DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the communication filed on April 24, 2026. Claims 1 and 9-21 remain pending and claims 6-7 have been cancelled in this application. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on April 24, 2026 has been entered.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) based on application filed in Korea on November 28, 2022 has been acknowledged and considered by Examiner. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) that are placed on record in the application file.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to amended claims 1 and 21 the Remarks section (pages 9-13) have been fully considered but are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Lee teaches degradation information based on factors including temperature but not limited to temperature and compensating based on a calculated temperature of each of the plurality of pixels
However, the claims as currently claimed do not recite an active measurement of the temperature of each of the pixels but a calculation of temperature of each of plurality of pixels based on the block temperature. The claim limitations as currently recited to the temperature to exclude other intervening factors and be based solely on pixel temperature because the “comprising of” language was used and not “consisting of” or otherwise limiting the temperature calculator not to include in the calculation emission times, grayscales, luminance. Further, Lee teaches: “In an exemplary embodiment, the degradation weight value may be calculated based on at least one of a position of the corresponding pixel in the display panel 100, a size of an input grayscale, a current temperature of the display panel 100, an emission duty of the corresponding pixel, and a light emission frequency” where not all the factors are required but “at least one.” A compensation value determiner selects compensation solely on the current temperature of the display panel. Additionally, Applicant’s specification links pixel temperature as related to degradation characteristics of the driving transistor, in particular the drain current of a gate-source voltage of a transistor in pre-grant paragraph [0097] and similarly in Lee in paragraph [0111]-[0112]. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Further, see cited prior art U.S. Patent Publication 2025/0087128 A1 by Wu et al. teaching after the temperature of the splicing/blocks in the display screen is stable, measuring, by a thermometer, the temperature of each pixel in the splicing display screen as a metric for gray-scale compensation of a display device.
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered with respect to 9-21 in the Remarks section (page 13) but they are not persuasive as the claims depend upon the features recited in the amended independent claims.
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 of this title, 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 1, 6-7, 9-10, and 11-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Publication 2020/0111455 A1 by Lee in view of U.S. Patent Publication 2023/0368708 A1 by Furukawa, and further in view of U.S. Patent Publication 2016/0379550 A1 by Jiang.
Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches a display device (Fig. 1) comprising:
a display panel including a plurality of pixels (Fig. 1, display panel 100 with plurality of pixels PX as in [0050]), wherein each of the pixels includes one of a first light emitting element, a second light emitting element, and a third light emitting element (Fig. 1; [0098], the lookup tables LUT may be set depending on the emission colors of the pixels PX and the temperature of the display panel 200, respectively. For example, the emission colors may be divided into red, green, and blue);
a temperature calculator configured to sense a block temperature for each of a plurality of block areas partitioned in the display and to calculate temperature of each of the plurality of pixels based on the block temperature (Figs. 1 and 2, [0048], image sticking compensator 200 including degradation calculator 220 and accumulator 230; [0047]-[0048], Each pixel PX may be subject to stress caused by, for example, by the temperature of the display panel 100 per frame. Due to the stress accumulated in each pixel PX, the pixels PX may be degraded and an afterimage may be expressed. Thus, the display portion 100 may provide degradation information (or age information) of pixels PX, generated through pixel sensing and the like, to the image sticking compensator 200. The degradation information may include light emission duration, grayscales, luminance, temperature, and the like. The degradation information may be generated for each pixel or a pixel block unit including grouped pixels. In an exemplary embodiment, pixels PX may include sub-pixels, each may emit light of a specific color (e.g., red, green, or blue)); and
a data compensator (Fig. 1 and 6, image sticking compensator 200 including data compensator 240) configured to generate compensation image data by compensating for image data corresponding to each of the pixels depending on the temperature of each of the plurality of pixels ([0049], The image sticking compensator 200 may output the age compensation data ACDATA based on degradation information and an input grayscale of the input image data IDATA1. That is, the image sticking compensator 200 may determine an individual compensation grayscale value for each pixel PX using the compensator as in [0063]).
