DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-15 are pending.
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 9/4/2026 has been entered.
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) 1-10, 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2016/0098963) in view of Sivasankaran (US 2016/0182834), and further in view of Rivlin et al. (US 2006/0107294).
[Claim 1] Kim teaches A display device comprising:
a display (180) (fig. 2);
a memory (140) (fig. 2); and
a processor (170) configured to: transmit and receive data to and from the memory (fig. 2),
output a first screen on the display (figs. 13-14);
configure an input list (2130) including areas allocated for the respective inputs (i.e. each quadrant 2000) and output the input list on a screen (i.e. input list displayed in center) (fig. 37C; p. 0434-0435), and
control data received through an input mapped to at least one area among the areas (i.e. an input for each quadrant) included in the input list determined according to a predefined order (i.e. left to right as inputs are selected 1, 2, 3, 4, fig. 20) to be reproduced (fig. 37C; p. 0283-0287, 0434-0435).
Kim is not entirely clear in teaching the specific feature of:
provide video data corresponding to a plurality of inputs through the respective areas in the input list according to the predefined order, such that video data of each input is sequentially displayed for a predetermined time in at least on view screen area while the first screen is being output.
Sivasankaran teaches the specific feature of:
“provide video data (i.e. cycling through video mosaic corresponding to different inputs) corresponding to a plurality of inputs through the respective areas in the input list according to the predefined order, such that video data of each input is sequentially displayed (i.e. receiving input frames sequentially) for a predetermined time” (p. 0023-0024, 0034).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to have provided input cycling as taught by Sivasankaran to the system of Kim to provide preview of input frames (p. 0023).
Rivlin teaches the specific feature:
“at least on view screen area while the first screen is being output” (fig. 6; p. 0033-0035).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to have provided an input screen as taught by Rivlin to the system of Kim to provide input and output on a single screen (p. 0033-0034).
[Claim 2] Kim teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control, for areas other than the at least one area determined according to the predefined order (i.e. user dragging and dropping an input), a still image of data to be received and reproduced through an input mapped to a corresponding area or a representative image representing a corresponding input to be provided (i.e. images are displaying according to user selection) (fig. 37C; p. 0434-0435).
[Claim 3] Kim teaches The display device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to receive a user input from a connected terminal (i.e. input output from connected terminal) (p. 0057).
[Claim 4] Kim teaches the display device of claim 3, wherein the terminal includes at least one of a remote control (200) (fig. 37C), an artificial intelligence speaker, and a mobile device.
[Claim 5] Kim teaches The display device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to control the input list to be configured when the user input is an input list request (i.e. selecting input object) (fig. 37C; p. 0434-0435) or an erroneous input unrelated to the content being output through the display.
[Claim 6] Kim teaches The display device of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a first condition indicating whether the user input has been received (i.e. user selecting input object) (fig. 37C; p. 0434-0435) or whether a predefined time has elapsed has been satisfied.
[Claim 7] Kim teaches The display device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to provide data received through an input in which video data is mapped to the next area in the predefined order among the areas included in the input list when the first condition has been satisfied (i.e. first condition is user selecting input object, then selecting an input and the default display is to display in order in quadrants 1-4) (i.e. left to right as inputs are selected 1, 2, 3, 4, fig. 20) to be reproduced (fig. 37C; p. 0283-0287, 0434-0435).
[Claim 8] Kim teaches The display device of claim 7, wherein when providing data received through input mapped to the next area according to satisfaction of the first condition, the processor is configured to control, for a previous order area, at least one of a first frame of data provided (i.e. image are displayed for multiple inputs, the previous input area will continue to display image frames) (fig. 37C; p. 0283-0287, 0434-0435), a last frame, a representative thumbnail image of corresponding data, a representative thumbnail image representing the input mapped to the corresponding area, and a still image for a scene where the user input was made for the corresponding area to be output.
[Claim 9] Kim teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to configure the input list so that no area is allocated for a deactivated input (i.e. system recognizes when a device is connected and only those devices listed in input list) (p. 0365-0372).
[Claim 10] Kim teaches The display device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to configure the input list by allocating an area even for a deactivated input and (i.e. black data, greyed out input), and when it is the turn to provide data to the area for the deactivated input, control to transmit a control signal (i.e. device is connected) SO that power of a device connected to the deactivated input is turned on (fig. 13a-b, 33-34; p. 0217-0224, 0394-0408).
[Claim 12] Kim teaches The display device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a second condition (i.e. user dragging and dropping a second input into a second location) regarding whether data has been provided in order in all allocated areas is satisfied (i.e. all quadrants are displaying an input) (fig. 37C; p. 0434-0435).
[Claim 13] Kim teaches The display device of claim 12, wherein when the second condition has been satisfied, the processor is configured to control one of a black screen and a content screen previously provided before the user input is provided on the screen (i.e. user dragging an input into black data and that input being displayed) (fig. 13a-b, 33-34, 37C; p. 0217-0224, 0394-0408, 0434-0435).
Claim 14 is analyzed and interpreted with respect to claim 1. Claim 14 additionally recites “at least one view screen are of a full screen or a multi-view mode to be reproduced”.
Kim teaches the specific feature of: “at least one view screen are of a full screen or a multi-view mode to be reproduced” (fig. 37C).
Claim 15 is analyzed and interpreted as a method of claim 14.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2016/0098963) in view of Sivasankaran (US 2016/0182834), and further in view of Rivlin et al. (US 2006/0107294), and further in view of Kimura (US 2010/0118194).
[Claim 11] Kim is silent regarding The display device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to control to transmit the control signal using the HDMI-CEC protocol.
Kimura teaches The display device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to control to transmit the control signal using the HDMI-CEC protocol (p. 0064-0065).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to have provided HDMI-CEC protocol as taught by Kimura to the system of Kim to provide input control (p. 0064).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-15 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Claims 1-15 are rejected.
Inquiries
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUSHFIKH I ALAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1710. The examiner can normally be reached 1:00PM-9:00PM.
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MUSHFIKH I. ALAM
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2426
/MUSHFIKH I ALAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2426 9/14/2026
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