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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-18 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-14 of U.S. Patent No. 12,020,629 B2 and claims 1-9 of U.S. Patent No. US 12,315,435 B2, respectively. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because it is clear that all of the elements of the application claims except the enable signal are to be found in patent claims 1-14 and 1-9 (as the application claims 1-18 fully encompass patent claims 1-14 and 1-9, respectively). The difference of an enable signal is common and Examiner is taking official notice that this signal is well known in the art and would be obvious to one skilled in the art to incorporate. The rationale to support a conclusion that the claim would have been obvious is that all the claimed elements are known in the art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yields nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. The other difference between the application claims 1-18 lies in the fact that the patent claims include more elements and is thus more specific. Thus the invention of claims 1-14 and 1-9 of the patents are in effect a “species” of the “generic” invention of the application claims 1-18, respectively. It has been held that the generic invention is “anticipated” by the “species”. See In re Goodman, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Since application claims 1-8 are anticipated by claims 1-14 and 1-9 of the patents, it is not patentably distinct from claims 1-14 and 1-9 of the patents.
Patent No. US 12,020,629 B2
Patent No. US 12,315,435 B2
Instant Application 19/192,782
1. A display device, comprising:
a display panel including scan lines, data lines, and pixels connected to the scan lines and the data lines;
a scan driver configured to provide a scan signal to one of the scan lines; and
a data driver configured to generate a data signal based on image data and provide the data signal to one of the data lines,
wherein the data driver includes:
a controller configured to generate a gamma voltage control signal with respect to gamma voltage information corresponding to a target luminance level of an image displayed by the display panel;
a gamma voltage generator configured to generate gamma voltages having a voltage range corresponding to the target luminance level based on the gamma voltage control signal; and
a decoder configured to generate the data signal corresponding to a grayscale value using the gamma voltages, wherein the controller calculates an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level and applies the offset value to values obtained using gamma voltage information about sample luminance levels to obtain the gamma voltage information corresponding to the target luminance level, wherein the gamma voltage information is changed nonlinearly in an area to which the target luminance level belongs among areas between the sample luminance levels, and
wherein the, offset value is calculated using Equation 1 below:
PNG
media_image1.png
64
279
media_image1.png
Greyscale
wherein, in Equation 1, OS denotes the offset value, DV denotes the target luminance level, DBV1 and DBV2 denote a first sample luminance level and a second sample luminance level that have the smallest difference from the target luminance level among the sample luminance levels, and a and b are proportional constants according to emission characteristics of the pixel.
1. A display device, comprising:
a display panel including scan lines, data lines, and pixels connected to the scan lines and the data lines;
a timing controller configured to convert first data to serialized second data;
a scan driver configured to provide a scan signal to one of the scan lines; and
a data driver configured to generate a data signal based on the serialized second data and provide the data signal to one of the data lines,
wherein the data driver includes:
a shift register;
a controller configured to generate a gamma voltage control signal with respect to gamma voltage information corresponding to a target luminance level of an image displayed by the display panel and covert the serialized second data received from the timing controller to parallelized third data and provide the parallelized third data to the shift register;
a gamma voltage generator configured to generate gamma voltages having a voltage range corresponding to the target luminance level based on the gamma voltage control signal; and
a decoder configured to generate the data signal corresponding to a grayscale value using the gamma voltages, wherein the controller calculates an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level and applies the offset value to values obtained using gamma voltage information about sample luminance levels to obtain the gamma voltage information corresponding to the target luminance level, and
wherein the offset value is calculated using Equation 1 below:
PNG
media_image1.png
64
279
media_image1.png
Greyscale
wherein, in Equation 1, OS denotes the offset value, DV denotes the target luminance level, DBV1 and DBV2 denote a first sample luminance level and a second sample luminance level that have the smallest difference from the target luminance level among the sample luminance levels, and a and b are proportional constants according to emission characteristics of the pixel.
