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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to: Application filed on July 16th, 2024
Claims 1-20 are pending claims.
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 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 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin, US PG PUB# 2021/0295764 A1 (hereinafter Lin) in view of Sacchetto, US PG PUB# 2014/0049572 A1 (hereinafter Sacchetto).
As for independent claim 1:
Lin discloses a display module, comprising:
a timing controller; wherein the timing controller comprises an identification unit and a determination unit (Lin, 0022, 0023, discloses timing controller, comparator that performs verification operation/identification);
the determination unit is connected with the display controller, and is configured to receive the handshake parameter transmitted by the display controller, determine whether the handshake parameter matches a handshake parameter pre-stored by the determination unit, determine that handshake succeeds when the handshake parameter matches the pre-stored handshake parameter, and output a second feedback signal to the display controller, wherein the second feedback signal is used for triggering the display controller to transmit a video signal; and determine that handshake fails when the handshake parameter does not match the pre-stored handshake parameter (0008, 0026, 0036, Lin discloses that comparator 315 reads the verification data in register 314 and enables display driving upon a match. The match confirms the counterpart and performs the operation, see 0036).
Lin does not disclose the identification unit is connected with a display controller, and is configured to receive a control signal transmitted by the display controller, identify the control signal, and output a first feedback signal to the display controller when the control signal is identified as a handshake signal, wherein the first feedback signal is used for triggering the display controller to transmit a handshake parameter. Sacchetto discloses the identification unit is connected with a display controller, and is configured to receive a control signal transmitted by the display controller, identify the control signal, and output a first feedback signal to the display controller when the control signal is identified as a handshake signal, wherein the first feedback signal is used for triggering the display controller to transmit a handshake parameter in 0024, 0025-0026. In the cited section, Sacchetto discloses detecting the timing controller’s asserted feedback, the graphics controller begins link training and transmit data to the timing controller. Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the method of Lin to incorporate the teaching of Sacchetto staged feedback handshake, thus allow two stage feedback triggers transmission signaling to send video (Sacchetto, 0024, 0027).
As for dependent claim 2:
An Official Notice is taken that high-level signaling for an enable/handshake condition is well known ,and it would have been obvious to implement. Thus the limitation is obvious to a skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention: display module of claim 1, wherein the handshake signal is a high-level signal; the identification unit identifies the control signal and outputs the first feedback signal when the control signal is identified as a high-level signal.
As for dependent claim 3:
Lin–Sacchetto discloses the display module according to claim 1, wherein the handshake parameter comprises an encryption command and a register address; the determination unit is configured to determine whether the encryption command is consistent with a pre-stored encryption command and whether the register address is consistent with a pre-stored register address, and when both the encryption command and the register address are consistent respectively, determine that handshake succeeds; when any one of the encryption command and the register address is inconsistent, determine that handshake fails (Lin, 0006, 0017, 0023, discloses that the verification proceeds by encryption of the verification data and comparison against the pre-stored value in register 314, see teaching the encryption-command-consistency determination). Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the method of Lin to incorporate the teaching of Sacchetto staged feedback handshake, thus allow two stage feedback triggers transmission signaling to send video (Sacchetto, 0024, 0027).
Claims 4-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin, US PG PUB# 2025/0110564 A1 (hereinafter Lin) in view of Sacchetto, US PG PUB# 2014/0049572 A1 (hereinafter Sacchetto) and in further view of Jeong, US PG PUB# 2019/0043427 A1 (hereinafter Jeong).
