Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 19/026,377

DISPLAY DEVICE

Non-Final OA §102§103§112
Filed
Jan 17, 2025
Examiner
GYAWALI, BIPIN
Art Unit
2625
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Innolux Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
58%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 11m
To Grant
58%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 58% of resolved cases
58%
Career Allow Rate
217 granted / 374 resolved
-4.0% vs TC avg
Minimal -0% lift
Without
With
+-0.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 11m
Avg Prosecution
28 currently pending
Career history
402
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
64.4%
+24.4% vs TC avg
§102
26.5%
-13.5% vs TC avg
§112
7.0%
-33.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 374 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103 §112
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 . Priority Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claim 4 recites the limitation "the second controller" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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 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. Claim(s) 1, 10-11, 14-16 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Herschbach (US 2015/0355470 A1). As to claim 1, Herschbach (Fig. 1) discloses a display device (Para. 0019), comprising: a display panel (2), having a light emitting side (right side of 2) and a non-light emitting side (left side of 2), comprising a plurality of light emitting units (3) and a plurality of light concentration units (5; Fig. 3), wherein each of the light emitting units corresponds to one of the light concentration units (Para. 0041, each micro-lens on 5 for each light emitting unit); a heat dissipation element (Fig. 1 element 1), disposed on the non-light emitting side of the display panel (Para. 0034); and a light adjustment structure (7), disposed on the light emitting side of the display panel and comprising a plurality of light control units (Fig. 6, lens on each structuring unit 7), wherein each of the light control units corresponds to at least two of the light emitting units (each of the bulging part –“lens” on 7 receives light from at least two source 4). As to claim 10, Herschbach (Fig. 1) discloses the display device according to claim 1, comprising: a light-transmitting layer (4, “air” between layer 2 and 5), disposed between the light emitting units (3) and the light concentration units (5). As to claim 11, Herschbach discloses the display device according to claim 10, wherein a refractive index of the light- transmitting layer (4) is less than a refractive index of the light concentration units (5, refractive index of air is less than glass/lens). As to claim 14, Herschbach (Fig. 1) discloses the display device according to claim 1, comprising: a transparent layer (6), disposed between the display panel (2) and the light adjustment structure (7). As to claim 15, Herschbach (Fig. 3) discloses the display device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel further comprises a first substrate (2) and a second substrate (base of 5), the light emitting units (3) are disposed on the first substrate (2), and the light concentration units (micro-lens on 5) are disposed on the second substrate (base of 5). As to claim 16, Herschbach (Fig. 1) discloses the display device according to claim 15, further comprising a transparent layer (6) disposed between the second substrate (5) and the light adjustment structure (7). As to claim 19, Herschbach (Fig. 1) discloses the display device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting units (3) comprise a light emitting diode (Para. 0034). As to claim 20, Herschbach (Fig. 1) discloses the display device according to claim 1, wherein each of the light concentration units (5) comprises a lens, a meta lens, a condenser reflector, or a combination of the above (Para. 0035). 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) 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herschbach as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tada (US 2021/0035528 A1, hereinafter “Tada”). As to claim 2, Herschbach does not disclose the display device according to claim 1, comprising: a temperature sensor, configured to sense a temperature of the display panel; a first controller, configured to control the heat dissipation element; and a second controller, configured to control the display panel; wherein the temperature sensor provides a first signal to the first controller according to the temperature, and provides a second signal to the second controller. However, Tada (Fig. 7) teaches a temperature sensor (104), configured to sense a temperature of the display panel (Para. 0044); a first controller (Para. 0092), configured to control the heat dissipation element (Para. 0081, 0088); and a second controller (111), configured to control the display panel (100); wherein the temperature sensor provides a first signal to the first controller according to the temperature (Para. 0081, 0092), and provides a second signal to the second controller (111; Para. 0055). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Tada to include an active heat dissipation element in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to correct the brightness change caused by temperature change of light source with high precision (Tada; Para. 0034). Claim(s) 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herschbach and Tada as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Jee et al. (US 2023/0215322 A1, hereinafter “Jee”). As to claim 3, Herschbach does not disclose the display device according to claim 2, comprising: an emission clock circuit, electrically connected to the second controller and the display panel, wherein the emission clock circuit is configured to provide an emission time duty ratio signal to the display panel to regulate a display brightness of the display panel. However, Jee (Fig. 1) teaches an emission clock circuit (11), electrically connected to the second controller and the display panel, wherein the emission clock circuit is configured to provide an emission time duty ratio signal to the display panel to regulate a display brightness of the display panel (Para. 0084). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Jee to adjust emission duty ratio in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to adjust the luminance of the display (Jee; Para. 0074). Claim(s) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herschbach as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wu (US 2023/0137579 A1, hereinafter “Wu”). As to claim 4, Herschbach does not disclose the display device according to claim 1, comprising: a data circuit, electrically connected to the second controller and the display panel, wherein the data circuit is configured to provide a data signal to the display panel to regulate a brightness of the display panel. However, Wu (Fig. 1) teaches a data circuit (11), electrically connected to the second controller ( T-con) and the display panel (12), wherein the data circuit is configured to provide a data signal to the display panel to regulate a brightness of the display panel (Para. 0016). