DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Title
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. The following title is suggested: DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING DRIVING CONTROLLER CAPABLE OF COMPENSATING FOR INPUT IMAGE DATA BASED ON PANEL STRUCTURE, METHOD OF DRIVING THE DISPLAY DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING THE DISPLAY DEVICE.
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 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.
Claims 1-5, 7, 9-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2023/0138436 A1) in view of Kim et al. (US 2022/0051606 A1).
As to claim 1, Lee teaches a display device (Lee, FIG. 1, [0044], “display device DD”), comprising:
a display panel (Lee, FIG. 1, [0044], “pixel unit 14”) including data lines (Lee, FIG. 1, [0049], “data lines DL1 to DLs”) and pixels (Lee, FIG. 1, [0044], “PXij”) connected to the data lines (Lee, see FIG. 1, [0049], “data lines DL1 to DLs”);
a data driver (Lee, FIG. 1, [0044], “data driver 12”) configured to provide a data voltage to the data lines (Lee, FIG. 1, [0049], “may generate data voltages to be provided to data lines”); and
a driving controller (Lee, FIG. 1, [0048], “timing controller 11” associated with “degradation compensator 15”, “memory 17”, etc.) configured to generate a data signal based on input image data to provide the data signal to the data driver (Lee, see FIG. 1, [0049], e.g., “apply data voltages corresponding to the output grayscales OGV to the data lines DL1 to DLs”), wherein the driving controller (Lee, FIG. 1, [0048], “timing controller 11” associated with “degradation compensator 15”, “memory 17”, etc.) compensates for the input image data based on a panel structure (Lee, FIG. 2, [0058], e.g., “the degradation information may be accumulated information of degradation degrees of each pixel or each block until a recent update time of the display device DD from an initial operation time of the display device DD.”) which is a connection structure of the data lines, and the pixels (Lee, see FIGS. 1-2, 4, 8-11, [0058], “For example, a degradation degree of the corresponding pixel or the corresponding block may become larger as the corresponding pixel or the corresponding block has a larger grayscale, has a higher temperature, and is used for a longer time”).
Lee does not teach “an output buffers”.
However, Kim teaches the concept of an output buffers (Kim, FIG. 6, [0115], “output buffer 380”).
At the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the “data driver 12” taught by Lee to further comprise “output buffer 380”, as taught by Kim, in order to “a display device that adjusts a slew rate of a data signal based on a load according to a position of a scan line and/or a data line” (Kim, [0005]).
As to claim 2, Lee teaches the display device of claim 1, wherein the driving controller (Lee, FIG. 1, [0048], “timing controller 11” associated with “degradation compensator 15”, “memory 17”, etc.) selects previous data (Lee, FIG. 4, [0084], “past degradation information AGE[n-x]”) and current data (Lee, FIG. 4, [0084], “current degradation information AGE[n]”) from the input image data (Lee, FIG. 4, [0083], e.g., “input grayscales IGV”) based on the panel structure (Lee, FIG. 2, [0061], e.g., the structure of “blocks BL11, BL12, BL13, BL21, BL22, BL23, BL31, BL32, and BL33”), generates spatial compensation data based on the panel structure and the current data, generates a scaling factor (Lee, FIG. 9, [0119], “gain value GA”) based on the previous data (Lee, FIG. 4, [0084], “past degradation information AGE[n-x]”) and the current data (Lee, FIG. 4, [0084], “current degradation information AGE[n]”), and compensates for the current data based on the spatial compensation data and the scaling factor (Lee, FIGS. 8-9, [0122], “generate final output grayscales OGV by multiplying the calculated output grayscales OGV by the gain value GA”).
As to claim 3, Lee in view of Kim teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein the output buffer (Kim, FIG. 6, [0115], “output buffer 380”) sequentially outputs a previous data voltage corresponding to the previous data and a current data voltage corresponding to the current data (Lee, see FIGS. 1 and 9, [0119]-[0122], “grayscale changer 154 may commonly apply the gain value GA with respect to all the output grayscales OGV”), and wherein the previous data voltage and the current data voltage are sequentially provided to a previous pixel (Lee, e.g., FIG. 7, [0109], “fourth logo LG4 with a low luminance (e.g., black letters)”) and a current pixel (Lee, e.g., FIG. 7, [0109], “first to third logos LG1, LG2, and LG3 with a high luminance (e.g., white letters)”) included in the pixels according to the panel structure (Lee, FIG. 7, e.g., [0108], “four division areas 141, 142, 143, and 144”). Examiner renders the same motivation as in claim 1.
As to claim 4, Lee teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein the spatial compensation data is generated based on a worst pattern (Lee, FIG. 6A, [0105], e.g., “A1020-Z1020”; FIG. 10, [0124], “A102-Z1023”) according to the panel structure (Lee, FIG. 2, [0061], e.g., the structure of “blocks BL11, BL12, BL13, BL21, BL22, BL23, BL31, BL32, and BL33”).
