DETAILED ACTION
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, 5-8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schrama (US PGPub 2021/0193014) in view of Seo et al. (US PGPub 2023/0290313) and He et al. (WO 2024/134188).
Regarding claim 1, Schrama discloses a light-emitting device ([0049], “the display 300 maybe advantageously incorporated into and/or deployed as a display for a variety of systems, devices and/or applications, including but not limited to smartphones (FIG. 4A), smart watches (FIG. 4B), and video display systems for vehicles such as automobiles and aircraft in which the display may hang from the ceiling of the vehicle and/or be incorporated into or otherwise connected to the back of a passenger seat (FIGS. 4C and 4D)”) comprising:
a display (fig. 3A, display 300) comprising a plurality of pixels ([0047], “As shown in FIG. 3A, the display 300 includes a plurality of unit cells 302 each of which is associated with and corresponds to a pixel of the display 300”) in which a plurality of first light-emitting elements each configured to emit light of a first light emission color (fig. 2 and [0025], “a microLED that emits blue light”) and a plurality of second light-emitting elements each configured to emit light of a second light emission color different from the first light emission color (fig. 2 and [0025], “a microLED that emits light along a red-green locus”) are arranged in a predetermined pattern (figs. 2 and 3A); and
a lighting controller configured to supply a drive current to each of the plurality of first light-emitting elements and each of the plurality of second light-emitting elements ([0024], “The apparatus further includes a display controller for controlling an intensity distribution of each of the plurality of sets of microLEDs in accordance with video data signals received by the display controller thereby to control a color produced by each of the plurality of sets of microLEDs and thereby control a color of the corresponding one of the plurality of pixels”) and control a light emission period of each of the plurality of first light-emitting elements and each of the plurality of second light-emitting elements ([0079], “intensity can be separately controlled and adjusted by setting appropriate ramp times and pulse width for each microLED pixel using a logic and control module and the pulse width modulation module”),
While Schrama discloses the lighting controller controlling an intensity distribution of each of the plurality of sets of microLEDs in accordance with video data signals, Schrama does not provide further details of this process, however various display techniques have been known in the art including dividing a frame of data into a first subframe and a second subframe and driving different elements of different colors during the different subframes. In a similar field of endeavor of display devices, Seo discloses
wherein the lighting controller is configured to:
divide one frame, in which the lighting controller drives the plurality of first light-emitting elements and the plurality of second light-emitting elements, into a first subframe and a second subframe, drive the plurality of first light-emitting elements in the first subframe, and drive the plurality of second light-emitting elements in the second subframe ([0131]-[0132], “In section Si, the data signal DATA[j] may be applied as a first color data signal (e.g., R(i)) corresponding to the i-th scan line SLi in response to the first select signal CLA having a gate-on voltage. The first select transistor MAj may be turned on by the first select signal CLA having a gate-on voltage. As a result, the first color data signal (e.g., R(i)) may be applied to a first sub-data line DAj through the turned-on first select transistor MAj. Subsequently, the data signal DATA[j] may be applied as a second color data signal (e.g., G(i)) corresponding to the i-th scan line SLi in response to the second select signal CLB having a gate-on voltage. The second select transistor MBj may be turned on by the second select signal CLB having a gate-on voltage. As a result, the second color data signal (e.g., G(i)) may be applied to a second sub-data line DBj through the turned-on second select transistor MBj.”).
In view of the teachings of Schrama and Seo, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the method of dividing a frame of data and driving light-emitting elements in a sequence, as taught by Seo, in the system of Schrama, as a known way of implementing the details of driving the light emitting elements, and furthermore that driving first and second plurality of light-emitting elements in first and second subframes as known and taught by Seo would have allowed for complex visual information to be displayed using fewer/lesser hardware resources and complexity and potentially cost.