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Wu to control the power to the LEDs in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to correct the brightness change caused by temperature change of light source (Wu; Para. 0016). Claim(s) 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herschbach and Tada as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Wu. As to claim 5, Herschbach in view of Tada does not disclose the display device according to claim 2, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed between the display panel and the heat dissipation element. However, Wu (Fig. 3) discloses wherein the temperature sensor (20) is disposed between the display panel (10) and the heat dissipation element (8; Para. 0028, 0031). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Wu to arrange the temperature sensors in an array in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to compensate for each pixel (Wu; Para. 0035). As to claim 6, Herschbach (Fig. 5) in view of Tada discloses the display device according to claim 2. Wu further teaches wherein the display panel comprises a first substrate (“substrate”; Para. 0004), wherein the light emitting units (501) and the temperature sensor (513) are disposed on the first substrate (Para. 0059). Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herschbach as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tada (US 2021/0035528 A1, hereinafter “Tada”). As to claim 7, Herschbach does not disclose the display device according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation element comprises an active heat dissipation element. However, Tada teaches wherein the heat dissipation element comprises an active heat dissipation element (Fig. 7 element 400; Para. 0092). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Tada to include an active heat dissipation element in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to correct the brightness change caused by temperature change of light source with high precision (Tada; Para. 0034). Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herschbach as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Batten et al. (US 2018/0186309 A1, hereinafter “Batten”). As to claim 8, Herschbach does not disclose the display device according to claim 1, comprising: a light sensor, electrically connected to the display panel and configured to sense ambient light, the display panel regulating a brightness of the display panel according to the ambient light. However, Batten teaches a light sensor, electrically connected to the display panel and configured to sense ambient light, the display panel regulating a brightness of the display panel according to the ambient light (Para. 0032). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Batten to include a light sensor in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to adjust the luminance of the display panel (Batten; Para. 0032). Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herschbach as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hisatsugu et al. (US 12,532,420 B2; hereinafter “Hisatsugu”). As to claim 9, Herschbach does not disclose the display device according to claim 1, comprising: an adhesive layer, disposed between the non-light emitting side of the display panel and the heat dissipation element. However, Hisatsugu (Fig. 2) teaches an adhesive layer, disposed between the non-light emitting side of the display panel (24) and the heat dissipation element (41; Col. 8 lines 43-48). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Hisatsugu to use an adhesive layer in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to attach different parts together (Hisatsugu; Col. 8 lines 45-48). Claim(s) 12-13 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herschbach as applied to claims 10 and 16 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2019/0108786 A1, hereinafter “Lee”). As to claim 12, Herschbach does not expressly disclose the display device according to claim 10, wherein a difference between a refractive index of the light-transmitting layer and a refractive index of the light concentration units is greater than 0.5. However, Lee teaches wherein a difference between a refractive index of the light-transmitting layer (“air”) and a refractive index of the light concentration units is greater than 0.5 (Para. 0009, the refractive index of air is about 1, therefore 1.8 – 1 is greater than 0.5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Lee to have a high refractive index layer in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to control the transmission of light (Lee; Para. 0066). As to claim 13, Herschbach does not disclose the display device according to claim 10, wherein a refractive index of the light- transmitting layer is less than 1.4. However, Lee teaches wherein a refractive index of the light- transmitting layer is less than 1.4 (Para. 0009). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Lee to have a low refractive index layer in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to control the transmission of light (Lee; Para. 0066). As to claim 17, Herschbach does not disclose the display device according to claim 16, wherein a thickness of the transparent layer is greater than the second substrate. However, Lee teaches wherein a thickness of the transparent layer (120) is greater than the second substrate (150; Para. 0086). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Lee to have different thickness for different parts in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to designed the parts according to refractive index (Lee; Para. 0084-0086). Claim(s) 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herschbach as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Zhu (US 11,092,719 B1, hereinafter “Zhu”). As to claim 18, Herschbach does not disclose the display device according to claim 1, wherein a number of the light emitting units is less than a number of the light concentration units. However, Zhu (Fig. 3A) teaches wherein a number of the light emitting units (315) is less than a number of the light concentration units (355). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Zhu to have fewer light emitting elements in the device disclosed by Herschbach. The motivation would have been to provide different structured light pattern. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant‘s disclosure. Chen et al. (US 9,946,089 B2) discloses a micro-LEDs projector (Fig. 15). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BIPIN GYAWALI whose telephone number is (571)272-1597. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30 PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Will Boddie can be reached at 571-272-0666. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. BIPIN GYAWALI Examiner Art Unit 2625 /BIPIN GYAWALI/Examiner, Art Unit 2625
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Prosecution Timeline

Jan 17, 2025
Application Filed
Jan 29, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §103, §112 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
58%
Grant Probability
58%
With Interview (-0.2%)
2y 11m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 374 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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