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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 1-7 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-6 of U.S. Patent No. 12,272,330. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because as seen in the referenced table below the instant application is almost identical in scope to the parent 12,272,330 and differs only in minor modifications.
(Parent) US Patent 12,272,330
Instant Application
Claim 1, A liquid crystal display device, in which scanning lines extend in a first direction and are arranged in a second direction, video signal lines extend in the second direction and are arranged in the first direction, and pixels are formed in respective regions enclosed by the scanning lines and the video signal lines, wherein a pixel electrode and a thin-film transistor (TFT) are formed in each of the pixels, a first insulating film is formed between a common electrode formed in common for a plurality of pixels and the pixel electrode, the pixel electrode is connected to one of the video signal lines via the TFT, the TFT has a gate connected to one of the scanning lines, a constant common voltage is supplied to the common electrode, the scanning lines are sequentially scanned from a first scanning line in one frame, a predetermined voltage is applied for a predetermined period to all the scanning lines before a scanning signal is applied to the first scanning the one frame is divided into an active period to scan the scanning lines and a blanking period to maintain data written to each pixel, and a backlight is ON during a portion of the blanking period.
Claim 1, A liquid crystal display device comprising:
scanning lines extend in a first direction and arranged in a second direction, video signal lines extend in the second direction and arranged in the first direction, pixels formed in respective regions enclosed by the scanning lines and the video signal lines, a pixel electrode and a thin-film transistor (TFT) formed in each of the pixels, and a first insulating film formed between a common electrode formed in common for a plurality of pixels and the pixel electrode, wherein the pixel electrode is connected to one of the video signal lines via the TFT, the TFT has a gate connected to one of the scanning lines, a constant common voltage is supplied to the common electrode, the scanning lines are sequentially scanned from a first scanning line in one frame, the one frame is divide into a refreshing period that a predetermined voltage is applied to all the scanning lines before a scanning signal is applied to the first scanning line, a blanking period to maintain data written to each pixel, and an active period to scan the scanning lines.
Claim 3, the liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising a backlight, wherein the backlight is ON during a portion of the blanking period.
Claims 2-6
Claims 2, 4-7
2. (Original) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period includes a period in which voltages of all the scanning lines are changed from a Low level of the scanning signal to the predetermined voltage, and a period which the voltages of all the scanning lines are changed from the predetermined voltage to the Low level of the scanning signal.
3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined voltage corresponds to a signal at the same level as a High level of the scanning signal.
4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined voltage corresponds to a signal at the same level as the Low level of the scanning signal.
5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined period is 0.006% to 12% of a period of the one frame.
6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the video signal line applied to the pixel electrode is driven by column inversion driving.
2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period includes a period in which voltages of all the scanning lines are changed from a Low level of the scanning signal to the predetermined voltage, and a period in which the voltages of all the scanning lines are changed from the predetermined voltage to the Low level of the scanning signal.
3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising a backlight, wherein the backlight is ON during a portion of the blanking period.
4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined voltage corresponds to a signal at the same level as a High level of the scanning signal.
5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined voltage corresponds to a signal at the same level as the Low level of the scanning signal.
6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined period is 0.006% to 12% of a period of the one frame.
7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the video signal line applied to the pixel electrode is driven by column inversion driving.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art Saitoh et al. (US Pub: 2010/0201653 A1) is cited to teach another TFT based display system with blanking functions in figures 1-7 embodiment. The prior art Lee et al. (US Pub: 2012/0200818 A1) is cited to teach another type of display driving method with sub-frame driving in figures 4-7 embodiments. The prior art Saitoh et al. (US pub: 2015/0332650 A1) is cited to teach another type of display driving system with common voltage control in figures 1-3 embodiments. The prior art Kim et al. (US Pub: 2018/0024386 A1) is cited to teach a blanking display system using a pixel control structure with common voltage control that regulates the gate driver and data driver as seen in figure 1-4 embodiments.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CALVIN C. MA whose telephone number is (571)270-1713. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benjamin C. Lee can be reached on 571-272-2963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CALVIN C MA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693 January 13, 2026