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 .
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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I (Figs. 6-9B) in the reply filed on April 13, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-10, 17, 18 and 20 will be examined on the merits
Claims 11-16 and 19 are hereby withdrawn
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 display driver integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein: the plurality of gamma amplifiers include: a plurality of first gamma amplifiers including a sample driving stage configured to be used in the sample period; and a plurality of second gamma amplifiers in which the sample driving stage is omitted” (claim 20 – emphasis added) (see rejection under 35 USC 112 below for further details) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, because the specification, while being enabling for a gamma voltage generator including either (1) a sample driving stage or (2) omitting a sample driving stage does not reasonably provide enablement for “the display driver integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein: the plurality of gamma amplifiers include: a plurality of first gamma amplifiers including a sample driving stage configured to be used in the sample period; and a plurality of second gamma amplifiers in which the sample driving stage is omitted” (claim 20 – emphasis added). The specification does not enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention commensurate in scope with these claims.
To clarify, claim 20 requires both (1) a plurality of first gamma amplifiers including a sample driving stage and (2) a plurality of second gamma amplifiers in which the sample driving stage is omitted. Examiner notes the specification as filed does not appear to disclose or enable the combined usage of different gamma amplifiers that both (1) include a sample driving stage; and (2) omit a sample driving stage (enumeration added). To the contrary, the specification as filed appears to disclose amplifiers without a sample driving stage as a different embodiment (see at least Fig. 10 and paragraph [0124] of the specification as filed). Examiner can find no disclosure regarding the combined usage of first amplifiers with a sample driving stage and second amplifiers omitting a sample driving stage.
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(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (USPN 2020/0286448) in view of Azizi et al. (USPN 12,374,306).
With respect to claim 17, Kim teaches a display driver integrated circuit (Figs. 1-14) comprising:
a gate driver integrated circuit configured to control a plurality of gate lines connected to a display panel (Figs. 1-14. At least Fig. 1, item 120 and paragraphs [0055]-[0058] and [0069]);
a gamma voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of gamma voltages (Figs. 1-14. At least Fig. 3, item 330 and paragraphs [0063]-[0067]); and
a source driver integrated circuit configured to control a plurality of data lines connected to the display panel (Figs. 1-14. At least Fig. 1, item 130 and paragraphs [0055], [0056] and [0069]), based on the plurality of gamma voltages and based on data (Figs. 1-14. At least paragraphs [0062]-[0064]. Examiner notes the claim does not require any specific “based on” relationship and a reasonably broad interpretation includes the teachings of Kim), wherein the gamma voltage generator includes a plurality of gamma amplifiers (Figs. 1-14. At least Fig. 5, items AMP and paragraph [0103]-[0115] and [0179]) configured to sample an offset on a low power basis during a sample period and to generate a gamma voltage, based on the offset sampled during the sample period, during a hold period.
However, Kim fails to expressly teach wherein the gamma voltage generator includes a plurality of gamma amplifiers configured to sample an offset on a low power basis during a sample period and to generate a gamma voltage, based on the offset sampled during the sample period, during a hold period (emphasis added).
Azizi teaches a known technique using a gamma voltage generator including a plurality of gamma amplifiers configured to sample an offset on a low power basis during a sample period and to generate a gamma voltage, based on the offset sampled during the sample period, during a hold period (Figs. 1-8. At least Figs. 2-6 and Col. 5, line 32-Col. 10, line 15 teach the usage of gamma amplifiers (1) sampling an offset during a sampling period; and (2) generating a gamma voltage during a hold period. At least Fig. 6 and Col. 8, line 61-Col. 9, line 4 teach a lower power mode. Examiner notes the claim does not require any specific low power behavior and a reasonably broad interpretation includes the teachings of Azizi).
Kim teaches a base process/product of using a gamma voltage generator including a plurality of gamma amplifiers which the claimed invention can be seen as an improvement in that the gamma amplifiers are configured to sample an offset on a low power basis during a sample period and to generate a gamma voltage, based on the offset sampled during the sample period, during a hold period. Azizi teaches a known technique of using a gamma voltage generator including a plurality of gamma amplifiers configured to sample an offset on a low power basis during a sample period and to generate a gamma voltage, based on the offset sampled during the sample period, during a hold period that is comparable to the base process/product.
Azizi’s known technique of using a gamma voltage generator including a plurality of gamma amplifiers configured to sample an offset on a low power basis during a sample period and to generate a gamma voltage, based on the offset sampled during the sample period, during a hold period would have been recognized by one skilled in the art as applicable to the base process/product of Kim and the results would have been predictable and resulted in modifying Kim such that the gamma amplifiers are configured to sample an offset on a low power basis during a sample period and to generate a gamma voltage, based on the offset sampled during the sample period, during a hold period which results in an improved process/product.
Therefore, the claimed subject matter would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art.
The rationale to support a conclusion that the claim would have been obvious is that a particular known technique was recognized as part of the ordinary capabilities of one skilled in the art. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been capable of applying this known technique to a known device (method, or product) that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 are allowed.
Claims 18 is 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 teaches gamma voltage generators including gamma amplifiers (see at least Figs. 3-5 of Kim et al. USPN 2020/0286448 and Figs. 1-6 of Azizi et al. USPN 12,374,306).
However, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest Applicant’s specifically claimed
“gamma amplifier comprising:
a first gamma amplification stage configured to amplify a first voltage;
a sample driving stage configured to amplify a second voltage that is output from the first gamma amplification stage, during a first sample period in which a first offset of the gamma amplifier is sampled;
a hold driving stage configured to amplify a third voltage that is output from the first gamma amplification stage, during a first hold period in which the first offset is canceled; and
a switching stage configured to connect the first gamma amplification stage to one stage of the hold driving stage and the sample driving stage, wherein the sample driving stage consumes less power than the hold driving stage” (Claim 1 – emphasis added); and
“the display driver integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein:
one of the plurality of gamma amplifiers includes:
a gamma amplification stage which performs a primary amplification operation;
a sample driving stage connected to the gamma amplification stage to perform a secondary amplification operation during the sample period in which the offset is sampled;
a hold driving stage connected to the gamma amplification stage during the hold period in which the offset is canceled and configured to perform the secondary amplification operation; and
a switching stage configured to connect one stage of the sample driving stage and the hold driving stage to the gamma amplification stage” (claim 18 – emphasis added).
Claims 2-10 are dependent on claim 1 and allowable for substantially the same reasons, discussed above.
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.”
Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure:
Kim et al. (USPN 2020/0286448), Azizi et al. (USPN 12,374,306), Hayakawa et al. (USPN 2006/0061372), Park et al. (USPN 2009/0225105), Lim et al. (USPN 10,013,903) and Pyun et al. (USPN 2021/0012705) teach gamma voltage generators including gamma amplifiers.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTONIO J XAVIER whose telephone number is (571)270-7688. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 830am-5pm PST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, PATRICK EDOUARD can be reached on 571-272-7603. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTONIO XAVIER/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622
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