While the combination of Schrama and Seo discloses use of first and second light-emitting diodes without specifying the second light emitting elements being variable-wavelength/color type as claimed, variable-wavelength/color LEDs are known. In a similar field of endeavor of led display devices, He discloses wherein a light emission color of a second light-emitting element of the plurality of second light-emitting elements is variable in accordance with a drive current supplied thereto (page 3, lines 7-19, “variable-wavelength LEDs can emit a broad spectrum of different emission wavelengths in response to varying the driving conditions provided to the variable-wavelength LED).
In view of the teachings of Schrama, Seo and He, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the variable-wavelength LEDs of He within the system of Schrama and Seo, for the purpose of improving cost and yield by providing LEDs with less narrow color emission ranges (He: page 2, lines 17-25).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Schrama, Seo and He further discloses wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises at least one of the plurality of first light-emitting elements and at least one of the plurality of second light-emitting elements (Schrama: [0043], “Each set of microLEDs 202 includes a number of individual microLEDs 204A-204D, each of which emits light of a different color. In particular, similar to the sets of microLEDs 102, the sets of microLEDs 202 includes a red microLED 204A, a green microLED 204B, and a blue microLED 204C. In accordance with features of embodiments described herein, the sets of microLEDs 202 further include an additional microLED 204D that emits yellow or amber light”).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Schrama, Seo and He further discloses wherein the first light emission color is blue (Schrama: [0025], “a microLED that emits blue light”).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Schrama, Seo and He further discloses wherein the first light emission color has a fixed wavelength (Schrama: [0025], “a microLED that emits blue light”).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Schrama, Seo and He further discloses wherein the second light emission color is tunable between green and red in accordance with a drive current to the second light emitting element (Schrama: [0025], “a microLED that emits light along a red-green locus” and He discloses variable-wavelength LEDs).
Claim 11 is a method claim for driving a light-emitting device drawn to the light-emitting device including the lighting controller of claim 1 and is therefore interpreted and rejected based on similar reasoning.
Claims 2-4, 9, 10, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schrama, Seo and He further in view of Akimoto (US PGPub 2021/0366373).
Regarding claim 2, while the combination of Schrama, Seo and He discloses memory in general (Schrama: fig. 8, memory elements 804 also see [0056]), it has been known to use memory to store current-chromaticity information. In a similar field of endeavor of display devices, Akimoto discloses further comprising:
an information storage configured to store current-chromaticity information for determining a drive current value to light each of a first light-emitting element of the plurality of first light-emitting elements and the second light-emitting element in accordance with a specific light emission color of each of the plurality of pixels, and wherein the lighting controller is configured to control the plurality of first light-emitting elements and the plurality of second light-emitting elements based on the current-chromaticity information stored in the information storage so that each of the plurality of first light-emitting elements and the plurality of second light-emitting elements emits light of a specific light emission color and light emission luminance ([0041], “The power supply control signal/analog image signal drive circuit 40 may include memory 48. The memory 48 can store the luminance settings for the multiple voltage values possible when using the power supply control signal and the luminance settings for the multiple voltage values possible when using the analog image signal. The relationships between the luminance settings and these voltage values can be adjusted and set by visually confirming the luminance of the light-emitting element included in the pixel circuit 10, etc. γ-correction can be performed by appropriately setting the relationships between the luminance settings and the voltage values”).
