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 .
In the response to this Office action, the Office respectfully requests that support be shown for language added to any original claims on amendment and any new claims. That is, indicate support for newly added claim language by specifically pointing to page(s) and line numbers in the specification and/or drawing figure(s). This will assist the Office in prosecuting this application.
The Office has cited particular figures, elements, paragraphs and/or columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the responses, to fully consider each of the cited references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage disclosed by the Office.
Status of Claims
- Claim(s) 1-9 is/are pending in the application.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on April 2, 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The 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 Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 7, line 2 “the first frame period” should be “a first frame period”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 3-4 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 3 recites “The display system according to claim 2, wherein the display device is configured to repeat a period in which the frame rate changes stepwise from a first frame rate to a second frame rate different from the first frame rate”. Claim 1 recites “a one-frame period”, “sub-field periods”. It is not clear which “period” of claim 1 corresponds to “a period” of claim 3 or whether the recited “a period” of claim 3 is an additional “period”. Clarification is required.
Claim 4 recites “ The display system according to claim 2, wherein the display device is configured to repeat a first period in which the frame rate changes stepwise from a first frame rate to a second frame rate different from the first frame rate and a second period in which the frame rate changes stepwise from the second frame rate to the first frame rate”. Claim 1 recites “a one-frame period”, “sub-field periods”. It is not clear which “period” of claim 1 corresponds to “a first period”/”a second period” of claim 4 or whether the recited “a first period”/”a second period” of claim 4 are additional “periods”. Clarification is required
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) 1-2, 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshihara et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20030010894 in view of Shimizu, Japanese Patent Publication JP2021048433 (machine translation provided by Applicant on IDS dated April 2, 2025).
Consider claim 1, Yoshihara teaches a display system comprising: a display device comprising a display panel (see Yoshihara figure 1 and paragraphs 0040-0044 where a liquid crystal display device is illustrated); and
wherein a one-frame period during which an image for one frame is displayed on the display panel includes a plurality of sub-field periods in which different colors are displayed (see Yoshihara paragraphs 0056-0060 and figure 5(a)-5C where one frame includes a red subframe, green subframe and blue subframe), and
the display device is configured to be capable of changing a frame rate (see Yoshihara figures 6-7 and paragraph 0062-0064 where in Example 1, a color image was displayed by changing the frame frequency to 120 hertz (t=120) for motion picture data and to 60 hertz (t=60) for still picture data).
Yoshihara is silent regarding an imaging device configured to capture an image of an imaging region in which at least the display panel is located.
In a related field of endeavor, Shimizu teaches a photographing system which uses a liquid crystal display as a background plate so as to facilitate taking photos of a user with a background image displayed (see Shimizu paragraphs 0009-0012, 0017 and figures 1, 4-6).
Hence the prior art includes each element claimed, although not necessarily in a single prior art reference, with the only difference between the claimed invention and the prior art being the lack of actual combination of the elements in a single prior art reference. In combination, Yoshihara performs the same function, display driving of a field sequential color liquid crystal display panel with different frame rates, as it does separately of Shimizu. Shimizu performs the same function, a photographing system which uses a liquid crystal display as a background plate so as to facilitate taking photos of a user with a background image displayed, as it does separately of Yoshihara. Therefore one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements claimed by known method, and that in combination, each element merely performs the same function as it does separately. The results of the combination would have been predictable. Therefore, the claimed subject matter would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art.
Consider claim 2, Yoshihara as modified by Shimizu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the display device is configured to change the frame rate for each frame (see Yoshihara figures 6-7 and paragraph 0062-0064 where in Example 1, a color image was displayed by changing the frame frequency to 120 hertz (t=120) for motion picture data and to 60 hertz (t=60) for still picture data).
Consider claim 5, Yoshihara as modified by Shimizu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein display device comprises a switch configured to change the frame rate (see Yoshihara figure 1, element 60, 61 and paragraph 0047 where reference numeral 61 represents a motion picture/still picture discrimination circuit to which image data DD to be displayed is inputted from an external device, and which judges whether the inputted image data DD is motion picture data or still picture data and outputs the result of the judgement to a frame number changing circuit 60. The frame number changing circuit 60 changes the frame number per second to a larger number when the motion picture/still picture discrimination circuit 61 judges that the image data DD is motion picture data, while it changes the frame number per second to a smaller number when the image data DD is judged still picture data, and then the frame number changing circuit 60).
Consider claim 6, Yoshihara as modified by Shimizu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the sub-field periods comprise: a first sub-field period to display a first color (see Yoshihara figure 5(a), element R-SF);
a second sub-field period to display a second color different from the first color (see Yoshihara figure 5(a), element G-SF); and
a third sub-field period to display a third color different from the first color and the second color (see Yoshihara figure 5(a), element B-SF).
Claim(s) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshihara et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20030010894 and Shimizu, Japanese Patent Publication JP2021048433 (machine translation provided by Applicant on IDS dated April 2, 2025) in view of Zheng et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20240211198.
