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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the feature “the data writing module is configured to provide a data signal to a gate of the driving module” in claims 1 and 19 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
According to the originally filed Fig. 1-4 and paragraph [0047] with the driving module and the data writing module disclosed as “the driving module 11 may include a driving thin-film transistor (DTFT), the data writing module 12 may include a first transistor T1”, a data signal is provided to either a second pole or a first pole of the driving thin-film transistor (DTFT), instead of provided to a gate of the driving thin-film transistor (DTFT). No figure in the original disclosure illustrates the claimed feature “the data writing module is configured to provide a data signal to a gate of the driving module”.
Because the claimed feature in current claims 1 and 19 would cause a significantly different invention from the embodiments of the original disclosure, this examination only addresses the feature “the data writing module is configured to provide a data signal to a first terminal or a second terminal of the driving module” that has been originally disclosed by Applicant.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitations are: “ driving module”, “data writing module” in claims 1 and 18-19, “first initialization module” in claim 13, “threshold compensation module” in claim 16 and “bias module” in claim 17.
Because these claim limitations are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
A review of the specification shows that the following appears to be the corresponding structure described in the specification for the 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph limitation:
driving module: Figs. 1-4, driving module 11; [0047], “the driving module 11 may include a driving thin-film transistor (DTFT)”;
data writing module: Figs. 1-4, “data writing module 12”; [0047], “he data writing module 12 may include a first transistor T1”;
first initialization module: Figs. 1-4, “first initialization module 13”; [0047, “first initialization module 13 may include a second transistor T2”;
threshold compensation module: Figs. 1-4, “threshold compensation module 15”; [0047], “the threshold compensation module 15 may include a fourth transistor T4”;
bias module: Figs. 1-4, “bias module 18”; [0047], “the bias module 18 may include a seventh transistor T7”.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 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 1 recites “a driving module” in ll. 2, “a driving circuit corresponding to the first light-emitting element” in ll. 3-4 from the bottom and “a driving circuit corresponding to the second light-emitting element” in ll. ll. 2 from the bottom, but fails to provide whether/how the driving module, the driving circuit corresponding to the first light-emitting element and the driving circuit corresponding to the second light-emitting element are related to each other. To Examiner’s best understanding, the claimed driving module comprises the driving circuit corresponding to the first light-emitting element and the driving circuit corresponding to the second light-emitting element. If the understanding is correct, the claim language should be amended to convey the understanding.
Claims 2-17 are rejected because they depend on claim 1.
Claim 11 is further rejected for reciting the elements “the first light-emitting elements” in ll. 3-4 and “the second light-emitting elements” in last two lines. There are insufficient antecedent bases for the elements in the claim. Its parent claim 1 recites only one first light-emitting element and one second light-emitting element included in one light-emitting element. The instant claim appears to mean “first light-emitting elements” and “second light-emitting elements” associated with more than one light-emitting elements, each of which comprise a respective first light-emitting element and a respective second light-emitting element. if this is the case, the claim language in the instant claim should be amended to convey it.
Claim 12 is further rejected because it depends on claim 11.
Claims 18-19 each is rejected for substantially the same rationale as applied to claim 1.