1. A display device, comprising:
a controller configured to receive image data, a data control signal, and a luminance control signal, to generate a gamma enable signal based on the image data and the data control signal, and to generate a gamma voltage control signal based on the luminance control signal; and
a gamma voltage generator configured to receive the gamma enable signal and the gamma voltage control signal, to generate gamma voltages based on the gamma enable signal, and to change a voltage range of the gamma voltages based on the gamma voltage control signal, and
wherein the luminance control signal includes information corresponding to a target luminance level of an image, and wherein the gamma voltage control signal includes target gamma voltage information corresponding to the target luminance level,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level and to apply the offset value to values obtained using gamma voltage information about sample luminance levels to obtain the target gamma voltage information,
wherein the offset value is calculated based on proportional constants according to emission characteristics of a pixel.
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 (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 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 1-3, 6-12 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (USPN 2020/0286448 A1) in view of Jeon (USPN 2012/0062609 A1), further in view of Chun et al. (USPN 2013/0342585 A1).
As to claim 1, Kim teaches a display device (see at least [0055] “the display device 100”), comprising:
a controller configured to receive image data, a data control signal, (see at least [0062] “The data driver 130 may generate data signals based on image data DATA2.”; [0083] “the data driver 130 (or a source driver) may include a controller 310.”; [0084] “The controller 310 may receive the data control signal DCS from the timing controller 140.”), and a luminance control signal, to generate a gamma enable signal based on the data control signal ([0087] “The controller 310 may generate a gamma enable signal G_EN.”), and
a gamma voltage generator configured to receive the gamma enable signal, to generate gamma voltages based on the gamma enable signal (see at least [0090] “The gamma voltage generator 330 may receive the gamma enable signal G_EN and generate the gamma voltages VG0 to VG2047.”), and
to change a voltage range of the gamma voltages based on the gamma voltage control signal (see at least [0117] “the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. … the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.”),
and
wherein the luminance control signal includes information corresponding to a target luminance level of an image (see at least [0117] “the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device.”).
Kim does not directly teach wherein the gamma voltage control signal includes target gamma voltage information corresponding to the target luminance level, wherein the controller is configured to calculate an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level and to apply the offset value to values obtained using gamma voltage information about sample luminance levels to obtain the target gamma voltage information, wherein the offset value is calculated based on proportional constants according to emission characteristics of a pixel.
Jeon teaches wherein the gamma voltage control signal includes target gamma voltage information corresponding to the target luminance level, wherein the controller is configured to calculate an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level and to apply the offset value to values obtained using gamma voltage information about sample luminance levels to obtain the target gamma voltage information (see at least [0037] “measure luminance .. for reference gray scale levels.”; [0038] “when data are realized by 256 gray scale levels, that is, gray scale levels (e.g., gray scale levels or gray scale values) 0 to 255, the reference gray scale levels may be the gray scale level 255 and the gray scale level 127.”; [0039] “analysis for a plurality of gray scale levels may be performed”; [0040] “a difference between target luminance .. and measured luminance”; [0042] “reference luminance offset values .. to correspond to a difference between the reference gray scale levels .. and the target luminance”; [0044] “determine the offset value .. by, for example, an equation (e.g., a predetermined equation) or graph.”; [0045] “The gamma voltage correcting unit 240 corrects reference gamma voltages for the reference gray scale levels to correspond to the reference offset values”; [0046] “the reference gamma voltages are controlled by the sums of the reference gamma voltages and the reference luminance offset values”; [0050] “the corrected reference gamma voltages are realized by the sums of the reference gamma voltages and the reference offset values”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kim’s luminance-based gamma voltage range control using Jeon’s target-luminance offset correction. The modification merely applies known offset-based gamma correction to Kim’s existing gamma control architecture to generate target gamma voltage information corresponding to a desired luminance level with improved luminance accuracy and panel-dependent compensation.
Jeon does not directly teach wherein the offset value is calculated based on proportional constants according to emission characteristics of a pixel.
Chun teaches wherein the offset value is calculated based on proportional constants according to emission characteristics of a pixel (see at least [0026] “uses a predetermined value reflected by a material characteristic of the display panel. .. The predetermined value is a value calculated by dividing a luminance increasing ratio in the predetermined grayscale by a luminance (an ideal luminance-an OPR luminance) in the corresponding grayscale. The predetermined value is changed according to the material characteristic of the display panel.”; [0034] “proportional to a difference between the ideal luminance and the OPR luminance.”
