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.
Claims 1 and 15 – 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (US Pub. No. 2024/0386847 A1).
As to claim 1, Zhang shows a pixel circuit (Fig. 2 and para. 62), comprising: a light-emitting element (OLED, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a driving circuit (i.e. drive transistor t3, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a first energy storage circuit (i.e. first capacitor C1, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a second energy storage circuit (i.e. second capacitor C2, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a switch control circuit (i.e. T5, Fig. 2 and para. 62), and a data writing circuit (i.e. Fig. 2 and para. 62); wherein a control terminal of the driving circuit is electrically connected to a first node (i.e. N1, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a first terminal of the driving circuit is electrically connected to a power supply voltage terminal (i.e. VDD, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a second terminal of the driving circuit is electrically connected to the light-emitting element (Fig. 2 and para. 62), and the driving circuit is configured to drive the light-emitting element under control of a potential at a control terminal of the driving circuit (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); the data writing circuit is electrically connected to a write control terminal (i.e. Re, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a data line (i.e. Da, Fig. 2 and para. 62), and a second node (I.E. N2, Fig. 2 and para. 62), respectively, and is configured to write a data voltage, provided by the data line, to the second node under a control of a write control signal provided by the write control terminal (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); a first end of the first energy storage circuit is electrically connected to the second node (Fig. 2 and para. 62), a second end of the first energy storage circuit is electrically connected to the first node (Fig. 2 and para. 62), and the first energy storage circuit is configured to store electric energy (i.e. is a capacitor, Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); the switch control circuit is electrically connected to a switch control terminal (i.e. Gate1, Fig. 2 and para. 62), the second energy storage circuit, and a first voltage terminal (i.e. VDD), respectively (Fig. 2 and para. 62), and is configured to control, under control of a switch control signal provided by the switch control terminal, whether the first node is electrically connected to the first voltage terminal through the second energy storage circuit (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); and the second energy storage circuit is configured to store electric energy (i.e. is a capacitor, Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63).
As to claim 15, Zhang shows driving, by the driving circuit, the light-emitting element under control of the potential of the control terminal of the driving circuit (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); writing the data voltage provided by the data line into the second node under control of a write control signal (i.e. Re, Fig. 2 and para. 62), by the data writing circuit (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); wherein, the first energy storage circuit stores electric energy, and the second energy storage circuit stores electric energy (i.e. are capacitors, Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); controlling, by the switch control circuit under control of the switch control signal, whether the first node is electrically connected to the first voltage terminal through the second energy storage circuit (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63).
As to claim 16, Zhang shows in a first display mode, controlling, by the switch control circuit, the first node not to be electrically connected to the first voltage terminal through the second energy storage circuit under control of the switch control signal (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); in a second display mode, controlling, by the switch control circuit, the first node to be electrically connected to the first voltage terminal through the second energy storage circuit under control of the switch control signal (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63).
As to claim 17, Zhang shows a display device, comprising a pixel circuit (Fig. 2 and para. 62), the pixel circuit, comprising: a light-emitting element (OLED, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a driving circuit (i.e. drive transistor t3, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a first energy storage circuit (i.e. first capacitor C1, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a second energy storage circuit (i.e. second capacitor C2, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a switch control circuit (i.e. T5, Fig. 2 and para. 62), and a data writing circuit (i.e. Fig. 2 and para. 62); wherein a control terminal of the driving circuit is electrically connected to a first node (i.e. N1, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a first terminal of the driving circuit is electrically connected to a power supply voltage terminal (i.e. VDD, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a second terminal of the driving circuit is electrically connected to the light-emitting element (Fig. 2 and para. 62), and the driving circuit is configured to drive the light-emitting element under control of a potential at a control terminal of the driving circuit (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); the data writing circuit is electrically connected to a write control terminal (i.e. Re, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a data line (i.e. Da, Fig. 2 and para. 62), and a second node (I.E. N2, Fig. 2 and para. 62), respectively, and is configured to write a data voltage, provided by the data line, to the second node under a control of a write control signal provided by the write control terminal (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); a first end of the first energy storage circuit is electrically connected to the second node (Fig. 2 and para. 62), a second end of the first energy storage circuit is electrically connected to the first node (Fig. 2 and para. 62), and the first energy storage circuit is configured to store electric energy (i.e. is a capacitor, Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); the switch control circuit is electrically connected to a switch control terminal (i.e. Gate1, Fig. 2 and para. 62), the second energy storage circuit, and a first voltage terminal (i.e. VDD), respectively (Fig. 2 and para. 62), and is configured to control, under control of a switch control signal provided by the switch control terminal, whether the first node is electrically connected to the first voltage terminal through the second energy storage circuit (Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63); and the second energy storage circuit is configured to store electric energy (i.e. is a capacitor, Figs. 2 and 3 and paras. 62 and 63).
