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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 3, 6, 8-10, 17, and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 1 December 2025.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“a driving module…configured to provide…”
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2, 4-5, 11-16, and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 2, the recitation of “the first target column of pixels is a column of pixels except the corresponding column of pixels, the second target column of pixels is a column of pixels except the corresponding column of pixels, the first target column of pixels and the second target column of pixels are different columns of pixels; the current M columns data lines are data lines electrically connected to the M columns of sub- pixels included in the corresponding column of pixels; the data lines electrically connected to the M columns of sub-pixels in the first target column of pixels are directly electrically connected to a corresponding data voltage supply terminal, and the data lines electrically connected to the M columns of sub-pixels in the second target column of pixels are directly electrically connected to a corresponding data voltage supply terminal” renders the claim ambiguous. What exactly is applicant attempting to claim here? The specification in light of the drawings do not clearly disclose the above recitation with clarity. What is the difference between current, corresponding, and target columns? The first and second of each? Clarification is required.
Regarding claims 4-5 and 11-12, each claim is rejected under 112(b) by dependency from claim 2.
Regarding claim 13, in light of the claim interpretation above, the recitation of the “driving module” renders the claim ambiguous. The claims, in light of the specification, do not provide or describe what exactly is performing the claimed functionality of the driving module. Clarification is required.
Regarding claims 14-16 and 18-19, each claim is rejected under 112(b) by dependency from claim 13.
Regarding claim 16, the recitation of “the first target column of pixels is a column of pixels except the corresponding column of pixels, the second target column of pixels is a column of pixels except the corresponding column of pixels, the first target column of pixels and the second target column of pixels are different columns of pixels; the current M columns data lines are data lines electrically connected to the M columns of sub- pixels included in the corresponding column of pixels; the data lines electrically connected to the M columns of sub-pixels in the first target column of pixels are directly electrically connected to a corresponding data voltage supply terminal, and the data lines electrically connected to the M columns of sub-pixels in the second target column of pixels are directly electrically connected to a corresponding data voltage supply terminal” renders the claim ambiguous. What exactly is applicant attempting to claim here? The specification in light of the drawings do not clearly disclose the above recitation with clarity. What is the difference between current, corresponding, and target columns? The first and second of each? Clarification is required.
Regarding claims 18-19, each claim is rejected under 112(b) by dependency from claim 16.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2019.0147786).
Regarding claim 1, Kim disclose:
(see Fig. 1, 3-4; [0040-0046]; data voltage supply circuit 130/140; display device 100; data driver 130; columns of data lines DL; voltage supply terminals at CH; supply circuits 141/142)
(see Fig. 1, 3-4; [0040-0046]; where 141/142 control the M columns of subpixels in the corresponding column by providing a voltage supply to the respective columns, or to at least one other column (e.g., R1 to R1 or R1 to R2)
Regarding claim 13, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein. Kim further disclose:
A display device, comprising a plurality of rows gate lines, a plurality of columns data lines, a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of pixels, a driving module and the data voltage supply circuit according to claim 1; wherein the driving module is electrically connected to the plurality of rows gate lines, and configured to provide a driving signals to the gate line; pixels located in a same row are electrically connected to a corresponding row gate line, configured to receive the driving signal provided by the corresponding row gate line; pixels located in a same column are electrically connected to a corresponding column data line, configured to receive the data voltage from the corresponding column data line (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, the rejection of claim 13 is incorporated herein. Kim further disclose:
wherein the driving cycle includes a plurality of driving phases arranged sequentially; a (2n-1)th row scanning signal provided by a (2n-1)th row scanning line is the same as a 2nth row scanning signal provided by a 2nth row scanning line; the driving method includes: in an nth driving phase, the (2n-1)th row scan line and the 2nth row scan line being turned on, and the (2n-1)th row of sub-pixels and the 2nth row of sub-pixels receiving the data voltage provided by the corresponding data line; n is a positive integer (see [0037]; sequential driving of pixels in display).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 2, 4-5, 11-12, 14, 16, and 18-19 may be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/kenneth bukowski/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621