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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Applicant cannot rely upon the certified copy of the foreign priority application to overcome any rejection because a translation of said application has not been made of record in accordance with 37 CFR 1.55. When an English language translation of a non-English language foreign application is required, the translation must be that of the certified copy (of the foreign application as filed) submitted together with a statement that the translation of the certified copy is accurate. See MPEP §§ 215 and 216.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species B, drawn to Fig. 19, in the reply filed on 01/12/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 19-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/12/2026.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because drawing sheet numbers (“1/25”, “2/25”, etc.) are not “clear and larger than the numbers used as reference characters to avoid confusion.” as required by 37 CFR 1.84(t).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it does not include that which is new in the art (i.e., connections of a second capacitor), it exceeds a single paragraph, and its last line (see ill-defined numerals between line positions 20 and 25) is indistinct. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Park et al (US 20250252915 A1).
The applied reference has a common inventor with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
As recited in independent claim 1, Park et al show a pixel circuit (see Fig. 5) comprising: a first transistor TR1 including a control electrode (left electrode) connected to a first node N1, a first electrode (upper electrode) connected to a second node N3, and a second electrode (lower electrode) connected to a third node N2; a second transistor TR2 configured to apply a data voltage (DATA_PWM) to the first transistor TR1; a third transistor TR3 connected to the first node N1 and the third node N2; a seventh transistor TR7 connected to a fourth node N4 and configured to apply a driving current (“light-emitting element may be configured to emit light in response to a flow of the driving current” [0016]) to a light emitting element LD; a ninth transistor TR9 configured to apply a constant-current voltage (“In response to the ninth transistor TR9 being turned on, a second power voltage VINT may be applied to the fourth node N4. The voltage of the fourth node N4 may be initialized to the second power voltage VINT” [0131]) to the fourth node N4; a third capacitor Cap3 including a first electrode (upper electrode) connected to the fourth node N4 and a second electrode (lower electrode) connected to an anode electrode (upper electrode) of the light emitting element LD; and the light emitting element LD configured to emit a light (“light-emitting element LD to emit light” [0095]) based on the data voltage (“based on a data signal received through the j-th data line DLj” [0095]) and the constant-current voltage (“In response to a gate signal received through the i-th gate line GLi” [0095], insofar as Gl2 causes VINT to reach N4).
As recited in claim 3, Park et al show a sixth transistor TR6 including a control electrode (left electrode) configured to receive a first initialization signal Gl1, a first electrode (upper electrode) connected to the first node N1, and a second electrode (lower electrode) connected to a first initialization voltage terminal PL2, wherein the second electrode (lower electrode) of the sixth transistor TR6 is connected to a second electrode (lower electrode) of the ninth transistor TR9.
As recited in claim 4, Park et al show a first capacitor Cap1 including a first electrode (left electrode) configured to receive a sweep signal SWEEP and a second electrode (right electrode) connected to the first node N1.
As recited in claim 5, Park et al show a tenth transistor TR10 including a control electrode (left electrode) configured to receive a second initialization signal BCB, a first electrode (upper electrode) connected to the anode electrode (upper electrode) of the light emitting element LD, and a second electrode (lower electrode) configured to receive a second initialization voltage VAINT.
As recited in claim 6, Park et al show an eighth transistor TR8 including a control electrode (right electrode) configured to receive an emission signal EM1, a first electrode (upper electrode) configured to receive a second power voltage VDD2, and a second electrode (lower electrode) connected to a first electrode (upper electrode) of the seventh transistor TR7.
As recited in claim 7, Park et al show a fourth transistor TR4 including a control electrode (right electrode) configured to receive an emission signal EM1, a first electrode (upper electrode) configured to receive a first power voltage VDD1, and a second electrode (lower electrode) connected to the second node N3; and a fifth transistor TR5 including a control electrode (right electrode) configured to receive the emission signal EM1, a first electrode (upper electrode) connected to the third node N2, and a second electrode (lower electrode) connected to the fourth node N4.
As recited in independent claim 21, Park et al show an electronic apparatus DD comprising: a display panel DP including a pixel circuit SPC; a data driver 130 configured to output a data voltage (“data driver 130 may apply, using the received voltages, data signals having grayscale voltages corresponding to the image data DATA to the first to n-th data lines DL1 to DLn” [0069]) to the pixel circuit SPC; a driving controller 150 configured to control (“data driver 130 may receive image data DATA and a data control signal DCS from the controller 150. The data driver 130 may operate in response to the data control signal DCS” [0068]) the data driver 130; and a processor 1410 configured to output input image data (“processor 1410 may transmit image data IMG” [0301]) and an input control signal (“and a control signal CTRL” [0301]), wherein the pixel circuit SPC comprises: a first transistor TR1 including a control electrode (left electrode) connected to a first node N1, a first electrode (upper electrode) connected to a second node N3 and a second electrode (lower electrode) connected to a third node N2; a second transistor TR2 configured to apply the data voltage (DATA_PWM) to the first transistor TR1; a third transistor TR3 connected to the first node N1 and the third node N2; a seventh transistor TR7 connected to a fourth node N4 and configured to apply a driving current (“light-emitting element may be configured to emit light in response to a flow of the driving current” [0016]) to a light emitting element LD; a ninth transistor TR9 configured to apply a constant-current voltage (“In response to the ninth transistor TR9 being turned on, a second power voltage VINT may be applied to the fourth node N4. The voltage of the fourth node N4 may be initialized to the second power voltage VINT” [0131]) to the fourth node TR4; a third capacitor Cap3 including a first electrode (upper electrode) connected to the fourth node N4 and a second electrode (lower electrode) connected to an anode electrode (upper electrode) of the light emitting element LD; and the light emitting element LD configured to emit a light (“light-emitting element LD to emit light” [0095]) based on the data voltage (“based on a data signal received through the j-th data line DLj” [0095]) and the constant-current voltage (“In response to a gate signal received through the i-th gate line GLi” [0095], insofar as Gl2 causes VINT to reach N4).
As recited in claim 22, Park et al show that the electronic device (DD; see also 1400) is one of a cellular phone (“a mobile phone” [0302]), a video phone (“a smart phone” [0302]), a smart pad (“a tablet personal computer (tablet PC)” [0302]), a smart watch (“a watch phone” [0302]), a tablet PC (“a tablet personal computer (tablet PC)” [0302]), a car navigation system (“an automotive display, … a navigation system” [0302]), a computer monitor (“a portable computer” [0302]), a laptop (“a portable computer” [0302]), or a head mounted display (HMD) device (“a head mounted display (HMD)” [0302]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 8-18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 2: The closest prior art of record, Park et al (US 20250252915 A1), neither shows nor suggests including a first electrode of second capacitor Cap2 connected to a first electrode (upper electrode in Fig. 5) of the seventh transistor TR7.
Regarding claim 8 and its dependent claims 9-18: The closest prior art of record, Park et al (US 20250252915 A1) neither shows nor suggests including a first electrode of a second capacitor Cap2 connected to the fifth node.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Julie Anne Watko whose telephone number is (571)272-7597. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Tuesday 9AM-5PM, Wednesday 10:30AM-5PM, Thursday-Friday 9AM-5PM, and occasional Saturdays.
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, Ke Xiao can be reached at 571-272-7776. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
JULIE ANNE WATKO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2627
/Julie Anne Watko/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627
02/14/2026