In view of the teachings of Schrama, Seo, He and Akimoto, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the information storage of Akimoto within the system of Schrama, Seo and He, as one of the known advantages of the digital pulse width modulation technique is that the gamma correction of the signal is possible even though the gradation characteristics are linear (Akimoto: [0041]).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Schrama, Seo, He and Akimoto further discloses wherein:
the lighting controller comprises:
a first control circuit configured to supply a drive current to each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element (Schrama: [0079], “intensity can be separately controlled and adjusted by setting appropriate ramp times”), and
a second control circuit configured to control a light emission period of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element (Schrama: [0079], “intensity can be separately controlled and adjusted by setting appropriate … pulse width for each microLED pixel using a logic and control module and the pulse width modulation module”).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Schrama, Seo, He and Akimoto further discloses wherein one or more lighting controllers are provided for each of the plurality of pixels (Schrama: [0024], “The apparatus further includes a display controller for controlling an intensity distribution of each of the plurality of sets of microLEDs in accordance with video data signals received by the display controller thereby to control a color produced by each of the plurality of sets of microLEDs and thereby control a color of the corresponding one of the plurality of pixels”).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Schrama, Seo, He and Akimoto further discloses the first and second light emitting elements of Schrama as disclosed in claim 1 and wherein:
the first control circuit is configured to supply a drive current having a value corresponding to a light emission color of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element to the corresponding one of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element by referring to the information storage (Akimoto: [0056], “In the power supply control circuit 16, the voltage value of the power supply control signal supplied via the power supply control signal line 42 is written when the second scanning signal supplied via the second scanning line 54 of the row adjacent to the row of the pixel circuit 10 of the power supply control circuit 16 is the high level.”), and
the second control circuit is configured to control a light emission period of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element in accordance with a light emission intensity corresponding to a luminance signal to be displayed by the second light-emitting element, the light emission intensity being determined based on a chromaticity of the second light emission color and a luminance ratio of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element, the chromaticity of the second light emission color and the luminance ratio being determined from a chromaticity signal and a luminance signal which are a basis of chromaticity and luminance to be displayed by each pixel so as to correspond to the first light emission color respectively, in the second subframe ([0052]-[0054], “The analog image PWM circuit 14 can cause the light-emitting element 12 to emit light when the first scanning signal supplied via the first scanning line 52 is the high level. The period in which the light-emitting element 12 emits light is determined based on the reference triangular wave signal supplied via the reference triangular wave signal line 46 and the voltage value written to the analog image PWM circuit 14. The interval at which the light-emitting element 12 emits light is determined based on the interval of the reference triangular wave signal. In the analog image PWM circuit 14, the light emission of the light-emitting element 12 is stopped when the first scanning signal is the low level. In the analog image PWM circuit 14, the voltage value of the analog image signal supplied via the analog image signal line 44 is written when the second scanning signal supplied via the second scanning line 54 is the high level. The writing of the voltage value of the analog image signal is stopped when the second scanning signal is the low level”).
Regarding claim 10, while the combination of Schrama, Seo and He discloses pulse width modulation technique for a display signal, other techniques are known including using a triangular signal. In a similar field of endeavor of display devices, Akimoto discloses wherein:
the lighting controller is configured to set a time width for supplying a current to each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element based on comparison between a first signal comprising a triangular wave signal and a first DC voltage set in a predetermined period ([0040], “The power supply control signal/analog image signal drive circuit 40 may generate a not-illustrated reference triangular wave signal supplied to the pixel circuits 10 for each column. Or, a reference triangular wave circuit for the reference triangular wave signal may be provided separately below the bottom row of the matrix of the pixel circuits 10. For example, the power supply control signal/analog image signal drive circuit 40 or the reference triangular wave circuit may distribute a reference triangular wave supplied from outside these circuits to the columns of the pixel circuits 10”), and
the lighting controller is configured to control a current value to be supplied based on a second DC voltage set in a period different from the predetermined period ([0052], “The analog image PWM circuit 14 can cause the light-emitting element 12 to emit light when the first scanning signal supplied via the first scanning line 52 is the high level. The period in which the light-emitting element 12 emits light is determined based on the reference triangular wave signal supplied via the reference triangular wave signal line 46 and the voltage value written to the analog image PWM circuit 14. The interval at which the light-emitting element 12 emits light is determined based on the interval of the reference triangular wave signal”).