wherein the temperature calculator receives sensing data corresponding to the block temperature of a block area (Figs. 1 and 2, image sticking compensator 200 including degradation calculator 220 and accumulator 230; [0047]-[0048], Thus, the display portion 100 may provide degradation information (or age information) of pixels PX, generated through pixel sensing and the like, to the image sticking compensator 200. The degradation information may include light emission duration, grayscales, luminance, temperature, and the like. The degradation information may be generated for each pixel or a pixel block unit including grouped pixels) and
calculates final sensing data of each of pixels belonging to the respective block area based on the sensing data as the temperature of each of pixels belonging to the respective block area ([0060], The accumulator 230 accumulates degradation data STDATA and generates age data A_DATA, which represents an accumulation of the degradation data STDATA. The age data A_DATA may include life-span information (i.e., degradation data) of each pixel. For example, the age data may include a plurality of age values, represented as 10-bit data. As shown in FIG. 4, as accumulation of the degradation data SDATA is increased, the amount of degradation is increased and the value of the age data A_DATA may increase (e.g., increased in the order of from Age=0 to Age=2),
wherein the display panel displays an image in units of a frame. ([0047]-[0048], Each pixel PX may be subject to stress caused by, for example, by the temperature of the display panel 100 per frame).
While Lee teaches the block unit included a predetermined number of pixels, Lee did not limit it to pixels of a sensing scan line. Lee does not teach wherein the display panel further includes a plurality of sensing scan lines connected to the plurality of pixels, sensing data corresponding to the block temperature of a block area corresponding to the at least one sensing line from pixels connected to at least one sensing scan line activated from among the sensing scan lines, wherein the frame includes an active period and a blank period, wherein at least one sensing scan line among the plurality of sensing scan lines is activated during the blank period, wherein the sensing scan lines is activated in units of a row block during the blank period and activated in units of a row pixel in the active period.
In the analogous art of compensation computation for degradation of display devices, Furukawa teaches degradation characteristic detection monitoring was performed in a blanking/non-active state before the active state in which normal writing of a data video signal voltage occurred. A monitoring voltage was applied when a specific scanning line/row i.e., G1(i) was brought into an active state to detect the degradation characteristic (Furukawa Fig. 6; [0098], [0099], and [0010]). During the video signal voltage writing period Tc, In addition, during the video signal voltage writing period Tc, a data voltage based on target luminance is applied to the data line S(j), indexed by row and column per pixel unit ([0101]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to have similarly performed pixel sensing of Lee as modified by Jiang by scanning line in a non-active state of the display and driving in an active state. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to have performed characteristic detection monitoring in a characteristic detection period for degree of degradation calculation and compensation (Furukawa Fig. 6; [0096], [0098] and [0010]).
While Lee taught the image sticking compensator was implemented by an additional applications processor or within a timing controller or a data driver. Lee in view of Furukawa did not specifically teach the image sticking compensator 500 elements were implemented by integrated circuits. However, in the analogous art of implementing aging compensation for a display, teaches an pixel-based display had logic for compensation included in a graphics processor. The graphics processor had components that were implemented by in one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs), microcontrollers, or an arrangement of logic gates implemented in one or more integrated circuits, for example. Additionally, the components may be implemented in a single processor or multiple processors. (Jiang Figs. 4-5; [0041]-[0042]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention of implemented the image sticking compensator of the timing controller of a display using integrated circuits. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to have used components known in the art to solve similar solutions, components that were implemented by in one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs), microcontrollers, or an arrangement of logic gates implemented in one or more integrated circuits (Jiang Figs. 4-5; [0041]-[0042]).
Regarding claim 9, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 7, wherein the temperature calculator calculates the final sensing data by interpolating the sensing signals through a predetermined interpolation method ([0094] and [0098], The compensation value determiner 244 may determine grayscale compensation data GCOMP that corresponds to the age data A_DATA and the scaled grayscale IGRAY2 from the lookup tables. In an exemplary embodiment, grayscale compensation data GCOMP with respect to a predetermined temperature may be calculated by using interpolation between the lookup tables).
Regarding claim 10, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 7, wherein the temperature calculator provides the final sensing data to the data compensator at a predetermined period ([0054], The image shifter 300 receives age data A_DATA from the image sticking compensator 200 and determines an image shifting range. For example, the image shifter 300 increases the image shifting range according to an age value of a pixel block by referring to the age data A_DATA or until age value for the block were obtained through pixel sensing as in [0048]-[0049]. The image shifter 300 may adjust the image shifting range when an age value of the pixel block exceeds a threshold value).
