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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in the Republic of Korea on 2/29/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement has been considered and placed in the record on file and is in compliance with USPTO requirements.
Drawings
The Drawings have been considered and placed in the record on file and are in compliance with USPTO requirements.
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.
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Feng et al. (US 2025/00006133 A1 hereinafter Feng).
In regards to claim 1, Feng discloses a display apparatus comprising:
a display panel in which a plurality of data lines, a plurality of gate lines, and a plurality of pixels are arranged (see figure 1), wherein the plurality of gate lines is divided into at least two regions configured to be separately driven (see figure 2, display areas DA1, DA2, DA3);
at least two gate drivers configured to supply scan signals at different frequencies to the plurality of gate lines of the at least two regions (see figure 3 and paragraph 0066, SSC1-1, SSC1-2 and SSC1-3, drive the sub areas with two different frequencies);
a data driver configured to supply data signals to the plurality of data lines (see figure 1, plurality of data lines DL, therefore a data driver); and
a controller configured to control the at least two gate drivers such that the at least two gate drivers output scan signals at different frequencies (see figure 17 and figure 3 and paragraph 0151, scan circuits are with two different frequencies, therefor a controller).
In regards to claim 2, as recited in claim 1, Feng further discloses wherein the at least two gate drivers have a same configuration (see figure 3 and figure 25, the scan unit of a scan circuit).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 3, 6-9, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng in view of Chien et al. (US 2024/0355259 A1 hereinafter Chien).
In regards to claim 3, as recited in claim 1, Feng fails to disclose wherein the controller is configured to provide a start signal and a reset signal to each of the at least two gate drivers, and the at least two gate drivers are configured to output a plurality of scan signals at different frequencies according to the start signal and the reset signal.
Chien teaches wherein the controller is configured to provide a start signal and a reset signal to each of the at least two gate drivers, and the at least two gate drivers are configured to output a plurality of scan signals at different frequencies according to the start signal and the reset signal (see figure 7, The gate drivers receive the start signal STV and the reset signal CLR).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Feng and include providing each gate driver with a start and reset signal as taught by Chien, thereby using known techniques to yield predictable results.
In regards to claim 6, as recited in claim 3, Chien further teaches wherein one of the at least two regions is divided into at least two regions in a vertical direction, and wherein the at least two regions divided in the vertical direction are configured to be driven with different frequencies by the same gate driver (see figure 8 and paragraphs 0049-0050, different frequencies in areas 831 and 832 and 833 and 834).
In regards to claim 7, as recited in claim 6, Chien further teaches wherein the controller is configured to drive the at least two regions divided in the vertical direction with different frequencies using the reset signal (see figure 7, the lower frame rate area corresponds with a CLR signal).
In regards to claim 8, as recited in claim 6, Chien further teaches wherein the at least two regions divided in the vertical direction include a third region and a fourth region, gate lines of the third region are configured to be driven at a third frequency, and gate lines of the fourth region are configured to be driven at a fourth frequency lower than the third frequency, and wherein the controller is configured to control the fourth region using the reset signal such that arbitrary frames are skipped (see figure 8 and paragraphs 0049-0050, different frequencies in areas 831 and 832 and 833 and 834).
In regards to claim 9, as recited in claim 8, Chien further teaches wherein the controller is configured to output the reset signal as an enable signal such that a scan signal is not provided to the gate lines of the fourth region during periods of the skipped frames (see figure 7, the lower frame rate area corresponds with a CLR signal).
In regards to claim 13, as recited in claim 1, Feng fails to discloses wherein the at least two regions comprise left and right regions divided in a horizontal direction, and the plurality of gate lines of the left region and the plurality of gate lines of the right region are configured to be driven with separate frequencies.
Chien teaches wherein the at least two regions comprise left and right regions divided in a horizontal direction, and the plurality of gate lines of the left region and the plurality of gate lines of the right region are configured to be driven with separate frequencies (see figure 8 and paragraphs 0049-0050, different frequencies in areas 831 and 832 and 833 and 834).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Feng and include dividing the display in a horizontal direction and driving the two display areas at different frequencies as taught by Chien, thereby using known techniques to yield predictable results.
In regards to claim 14, as recited in claim 13, Chien further teaches wherein one of the left and right regions comprises upper and lower regions divided in the vertical direction, and a plurality of gate lines of the upper region and a plurality of gate lines of the lower region are configured to be driven with separate frequencies (see figure 8 and paragraphs 0049-0050, different frequencies in areas 831 and 832 and 833 and 834).
In regards to claim 15, as recited in claim 3, Feng further discloses wherein each of the at least two gate drivers comprises emission control signal generators for outputting an emission control signal and scan signal generators for outputting the plurality of scan signals (see paragraph 0056, the plurality of stages in light emission control signals).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, and 10-12 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER J KOHLMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5503. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30.
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/CHRISTOPHER J KOHLMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628