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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 July 6, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 6, 15, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claims 6 and 15 contain a limitation that now appears in independent Claim 1, from which Claims 6 and 15 depend. Claim 20 contains a limitation that now appears in independent Claim 10, from which Claim 20 depends. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 – 5, 7 – 8, 10 – 12, 14, and 16 – 19 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Lou et al. (U.S. PG Pub 2020/0203450) teach a display panel (Figure 6, Element 10), comprising a first display region (Element D1) and a second display region (Element D2), wherein the first display region (Element D1) is provided with a first pixel density (Seen in Figure 6), and the second display region (Figure 6, Element D2) is provided with a second pixel density (Seen in Figure 6) smaller than (Paragraph 44) the first pixel density (Seen in Figure 6); the first display region (6, Element D1) comprises a plurality of first pixel repeat units (Elements P1 - P2), each first pixel repeat unit (Elements P1 - P2) comprises two sub-pixels in a first color (Element 41 Blue), two sub-pixels in a second color (Element 41 Red), and sub-pixels in a third color (Element 41 Green); the second display region (Element D2) comprises a plurality of second pixel repeat units (Elements P3 - P4), each second pixel repeat unit comprises two sub-pixels in a first color (Element 41 Blue), two sub-pixels in a second color (Element 41 Red), and sub-pixels in a third color (Element 41 Green); each second pixel repeat unit (Elements P3 - P4) comprises two pixel groups (Elements not labeled, but is row 1 and row 2 formed by two adjacent units) in adjacent pixel rows (Seen in Figure 6), each pixel group comprises one first color (Element 41 Blue) sub-pixel, one second color (Element 41 Red) sub-pixel, and a third color (Element 41 Green) sub-pixels; the sub-pixels in different colors are arranged in different modes (Seen in Figure 6) along a pixel row direction in the two pixel groups (Elements not labeled, but is row 1 and row 2 formed by two adjacent units) in a same pixel repeat unit; in each second pixel repeat unit (Elements P3 - P4) ,a first color (Element 41 Blue) sub-pixel is adjacent to a second color (Element 41 Red) sub-pixel and a third color (Element 41 Green) sub-pixels, a second color (Element 41 Red) sub-pixel is adjacent to a first color (Element 41 Blue) sub-pixel and a third color (Element 41 Green) sub-pixels, a third color (Element 41 Green) sub-pixels is adjacent to a second color (Element 41 Red) sub-pixel and a first color (Element 41 Blue) sub-pixel; a connection line of centers of two adjacent sub-pixels in two different colors in a first pixel group (Elements not labeled, but is row 1 formed by two adjacent units) and a sub-pixel in the third color (Element 41 Green) in a second pixel group (Elements not labeled, but is row 2 formed by two adjacent units) forms a triangle (Seen in Figure 6); and a connection line of centers of two adjacent sub-pixels in two different colors in the second pixel group (Elements not labeled, but is row 2 formed by two adjacent units) and a sub-pixel in the third color (Element 41 Green) in the first pixel group (Elements not labeled, but is row 1 formed by two adjacent units) forms a triangle (Seen in Figure 6); wherein the plurality of sub-pixels in a same pixel group (Figure 6, Elements not labeled, but is row 1 and row 2 formed by two adjacent units. Paragraph 55 - 56) belong to at least two different pixel addressing rows (Seen in Figure 6).
Matsueda et al. (U.S. PG Pub 2022/0028311) teach in the second display region (Figure 5, Element 453), a distance between different second pixel repeat units (Element 53C) is greater than (Seen in Figure 5) a distance between different sub-pixels in a same second pixel repeat unit (Element 53C).
Tan et al. (U.S. PG Pub 2020/0168674) teach each pixel repeat unit (Element 14 in rows 1 and 2) comprises four sub-pixels in a third color (Element 12); each pixel group comprises a pair of third color sub-pixels (Element 12); the pair of third color sub-pixels (Element 12) arranged in a pixel column direction (Seen in Figure 1) in each of the two pixel groups.
Liu et al. (U.S. PG Pub 2020/0212125) teach wherein in the plurality of driving pixel units (Figure 8, Elements 111 – 114) to which the data signal (Elements DT1 and DT2) is inputted, the sub-pixels in every two adjacent pixel driving units (Elements 111 – 114) are located in a same pixel repeat unit (Seen in Figure 8).
However, the prior art of record fails to teach at least “when the sub-pixels in the driving pixel unit are energized and a first dummy pixel unit in two adjacent dummy pixel units in an ith row is in a jth column, the energized sub-pixels comprise a sub-pixel in the second color in the ith row and a (j+1)th column, a sub-pixel in the first color in the ith row and the jth column, a sub-pixel in the third color in an (i-1)th row and a (j-1)th column, and a sub-pixel in the third color in the ith row and the jth column; and when a second dummy pixel unit is in the ith row and the j column, the energized sub-pixels comprise a sub-pixel in the second color in the ith row and the (j+1)th column, a sub-pixel in the first color in an (i+1)th row and the +1)th column, a sub-pixel in the third color in the (i-1)th row and the (j-1)th column, and a sub-pixel in the third color in the ith row and the j column” in combination with the other limitations of Claim 1 (Or the like of Claims 10 and 11).
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Chi et al. (U.S. PG Pub 2020/0312832) and Zhang (U.S. PG Pub 2022/0037422) teach a display panel with areas of different pixel densities, similar to the instant invention.
Matsueda et al. (U.S. PG Pub 2021/0035484) teach a pixel circuit similar to the instant invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW B SCHNIREL whose telephone number is (571)270-7690. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 10 - 6 EST.
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.
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/A.B.S/Examiner, Art Unit 2625 /WILLIAM BODDIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2625
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