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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7, 10 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Berenbaum et al (US 2013/0297829; provided by Applicant).
In regards to claim 1, Berenbaum discloses a communication apparatus comprising:
a transmission device (SPI Master 110) including a serial peripheral interface (SPI Initiating Port 112) (Fig. 1 and paragraph 26); and
a plurality of reception devices (first and second SPI Slave 120) configured to receive a data signal (MOSI, MISO) and a clock signal (SCLK) from the transmission device (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26),
wherein the plurality of reception devices are coupled in a daisy chain via a signal line (M_CS, S_CS) configured to communicate a chip select signal (CS) (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 1, 24-26).
In regards to claim 2, Berenbaum discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission device (SPI Master 110) is configured to transmit the chip select signal to only one of the plurality of reception devices coupled in the daisy chain (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26; the chip select signal is transmitted from the SPI Master only to the first slave. It is then forwarded from one slave to another).
In regards to claim 3, Berenbaum discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission device is configured to transmit the data signal and the clock signal to each of the plurality of reception devices coupled in the daisy chain (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26; the data signal and clock signal are transmitted from the SPI Master to the first slave. They are then forwarded from one slave to another).
In regards to claim 4, Berenbaum discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of reception devices includes a first reception device configured to output the chip select signal input from the transmission device and a second reception device configured to output the chip select signal input from the first reception device (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26; the chip select signal is transmitted from the SPI Master only to the first slave. It is then forwarded from one slave to another).
In regards to claim 5, Berenbaum discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first reception device is configured to receive a predetermined number of bits of first data included in the data signal input from the transmission device and then output the chip select signal to the second reception device (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26; the chip select signal is transmitted from the SPI Master only to the first slave. It is then forwarded from one slave to another).
In regards to claim 6, Berenbaum discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of reception devices includes a third reception device (additional slaves) configured to output the chip select signal input from the second reception device (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26), and
the second reception device is configured to receive a predetermined number of bits of second data after the first data included in the data signal and then output the chip select signal to the third reception device (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26).
In regards to claim 7, Berenbaum discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception devices are configured to synchronize with the clock signal input from the transmission device and to output the chip select signal (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26, 44).
In regards to claim 10, Berenbaum discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission device is configured to transmit the data signal including data related to the number of bits of data to be transmitted to the reception devices (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26).
In regards to claim 14, Berenbaum discloses a communication method between a transmission device including a serial peripheral interface and a plurality of reception devices coupled in a daisy chain (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26), the communication method comprising:
transmitting a chip select signal to only one of the plurality of reception devices (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26; the chip select signal is transmitted from the SPI Master only to the first slave. It is then forwarded from one slave to another); and
transmitting the chip select signal from the one of the reception devices (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26; the chip select signal is transmitted from the SPI Master only to the first slave. It is then forwarded from one slave to another).
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berenbaum et al (US 2013/0297829; provided by Applicant) in view of Xie et al (CN 1437119; provided by Applicant, machine translation provided).
In regards to claim 8, Berenbaum does not disclose the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception devices are configured to output the chip select signal with a modified pulse width.
Xie discloses wherein the reception devices are configured to output the chip select signal with a modified pulse width (paragraphs 32-33).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Berenbaum with the teachings of Xie, adjusting the width of the chip select signal, because it can increase reliability of operation.
Claim 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berenbaum et al (US 2013/0297829; provided by Applicant) in view of Kato et al (JP 2000010902; provided by Applicant; machine translation provided).
In regards to claim 11, Berenbaum does not disclose the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception device comprises a driving section configured to drive a light-emitting element, and
the transmission device comprises a control section configured to control the driving section.
Kato discloses wherein the reception device comprises a driving section configured to drive a light-emitting element (Figs. 5-6 and paragraphs 2-8), and
the transmission device comprises a control section configured to control the driving section (Figs. 5-6 and paragraphs 2-8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Berenbaum with the teachings of Kato, host device sending data to displays, because it would allow images to be displayed to a user giving more feedback and making it more interactive.
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kato et al (JP 2000010902; provided by Applicant; machine translation provided) in view of Berenbaum et al (US 2013/0297829; provided by Applicant).
In regards to claims 12-13, Kato discloses a display apparatus comprising:
a light source including a light-emitting element (Figs. 5-6 and paragraphs 2-8); and
a light-emission control section configured to control the light source (Figs. 5-6 and paragraphs 2-8),
wherein the light-emission control section includes
a plurality of driving sections (display modules) configured to drive the light-emitting elements (Figs. 5-6 and paragraphs 2-8), and
a control section (host device) that includes a serial peripheral interface and is configured to control the driving sections (Figs. 5-6 and paragraphs 2-8),
the driving sections are configured to receive a data signal and a clock signal from the control section (Figs. 5-6 and paragraphs 2-8), and
Kato does not disclose the plurality of driving sections are coupled in a daisy chain via a signal line configured to communicate a chip select signal.
Berenbaum discloses the plurality of driving sections are coupled in a daisy chain via a signal line configured to communicate a chip select signal (Fig. 1 and paragraphs 2, 24-26).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kato with the teachings of Berenbaum, PTP serial peripheral interface for data communication, because it provides a flexible and reliable inter-chip data communication interface.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim et al (US 2023/0217561) discloses a communication protocol between an MCU and an LED driving circuit for LED driving. The MCU may define and use an SPI protocol including ID setting, a command, configuration data, etc (abstract). A plurality of LED driving circuits 160 may be connected in series or in parallel to the MCU 150 in order for the MCU to perform serial peripheral interface communication. In this case, when the circuits are connected in parallel, this may be defined as an electrical connection relation in which signal lines form a common node and signals may be simultaneously supplied. Furthermore, when the circuits are connected in series, this may be defined as an electrical connection relation in which signal lines do not form a common node or signals are sequentially delivered (Fig. 6 and paragraph 89).
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/MICHAEL PERVAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629 August 6, 2026
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