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 .
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 (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 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al., US PGPUB 20210056282, hereinafter referenced as Kim in view of Zeng et al., US PGPUB 20220291771, hereinafter referenced as Zeng.
As to claim 1, Kim discloses an apparatus comprising: a display (e.g., display panel 100, fig. 1A),
the display comprising: a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels being configured to emit an associated light output through a screen of the display to produce an image visible to a user (e.g., pixels PXL, fig. 1A, wherein each of the pixels PXL may include at least one light emitting element), and
a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors being configured to detect a reflected portion of the associated light output of at least one associated one of the plurality of pixels and provide an associated sensor output in response to the reflected portion (e.g., plurality of light sensors PHS, fig. 1A),
the reflected portion being reflected by an object and back into the screen of the display ([0061] The light sensors PHS may sense that light emitted from a light source is reflected by a finger of a user); and
at least one controller configured to operate a function of the apparatus in response to the associated sensor outputs of the plurality of sensors ([0081] According to an exemplary embodiment, the timing controller 240 may supply a driving signal for fingerprint sensing to the pixels PXL during a fingerprint sensing period in one frame).
Kim does not specifically disclose each of the plurality of sensors being configured to detect a reflected portion of the associated light output of at least one associated one of the plurality of pixels.
However, in the same endeavor, Zeng discloses each of the plurality of sensors being configured to detect a reflected portion of the associated light output of at least one associated one of the plurality of pixels ([0037] When performing fingerprint recognition, the light emitted from the sub-pixel 4 can be used as the light for recognition and is transmitted to the finger and reflect by the finger, and the detection light reflected back passes through the light-transmitting aperture 3 and is incident to a photosensitive sensor 9 at the bottom of the display panel).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Kim to further include Zeng’s sensor arrangement, in order to improve the detection accuracy.
As to claim 15, Kim discloses a machine implemented method for operating a function of an apparatus having a display (e.g., display panel 100, fig. 1A),
the method comprising: driving pixels of the display to produce an image (e.g., pixels PXL, fig. 1A, wherein each of the pixels PXL may include at least one light emitting element);
receiving sensor outputs from sensors integrated in the display, each of the sensor outputs being representative of light emitted by one or more pixels and reflected by an object ([0061] The light sensors PHS may sense that light emitted from a light source is reflected by a finger of a user);
determining a feature of the object in response to the sensor outputs; and operating the function of the apparatus in response to determining the feature ([0081] According to an exemplary embodiment, the timing controller 240 may supply a driving signal for fingerprint sensing to the pixels PXL during a fingerprint sensing period in one frame).
Kim does not specifically disclose each of the plurality of sensors being configured to detect a reflected portion of the associated light output of at least one associated one of the plurality of pixels.
However, in the same endeavor, Zeng discloses each of the plurality of sensors being configured to detect a reflected portion of the associated light output of at least one associated one of the plurality of pixels ([0037] When performing fingerprint recognition, the light emitted from the sub-pixel 4 can be used as the light for recognition and is transmitted to the finger and reflect by the finger, and the detection light reflected back passes through the light-transmitting aperture 3 and is incident to a photosensitive sensor 9 at the bottom of the display panel).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Kim to further include Zeng’s sensor arrangement, in order to improve the detection accuracy.
As to claim 19, Kim discloses a machine readable storage medium storing computer readable program instructions which when executed cause at least one processor to perform a method comprising: driving pixels of the display to produce an image (e.g., pixels PXL, fig. 1A, wherein each of the pixels PXL may include at least one light emitting element);
receiving sensor outputs from sensors integrated in the display, each of the sensor outputs being representative of light emitted by one or more pixels and reflected by an object ([0061] The light sensors PHS may sense that light emitted from a light source is reflected by a finger of a user);
determining a feature of the object in response to the sensor outputs; and
operating the function of the apparatus in response to determining the feature ([0081] According to an exemplary embodiment, the timing controller 240 may supply a driving signal for fingerprint sensing to the pixels PXL during a fingerprint sensing period in one frame).
Kim does not specifically disclose each of the sensor outputs being representative of light emitted by one or more pixels and reflected by an object.
However, in the same endeavor, Zeng discloses each of the sensor outputs being representative of light emitted by one or more pixels and reflected by an object ([0037] When performing fingerprint recognition, the light emitted from the sub-pixel 4 can be used as the light for recognition and is transmitted to the finger and reflect by the finger, and the detection light reflected back passes through the light-transmitting aperture 3 and is incident to a photosensitive sensor 9 at the bottom of the display panel).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Kim to further include Zeng’s sensor arrangement, in order to improve the detection accuracy.
As to claim 2, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses each pixel of the display is associated with an associated one of the plurality of sensors whereby the plurality of sensors are positioned to detect the reflected portion reflected by the object positioned over any location of the screen (Kim, e.g., the position of the plurality of sensors PHS, fig. 3).
As to claim 3, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses the plurality of sensors are positioned to detect the reflected portion reflected by the object positioned over at least 30% of the screen (Kim, [0061] The light sensors PHS may sense that light emitted from a light source is reflected by a finger of a user, and analyze the reflected light to sense the fingerprint of the user).
As to claim 4, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses the plurality of sensors are disposed in spaces between the pixels (Kim, As shown in fig. 1A, the sensors are located between pixels).
