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
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) 1-4, 6, 8, 10-12, 14-15 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong et al. Pub. No. US 2022/0199025 A1 [Hong] in view of Kim et al. Pub. No. US 2020/0152123 A1 [Kim].
1. Hong discloses a display device [Fig. 1 & ¶ 50] comprising: a display panel including subpixels [SP] connected to data lines [Fig. 4, DL] and reference lines [RVL, for instance]; a driving circuit connected to the data lines [136]; a sensing circuit including a first voltage circuit [RPRE circuit & ¶107] connected to the reference lines [as shown generally] and configured to apply a first reference voltage [Vref] to initialize sensing nodes of the subpixels [SENSE], and a sampling circuit configured to perform a sampling operation to sense the sensing nodes of the subpixels [SAM]; and a timing controller [Fig. 1, 140 & ¶ 51] configured to: generate a first reference voltage control signal for varying a level of the first reference voltage based on a driving frequency of the display panel [¶ 189]. Hong is silent on wherein the first reference voltage is a sensing reference voltage applied during a sensing period of the display panel. However Kim teaches wherein the first reference voltage is a sensing reference voltage applied during a sensing period of the display panel [¶ 58]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hong in view of Kim as required, since such a modification optimizes performance by mitigating imaging artifacts.
2. Hong in view of Kim teaches wherein the varying the level of the first reference voltage includes changing the first reference voltage in accordance with the driving frequency [Hong: ¶ 163, for instance]. Hong in view of Kim is silent on changing the voltage from a lower level to a higher level when the driving frequency of the display panel is increased. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Hong in view of Kim to meet these limitations, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955). Moreover, in the absence of any criticality (i.e., unobvious and/or unexpected result(s)), the parameter set forth above would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 1578, 16 USPQ2d 1934, 1936 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
3. Hong in view of Kim is silent on wherein the first reference voltage rises from 0 V to 1.x V , where x is an integer of 0 or more. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Hong in view of Kim to meet these limitations, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
4. Hong in view of Kim teaches a power supply [Hong ¶ 78]. Hong is silent on to raise the level of the first reference voltage from a lower level to a higher level and supply the first reference voltage having the higher level to the first voltage circuit, in response to the first reference voltage control signal output from the timing controller. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Hong in view of Kim to meet these limitations, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
6. Hong in view of Kim teaches a digital-to-analog converter configured to provide the first reference voltage to the first voltage circuit, wherein the digital-to-analog converter varies the level of the first reference voltage in response to the first reference voltage control signal output from the timing controller [Hong: Fig. 4, 136 where connected to RVL through circuit].
8. Hong in view of Kim teaches wherein the driving circuit and the sensing circuit are included in a data driver [Hong: Fig. 4 where data driver is circuit for each pixel], and the first reference voltage is output from a digital-to-analog converter included in the driving circuit [136 where connected to RVL through circuit].
10. Hong discloses method of controlling a display device [¶ 9], the method comprising: applying [as shown in Fig. 4], by a sensing circuit including in the display device [RPRE circuit], a first reference voltage [Vref] to reference lines [RVL] connected to subpixels in a display panel of the display device [as shown generally] by driving a first voltage circuit in the sensing circuit to initialize sensing nodes of the subpixels [by means of SENSE as shown generally]; performing, by the sensing circuit, a sampling operation on the reference lines by driving the sensing circuit to sense the sensing nodes of the subpixels [by means of SAM]; compensating for deterioration of elements included in the display panel based on a sensing voltage acquired through the sampling operation performed on the reference lines [¶¶ 103 & 109-111]; and in response to a driving frequency of the display panel changing, changing a level of the first reference voltage by a timing controller in the display device [¶ 189]. Hong is silent on wherein the first reference voltage is a sensing reference voltage applied during a sensing period of the display panel. However Kim teaches wherein the first reference voltage is a sensing reference voltage applied during a sensing period of the display panel [¶ 58]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hong in view of Kim as required, since such a modification optimizes performance by mitigating imaging artifacts.
11. Hong in view of Kim is silent on wherein the first reference voltage is transitioned from a lower level to a higher level when the driving frequency of the display panel is increased. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Hong in view of Kim to meet these limitations, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
12. Hong in view of Kim is silent on wherein the first reference voltage rises from 0 V to 1.x V , where x is an integer of 0 or more. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Hong in view of Kim to meet these limitations, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
14. Hong discloses a display device [Fig. 1 & ¶ 50] comprising: a display panel [110] including subpixels [SP] connected to data lines [DL] and reference lines [Fig. 4, RVL]; a data driver connected to the data lines and the reference lines [130], the data driver being configured to supply a first reference voltage [Vref] to at least one of the reference lines for performing a sampling operation on at least one of the subpixels [¶¶ 103 & 109-111]; and a controller [140] configured to: in response to a driving frequency or a resolution of the display panel changing, changing a level of the first reference voltage [¶ 189]. Hong is silent on wherein the first reference voltage is a sensing reference voltage applied during a sensing period of the display panel. However Kim teaches wherein the first reference voltage is a sensing reference voltage applied during a sensing period of the display panel [¶ 58]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hong in view of Kim as required, since such a modification optimizes performance by mitigating imaging artifacts.
15. Hong in view of Kim is silent on wherein the controller is further configured to: in response to the driving frequency of the display panel transitioning from a first driving frequency to a second driving frequency that is higher than the first driving frequency, transition the first reference voltage from a first level to a second level that is higher than the first level. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Hong in view of Kim to meet these limitations, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
18. Hong in view of Kim is silent on wherein the first level of the first reference voltage is 0 V, and wherein the second level of the first reference voltage is 1.x V, where x is an integer greater than 0. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Hong in view of Kim to meet these limitations, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
19. Hong in view of Kim teaches a power supply [Hong ¶ 78]. Hong is silent on to raise the first reference voltage from the first level to the second level and supply the first reference voltage having the second level to the at least one of the subpixels, in response to a first reference voltage control signal output from the controller. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Hong in view of Kim to meet these limitations, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
20. Hong in view of Kim teaches wherein the controller is further configured to: supply a compensation voltage to the at least one of the subpixels based on a sensing voltage acquired through the sampling operation [Hong ¶¶ 106-112].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7, 9, 13 and 16-17 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.
Response to Arguments
Arguments [10/06/25] are fully considered but moot owing to the new grounds of rejection detailed above which are necessitated by the amendment. This action is made final.
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 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.
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/Gustavo Polo/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622