[0042] “A display constant is a value obtained by actually measuring the luminance of the image data displayed in the full white 255 grayscale and is a unique value that is changed according to the constitution material characteristic of the pixel of the display panel.”; [0045] “the predetermined value according to the display panel characteristic may be given as an offset value”; [0051] “0.35 is the predetermined value .. the predetermined value is changed according to the material characteristic of the display panel pixel.”; [0069] “K_o is a compensation constant that .., the compensation constant is an offset value to offset the error. The compensation constant that is changed according to the material characteristic”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kim’s luminance-based gamma voltage range control using Jeon’s target-luminance offset correction and Chun’s display-specific proportional compensation because all three references address improving luminance accuracy through gamma adjustment. The modification merely applies known offset-based gamma correction and known proportional compensation constants to Kim’s existing gamma control architecture to generate target gamma voltage information corresponding to a desired luminance level with improved luminance accuracy and panel-dependent compensation.
As to claim 10, Kim teaches an electronic device, comprising:
a processor configured to generate input image data and a control signal (see at least fig. 1: input image DATA1, control signal CS and [0068] “The timing controller 140 may receive input image data DATA1 and a control signal CS from an external device, such as a graphic processor)”);
a timing controller configured to receive the input image data and the control signal, to generate image data based on the input image data, and to generate a data control signal and a luminance control signal based on the control signal (see at least fig. 1 and [0068] “The timing controller 140 may … generate the scan control signal SCS and a data control signal DCS based on the control signal CS, and generate the image data DATA2 by converting the input image data DATA1.”); and
a data driver configured to generate data signals based on the image data, the data control signal, and the luminance control signal (see at least fig. 1 and [0062] “The data driver 130 may generate data signals based on image data DATA2 and a is data control signal DCS provided from the timing controller 140”), and wherein the data driver comprises:
a controller configured to receive image data, a data control signal, (see at least [0062] “The data driver 130 may generate data signals based on image data DATA2.”; [0083] “the data driver 130 (or a source driver) may include a controller 310.”; [0084] “The controller 310 may receive the data control signal DCS from the timing controller 140.”), and a luminance control signal, to generate a gamma enable signal based on the data control signal ([0087] “The controller 310 may generate a gamma enable signal G_EN.”), and
a gamma voltage generator configured to receive the gamma enable signal, to generate gamma voltages based on the gamma enable signal (see at least [0090] “The gamma voltage generator 330 may receive the gamma enable signal G_EN and generate the gamma voltages VG0 to VG2047.”), and
to change a voltage range of the gamma voltages based on the gamma voltage control signal (see at least [0117] “the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. … the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.”),
and
wherein the luminance control signal includes information corresponding to a target luminance level of an image (see at least [0117] “the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device.”).
Kim does not directly teach wherein the gamma voltage control signal includes target gamma voltage information corresponding to the target luminance level, wherein the controller is configured to calculate an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level and to apply the offset value to values obtained using gamma voltage information about sample luminance levels to obtain the target gamma voltage information, wherein the offset value is calculated based on proportional constants according to emission characteristics of a pixel.
Jeon teaches wherein the gamma voltage control signal includes target gamma voltage information corresponding to the target luminance level, wherein the controller is configured to calculate an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level and to apply the offset value to values obtained using gamma voltage information about sample luminance levels to obtain the target gamma voltage information (see at least [0037] “measure luminance .. for reference gray scale levels.”; [0038] “when data are realized by 256 gray scale levels, that is, gray scale levels (e.g., gray scale levels or gray scale values) 0 to 255, the reference gray scale levels may be the gray scale level 255 and the gray scale level 127.”; [0039] “analysis for a plurality of gray scale levels may be performed”; [0040] “a difference between target luminance .. and measured luminance”; [0042] “reference luminance offset values .. to correspond to a difference between the reference gray scale levels .. and the target luminance”; [0044] “determine the offset value .. by, for example, an equation (e.g., a predetermined equation) or graph.”; [0045] “The gamma voltage correcting unit 240 corrects reference gamma voltages for the reference gray scale levels to correspond to the reference offset values”; [0046] “the reference gamma voltages are controlled by the sums of the reference gamma voltages and the reference luminance offset values”; [0050] “the corrected reference gamma voltages are realized by the sums of the reference gamma voltages and the reference offset values”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kim’s luminance-based gamma voltage range control using Jeon’s target-luminance offset correction. The modification merely applies known offset-based gamma correction to Kim’s existing gamma control architecture to generate target gamma voltage information corresponding to a desired luminance level with improved luminance accuracy and panel-dependent compensation.