As to claim 5, Lee teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein, when a difference (Lee, FIG. 8, [0111], “difference value DIFF”) between the grayscale of the previous data and a grayscale of the current data exceeds a predetermined grayscale threshold, a difference between a previous data voltage corresponding to the previous data and a current data voltage corresponding to the current data exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold (Lee, FIG. 9, [0119]-[0124], e.g., “provide a difference value DIFF between a variation greater than the threshold value among the variations and peripheral variations”).
As to claim 7, Lee teaches the display device of claim 5, wherein, when the grayscale of the previous data is equal to the grayscale of the current data (Lee, FIG. 9, [0121], when DIFF =0), the scaling factor is 0 (Lee, FIG. 9, [0121], “gain value GA in proportion to the different value DIFF”, i.e., DIFF=0=GA).
As to claim 9, Lee teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein the display device further comprises a memory configured to store panel structure data (Lee, FIGS. 1, 4, 6A, 7 and 10, e.g., [0084]-[0085], “degradation information AGE” and “position information POS”), a spatial lookup table (Lee, e.g., FIG. 4, [0080], “first lookup table LUT1”), wherein the panel structure data includes information about the panel structure, and the spatial lookup table includes spatial compensation data corresponding to the current data (Lee, e.g., see FIGS. 2 and 4, [0084], “The position information POS may correspond to a position of a pixel, at which it is predicted that an afterimage will occur (e.g., at which it is predicted that a logo will exist)”).
Lee does not explicitly teach “a scaling lookup table”; and “the scaling lookup table includes the scaling factor corresponding to the previous data and the current data”.
However, Lee teaches the concept that an equation includes the scaling factor corresponding to the previous data and the current data (Lee, e.g., Lee, Equation 4, changed degradation information mAGE=AGE*ST, ST may be a control coefficient).
At the time of effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the “LUT” taught by Lee to further comprise a “scaling lookup table” including the “scaling factor corresponding to the previous data and the current data (Lee, FIG. 9, [0119], “gain value GA”)” based on the “Equation 4”, as taught by Lee, so as to shorten the passing path and simplify the processing time.
As to claim 10, Lee teaches the display device of claim 9, wherein the driving controller (Lee, FIG. 1, [0048], “timing controller 11” associated with “degradation compensator 15”, “memory 17”, etc.) interpolates the spatial compensation data included in the spatial lookup table to generate interpolated spatial compensation data (Lee, e.g., FIG. 2, [0065], “For example, a large block unit may be calculated in a small block unit or an individual pixel unit by interpolating (e.g., bilinearly interpolating) adjacent large block units”; [0066], “calculation in a block unit may be performed in conjunction with interpolation and average value calculation”).
As to claim 11, Lee teaches the display device of claim 9, wherein the driving controller (Lee, FIG. 1, [0048], “timing controller 11” associated with “degradation compensator 15”, “memory 17”, etc.) interpolates the scaling factor (Lee, FIG. 9, [0119], “gain value GA”) included in the scaling lookup table to generate interpolation spatial compensation data (Lee, e.g., FIG. 2, [0065], “For example, a large block unit may be calculated in a small block unit or an individual pixel unit by interpolating (e.g., bilinearly interpolating) adjacent large block units”; [0066], “calculation in a block unit may be performed in conjunction with interpolation and average value calculation”).
As to claim 12, Lee teaches the display device of claim 9, wherein the memory (Lee, FIG. 1, [0048], “memory 17”) further includes a spatial weight (Lee, [0095], e.g., “degradation information changer 153 may decrease ST with respect to the degradation degree corresponding to the position information POS. For example, ST may be set as 0.9. ST may be a predetermined value. mAGE may be smaller than AGE”).
As to claim 13, Lee teaches the display device of claim 2, wherein the driving controller (Lee, FIG. 1, [0048], “timing controller 11” associated with “degradation compensator 15”, “memory 17”, etc.) comprises:
a previous data selector (Lee, FIG. 9, “degradation information generator 151”) configured to select the previous data (Lee, FIG. 9, “AGE[n-1]”) and the current data (Lee, FIG. 9, “AGE[n]”) from the input image data (Lee, FIG. 9, “IGV”) based on the panel structure (Lee, FIGS. 1, 4, 6A, 7 and 10, e.g., [0084]-[0085], “degradation information AGE” and “position information POS”);
a spatial compensation data generator (Lee, FIG. 9, [0084], “degradation variation detector 152”) configured to generate the spatial compensation data (Lee, FIG. 9, [0084], e.g., “DIFF”) based on the panel structure (Lee, FIGS. 1, 4, 6A, 7 and 10, e.g., [0084]-[0085], “degradation information AGE” and “position information POS”) and the current data (Lee, FIG. 9, “AGE[n]”);
a scaling factor generator (Lee, FIG. 9, [0121], “ gain generator 155”) configured to generate the scaling factor (Lee, FIG. 9, “gain GA”) based on the previous data (Lee, FIG. 9, “AGE[n-1]”) and the current data (Lee, FIG. 9, “AGE[n]”); and
an adder (Lee, FIG. 9, [0122], “grayscale changer 154”) configured to compensate for the current data based on the scaling factor (Lee, FIG. 9, “final output grayscales OGV by multiplying the calculated output grayscales OGV by the gain value GA”) and the spatial compensation data (Lee, FIG. 9, [0084], e.g., “DIFF”).