Claim 20 is rejected because it depends on claim 19.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 16 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US 2023/0079286).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a display panel ([0004]; Fig. 2: circuit diagram of at least one embodiment of sub-pixels in a display panel to which the method for optimizing image quality) comprising a pixel circuit (Fig. 2: an exemplary sub-pixel circuit for a color, which includes transistors T1-T7 and capacitor C, is part of a pixel circuit including red sub-pixel, green sub-pixel and blue sub-pixel in light of [0060], which discloses “the display panel includes red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, and blue sub-pixels”) and a light-emitting element (Fig. 2: organic light-emitting diode O1 corresponding to sub-pixel of one color; Examiner’s Note: a red organic light-emitting diode O1, a green organic light-emitting diode O1 and a blue organic light-emitting diode O1 collectively form a light-emitting element), wherein
the pixel circuit comprises a driving module (Fig. 2: third transistor T3 corresponding to sub-pixel of each color in a pixel that includes a red sub-pixel, green sub-pixel and blue sub-pixel; Examiner’s Note: a driving module is interprets as a module including three third transistors T3 in a pixel circuit, each third transistor T3 corresponding to a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel respectively) and a data writing module (Fig. 2: fourth transistor T4 corresponding to sub-pixel of each color in a pixel that includes a red sub-pixel, green sub-pixel and blue sub-pixel; Examiner’s Note: a data writing module is interprets as a module including three fourth transistors T4 in a pixel circuit, the three fourth transistor T4 corresponding to a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel respectively);
the data writing module is configured to provide a data signal (Fig. 2: data voltage V0) to a first terminal or a second terminal of the driving module (Fig. 2: upper terminal of T3);
the light-emitting element comprises a first light-emitting element (Fig. 2: organic light-emitting diode O1 of a color among red, green and blue colors) and a second light-emitting element (Fig. 2: organic light-emitting diode O1 of another color among red, green and blue colors), and the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element have different light-emitting colors ([0060]: “the display panel includes red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, and blue sub-pixels”); and
an operating mode of the display panel comprises a first mode ([0037], [0064], [0066] in view of [0004]-[0012] and [0060]-[0061]: “first mode” is interpreted as a display mode operated with an adjusted gamma curve for each color “when the luminance range of the display panel is within a predetermined luminance range”, e.g., “a low luminance range, for example, the predetermined luminance range may be greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 100 nit” disclosed in [0066]), wherein in the first mode, when the display panel displays a black state image (Fig. 1: step S2; [0032]), a data signal (Fig. 2: data voltage V0 corresponding to one color) written into a driving circuit (Fig. 2: third transistor T3 corresponding to sub-pixel circuit of one color) corresponding to the first light-emitting element is black state voltage G011 ([0033]-[0034]: “actual data voltage corresponding to the grey scale 0”, i.e., actual black data voltage, of the one of red, green and blue sub-pixels); and a data signal (Fig. 2: data voltage V0 corresponding to another color) written into a driving circuit (Fig. 2: third transistor T3 corresponding to sub-pixel circuit of the another color) corresponding to the second light-emitting element is black state voltage G012 ([0033]-[0034]: actual data voltage corresponding to the grey scale 0”, i.e., actual black data voltage, of the another one of red, green and blue sub-pixels), wherein G011 ≠ G012 (Fig. 1, step S1 and [0057]: “actual data voltages corresponding to a grey scale 0 of respective sub-pixels having different colors are controlled and set, and at least two of the actual data voltages corresponding to the grey scale 0 of the sub-pixels having different colors are controlled to be different from each other”; [0033]-[0034]; [0059]: “With the method for optimizing image quality according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, actual black image data voltages (i.e., the actual data voltages corresponding to a grey scale 0) of respective sub-pixels having different colors are controlled and set, and at least two of the actual data voltages corresponding to the grey scale 0 of the sub-pixels having different colors are controlled to be different from each other”).
Regarding claim 2, Wang further teaches the display panel of claim 1, wherein the driving module comprises a driving transistor (Fig. 2: drive transistor T3), the first light-emitting element emits blue light or red light ([0033]-[0034]: “actual data voltage corresponding to the grey scale 0 of the red sub-pixels”), and the second light-emitting element emits green light ([0033]-[0034]: “actual data voltage corresponding to the grey scale 0 of green sub-pixels”); and
in a case where the driving transistor is a P-type transistor, G012< G011 ([0033]: “In one embodiment, a drive transistor in the sub-pixels is a p-type transistor; and the setting unit is configured to: set an actual data voltage corresponding to the grey scale 0 of green sub-pixels to be less than an actual data voltage corresponding to the grey scale 0 of red sub-pixels”); or
in a case where the driving transistor is an N-type transistor, G011< G012 ([0034]: “a drive transistor in the sub-pixels is the n-type transistor; and the setting unit is configured to: set the actual data voltage corresponding to the grey scale 0 of the green sub-pixels to be greater than the actual data voltage corresponding to the grey scale 0 of the red sub-pixels”).