In view of the teachings of Schrama, Seo, He and Akimoto, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the triangular wave of Akimoto, in the system of Schrama, Seo and He, since they are a known technique in pulse width modulation due to their symmetry, which creates a symmetrical and predictable pulse.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Schrama, Seo and He discloses a first and second light emitting elements as discussed in claim 1, further while the combination of Schrama, Seo and He discloses memory in general (Schrama: fig. 8, memory elements 804 also see [0056]), it has been known to use memory to store current-chromaticity information. In a similar field of endeavor of display devices, Akimoto discloses wherein:
the driving the plurality of first light-emitting elements and the plurality of second light-emitting elements with the lighting controller comprises:
determining the second light emission color and a luminance ratio of a first light-emitting element of the plurality of first light-emitting elements and a second light-emitting element of the plurality of second light-emitting elements from a chromaticity signal and a luminance signal which are basis of chromaticity and luminance to be displayed by each of the plurality of pixels so as to correspond to the first light emission color respectively, determining a light emission intensity corresponding to a luminance signal to be displayed based on the chromaticity of the second light emission color and the luminance ratio ([0133], “As shown in FIG. 7C, it is known that the chromaticity of a semiconductor light-emitting element changes due to the driving current. In the image display device 1 of the embodiment, the power supply control signal/analog image signal drive circuit 40 includes the memory 48. As described above, voltage setting values that include the correction values for the γ-correction can be set in the memory 48; therefore, the change of the chromaticity due to the current value setting can be suppressed by considering and setting the correction value of the chromaticity due to the current value beforehand. If necessary, even if the light emission characteristics of the light-emitting element 12 and the characteristics of the transistor circuits fluctuate between pixels, the characteristic fluctuation can be corrected by presetting, in the memory 48, the voltage setting values after a correction considering the fluctuation characteristics”),
supplying a drive current having a value corresponding to a light emission color of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element to the corresponding one of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element by referring to an information storage configured to store current-chromaticity information for determining a drive current value to light each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element in accordance with a specific light emission color of each of the plurality of pixels with a first control circuit of the lighting controller ([0041], “The power supply control signal/analog image signal drive circuit 40 may include memory 48. The memory 48 can store the luminance settings for the multiple voltage values possible when using the power supply control signal and the luminance settings for the multiple voltage values possible when using the analog image signal. The relationships between the luminance settings and these voltage values can be adjusted and set by visually confirming the luminance of the light-emitting element included in the pixel circuit 10, etc. γ-correction can be performed by appropriately setting the relationships between the luminance settings and the voltage values”), and
controlling a light emission period of the drive current to be supplied to each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element in accordance with the determined light emission intensity with a second control circuit of the lighting controller ([0052], “The analog image PWM circuit 14 can cause the light-emitting element 12 to emit light when the first scanning signal supplied via the first scanning line 52 is the high level. The period in which the light-emitting element 12 emits light is determined based on the reference triangular wave signal supplied via the reference triangular wave signal line 46 and the voltage value written to the analog image PWM circuit 14. The interval at which the light-emitting element 12 emits light is determined based on the interval of the reference triangular wave signal”).
In view of the teachings of Schrama, Seo, He and Akimoto, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the information storage of Akimoto within the system of Schrama, Seo and He, as one of the known advantages of the digital pulse width modulation technique is that the gamma correction of the signal is possible even though the gradation characteristics are linear (Akimoto: [0041]).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Schrama, Seo, He and Akimoto further discloses wherein:
the driving the plurality of first light-emitting elements and the plurality of second light-emitting elements with the lighting controller comprises:
controlling a light emission intensity by pulse-width modulation control in the first subframe with the second control circuit while the first control circuit keeps a drive current of each of the plurality of first light-emitting elements constant (Akimoto: [0140], “On the other hand, it goes without saying that the one end of the light-emitting element may be connected to another interconnect supplying a prescribed constant voltage according to the efficiency of the circuit layout and other advantages”), and
controlling, by the first control circuit, a light emission color by a current value for driving each of the plurality of second light-emitting elements and controlling, by the second control circuit, luminance by a light emission period of the current value of each of the plurality of second light-emitting elements controlled by the first control circuit in the second subframe (Akimoto: [0114], “Because the interval of the reference triangular wave signal At is constant, the duty of the light emission period can be set; and the brightness (the luminance) can be adjusted by setting the light emission period of the light-emitting element 12 based on the voltage value of the analog image signal Ap”).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 8-10, filed 12/11/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of He.
Conclusion
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/BENJAMIN C LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2629