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.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-4 and 13-16 are allowable. Claims 5-12 and 17-20, previously withdrawn from consideration as a result of a restriction requirement, require all the limitations of an allowable claim. Pursuant to the procedures set forth in MPEP § 821.04(a), the lack of unity requirement among Species A-I, as set forth in the Office action mailed on 11/28/2025, is hereby withdrawn and claims 5-12 and 17-20 are hereby rejoined and fully examined for patentability under 37 CFR 1.104. In view of the withdrawal of the restriction requirement, applicant(s) are advised that if any claim presented in a divisional application is anticipated by, or includes all the limitations of, a claim that is allowable in the present application, such claim may be subject to provisional statutory and/or nonstatutory double patenting rejections over the claims of the instant application. Once the restriction requirement is withdrawn, the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 121 are no longer applicable. See In re Ziegler, 443 F.2d 1211, 1215, 170 USPQ 129, 131-32 (CCPA 1971). See also MPEP § 804.01.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 06/18/2026. These drawings are acceptable.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims.
Therefore, the feature(s) “the start timing of the transmission of the first image is set based on the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image to be after a multiple of the emission period” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 6.
The feature(s) “even if the fourth image is generated or obtained before the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image, refrain from transmitting the fourth image until the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 7.
The feature(s) “display the third image via the display panel and store the third image in the frame buffer memory; and before the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image, display again the third image via the display panel by scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 8.
The feature(s) “based on a refresh rate of a fifth image that was displayed prior to the third image, displaying the third image again by storing the third image in the frame buffer memory and scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 9.
The feature(s) “based on identifying that a duration during which a fifth image displayed prior to the third image is maintained exceeds a reference time, displaying the third image again by storing the third image in the frame buffer memory and scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 10.
The feature(s) “based on the third image different from the fifth image, display the third image again by storing the third image in the frame buffer memory and scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 11.
The feature(s) “obtain, from the at least one processor, a control command indicating to execute display via the display panel by bypassing the frame buffer memory; and despite the control command, display again the third image by storing the third image in the frame buffer memory and scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 12.
The feature(s) “based on bypassing storing in the frame buffer memory the second image received from the at least one processor while the refresh rate is higher than the reference refresh rate, display, via the display panel, the second image; and based on storing in the frame buffer memory the second image received from the at least one processor while the refresh rate is lower than the reference refresh rate, display, via the display panel, the second image” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 17.
The feature(s) “the start timing of the transmission of the first image is set based on the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image to be after a multiple of the emission period” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 18.
The feature(s) “even if the fourth image is generated or obtained before the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image, refrain from transmitting the fourth image until the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 19.
The feature(s) “display the third image via the display panel and store the third image from the frame buffer memory; and before the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image, display again the third image via the display panel by scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from claim 20.
No new matter should be entered.
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 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 § 112
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 6-12 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites “the start timing of the transmission of the first image is set based on the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image to be after a multiple of the emission period”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 7 recites “even if the fourth image is generated or obtained before the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image, refrain from transmitting the fourth image until the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 8 recites “display the third image via the display panel and store the third image in the frame buffer memory; and before the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image, display again the third image via the display panel by scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 9 recites “based on a refresh rate of a fifth image that was displayed prior to the third image, displaying the third image again by storing the third image in the frame buffer memory and scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 10 recites “based on identifying that a duration during which a fifth image displayed prior to the third image is maintained exceeds a reference time, displaying the third image again by storing the third image in the frame buffer memory and scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 11 recites “based on the third image different from the fifth image, display the third image again by storing the third image in the frame buffer memory and scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 12 recites “obtain, from the at least one processor, a control command indicating to execute display via the display panel by bypassing the frame buffer memory; and despite the control command, display again the third image by storing the third image in the frame buffer memory and scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 17 recites “based on bypassing storing in the frame buffer memory the second image received from the at least one processor while the refresh rate is higher than the reference refresh rate, display, via the display panel, the second image; and based on storing in the frame buffer memory the second image received from the at least one processor while the refresh rate is lower than the reference refresh rate, display, via the display panel, the second image”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 18 recites “the start timing of the transmission of the first image is set based on the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image to be after a multiple of the emission period”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 19 recites “even if the fourth image is generated or obtained before the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image, refrain from transmitting the fourth image until the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Claim 20 recites “display the third image via the display panel and store the third image from the frame buffer memory; and before the start timing of the transmission of the fourth image, display again the third image via the display panel by scanning the third image from the frame buffer memory”. This is misdescriptive of the disclosed device, which appears devoid of these features.
Regarding claims 6-12 and 17-20: In the absence of a reasonably definite interpretation of a claim, it is improper to rely on speculative assumptions regarding the meaning of a claim and then base a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 on these assumptions (In re Steele, 305 F.2d 859,134 USPQ 292 (CCPA 1962)). See MPEP 2143.03.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-5 and 13-16 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/18/2026 have been fully considered.
The arguments regarding claims 1-4 and 13-16 are moot in view of the indication of allowable subject matter.
It is noted by the Examiner that Applicant’s arguments rely upon an allegedly annotated Fig. 2. It is noted by the Examiner that absolutely no annotations are legible therein.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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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
08/22/2026
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