Regarding claim 11, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising: a data analyzer configured to analyze the image data and to activate the temperature calculator when the image data satisfies a specific condition ([0054], The image shifter 300 receives age data A_DATA from the image sticking compensator 200 and determines an image shifting range. For example, the image shifter 300 increases the image shifting range according to an age value of a pixel block by referring to the age data A_DATA. The image shifter 300 may adjust the image shifting range when an age value of the pixel block exceeds a threshold value, reaching specific condition).
Regarding claim 12, Lee does not teach the display device of claim 11, wherein the data analyzer activates the temperature calculator under a first specific condition that a specific color image is displayed by driving one light emitting element of the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, and the third light emitting element, or a second specific condition that a specific color image is displayed by driving two light emitting elements among the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, and the third light emitting element ([0059], The degradation calculator 220 calculates a degradation weight value based on the input image data (IDATA1 or IDATA2), the degradation calculator 220 may calculate a degradation weight value based on a panel condition, based on a light emission frequency where different frequencies represent different colors. The degradation calculator 220 may provide degradation data STDATA of a current frame to which the degradation weight value is applied, to the accumulator).
Regarding claim 13, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 12, wherein, under the first specific condition, the specific color image has one reference grayscale (Fig. 3; [0058], FIG. 3 shows a relationship between a grayscale and luminance according to degradation or age accumulation. As shown in FIG. 3, at an initial stage (i.e., Age=0, where Age denotes a life-span value, which is assembled to be a 10-bit data value), when an input grayscale IGRAY1 corresponding to a first grayscale (i.e., G0) is input, a pixel may emit with a corresponding luminance, which is a first luminance (i.e., L0). When the pixel is degraded, (e.g., when the graph is shifted to Age=30 from Age=0), the display luminance may be lowered to a second luminance L1 based on an input of the first grayscale G0. Thus, the image sticking compensator 200 may compensate the input grayscale to a level of a second grayscale G1 to achieve a light emission with the first luminance L1 where IGRAY1 was the reference grayscale).
Regarding claim 14, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 12, wherein, under the first specific condition, the specific color image has a grayscale within a reference grayscale range (Fig. 3; [0058], FIG. 3 shows a relationship between a grayscale and luminance according to degradation or age accumulation. As shown in FIG. 3, at an initial stage (i.e., Age=0, where Age denotes a life-span value, which is assembled to be a 10-bit data value), when an input grayscale IGRAY1 corresponding to a first grayscale (i.e., G0) is input, a pixel may emit with a corresponding luminance, which is a first luminance (i.e., L0). When the pixel is degraded, (e.g., when the graph is shifted to Age=30 from Age=0), the display luminance may be lowered to a second luminance L1 based on an input of the first grayscale G0. Thus, the image sticking compensator 200 may compensate the input grayscale to a level of a second grayscale G1 to achieve a light emission with the first luminance L1 where IGRAY1 was the reference grayscale less than IGRAY2 and when compensation was in effect).
Regarding claim 15, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 14, wherein the reference grayscale range is set to a range between a grayscale smaller than a reference grayscale by an error value (Fig. 7, G0<G1 as explained in [0058]) and a grayscale greater than the reference grayscale by the error value ([0061], Thus, as the pixel degradation progresses, a grayscale compensation value CGRAT (e.g., a grayscale compensation value of age compensation data) for displaying a predetermined input grayscale IGRAY may be increased. The accumulator 230 accumulates degradation data STDATA and scaled grayscale IGRAY2 together, per frame, to update the age data A_DATA. That is, the grayscale compensation value CGRAY may correspond to a grayscale compensated to display the predetermined input grayscale IGRAY at a specific age value that corresponds to the age data A_DATA. The accumulator 230 may provide the age data A_DATA to the compensator 240. Therefore, IGRAY > CGRAY).
Regarding claim 16, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 15, wherein the error value is a value less than or equal to a grayscale of 4 ([0061], Thus, as the pixel degradation progresses, a grayscale compensation value CGRAT (e.g., a grayscale compensation value of age compensation data) for displaying a predetermined input grayscale IGRAY may be increased. The accumulator 230 accumulates degradation data STDATA and scaled grayscale IGRAY2 together, per frame, to update the age data A_DATA. That is, the grayscale compensation value CGRAY may correspond to a grayscale compensated to display the predetermined input grayscale IGRAY at a specific age value that corresponds to the age data A_DATA. The accumulator 230 may provide the age data A_DATA to the compensator 240. Therefore, IGRAY>CGRAY and when age increased for instance from 0 to 5, there was a grayscale shift of 32 to 41 as in Fig. 10 and [0099], or an increase of greater than 4 for error compensation and there was a compensation applied to the input grayscale to compensate for this shift of grayscale due to age).