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of Huangfu et al. (US Pub. No. 2024/0177660 A1).
As to claim 2, Zhang shows that a control terminal of the switch control circuit is electrically connected to the switch control terminal (i.e. Gate1, Fig. 2 and para. 62), a second terminal of the switch control circuit is electrically connected to a first end of the second energy storage circuit (Fig. 2 and para. 62);
Zhang does not show that a first terminal of the switch control circuit is electrically connected to the first node and the switch control circuit is configured to control, under control of the switch control signal, the first node to be connected to or disconnected from the first end of the second energy storage circuit a second end of the second energy storage circuit is electrically connected to the first voltage terminal.
Huangfu shows that a first terminal of a switch control circuit Thr is electrically connected to a node connected to a gate of a driving transistor Td (Fig. 12 and paras. 84 and 85), the switch control circuit is configured to control, under control of a switch control signal GLn, the first node to be connected to or disconnected from a first end of an energy storage circuit (i.e. Ce1, Fig. 12 and paras. 84 and 85), a second end of the energy storage circuit is electrically connected to a first voltage terminal Vdd (Fig. 12 and paras. 84 and 85).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the teachings of Zhang with those of Huangfu because the driving current and image display grayscale can be stably maintained without a large degree of fluctuation, significantly improving image display quality (para. 68).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 – 14 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.
Specifically, claim 3 recites “…a first end of the second energy storage circuit is electrically connected to the first node; a control terminal of the switch control circuit is electrically connected to the switch control terminal, a first terminal of the switch control circuit is electrically connected to a second end of the second energy storage circuit, a second terminal of the switch control circuit is electrically connected to the first voltage terminal, and the switch control circuit is configured to control the second end of the second energy storage circuit to be connected to or disconnected from the first voltage terminal under control of the switch control signal.”
The prior art does not show this configuration. Therefore, this claim contains allowable subject matter.
Claims 4, 6, 8 and 9 contain allowable subject matter at least by their dependence on claim 3.
Claim 5 recites “…a third energy storage circuit, wherein a first end of the third energy storage circuit is electrically connected to the first node, a second end of the third energy storage circuit is electrically connected to the first voltage terminal, and the third energy storage circuit is configured to store electric energy.”
The prior art does not show this configuration. Therefore, this claim contains allowable subject matter.
Claims 10, 13 and 14 contain allowable subject matter at least by their dependence on claim 5.
Claim 7 recites that “…the switch control circuit comprises a switching element, the first energy storage circuit comprises a first capacitor, and the second energy storage circuit comprises a second capacitor; a control terminal of the switching element is electrically connected to the switch control terminal, a first terminal of the switching element is electrically connected to the first node, and a second end of the second capacitor is electrically connected to a first end of the second capacitor; and the switching element is configured to control, under control of the switch control signal, the first terminal of the switching element to be connected to or disconnected from the second end of the second capacitor; a first end of the first capacitor is electrically connected to the second node, and a second end of the first capacitor is electrically connected to the first node; a second end of the second capacitor is electrically connected to the first voltage terminal.”
The prior art does not show this configuration. Therefore, this claim contains allowable subject matter.
Claim 11 recites “… a first initialization circuit, a second initialization circuit, a voltage control circuit, a compensation control circuit, and a light-emitting control circuit; wherein the first initialization circuit is electrically connected to an initial control terminal, a reference voltage terminal, and the second node, respectively, and is configured to control the reference voltage terminal to provide a reference voltage to the second node under control of an initial control signal provided by the initial control terminal; the second initialization circuit is electrically connected to the initial control terminal, the initial voltage terminal, and the first node, respectively, and is configured to control the initial voltage terminal to provide an initial voltage to the first node under control of the initial control signal; the voltage control circuit is electrically connected to the light-emitting control terminal, the reference voltage terminal, and the second node, and is configured to control the reference voltage terminal to provide a reference voltage to the second node under control of a light- emitting control signal provided by the light-emitting control terminal; the compensation control circuit is electrically connected to the compensation control terminal, the first node, and a second terminal of the driving circuit, and is configured to control the first node to be connected to or disconnected from the second terminal of the driving circuit under control of a compensation control signal provided by the compensation control terminal; the light-emitting control circuit is electrically connected to the light-emitting control terminal, a second terminal of the driving circuit, and a first electrode of the light-emitting element, and configured to control, under control of the light-emitting control signal, the second terminal of the driving circuit to be connected to or disconnected from the first electrode of the light-emitting element; a second electrode of the light-emitting element is electrically connected to the second voltage terminal.”
The prior art does not show this configuration. Therefore, this claim contains allowable subject matter.
Claim 12 contains allowable subject matter at least by its dependence on claim 11.
COCLUSION
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/CARL ADAMS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2627
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