DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . 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.
Applicant’s submission filed on 04/23/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-2, 4, 8-10, 12, 15-16, and 18 were amended. Claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
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(s) 1-7 and 9-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tann et al. (US 2016/0267881) in view of Xiong et al. (US 2021/0287614).
Regarding claim 1, Tann teaches/suggests: A method comprising:
storing, by a processor (Tann Fig. 8: processor 802), data associated with an image associated with a first display mode to a frame buffer in response to detecting a signal to switch to a second display mode from the first display mode (Tann [0030] “a change indication is received from the host device indicating that there will be a change to the video stream … a final image frame is received from the host device and stored in a memory of the device … The second video stream can differ from the first video stream in that the second video stream can have a different resolution and/or different dimensions”),
reading the data associated with the image associated with the first display mode of the
providing the data associated with the image associated with the first display mode of the
maintaining the image associated with the first display mode of the frequency is complete (Tann [0017] “During the PSR mode, the TCON will effectively be driving a display panel of the display device with the image frame stored in the memory until the host device indicates to the TCON that the video transition has completed”); and
updating the image associated with the first display mode of the
Tann is silent regarding:
wherein the first display mode is associated with a first frequency, and the second display mode is associated with a second frequency;
Xiong, however, teaches/suggests:
wherein the first display mode is associated with a first frequency, and the second display mode is associated with a second frequency (Xiong [0078] “An image refreshing rate of the display panel in the second mode is greater than an image refreshing rate of the display panel in the first mode … the display panel is switched between the first mode and the second mode”);
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the host device of Tann to include the display panel of Xiong to provide the transition during the switching.
Regarding claim 2, Tann as modified by Xiong teaches/suggests: The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the signal in response to receiving a command to switch to the second display mode (Tann [0022] “the host device 204 can provide a first signal to a host interface 210 of the TCON 206 indicating that the resolution of the video stream to the TCON 206 is going to change” Xiong [0078] “the display panel is switched between the first mode and the second mode”). The same rationale to combine as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 3, Tann and Xiong are silent regarding: The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is analog. However, the concept and advantages of an analog signal are well known and expected in the art (Official Notice). It would have been obvious that the signal of Tann as modified by Xiong to be analog for continuous-time signaling.
Regarding claim 4, Tann as modified by Xiong teaches/suggests: The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a last known image of the data currently displayed (Tann [0030] “a final image frame is received from the host device and stored in a memory” [0017] “During the PSR mode, the TCON will effectively be driving a display panel of the display device with the image frame stored in the memory until the host device indicates to the TCON that the video transition has completed”).
Regarding claim 5, Tann as modified by Xiong teaches/suggests: The method of claim 1, wherein the reading of the image from the frame buffer is initiated after the storing of the image in the frame buffer is finished (Tann [0030] “a panel self refresh (PSR) mode is entered into” Tann [0017] “During the PSR mode, the TCON will effectively be driving a display panel of the display device with the image frame stored in the memory until the host device indicates to the TCON that the video transition has completed”).
Regarding claim 6, Tann as modified by Xiong teaches/suggests: The method of claim 1, wherein the frame buffer is included in a timing controller a timing controller package. However, the concept and advantages of a timing controller package are well known and expected in the art (Official Notice). It would have been obvious that the timing controller of Tann is included in such a package for packaging.
Regarding claim 7, Tann as modified by Xiong teaches/suggests: The method of claim 1, wherein the frame buffer is included in a timing controller a timing controller die. However, the concept and advantages of a timing controller die are well known and expected in the art (Official Notice). It would have been obvious that the timing controller of Tann is included in such a die for packaging.
Claims 9-14 recite limitation(s) similar in scope to those of claims 1-4 and 6-7, respectively, and are rejected for the same reason(s). Tann as modified by Xiong further teaches/suggests a display panel; a frame buffer; and a timing controller (Tann Fig. 2A: display panel 208 and timing controller 206; [0018] “a TCON that includes a frame buffer (e.g., a memory)”).
Claims 15-20 recite limitation(s) similar in scope to those of claims 1-6, respectively, and are rejected for the same reason(s). Tann as modified by Xiong further teaches/suggests a non-transitory computer-readable medium to store instructions (Tann Fig. 8: ROM 820 and/or RAM 822).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tann et al. (US 2016/0267881) in view of Xiong et al. (US 2021/0287614) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kondoh et al. (US 2011/0187735).
Regarding claim 8, Tann as modified by Xiong does not teach/suggest: The method of claim 1, further comprising reading display information associated with the first display mode from an electronically erasable programmable read-only memory. Kondoh, however, teaches/suggests reading display information associated with the first display mode from an electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (Kondoh [0292] “the color adjustment parameters for each video display mode may be previously recorded in a memory such as the EEPROM 82, so that the MPU 81 automatically selects the color adjustment parameters supporting the video display mode”). Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the parameters associated with the display modes of Tann as modified by Xiong to be stored in the EEPROM of Kondoh for support.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2025/0182672 – first and second display modes
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 ANH-TUAN V NGUYEN whose telephone number is 571-270-7513. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9AM-5PM ET. 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, JASON CHAN can be reached on 571-272-3022. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANH-TUAN V NGUYEN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2619
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