As for dependent claim 4:
Lin and Sacchetto does not disclose the display module according to claim 1, further comprising: a source driver, a gate driver, and a display panel; wherein the timing controller further comprises a video unit; the video unit is connected with the display controller, and is configured to receive a video signal transmitted by the display controller, output a display signal to the source driver based on the video signal and output a gate control signal to the gate driver; the display panel is configured to display under drive of the source driver and the gate driver. Jeong discloses the display module according to claim 1, further comprising: a source driver, a gate driver, and a display panel; wherein the timing controller further comprises a video unit; the video unit is connected with the display controller, and is configured to receive a video signal transmitted by the display controller, output a display signal to the source driver based on the video signal and output a gate control signal to the gate driver; the display panel is configured to display under drive of the source driver and the gate driver in 0048, 0050. In the cited section, Jeong discloses the display panel driver receiving digital video data and control signals and supplying data voltages and scan/gate control signals to drive the display panel 110. Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 5:
Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the display module according to claim 4, wherein the source driver comprises a Clock-Embedded Differential Signaling (CEDS) interface and the timing controller is connected with the source driver through the CEDS interface (Jeong, 0048). Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 6:
Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the display module according to claim 4, wherein the display panel comprises a display region and a non-display region, wherein the source driver is configured to output a data signal to the display region; and the gate driver is configured to output a scan signal to the display region (Jeong, 0143, discloses a display area and a non-display area, with data lines and scan lines driven into the display area). Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 7:
Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the display module of claim 6, wherein the source driver comprises at least one drive circuit board and at least one source drive module, and the gate driver comprises a first gate drive circuit and a second gate drive circuit (Jeong, 0132, 0135, 0149, discloses source drive ICs 121 mounted on flexible films and source circuit boards 140 and a scan driver having separate output units). Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 8:
Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the display module of claim 4, wherein the timing controller further comprises a control interface, a communication interface, and a video interface, the identification unit connected through the control interface, the determination unit through the communication interface, and the video unit through the video interface (Jeong, 0056, 0058, discloses distinct serial interfaces between the timing controller, transmission module, and receiving module). Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 9:
Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the display module of claim 8, wherein the video interface comprises a V-by-One (VBO) interface (Jeong, 0058, 0113, 0115, discloses a high-speed serial interface carrying the transmission packet for the digital video data). Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 10:
Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the display module of claim 3, wherein the timing controller further comprises a storage unit configured to store the pre-stored encryption command and the pre-stored register address (Lin, 0023, 0026 and Jeong, 0055, discloses the timing controller including a non-volatile memory for stored values Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 11:
Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the display module of claim 10, wherein the storage unit comprises a non-volatile memory, and the non-volatile memory comprises a FLASH memory (Jeong, 0055, discloses the timing controller's non-volatile memory as an EEPROM). Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 12:Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the a display apparatus comprising: a display controller and a display module according to claim 1; the display controller is configured to transmit a control signal to a timing controller of the display module, and transmit a handshake parameter to the timing controller after receiving a first feedback signal; and transmit a video signal to the timing controller for identification after receiving a second feedback signal (Jeong, 0048, 0050, discloses the display panel driver receiving digital video data and control signals and supplying data voltages and scan/gate control signals to drive the display panel 110. Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 13:
Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the display apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: a central processor, the central processor is connected with the display controller; the display controller is configured to receive a handshake parameter transmitted by the central processor, and transmit the received handshake parameter to the timing controller; the display controller is further configured to receive a video signal transmitted by the central processor, and transmit the received video signal to the timing controller (Jeong, 0054, 0058 discloses a high-speed serial interface carrying the transmission packet for the digital video data. Jeong discloses vertical sync signal and communication with the timing controller through LVDS interface). Accordingly it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a skilled artisan to modify the module of Lin and Sacchetto to incorporate the teaching of Jeong encryption of the controller and module video link, thus allow converting the sensing voltages into digital sensing data and transmit the digital sensing da to the module (Jeong, 0048).
As for dependent claim 14:
Lin–Sacchetto-Jeong discloses the control method of a display module, applied to a display module according to claim 1, wherein the control method comprises: receiving a control signal transmitted by a display controller, identifying the control signal, and outputting a first feedback signal to the display controller when the control signal is identified as a handshake signal, wherein the first feedback signal is used for triggering the display controller to transmit a handshake parameter; receiving the handshake parameter transmitted by the display controller, determining whether the handshake parameter matches a pre-stored handshake parameter, determining that handshake succeeds when the handshake parameter matches the pre-stored handshake parameter, and outputting a second feedback signal to the display controller, wherein the second feedback signal is used for triggering the display controller to transmit a video signal; and determining that handshake fails when the handshake parameter does not match the pre-stored handshake parameter (Lin, 0006, 0017, 0023, discloses that the verification proceeds by encryption of the verification data and comparison against the pre-stored value in register 314, see teaching the encryption-command-consistency determination).
As for claim 20:Claim 20 contains substantial subject matter as claimed in claims 1 and 14 and is respectfully rejected along the same rationale.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-19 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.
It is noted that any citation to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the references should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33,216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1968)).
The Examiner notes MPEP § 2144.01, that quotes In re Preda, 401 F.2d 825,159 USPQ 342, 344 (CCPA 1968) as stating “in considering the disclosure of a reference, it is proper to take into account not only specific teachings of the reference but also the inferences which one skilled in the art would reasonably be expected to draw therefrom.” Further MPEP 2123, states that “a reference may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill the art, including nonpreferred embodiments. Merck & Co. v. Biocraft Laboratories, 874 F.2d 804, 10 USPQ2d 1843 (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 975 (1989).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID PHANTANA ANGKOOL whose telephone number is (571) 272-2673. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 7:00-3:30 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, can Adam Queler be reached on 571-272-4140. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/David Phantana-angkool/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2172
Prosecution Insights