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
RESPONSE TO AMENDMENT
Acknowledgment is made of the amendment filed 1/21/2026, in which:claims 1, 6, and 11 are amended; and the rejections of the claims are traversed. Claims 1-15 are currently pending and an Office Action on the merits follows.
ALLOWABLE SUBJECT MATTER
Claim 4-5, 7-10, and 12-13 are 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. Claim 4 is objected to because the cited references do not disclose “ in response to a determination that the specified number of luminance values of the pixels of the first zone are equivalent to or greater than the brightness threshold, the comparison circuit uses the brightness threshold as the first luminance value for the first zone. Claim 5 is objected to because the cited references do not disclose” response to a determination that the specified number of luminance values of the pixels of the second zone are equivalent to or less than the dimness threshold, the comparison circuit uses the dimness threshold as the second luminance value for the second zone. Claims 7-10 are objected to because the cited references do not disclose” determining whether a second difference of the differences is equivalent to or greater than the threshold difference, the second difference between a third zone and a fourth zone of the multiple contiguous zones; and in response to the second difference being equivalent to or greater than the threshold difference, providing by a third driver circuit the first non-zero power level to LEDs in the third zone and providing by a fourth driver circuit the second non-zero power level to drive LEDs in the fourth zone. Claim 12 is objected to because the cited references do not disclose “determine a third zone has the second luminance value, the third zone contiguous to the second zone; and cause a third driver circuit to provide a third power level to drive LEDs in the third zone, the third power level a second non-zero multiplier of the first non-zero power level, wherein the second non-zero multiplier is greater than the first non-zero multiplier. Claim 13 is objected to because the cited references do not disclose determine a third zone has the second luminance value, the third zone contiguous to and disposed between the first zone and the second zone; and cause a third driver circuit to provide a third power level to drive LEDs in the third zone, the third power level a second non-zero multiplier of the first non-zero power level, wherein the second non-zero multiplier is less than the first non-zero multiplier.
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.
1. Claims 1-3, 6, 11, and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sako et al. US 2022005420 in view of Chen et al. US 20230274710 in view of Zhao et al. US 20230094077 and further in view of Watanabe US 20150356905.
Consider claim 1 Sako discloses an electronic device fig. 1 [0037] display device 10, comprising:
sets of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged into zones fig. 3 [0044] partial areas formed by dividing display surface 41 X1-X8 rows and Y1-Y4 columns. also see fig. 4 [0045] light sources 6a (LEDs) in each partial area ;
multiple driver circuitries, a driver circuit of the multiple driver circuitries coupled to a set of LEDs of the sets of LEDs see fig. 1 and fig. 5 [0038] light source unit operates in accordance with the control signals under the control of the signal processor 20 and emits light having brightness required for the fame image displayed by the image display panel for a light emitting area 61 ; and
a comparison circuit coupled to the driver circuitries fig. 6 light quantity calculator 21, the comparison circuit to: compare a first luminance value of a first set of LEDs of a first zone and a second luminance value of a second set of LEDs of a second zone, the first zone and the second zone contiguous [0071] fig. 11b if a difference value obtained by subtracting the light quantity y2 of the adjacent partial area from the light quantity y1 of the adjustment target partial area is equal to or larger than a second threshold Yth2 (y1−y2≥Yth2); and
in response to the comparison indicating that the first luminance value is greater than the second luminance value by a threshold difference fig. 11b [0071-0073] (S3a) if a difference value obtained by subtracting the light quantity y2 of the adjacent partial area from the light quantity y1 of the adjustment target partial area is equal to or larger than a second threshold Yth2 (y1−y2≥Yth2, cause a driver circuit to provide the first set of LEDs a first non-zero power level and a driver circuit to provide the second set of LEDs a second power level, the second power level a non-zero multiplier of the first non-zero power level fig. 11b [0056] adjustment coefficient may be changed as appropriate and can be between 0 and 1. [0071-0073] the light quantity adjuster 21b corrects the light quantity y1 of the adjustment target partial area by multiplying the light quantity y1 by the adjustment coefficient k (y1=ky1),
Sako does not explicitly disclose multiple driver circuitries, a driver circuit of the multiple driver circuitries and a first drive circuit and a second driver circuit.
Chen however discloses multiple driver circuitries, a driver circuit of the multiple driver circuitries and a first drive circuit and a second driver circuit see fig. 1 plurality of driver circuitries 101 102 103 which are the first second and third LED driving circuits.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Sako to include multiple driver circuitries, a driver circuit of the multiple driver circuitries and a first drive circuit and a second driver circuit, as taught by Chen, to mitigate uneven brightness phenomenon [0005].
Sako as modified by Chen do not disclose and a driver circuit to provide the second set of LEDs a second power level, the second power level a non-zero multiplier of the first non-zero power level.
Zhao however discloses and a driver circuit to provide the second set of LEDs a second power level, the second power level a non-zero multiplier of the first non-zero power level fig. 4 [0120] the assignment, assuming that the backlight compensation value of the current backlight subarea is Δ L, the backlight compensation value is gradually decreased toward the surrounding backlight subareas by taking the current backlight subarea as the center to assign the backlight compensation value to the surrounding backlight subareas, so as to obtain a smooth transition result of the backlight brightness, for example, the first circle of the backlight subarea at the periphery of the current backlight subarea 401 is also assigned with Δ L, and the second circle of the backlight subarea at the periphery is assigned with Δ L/2.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Sako as modified by Chen to include a driver circuit to provide the second set of LEDs a second power level, the second power level a non-zero multiplier of the first non-zero power level, as taught by Zhao, to obtain a smooth transition result of the backlight brightness [0120].