Regarding claim 17, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 12, wherein, under the second specific condition, the specific color image is an image obtained by mixing two color images ([0022], Each pixel may be activated by a string of data that describes the intensity with which to illuminate of each of the diodes in the pixel. The data that activates the pixels may be referred to herein as RGB data. The term “frame data” refers to the RGB data for all of the pixels for a single frame of display content).
Regarding claim 18, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 11, wherein the data analyzer receives the image data in units of frame, analyzes the image data during several frames or tens of frames, and determines whether the image data corresponds to the specific condition, by accumulating the analysis result ([0050], In some cases, the age compensation data ACDATA may be used both to compensate an image in a particular frame, and also as an input for the image shifter 300 to shift an image in the current or subsequent frames. In some examples, the image sticking compensator is configured to apply a block weight value to the age data, and determine the grayscale compensation value based on the block weight value-applied age data.)
Regarding claim 19, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 1, further comprising: a source driver configured to convert the compensation data into a data signal and to provide the data signal to the display panel (see Fig. 1, data driver 120; [0044], the data driver 120 may provide a data signal corresponding to age compensation data ACDATA to the pixels PX of the display panel 100 through the data lines DL1 to DLm); and
a driving controller configured to control driving of the source driver, wherein the driving controller includes the temperature calculator and the data compensator (Fig. 1, timing controller 130; [0045] and [0051], The timing controller 130 may control driving of the scan driver 110 and the data driver 120 and the image sticking compensator 200 may be included in the timing controller 130 including the degradation calculator, accumulator and compensator).
Regarding claim 20, Lee of the combination of references further teaches the display device of claim 19, wherein the driving controller further includes a data analyzer configured to analyze the image data and to activate the temperature calculator when the image data satisfies a specific condition (Fig. 1, timing controller 130 including the image sticking compensator 130 and image shifter 300, The image shifter 300 receives age data A_DATA from the image sticking compensator 200 and determines an image shifting range. For example, the image shifter 300 increases the image shifting range according to an age value of a pixel block by referring to the age data A_DATA. The image shifter 300 may adjust the image shifting range when an age value of the pixel block exceeds a threshold value, reaching specific condition).
Regarding claim 21, Lee teaches an electronic device (Fig. 1) comprising:
a display panel including a plurality of pixels (Fig. 1, display panel 100 with plurality of pixels PX as in [0050]), wherein each of the pixels includes one of a first light emitting element, a second light emitting element, and a third light emitting element (Fig. 1; [0098], the lookup tables LUT may be set depending on the emission colors of the pixels PX and the temperature of the display panel 200, respectively. For example, the emission colors may be divided into red, green, and blue);
sense a block temperature for each of a plurality of block areas partitioned in the display and to calculate temperature of each of the plurality of pixels based on the block temperature (Figs. 1 and 2, image sticking compensator 200 including degradation calculator 220 and accumulator 230; [0047]-[0048], Each pixel PX may be subject to stress caused by, for example, by the temperature of the display panel 100 per frame. Due to the stress accumulated in each pixel PX, the pixels PX may be degraded and an afterimage may be expressed. Thus, the display portion 100 may provide degradation information (or age information) of pixels PX, generated through pixel sensing and the like, to the image sticking compensator 200. The degradation information may include light emission duration, grayscales, luminance, temperature, and the like. The degradation information may be generated for each pixel or a pixel block unit including grouped pixels. In an exemplary embodiment, pixels PX may include sub-pixels, each may emit light of a specific color (e.g., red, green, or blue)); and
generate compensation image data; and compensate for image data corresponding to each of the pixels depending on the temperature of each of the plurality of pixels ([0049], The image sticking compensator 200 may output the age compensation data ACDATA based on degradation information and an input grayscale of the input image data IDATA1. That is, the image sticking compensator 200 may determine an individual compensation grayscale value for each pixel PX using the compensator as in [0063]).
