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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 2, 11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 11 recites “LCD”, “LED”, “AMOLED”.
Those terms need to spell out because they are first time introduced the terms.
Claim 2 line 1 should be “the compensation signal” because it depends on claim 1.
Claim 2 line 2 should be “the selected duty cycle”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 8 - 11 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 8 recites both method and apparatus claim.
Therefore, claim is indefinite.
Claims 9 – 11 have same issues because of claim dependency.
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 – 3, 7, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salsman et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 20050068277 A1) in view of Robinson et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 20100265364 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Salsman discloses A driving method for a display device, the display device comprising a plurality of pixel units arranged in an array, the driving method comprising:
sensing a current temperature of the display device to obtain temperature information; ([0003] Thus, acceptable drive schemes for TNLC displays utilize full frame time variable voltage analog or analog-like systems. However, such analog or amplitude modulated (AM) systems suffer from performance issues. These performance issues include the need for high voltages (greater than 5 volts, and typically 7.5 volts) for driving the display and gray scale performance (i.e., shading steps from black to white) that is non-linear. Further, this non-linear performance curve has significant changes in voltage position and slope (i.e., change per voltage increment) over small temperature [0025] temperatures of 45° Celsius (C.), 50° C., and 55° C., the relative output (i.e., relative intensity) is substantially linear as a function of a LV-PWM signal. Further, the relative output is approximately 0 at 100% duty cycle, and linearly progresses to approximately 8 (or 80%) at a 0% duty cycle. [0025] [0026])
obtaining a compensation signal with a selected duty cycle in accordance with the temperature information and a temperature lookup table; ([0025] Referring now to FIG. 2, shown is a transition curve of a display in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, when driven using a LV-PWM signal, a linear response results and little change with temperature occurs. Specifically, at temperatures of 45° Celsius (C.), 50° C., and 55° C., the relative output (i.e., relative intensity) is substantially linear as a function of a LV-PWM signal. Further, the relative output is approximately 0 at 100% duty cycle, and linearly progresses to approximately 8 (or 80%) at a 0% duty cycle. In such an embodiment, a single variable linear function may be used to fully compensate for the performance shift, instead of a multi-variable curve function lookup table, thus minimizing any necessary memory in the control system for thermal stabilization. [0026]) and
Salsman does not disclose dynamically adjusting a light-emitting duration of the plurality of pixel units in each frame in accordance with the compensation signal.
Robinson discloses dynamically adjusting a light-emitting duration of the plurality of pixel units in each frame in accordance with the compensation signal. ([0005] [0050] [007] [0008] [0052] [0059])
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 dynamically adjusting by Robinson into device of Salsman. The suggestion/motivation would have been to improve efficiency. (Robinson: [0005])
Regarding claim 2, Salsman and Robinson disclose wherein the step of obtaining a compensation signal with a selected duty cycle in accordance with the temperature information and the temperature lookup table comprises: looking up corresponding a compensation signal setting parameter in the temperature lookup table in accordance with the temperature information; (Salsman [0025] - [0027]) and
generating the compensation signal with the selected duty cycle in accordance with the compensation signal setting parameter. (Salsman [0025] - [0027])
Regarding claim 3, Salsman and Robinson disclose wherein the step of establishing the temperature lookup table comprises:
under constant temperature conditions, measuring a brightness of the display device and a duty cycle of the compensation signal to obtain their relationship at a plurality of temperature nodes; (Salsman [0025] - [0027])
under constant voltage conditions, controlling the brightness of the display device at different temperature nodes and recording corresponding compensation signal setting parameters; (Salsman [0003] [0025] - [0028])
performing linear fitting in accordance with the relationship between brightness and compensation signal setting parameters to obtain compensation signal setting parameters at other temperatures. (Salsman [0003] [0025] - [0028])
Regarding claim 7, Salsman and Robinson disclose wherein when the temperature represented by the temperature information is greater than a preset temperature, the display device is turned off.
Regarding claim 8, Salsman and Robinson disclose A display device capable of executing the driving method according to claim 1, the display device comprising:
a pixel array, having a plurality of pixel units at intersecting points of a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines; (Salsman [0010] - [0013])
a temperature sensing unit configured to sense a temperature of the pixel array to obtain temperature information; (Salsman [0025] - [0027])
a plurality of compensation lines, each compensation line coupled to at least one pixel unit in the same row; (Salsman [0025] - [0027]) and
a brightness compensation circuit coupled to the temperature sensing unit and the plurality of compensation lines, generating a compensation signal with a selected duty cycle in accordance with the temperature information to control a light-emitting duration of the pixel units. (Salsman [0025] - [0027])
Claims 9 - 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salsman et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 20050068277 A1) in view of Robinson et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 20100265364 A1) in view of Moon et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 20190189052 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Salsman and Robinson do not disclose wherein the pixel unit comprises: a first transistor, with a control terminal coupled to a scan line, and a first terminal coupled to the data line; a third transistor, a second transistor, and a light-emitting device sequentially coupled in series between an operating voltage and ground, a control terminal of the third transistor coupled to a compensation line; a first capacitor, with one end coupled to a control terminal of the second transistor, and the other end coupled to an intermediate node between the second transistor and the third transistor.
Moon discloses wherein the pixel unit comprises:
a first transistor, with a control terminal coupled to a scan line, and a first terminal coupled to the data line; (Figs 7 – 10, [0036] [0037] – [0043])
a third transistor, a second transistor, and a light-emitting device sequentially coupled in series between an operating voltage and ground, a control terminal of the third transistor coupled to a compensation line; a first capacitor, with one end coupled to a control terminal of the second transistor, and the other end coupled to an intermediate node between the second transistor and the third transistor. (Figs 7 – 10, [0036] [0037] – [0043])
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 transistor circuit by Moon into device of Salsman and Robinson. The suggestion/motivation would have been to improve efficiency. (Moon: [0036])
Regarding claim 10, Salsman, Robinson and Moon disclose further comprising: a gate driving circuit coupled to the plurality of scan lines, providing a plurality of gate driving signals to turn on or off the plurality of pixel units coupled to the plurality of scan lines; a source driving circuit coupled to the plurality of data lines, providing gray-scale display voltages to corresponding pixel units when the pixel units are turned on; a timing control circuit coupled to the gate driving circuit, the source driving circuit, and the brightness compensation circuit to provide corresponding timing signals and control signals. (Moon Figs 7 – 10, [0036] [0037] – [0043])
Regarding claim 11, Salsman, Robinson and Moon disclose wherein the pixel array is selected from that of an LCD display, an LED display, an OLED display, (Moon [0036]) an AMOLED display, a Micro LED display, or a Mini LED display.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 6 are objected 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 20190180690 A1 discloses transistor driving circuit on [0036].
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.
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, 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.
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.
/CHUN-NAN LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629