As to claim 5, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses each of the plurality of pixels comprise subpixels arranged in a two-dimensional grid, and each of the plurality of sensors is disposed within the two-dimensional grid of an associated one of the plurality of pixels (Kim, [0056] The display device may display arbitrary visual information, for example, a text, a video, a photograph, a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image, and the like, in an image display direction).
As to claim 6, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses each of the plurality of sensors is associated with a single one of the plurality of pixels (Zeng, [0037] When performing fingerprint recognition, the light emitted from the sub-pixel 4 can be used as the light for recognition and is transmitted to the finger and reflect by the finger, and the detection light reflected back passes through the light-transmitting aperture 3 and is incident to a photosensitive sensor 9 at the bottom of the display panel).
As to claim 7, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses each of the plurality of pixels comprises at least one subpixel configured to emit non-visible light ([0109] For example, the second adhesive layer ADL2 may include an infrared light absorbing material that absorbs infrared light having a high energy density, or may include an infrared light blocking material that blocks the infrared light).
As to claim 8, the combination of Kim Zeng and discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses the plurality of pixels and the plurality of sensors are provided on a base (Kim, [0099] The substrate SUB may include the display area AA and the non-display area NA as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In addition, the display area AA may include a plurality of pixel areas PXA, in which each pixel PXL is disposed and/or formed).
As to claim 9, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses each of the plurality of pixels are microLED pixels having a resolution on the display of at least 3,000 pixels-per-inch (Kim, [0059] The light emitting element may be an organic light emitting diode or an ultra-small inorganic light emitting diode having a size of a micro to nano scale range, but the inventive concepts are not limited thereto).
As to claim 10, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses each of the plurality of pixels are microLED pixels having a resolution on the display of at least 3,000 pixels-per-inch and each of the plurality of sensors is associated with a single one of the plurality of pixels, and wherein the plurality of sensors are positioned to detect the reflected portion reflected by the object positioned over at least 30% of the screen (Kim, [0059] The light emitting element may be an organic light emitting diode or an ultra-small inorganic light emitting diode having a size of a micro to nano scale range, but the inventive concepts are not limited thereto).
As to claim 11, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses the object is a finger and the sensor outputs are representative of at least a portion of a fingerprint of the finger, and wherein the controller is configured to identify the fingerprint and operate the function of the apparatus in response to identification of the fingerprint (Kim, [0061] The light sensors PHS may sense that light emitted from a light source is reflected by a finger of a user, and analyze the reflected light to sense the fingerprint of the user).
As to claim 12, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses the sensor outputs are representative of an orientation of the object with respect to the display, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the function of the apparatus in response to the orientation of the object (Kim, [0112] When the fingerprint of the user is placed (or positioned) on a display surface (for example, one surface on which an image is displayed) of the display device, the display device may sense the fingerprint of the user through the light sensor PHS).
As to claim 13, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses the sensor outputs are representative of at least one dimension of the object, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the function of the apparatus in response to the at least one dimension of the object (Kim, [0056] The display device may display arbitrary visual information, for example, a text, a video, a photograph, a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image, and the like, in an image display direction).
As to claim 14, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination further discloses the function of the apparatus is a function to unlock a display from a locked mode, a function to take a picture using a camera of the apparatus, a function to launch an application on the apparatus, a function to change the volume of a speaker of the apparatus, or a function to change a zoom of the camera of the apparatus (Kim, [0194] In some exemplary embodiments, sensing, abnormal state detection, and the like of the display panel 100 may be performed during the initial driving period IP).
As to claim 16, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the machine implemented method of claim 15. The combination further discloses the object is a finger and the feature is at least a portion of a fingerprint of the finger (Kim, [0061] The light sensors PHS may sense that light emitted from a light source is reflected by a finger of a user, and analyze the reflected light to sense the fingerprint of the user).
As to claim 17, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the machine implemented method of claim 15. The combination further discloses the feature is an orientation of the object with respect to the display (Kim, [0112] When the fingerprint of the user is placed (or positioned) on a display surface (for example, one surface on which an image is displayed) of the display device, the display device may sense the fingerprint of the user through the light sensor PHS).
As to claim 18, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the machine implemented method of claim 15. The combination further discloses the feature is at least one dimension of the object (Kim, [0056] The display device may display arbitrary visual information, for example, a text, a video, a photograph, a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image, and the like, in an image display direction).
As to claim 20, the combination of Kim and Zeng discloses the machine readable storage medium of claim 19. The combination further discloses the object is a finger and the feature is at least a portion of a fingerprint of the finger (Kim, [0061] The light sensors PHS may sense that light emitted from a light source is reflected by a finger of a user, and analyze the reflected light to sense the fingerprint of the user).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nho et al., US PGPUB 20150331508 discloses an integrated Silicon-OLED display and touch sensor panel is disclosed. The integrated Silicon-OLED display and touch sensor panel can include a Silicon substrate, an array of transistors, one or more metallization layers, one or more vias, an OLED stack, color filters, touch sensors, and additional components and circuitry. Additional components and circuitry can include an electrostatic discharge device, a light shielding, a switching matrix, one or more photodiodes, a near-infrared detector and near-infrared color filters. The integrated Silicon-OLED display and touch sensor panel can be further configured for near-field imaging, optically-assisted touch, and fingerprint detection. In some examples, a plurality of touch sensors and/or display pixels can be grouped into clusters, and the clusters can be coupled to a switching matrix for dynamic change of touch and/or display granularity.
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/SAHLU OKEBATO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625 7/23/2026
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