calculate final sensing data of each of pixels belonging to the respective block area based on the sensing data as the temperature of each of pixels belonging to the respective block area ([0060], The accumulator 230 accumulates degradation data STDATA and generates age data A_DATA, which represents an accumulation of the degradation data STDATA. The age data A_DATA may include life-span information (i.e., degradation data) of each pixel. For example, the age data may include a plurality of age values, represented as 10-bit data. As shown in FIG. 4, as accumulation of the degradation data SDATA is increased, the amount of degradation is increased and the value of the age data A_DATA may increase (e.g., increased in the order of from Age=0 to Age=2),
wherein the display panel displays an image in units of a frame. ([0047]-[0048], Each pixel PX may be subject to stress caused by, for example, by the temperature of the display panel 100 per frame).
While Lee teaches the block unit included a predetermined number of pixels, Lee did not limit it to pixels of a sensing scan line. Lee does not teach wherein the display panel further includes a plurality of sensing scan lines connected to the plurality of pixels, sensing data corresponding to the block temperature of a block area corresponding to the at least one sensing line from pixels connected to at least one sensing scan line activated from among the sensing scan lines, wherein the frame includes an active period and a blank period, wherein at least one sensing scan line among the plurality of sensing scan lines is activated during the blank period, wherein the sensing scan lines is activated in units of a row block during the blank period and activated in units of a row pixel in the active period.
In the analogous art of compensation computation for degradation of display devices, Furukawa teaches degradation characteristic detection monitoring was performed in a blanking/non-active state before the active state in which normal writing of a data video signal voltage occurred. A monitoring voltage was applied when a specific scanning line/row i.e., G1(i) was brought into an active state to detect the degradation characteristic (Furukawa Fig. 6; [0098], [0099], and [0010]). During the video signal voltage writing period Tc, In addition, during the video signal voltage writing period Tc, a data voltage based on target luminance is applied to the data line S(j), indexed by row and column per pixel unit ([0101]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to have similarly performed pixel sensing of Lee as modified by Jiang by scanning line in a non-active state of the display and driving in an active state. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to have performed characteristic detection monitoring in a characteristic detection period for degree of degradation calculation and compensation (Furukawa Fig. 6; [0096], [0098] and [0010]).
While Lee taught the image sticking compensator was implemented by an additional applications processor or within a timing controller or a data driver. Lee in view of Furukawa did not specifically teach the image sticking compensator 500 elements were implemented by integrated circuits. However, in the analogous art of implementing aging compensation for a display, teaches an pixel-based display had logic for compensation included in a graphics processor. The graphics processor had components that were implemented by in one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs), microcontrollers, or an arrangement of logic gates implemented in one or more integrated circuits, for example. Additionally, the components may be implemented in a single processor or multiple processors. (Jiang Figs. 4-5; [0041]-[0042]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention of implemented the image sticking compensator of the timing controller of a display using integrated circuits. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to have used components known in the art to solve similar solutions, components that were implemented by in one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs), microcontrollers, or an arrangement of logic gates implemented in one or more integrated circuits (Jiang Figs. 4-5; [0041]-[0042]).
Conclusion
U.S. Patent Publication 2025/0087128 A1 by Wu et al. teaching after the temperature of the splicing/blocks in the display screen is stable, measuring, by a thermometer, the temperature of each pixel in the splicing display screen obtain a gray-scale compensation coefficient; determining target gray-scale compensation data according to the gray-scale compensation coefficient and the initial gray-scale compensation data; and compensating a gray scale of the current frame of image data according to the target gray-scale compensation data to obtain compensated frame of image data.
U.S. Patent Publication 2022/0223104 A1 by Sun et al. teaches s. to account aging of pixel cells (e.g., R, G, B, and/or W pixel cells) of a display may be tracked such that more aged pixel cells may be compensated for by reducing pixel values of one or more (e.g., each) other pixel cells of the display.
U.S. Patent Publication 2020/0034988 A1 by Lai et al. teaches e sampling period for aging compensation can be set such that calculation process is performed every 300 frames displayed.
U.S. Patent Publication 2024/0096262 A1 by Chou et al. teaches using a temperature interpolated from a block of four pixels to determine temperature based aging for compensation.
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/MAHEEN I JAVED/Examiner, Art Unit 2621
/AMR A AWAD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2621
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