Consider claim 3, Yoshihara as modified by Shimizu teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the display device is configured to repeat a period in which the frame rate changes
Yoshihara is silent regarding stepwise change of frame rate. In a related field of endeavor, Zheng teaches stepwise change of frame rate so as to enable smoothly transitioning and alleviating picture freezing or flickering of the display screen (see Zheng paragraphs 0006-0008, 0019, 0096-0097 where In the frame rate switching policy in embodiments of this application, a plurality of non-consecutive transition frame rates are set between the first frame rate and the second frame rate. In a process that the first frame rate is switched to the second frame rate stepwise through the plurality of transition frame rates sequentially).
One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to have modified Yoshihara with the teachings of Zheng to stepwise change of frame rate so as to enable smoothly transitioning and alleviating picture freezing or flickering of the display screen using known techniques with predictable results.
Consider claim 4, Yoshihara as modified by Shimizu and Zheng teaches all the limitations of claim 2 and further teaches wherein the display device is configured to repeat a first period in which the frame rate changes stepwise from a first frame rate to a second frame rate different from the first frame rate and a second period in which the frame rate changes stepwise from the second frame rate to the first frame rate (see Yoshihara figures 6-7 where motion image frame rate repeats RGB periods and Zheng paragraphs 0006-0008, 0019, 0096-0097 where In the frame rate switching policy in embodiments of this application, a plurality of non-consecutive transition frame rates are set between the first frame rate and the second frame rate. In a process that the first frame rate is switched to the second frame rate stepwise through the plurality of transition frame rates sequentially).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshihara et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20030010894 and Shimizu, Japanese Patent Publication JP2021048433 (machine translation provided by Applicant on IDS dated April 2, 2025) in view of Park et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20070152945.
Consider claim 7, Yoshihara as modified by Shimizu teaches all the limitations of claim 6. Yoshihara is silent regarding wherein the first frame period comprises a dummy field period in which no display is made, and the display device is configured to change the frame rate by changing a length of the dummy field period.
In a related field of endeavor, Park teaches each subfield of a field color sequential liquid crystal display includes an addressing period, a waiting period and a flash period which can be varied by incorporating a variable value for each period so as to change a frame frequency (rate) and improve luminance deviation (see Park paragraph 0051 where frame frequency can be varied within a range of, for example, 60 to 90 Hz, by modulating an externally input clock frequency, and the addressing period AP, wait period WP and flash period FP for each sub-field of the thus-varied frame frequency can be varied respectively and figure 3, figure 4, elements AP’, WP’, FP’ and paragraphs 0048-0063).
One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to have modified Yoshihara with the teachings of Park to incorporate a variable value for each of includes an addressing period, a waiting period and/or a flash period so as to change a frame frequency (rate) and improve luminance deviation using known techniques with predictable results. Further incorporation of a variable addressing period and/or a variable waiting period would correspond to a dummy field period in which no display is made. Therefore the claimed features would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill.
Claim(s) 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshihara et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20030010894 and Shimizu, Japanese Patent Publication JP2021048433 (machine translation provided by Applicant on IDS dated April 2, 2025) in view of Peng et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20220146880.
Consider claim 8, Yoshihara as modified by Shimizu teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal panel enclosing
Yoshihara is silent regarding wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal panel enclosing polymer- dispersed liquid crystals. Yoshihara specifically prefers liquid crystal with a high response speed.
In a related field of endeavor, Peng teaches scattered transparent display technology using a field sequential light source with a fast-response liquid crystal (such as polymer dispersed liquid crystal or polymer stabilized liquid crystal) without polarizers and color filters so as to improve light transmittance of the transparent display device and utilize a manufacturing process similar to that of a conventional liquid crystal display panel, so that the cost is low and its reliability and service life are relatively high (see Peng paragraph 0048 where scattered transparent display technology uses a field sequential light source with a fast-response liquid crystal (such as polymer dispersed liquid crystal or polymer stabilized liquid crystal) without polarizers and color filters, therefore, the light transmittance of the transparent display device based on the scattered display panel is relatively high (above 80%), and a manufacturing process thereof is similar to that of the conventional liquid crystal display panel, so that the cost is low and its reliability and service life are relatively high).
One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to have modified Yoshihara with the teachings of Peng to have a fast-response liquid crystal such as polymer dispersed liquid crystal or polymer stabilized liquid crystal so as to improve light transmittance using known techniques with predictable results.
Consider claim 9, Yoshihara as modified by Shimizu and Peng teaches all the limitations of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the display device is a transparent display device configured to allow an image transmitted through the display panel to be viewed (see Yoshihara paragraphs 0003, 0041-0044 and figure 2, element 21 where in the transmission type liquid crystal display devices, the image is visualized by the transmitted light from a light source (back-light) provided on the rear face of the liquid crystal panel and Peng paragraph 0049 and figure 2).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wang et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20050094040 (sequential full color display), Chiou et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20110063333 (color sequential display), Huang et al, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20120013526 (field sequential color display), Ishihara, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20130293598 (image display apparatus), Teranuma, U.S. Patent Publication No. 20160240150 (field sequential display device).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dorothy H Harris whose telephone number is (571)270-7539. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm.
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, William 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.
/Dorothy Harris/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625