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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of elect Invention I in the reply filed on 2/19/20269 is acknowledged.
Claims 1 – 8 are pending for considerations.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Abstract is over 150 words.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1 - 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (KR 2021-0042663 A) in view of Yokoyama et al. (US 20110254876 A1)
Regarding claim 1, Choi discloses “A display control device comprising:
a target average value calculation unit that sets, in a case where an image is divided into a plurality of areas and a plurality of display control devices controls display of the image in respective areas, the image in one of the plurality of areas as a display control target and calculates a target average value that is an average value of luminance of the display control target; ([0037] The luminance deviation correction unit 37 of the master acquires a sensing value of the illuminance sensor 59 of each of the plurality of display devices 100a to 100d in response to a preset schedule or a user's command, and senses the illuminance sensor 59 Based on the value, an attenuation correction signal is generated and output in response to attenuation of the luminance of the display panel 50. 5C shows a sensing value and a luminance attenuation correction value of the illuminance sensor 59 sensed after a certain time. Referring to (c) of FIG. 5, it can be seen that the sensing values of the illuminance sensor 59 are attenuated to 300→260, 305→280, 315→295, and 310→290, respectively. The luminance deviation correction unit 37 of the master calculates and outputs an attenuation correction value for correcting the luminance attenuation of the backlight unit 55 of another display device based on 260 having the lowest luminance sensing value. Referring to FIG. 5C, the master's luminance deviation correction unit 37 is based on the display device having the lowest luminance sensing value of 260, so that other display devices have the same luminance value. The duty ratio for brightness is calculated as 83, 87→81, 100→96, 95→90, and this value is transmitted to another display device. Upon receiving the luminance attenuation correction value, the slave corrects the duty ratio according to the received value. It can be seen that the entire luminance value was adjusted equally from 560 → 530 by the luminance attenuation correction as described above. [0038] – [0042])
a reception unit that receives, from another display control device, a non-target average value that is an average value of luminance for each of the areas of an image other than the display control target in the image; ([0037] The luminance deviation correction unit 37 of the master acquires a sensing value of the illuminance sensor 59 of each of the plurality of display devices 100a to 100d in response to a preset schedule or a user's command, and senses the illuminance sensor 59 Based on the value, an attenuation correction signal is generated and output in response to attenuation of the luminance of the display panel 50. 5C shows a sensing value and a luminance attenuation correction value of the illuminance sensor 59 sensed after a certain time. Referring to (c) of FIG. 5, it can be seen that the sensing values of the illuminance sensor 59 are attenuated to 300→260, 305→280, 315→295, and 310→290, respectively. The luminance deviation correction unit 37 of the master calculates and outputs an attenuation correction value for correcting the luminance attenuation of the backlight unit 55 of another display device based on 260 having the lowest luminance sensing value. Referring to FIG. 5C, the master's luminance deviation correction unit 37 is based on the display device having the lowest luminance sensing value of 260, so that other display devices have the same luminance value. The duty ratio for brightness is calculated as 83, 87→81, 100→96, 95→90, and this value is transmitted to another display device. Upon receiving the luminance attenuation correction value, the slave corrects the duty ratio according to the received value. It can be seen that the entire luminance value was adjusted equally from 560 → 530 by the luminance attenuation correction as described above. [0038] – [0042])
an overall average value calculation unit that calculates an overall average value that is an average value of luminance of a whole of the image on a basis of the target average value calculated by the target average value calculation unit and the non-target average value received by the reception unit; ([0037] [0039] The brightness deviation correction unit (37) generates a correction value regarding the backlight brightness of a plurality of display devices (100a to 100l), corrects its own backlight brightness with the corresponding value, and simultaneously outputs the correction value to a slave. A slave that receives a correction signal regarding backlight brightness from a master corrects the brightness of the backlight unit (55) based on the received correction value.) and
a luminance information transmission unit that transmits, to the another display control device luminance information regarding the luminance of the whole of the image, the luminance information corresponding to the overall average value calculated by the overall average value calculation unit. ([0037] - [0042])
Choi discloses overall value calculation unit that calculates an overall value and that the transmission unit transmit an overall value.
Choi does not disclose overall average luminance value calculation unit.
Yokoyama discloses overall average luminance value calculation unit. ([0208] For example, the display control processing section 13 may find an average of all the luminance setting values and determine the average as the standard luminance setting value. Alternatively, the display control processing section 13 may select, as the standard luminance setting value, a luminance setting value which is the closest to the average of all the luminance setting values. [0201] – [0206])
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate average luminance by Yokoyama into device of Choi. The suggestion/motivation would have been to improve efficiency. (Yokoyama: [0208])
Regarding claim 2, Choi and Yokoyama disclose wherein the plurality of display control devices is connected to each other in series. (Choi [0017])
Regarding claim 3, Choi and Yokoyama disclose further comprising a packet transmission unit that transmits a packet in which the non-target average value for each of the areas is to be stored to the another display control device connected to the display control device, wherein the reception unit receives the packet in which the non-target average value for each of the areas is stored from the another display control device connected to the display control device. (Choi [0039] – [0041])
Regarding claim 4, Choi and Yokoyama disclose wherein the luminance information transmission unit transmits the luminance information to the another display control device connected to the display control device. (Choi [0039] – [0041])
Regarding claim 5, Choi and Yokoyama disclose further comprising a generation unit that generates display control information to be used for control of display luminance of the image on a basis of the overall average value, and supplies the display control information to a display section that displays the display control target. (Choi [0039] – [0041])
Regarding claim 6, Choi and Yokoyama disclose wherein the display control information is a current value when the display section displays the display control target. (Choi [0028] – [0035])
Regarding claim 7 Choi and Yokoyama disclose wherein the display section is subjected to pulse driving, and the display control information is a coefficient of a pulse width in the pulse driving when the display section displays the display control target. (Choi [0028] – [0035])
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is rejected 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20150049003 A1 discloses average luminance on [0072].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUN-NAN LIN whose telephone number is (571)272-5646. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 7:30am - 6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benjamin C Lee can be reached at 571-2722963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHUN-NAN LIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629
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