Regarding claim 3, Wang further teaches the display panel of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element further comprises a third light-emitting element, and the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, and the third light-emitting element have different light-emitting colors ([0060]: “the display panel includes red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, and blue sub-pixels”); and
in the first mode, a data signal corresponding to the third light-emitting element is black state voltage G013, where G011 ≠ G012 ≠ G013 ([0060]: “when the display panel includes red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, and blue sub-pixels, in the gamma adjustment phase, the actual data voltages corresponding to the grey scale 0 of respective sub-pixels having different colors are controlled and set, and at least two of the actual data voltages corresponding to the grey scale 0 of the sub-pixels having different colors are controlled to be different from each other”; Examiner’s Note: it is an option that all three of the actual data voltages corresponding to the grey scale 0 of the sub-pixels having different colors are set to be different from each other).
Regarding claim 16, Wang further teaches the display panel of claim 1, wherein the pixel circuit further comprises a threshold compensation module (Fig. 2: second transistor T2), and the threshold compensation module comprises a fourth transistor (Fig. 2: second transistor T2);
the driving module comprises a driving transistor (Fig. 2: drive transistor T3), and the data writing module comprises a first transistor (Fig. 2: fourth transistor T4), a first terminal (Fig. 2: right terminal of T4) of the first transistor is configured to receive a data signal (Fig. 2: data voltage V0), and a second terminal (Fig. 2: left terminal of T4) of the first transistor is connected to a first pole (Fig. 2: upper terminal of drive transistor T3) of the driving transistor; a first pole (Fig. 2: right terminal of T2) of the fourth transistor is connected to a second pole (Fig. 2: lower terminal of T3) of the driving transistor, and a second pole (Fig. 2: left terminal of T2) of the fourth transistor is connected to a gate (Fig. 2: gate of drive transistor T3) of the driving transistor.
Claim 19 is rejected for substantially the same rationale as applied to claim 1 (Note: a display panel is necessarily included in a display device for functionality).
Claim 20 is rejected for substantially the same rationale as applied to claim 2.
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 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2023/0079286) in view of Rha (US 2020/0202790).
Claim 18 recites each feature of the display panel of claim 1, which is taught by Wang. Claim 18 further recites an integrated chip configured to supply a data signal to the display panel.
Wang does not further teach an integrated chip configured to supply a data signal to the display panel.
Rha, however, teaches in Fig. 1 an integrated chip (i.e., driving circuit 300) configured to supply a data signal (i.e., data signal output from data driver 30) to the display panel (i.e., display panel 100).
Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art to combine Rha’s technique with Wang’s technique to construct a display device including data signal providing component to work cooperatively with the display panel.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-15 and 17 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and 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:
Claim 4: the limitations “in a case where the driving transistor is a P-type transistor, G012< G011< G013; or in a case where the driving transistor is an N-type transistor, G013< G011< G012” indicates a specific relationship between black state voltage G012 corresponding to green color and black state voltage G011 corresponding to blue color that is not taught by Wang and not obvious to be achieved by modifying Wang’s technique.
Claim 7: the limitations “wherein G014, G021, G015 and G022 satisfy at least one of: G014< G021, or G015 < G022” indicates a specific relationship between a black state voltage corresponding to sub-pixels in a higher brightness mode and a black state voltage corresponding to sub-pixels in a lower brightness mode that is not taught by Wang and not obvious to be achieved by modifying Wang’s technique.
Claim 13: the limitation “|Vref1| > |Vref2|” is not taught by Wang and not obvious to be achieved by modifying Wang’s technique.
Claim 14: the limitation “|Vref3| > |Vref4|” is not taught by Wang and not obvious to be achieved by modifying Wang’s technique
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
CN 110473499 A by Wang et al. discloses in Figs. 6-7 black stage voltage of different colors are set to be different in different brightness modes. However, the black stage voltage of green color is higher than the black stage voltage of blur color in each brightness mode, which is opposite to claim 4 of this instant application.
US 2020/0143733 by Kim et al. discloses in Fig. 3A different black data voltages for red pixels, green pixels and blue pixels in a black image.
US 2019/0340981 by Pyo discloses in Fig. 14 different black data voltages for different display modes.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XUEMEI ZHENG whose telephone number is (571)272-1434. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9:30 pm-6:00 pm.
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/XUEMEI ZHENG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629