As to claim 14, Lee in view of Kim teaches a method of driving a display device (Lee, FIG. 1, [0044], “display device DD”), the method comprising:
compensating for input image data based on a panel structure (Lee, FIG. 2, [0058], e.g., “the degradation information may be accumulated information of degradation degrees of each pixel or each block until a recent update time of the display device DD from an initial operation time of the display device DD.”) which is a connection structure of data lines (Lee, see FIG. 1, [0049], “data lines DL1 to DLs”), output buffers (Kim, FIG. 6, [0115], “output buffer 380”), and pixels (Lee, FIG. 1, [0044], “PXij”) to generate a data signal (Lee, e.g., Fig. 9, [0122], “final output grayscales OGV by multiplying the calculated output grayscales OGV by the gain value GA”);
converting the data signal into a data voltage (Lee, FIG. 1, [0049], “data driver 12 may generate data voltages to be provided to data lines DL1, DL2, DL3, . . . , and DLs by using the output grayscales OGV and the control signals”); and
providing the data voltage to the data lines (Lee, see FIG. 1) through the output buffers (Kim, FIG. 6, [0115], “output buffer 380”).
As to claim 15, it recites substantially the same limitations as in claim 13, and Lee teaches them. Please see claim 13 for detailed analysis.
As to claim 16, it recites substantially the same limitations as in claim 3, and Lee in view of Kim teaches them. Examiner renders the same motivation as in claim 1. Please see claim 3 for detailed analysis.
As to claim 17, it recites substantially the same limitations as in claim 4, and Lee teaches them. Please see claim 4 for detailed analysis.
As to claim 18, they recite substantially the same limitations as in claim 5, and Lee teaches them. Please see claim 5 for detailed analysis.
As to claim 20, it differs from claim 1 only in that it is the electronic device comprising the display device of claim 1. It recites substantially the same limitations as in claim 1, and Lee in view of Kim teaches them. Examiner renders the same motivation as in claim 1. Please see claim 1 for detailed analysis.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 8 and 19 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As to claim 6, the closest known prior art, i.e., Lee et al. (US 2023/0138436 A1), Kim et al. (US 2022/0051606 A1), Kim et al. (US 2020/0111405 A1), Kwon et al. (US 2024/0153425 A1), Son et al. (US 2017/0047016 A1), Sang et al. (US 2025/0118267 A1), Kim (US 2024/0194143 A1), Yabuki (US 2021/0035518 A1), and Nishimura (US 2017/0076663 A1), alone or in reasonable combination, fails to teach limitations in consideration of the claims as a whole, specifically with respect to the limitation “wherein, when a difference between the previous data voltage and the current data voltage exceeds the predetermined voltage threshold, the scaling factor exceeds a predetermined scaling threshold”.
As to claim 8, the closest known prior art indicated above, alone or in reasonable combination, fails to teach limitations in consideration of the claims as a whole, specifically with respect to the limitation “wherein the driving controller scales the spatial compensation data by the scaling factor to generate compensation data, and adds the compensation data to the current data to compensate the current data”.
As to claim 19, it recites substantially the same limitations as in claim 6, and is allowable for the same reason above. Please see claim 6 for detailed analysis.
Conclusion
The prior arts made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure: Kim et al. (US 2020/0111405 A1) teaches the concept of “1st and 2nd compensators” (Abs.); Kwon et al. (US 2024/0153425 A1) teaches the concept of “source control circuit that differently controls an on-slew rate of the output control signal … according to a distance between each display area and the source driver” (Abs.); Son et al. (US 2017/0047016 A1) teaches the concept of “supplying the data signal to the data lines at different output timings according to a position of ascan line to which the scan signal is supplied” (Abs.); Sang et al. (US 2025/0118267 A1) teaches the concept of “a data driver … to be biased to the left end of the display panel” (Abs.); Kim (US 2024/0194143 A1) teaches the concept of “offset control signal generated based on the sequentially delayed source output enable signals” (Abs.); Yabuki (US 2021/0035518 A1) teaches the concept of “each data line drive unit outputting the data line signal with a delay by the second correction time” (Abs.); and Nishimura (US 2017/0076663 A1) teaches the concept of “source driver circuits … outputs pixel signals to pixels … with a delay of a first delay time different for each of the gate driver circuit” (Abs.).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD J HONG whose telephone number is (571) 270-7765. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, LunYi Lao can be reached on (571) 272-7671. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Feb. 12, 2026
/RICHARD J HONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621
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