Sako as modified by Chen and Zhao do not disclose the non-zero multiplier is greater than one
Watanabe however, discloses the non-zero multiplier is greater than one [0021] and the luminance control unit determines a coefficient KL, where KL>1, as the coefficient and repeatedly multiplies each of the luminance set values by the coefficient KL until the first integrated value is within the range of the first threshold value in a case where the first integrated value is smaller than the range of the first threshold value.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the display device of Sako as modified by Chen and Zhao to include the non-zero multiplier is greater than one, as taught by Watanabe, to prevent a display image from feeling glaring to a viewer and to prevent the display image from becoming too dark [0021].
Consider claim 2. Sako as modified by Chen, Zhao, and Watanabe discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the comparison circuit comprises: a storage device storing machine-readable instructions; and a controller coupled to the storage device, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the controller, cause the controller Zhao [0049] program stored in memory executed by processor to:
compare a third luminance value of a third set of LEDs of a third zone and the second luminance value of the second set of LEDs of the second zone, the second zone and the third zone contiguous Sako fig. 10a-10b show a plurality of intermediate luminance regions which are defined by the inequality of step S3a of fig. 11. also see [0077] light quantity adjustment processing illustrated in FIG. 11A, 11B, or 11C can reduce the light quantity of the bright area (for example, the bright area 41b illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10]. also see Zhao fig. 4 [0120]; and in response to the comparison indicating that the second luminance value is greater than the third luminance value by the threshold difference, cause a third driver circuit to provide the third set of LEDs a third power level, the third power level a second non-zero multiplier of the second power level. Zhao fig. 4 [0120] the assignment, assuming that the backlight compensation value of the current backlight subarea is Δ L, the backlight compensation value is gradually decreased toward the surrounding backlight subareas by taking the current backlight subarea as the center to assign the backlight compensation value to the surrounding backlight subareas, so as to obtain a smooth transition result of the backlight brightness, for example, the first circle of the backlight subarea at the periphery of the current backlight subarea 401 is also assigned with Δ L, and the second circle of the backlight subarea at the periphery is assigned with Δ L/2.
Motivation to combine is similar to motivation in claim 1.
Consider claim 3. Sako as modified by Chen, Zhao, and Watanabe discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the comparison circuit is to: determine a first average luminance value of a first set of pixels of the first zone Zhao [0044] [0070]average value of brightness values of all pixels in subarea is used as an initial backlight value of a corresponding backlight subarea to determine the first luminance value of the first set of LEDs of the first zone Zhao [0080-0083] ; and determine a second average luminance value of a second set of pixels of the second zone to determine the second luminance value of the second set of LEDs of the second zone [0070]average value of brightness values of all pixels in subarea is used as an initial backlight value of a corresponding backlight subarea fig. 4 [0120] the assignment, assuming that the backlight compensation value of the current backlight subarea is Δ L, the backlight compensation value is gradually decreased toward the surrounding backlight subareas by taking the current backlight subarea as the center to assign the backlight compensation value to the surrounding backlight subareas, so as to obtain a smooth transition result of the backlight brightness, for example, the first circle of the backlight subarea at the periphery of the current backlight subarea 401 is also assigned with Δ L, and the second circle of the backlight subarea at the periphery is assigned with Δ L/2.
Motivation to combine is similar to motivation in claim 1.
Claim 6 is rejected for similar reasons to claim 1.
Claim 11 is rejected for similar reasons to claim 1.
Consider claim 14. Sako as modified by Chen, Zhao, and Watanabe discloses the non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to:
determine a third zone has the second luminance value Sako fig. 8 30 in x3 x6 y2, the third zone contiguous to the first zone and the second zone Sako fig. 30 in x3 x6 y2 which is between 50 in x4 x5 y4 y5 and 0s in x2 x7 y4-y1; and cause a third driver circuit to provide the second power level to drive LEDs in the third zone Sako fig. 11b [0056] adjustment coefficient may be changed as appropriate and can be between 0 and 1. in the case of adjusting the light quantities of the partial areas, the light quantities of the partial areas adjacent to the partial areas to be adjusted in light quantity is not limited to 0 [%] and can be changed as appropriate to be preferably equal to or smaller than, for example, a predetermined value in a range equal to or larger than 10 [%] and smaller than 15 [%].
Consider claim 15. Sako as modified by Chen, Zhao, and Watanabe discloses the non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to:
determine a third zone has the first luminance value Sako fig. 7 50 in x3 x6 y2, the third zone contiguous to the first zone and the second zone Sako fig. 7 50 in x3 x6 y2 which is between 50 in x4 x5 y4 y5 and 0s in x2 x7 y4-y1; and cause a third driver circuit to provide the first non-zero power level to drive LEDs in the third zone Sako fig. 11a s4.
RESPONSE TO ARGUMENTS
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Applicant argues (page 8-9) that the cited references do not disclose “the non-zero multiplier is greater than one”.
The Office agrees and has accordingly updated the rejection, with the inclusion of Watanabe, to address the contended limitations (see rejection above for details).
V. CONCLUSION
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 extension fee 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.
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IBRAHIM A. KHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2628
/IBRAHIM A KHAN/ 2/25/2026Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628