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
Claims 11-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/4/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I drawn to claims 1-10 and 20 in the reply filed on 2/4/2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0166634 A1 to Hong.
As to claim 1, Hong discloses a display device comprising:
a display panel including a plurality of pixels, the display panel being divided into a plurality of panel regions (Fig. 1, paragraph 0065, where display panel (110) is divided into a plurality of pixel blocks); and
a panel driver configured to drive the display panel based on input image data, and to provide a plurality of power supply voltages to the plurality of panel regions, respectively (Fig. 1, paragraph 0061, where the panel driver includes data driver (120), scan driver (130), power supply (140), and controller (150)),
wherein the panel driver is further configured to:
divide the input image data for the display panel into a plurality of region image data for the plurality of panel regions (Fig. 1-5, paragraph 0077, where in step (S305) image data is divided into a plurality of block image data);
determine a target voltage level of each of the plurality of power supply voltages by analyzing a corresponding one of plurality of region image data (Fig. 1-5, paragraphs 0078-0090, where the target voltage is the final voltage); and
change each of the plurality of power supply voltages to the target voltage level in an end portion of an emission period for a corresponding one of the plurality of panel regions (Fig. 1 and 12, paragraphs 0068-0075 and 0090-0095, where power supply voltage determination block (190) changes the power supply voltages to the final voltage).
As to claim 20, Hong discloses limitations similar to claim 1. In addition, Hong discloses an electronic device comprising:
a processor configured to provide input image data (Fig. 17, paragraph 0106, processor (1110)); and
a display device configured to display an image based on the input image data (Fig. 17, paragraph 0106, display device (1160)).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0166634 A1 to Hong in view of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2019/0392768 A1 to Li et al.
As to claim 2, Hong is deficient in disclosing the display device, wherein the plurality of panel regions respectively includes a plurality of mesh lines that are electrically disconnected from each other, and
wherein the panel driver is configured to provide the plurality of power supply voltages to the plurality of mesh lines of the plurality of panel regions, respectively.
However, Li discloses the display device, wherein the plurality of panel regions respectively includes a plurality of mesh lines that are electrically disconnected from each other (Fig. 4, paragraphs 0050-0060, where the voltage signal lines (4161) create a mesh structure and pixel regions (41) are disconnected from each other), and
wherein the panel driver is configured to provide the plurality of power supply voltages to the plurality of mesh lines of the plurality of panel regions, respectively (Fig. 4, paragraph 0044, where controller (42) supplies voltages via power signal lines (431)).
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the display device as taught by Hong by including a plurality of mesh lines that are electrically disconnected from each other as taught by Li. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order for the pixel structures in each pixel region to be controlled individually to realize a region-based driving (Li, paragraph 0064).
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0166634 A1 to Hong in view of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2016/0293101 A1 to Jeong et al.
As to claim 3, Hong is deficient in disclosing the display device, wherein the panel driver is configured to calculate an average gray level of a plurality of gray levels represented by a plurality of pixel data included in the corresponding one of plurality of region image data, and to determine the target voltage level of a corresponding one of the plurality of power supply voltages based on the average gray level.
However, Jeong discloses the display device, wherein the panel driver is configured to calculate an average gray level of a plurality of gray levels represented by a plurality of pixel data included in the corresponding one of plurality of region image data, and to determine the target voltage level of a corresponding one of the plurality of power supply voltages based on the average gray level (Fig. 4, paragraphs 0099-0101, where load calculator (412) calculates the average gray level and the target voltage calculating unit (425) calculates the target voltage based on the average gray level).
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the display device as taught by Hong by including a panel driver configured to calculate an average gray level as taught by Jeong. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to use the average gray level to determine the target voltage, which is used to generate a control voltage (Jeong, paragraphs 0099-0114).
As to claim 4, Hong is deficient in disclosing the display device, wherein the panel driver includes:
a gray-voltage lookup table configured to store a plurality of voltage levels corresponding to a plurality of gray ranges,
wherein the panel driver is configured to receive a voltage level corresponding to a gray range to which the average gray level belongs among the plurality of gray ranges from the gray-voltage lookup table, and to determine the target voltage level of the corresponding one of the plurality of power supply voltages as the voltage level received from the gray-voltage lookup table.
However, Jeong discloses the display device, wherein the panel driver includes:
a gray-voltage lookup table configured to store a plurality of voltage levels corresponding to a plurality of gray ranges (Fig. 4, paragraph 0100, where load calculator (412) uses a look-up table),
wherein the panel driver is configured to receive a voltage level corresponding to a gray range to which the average gray level belongs among the plurality of gray ranges from the gray-voltage lookup table, and to determine the target voltage level of the corresponding one of the plurality of power supply voltages as the voltage level received from the gray-voltage lookup table (Fig. 4, paragraphs 0099-0101, where load calculator (412) uses a look-up table and target voltage calculating unit (425) calculates the target voltage, which is used to generate a control voltage (VCTRL)). In addition, the same motivation is used as claim 3.
Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0166634 A1 to Hong in view of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2020/0027401 A1 to Park.
As to claim 5, Hong is deficient in disclosing the display device, wherein each of the plurality of panel regions includes the plurality of pixels arranged in first through N-th pixel rows, where N is an integer greater than 1,
wherein emission periods for the first through N-th pixel rows are shifted by one horizontal time per each pixel row, and
wherein the panel driver is configured to change a corresponding one of the plurality of power supply voltages to the target voltage level within a period in which the emission periods overlap each other.
However, Park discloses the display device, wherein each of the plurality of panel regions includes the plurality of pixels arranged in first through N-th pixel rows, where N is an integer greater than 1 (Fig. 1, paragraph 0052, where display (1000) has M rows),
wherein emission periods for the first through N-th pixel rows are shifted by one horizontal time per each pixel row (Fig. 5 and 6, paragraphs 0108-0119, where the emission periods are shifted by horizontal period (1H)), and
wherein the panel driver is configured to change a corresponding one of the plurality of power supply voltages to the target voltage level within a period in which the emission periods overlap each other (Fig. 5 and 6, paragraphs 0108-0119, where initialization voltage (VINT) changes during overlapping horizontal periods (1H)).
At the time of filling, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the display device as taught by Hong by including changing a power supply voltage in an emissions period as taught by Park. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order for the power supply voltage, or initialization voltage, to initialize a gate voltage of a driving transistor included in the pixel (Park, paragraph 0061).
As to claim 6, Hong is deficient in disclosing the display device, wherein each of the plurality of panel regions includes the plurality of pixels arranged in first through N-th pixel rows, where N is an integer greater than 1, and
wherein the panel driver is configured to change a corresponding one of the plurality of power supply voltages to the target voltage level one horizontal time before an end time point of an emission period for a first pixel row that is an uppermost pixel row among the first through N-th pixel rows.
However, Park discloses the display device, wherein each of the plurality of panel regions includes the plurality of pixels arranged in first through N-th pixel rows, where N is an integer greater than 1 (Fig. 1, paragraph 0052, where display (1000) has M rows), and
wherein the panel driver is configured to change a corresponding one of the plurality of power supply voltages to the target voltage level one horizontal time before an end time point of an emission period for a first pixel row that is an uppermost pixel row among the first through N-th pixel rows (Fig. 5 and 6, paragraphs 0108-0119, where initialization voltage (VINT) changes before an end time point of an emission period). In addition, the same motivation is used as claim 5.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0166634 A1 to Hong in view of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2016/0180771 A1 to Jeong.
As to claim 10, Hong discloses the display device, wherein the panel driver includes:
a data driver configured to provide data voltages to the plurality of pixels (Fig. 1, paragraph 0049, data driver (120));
a scan driver configured to provide scan signals to the plurality of pixels (Fig. 1, paragraph 0049, scan driver (130));
a power management circuit configured to provide the plurality of power supply voltages to the plurality of panel regions, respectively (Fig. 1, paragraph 0049, power supply (140)); and
a controller configured to control the data driver, the scan driver, the emission driver and the power management circuit (Fig. 1, paragraph 0049, controller (150)).
Hong is deficient in disclosing an emission driver configured to provide emission signals to the plurality of pixels.
However, Jeong discloses an emission driver configured to provide emission signals to the plurality of pixels (Fig. 20, paragraph 0181, emission driver (680)).
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the display device as taught by Hong by including an emission driver as taught by Jeong. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order for the emission driver to simultaneously or concurrently apply an emission control signal to all the pixels in the display panel (Jeong, paragraph 0183).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record alone, or in combination, fail to teach, disclose, or render obvious, “wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes: a first transistor including a gate connected to a gate node, a drain, and a source connected to a source node; a second transistor configured to transfer a data voltage to the gate node in response to a write signal; a third transistor configured to transfer a reference voltage to the gate node in response to a reference signal; a fourth transistor configured to transfer an initialization voltage to an anode of a light emitting element in response to an initialization signal; a fifth transistor configured to transfer a corresponding one of the plurality of power supply voltages to the drain of the first transistor in response to a first emission signal; a sixth transistor configured to connect the source node to the anode of the light emitting element in response to a second emission signal; a storage capacitor including a first electrode connected to the gate node, and a second electrode connected to the source node; a hold capacitor including a first electrode configured to receive the reference voltage, and a second electrode connected to the source node; and the light emitting element including the anode connected to the fourth and sixth transistors, and a cathode configured to receive a low power supply voltage”, in combination with the other limitations set forth in claim 7.
Claims 8 and 9 are dependent on claim 7.
Conclusion
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ANEETA YODICHKAS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2627
/ANEETA YODICHKAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627
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