiled display panel of Brackley, wherein the combination discloses a display panel, comprising the Micro-LED pixel arrangement structure according to claim 1.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to incorporate the teachings of Mi with Brackley, because the combination minimizes or may also eliminate the visibility of a seam between edge areas of the display panels when putting multiple display panels together (Mi: [0042] “The luminance and color of each sub-pixel 224 may be independently controlled to minimize or effectively eliminate the visibility of seam 192 between sub-displays 200a and 200b”).
Conclusion
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/D.N./ Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/STEVEN H LOKE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2818