DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/28/2024, 12/24/2024, 03/05/2025, 05/06/2025 and 09/04/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu et al US 20040100459.
Regarding claim 1, Wu teaches a screen control system (see figure 1), comprising:
a source controller (controller 8);
a plurality of serial units coupled in series, coupled to the source controller, and configured to control a display screen (driving devices 10, 20, 30, 40 coupled in series and to the controller 8, see para 0011, a set of devices for driving display devices); and
a plurality of forward channels, each coupled between two of the plurality of serial units or between one of the plurality of serial units and the source controller, configured to forward a video data and a command to the plurality of serial units from the source controller (serial data channels SDI, SDO coupled between the driving devices 10-40 and the controller 8, see para 0014, image and/or command and/or status data to be serially shifted to and out from the serial buffer through the SDI pin and the SDO pin);
wherein the plurality of forward channels couple the source controller with the plurality of serial units to form a closed loop (see figure 1 shows that the data channels SDI, SDO forming a closed loop).
Regarding claim 2, Wu further teaches the source controller is coupled to a first serial unit among the plurality of serial units, and configured to send the video data and the command to the first serial unit (see figure 1 shows that controller 8 is coupled to a first driving device 10, also see para 0014).
Regarding claim 3, Wu further teaches the source controller is further coupled to a second serial unit among the plurality of serial units, and configured to receive a feedback data from the second serial unit through one of the plurality of forward channels (see figure 1 shows that controller 8 is coupled to a second driving device 40, also see para 0015, the internal statuses of the driving devices are transferred by SDI pins and SDO pins thereof, status feedback can be further accomplished by connecting the SDO pin of the driving device P with the external controller to form a loop).
Regarding claim 4, Wu further teaches the plurality of forward channels are unidirectional channels (see figure 1 shows that the data in the SDI, SDO channels only move in one direction, thus the channels are unidirectional).
Regarding claim 5, Wu further teaches at least one of the plurality of serial units comprises a feedforward circuit (see figure 2 shows a feedforward circuit), which comprises:
a receiver, configured to receive the video data and the command from a previous serial unit among the plurality of serial units (SDI pin as a receiver, see para 0014, a serial-data-in (SDI) pin to receive at least image data);
a command processing circuit, configured to process the command or bypass the command (command register 12, see para 0035, the external controller 8 may send a command to the serial buffer 11, and then the mode-switch circuit 17 may send another signal as a trigger to make the serial buffer 11 transfer the command to the command register 12); and
a transmitter, configured to transmit the video data and the command to a next serial unit among the plurality of serial units (SDO pin as a transmitter, see para 0014, a serial-data-out (SDO) pin to transfer at least image data).
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.
Claims 6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu as applied to claims above, and further in view of Zhang US 20170212717.
Regarding claim 6, Wu teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
But Wu fails to teach the command is transmitted in at least one of a blanking interval and an empty time slot of an active interval of a display line period.
However, Zhang teaches a command in a display system is transmitted in at least one of a blanking interval and an empty time slot of an active interval of a display line period (see para 0035, The global command interface 405 provides the interface-specific commands to the interfaces 425 428 during blanking intervals that occur between the refresh periods).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the display system of Wu and further incorporate transmitting the command in a blanking period.
The motivation for doing so is to allow transfer of command data while displaying images and prevent conflict with the image data.
Regarding claim 8, Wu teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
But Wu fails to teach the command is synchronous to a horizontal synchronization signal or a vertical synchronization signal for the display screen, allowing the plurality of serial units to determine a start of the command according to the horizontal synchronization signal or the vertical synchronization signal.
However, Zhang teaches a display command is synchronous to a horizontal synchronization signal or a vertical synchronization signal for the display screen, allowing the plurality of serial units to determine a start of the command according to the horizontal synchronization signal or the vertical synchronization signal (see para 0035, The blanking intervals are defined by a vertical synchronization signal (VSYNC). For example, a blanking interval may begin with the rising edge of the VSYNC signal and may end with the falling edge of the VSYNC signal, also see para 0041, the interface-specific commands include information to configure or modify values indicating timing parameters such as a timing of a horizontal synchronization signal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the display system of Wu and further incorporate the command synchronous to a horizontal synchronization or a vertical synchronization signal.
The motivation for doing so is to allow transfer of command data while displaying images and prevent conflict with the image data.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu as applied to claims above, and further in view of Jain et al US 20200195589.
Regarding claim 7, Wu teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
But Wu fails to teaches the command comprises a header, allowing the plurality of serial units to determine a start of the command by recognizing the header.
However, Jain teaches a command comprises a header, allowing the plurality of serial units to determine a start of the command by recognizing the header (see para 0057, The packet header of a short packet may include a command such as a frame start command or a frame end command).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the command of Wu and further incorporate a header.
The motivation for doing so is to indicate where the command starts and ends as taught by Jain (see para 0057).
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu as applied to claims above, and further in view of Ko et al US 20140176515.
Regarding claim 9, Wu teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
But Wu fails to teach the command is contained in an extended data enable period indicated by a data enable signal, wherein the extended data enable period is longer than a general data enable period in which no command is contained.
However, Ko teaches a display command is contained in an extended data enable period indicated by a data enable signal (see para 0046, the converting command signal CMD is enabled at the enable period of the data enable signal DE), wherein the extended data enable period is longer than a general data enable period in which no command is contained (see figure 2A and 2B enable periods EP).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the display system of Wu and further incorporate transmitting the command in a data enable period.
The motivation for doing so is to prevent conflict with other image data.
Regarding claim 10, Wu further teaches the command is encoded to conform to a pixel data format of the screen control system, to be contained in the extended data enable period (see figure 2A and para 0035-0036).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu as applied to claims above, and further in view of Chew et al US 20140015964.
Regarding claim 11, Wu teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
But Wu fails to teach the plurality of forward channels comprise at least one of a V-by-One interface, a display port (DP) interface, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) and a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI).
However, Chew teaches a plurality of forward channels for video transfer comprise at least one of a V-by-One interface, a display port (DP) interface, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) and a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) (see figures 2, 3 and para 0077, the interface may be any of a High-Definition Multimedia Interface, DisplayPort, a Thunderbolt.TM. interface, wireless HDMI, and/or wireless HD compliant techniques).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the forward channels of Wu and further incorporate different types of interface protocols such as display port and HDMI.
The motivation for doing so is to enhance compatibility with different display protocols.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Goutay et al US 20220393795 discloses providing feedback using a communication channel between a transmitter and a receiver
Jo et al US 20180046424 discloses command transmission in a daisy chained display system
Zeng et al US 20120096509 discloses a digital video data relay device using a daisy chain of video display
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/PHONG H DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2184