Jeon does not directly teach wherein the offset value is calculated based on proportional constants according to emission characteristics of a pixel.
Chun teaches wherein the offset value is calculated based on proportional constants according to emission characteristics of a pixel (see at least [0026] “uses a predetermined value reflected by a material characteristic of the display panel. .. The predetermined value is a value calculated by dividing a luminance increasing ratio in the predetermined grayscale by a luminance (an ideal luminance-an OPR luminance) in the corresponding grayscale. The predetermined value is changed according to the material characteristic of the display panel.”; [0034] “proportional to a difference between the ideal luminance and the OPR luminance.”
[0042] “A display constant is a value obtained by actually measuring the luminance of the image data displayed in the full white 255 grayscale and is a unique value that is changed according to the constitution material characteristic of the pixel of the display panel.”; [0045] “the predetermined value according to the display panel characteristic may be given as an offset value”; [0051] “0.35 is the predetermined value .. the predetermined value is changed according to the material characteristic of the display panel pixel.”; [0069] “K_o is a compensation constant that .., the compensation constant is an offset value to offset the error. The compensation constant that is changed according to the material characteristic”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kim’s luminance-based gamma voltage range control using Jeon’s target-luminance offset correction and Chun’s display-specific proportional compensation because all three references address improving luminance accuracy through gamma adjustment. The modification merely applies known offset-based gamma correction and known proportional compensation constants to Kim’s existing gamma control architecture to generate target gamma voltage information corresponding to a desired luminance level with improved luminance accuracy and panel-dependent compensation.
As to claim 2, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the display device of claim 1 (see above rejection), wherein the controller comprises a look-up table including gamma voltage information corresponding to sample luminance levels (see Kim at least [0100] “the decoder 360 may output the data voltage VGS corresponding to a gray scale value by using a separate look-up table, in which relationships between the gray scale value GRAY and the gamma voltages VG0 to VG2047 are defined”; and Jeon at least [0067] “The lookup table LUT may be realized .. by selecting a plurality of panels as models and by experimentally evaluating .. for lower gray scale levels”; [0071] “additional offset values are applied to the gray scale levels .. using the lookup table LUT so that it is possible to prevent the gamma voltage...”).
As to claim 3, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the display device of claim 2 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is equal to a sample luminance level among the sample luminance levels, the controller is configured to calculate first gamma voltage information corresponding to the sample luminance level as the target gamma voltage information (see Jeon at least [0045] “The gamma voltage correcting unit 240 corrects reference gamma voltages for the reference gray scale levels to correspond to the reference offset values set by the reference offset value setting unit 230 and supplies the corrected reference gamma voltage to the gamma voltage applying unit.”; [0050] “The gamma voltage applying unit 210 applies the gamma voltages may be corrected by the gamma voltage correcting unit 240, that is, the reference gamma voltages corrected in accordance with the reference gray scale levels to the data driver of the organic light emitting display. Here, the corrected reference gamma voltages are realized by the sums of the reference gamma voltages and the reference offset values as described above.”).
As to claim 6, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the display device of claim 1 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is increased, the gamma voltage generator is configured to widen the voltage range of the gamma voltages by decreasing a value of a first gamma voltage corresponding to a minimum value of the gamma voltages (see Kim at least [0117] “According to an exemplary embodiment, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. The luminance control signal LCS may be provided from the outside, such as from the timing controller 140. More particularly, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.” – note decreasing a minimum gamma voltage widens the voltage range, increasing a minimum gamma voltage narrows the voltage range. Adjusting the maximum gamma voltage is an obvious symmetrical variation to adjusting the minimum gamma voltage, yielding predictable results).
As to claim 7, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the display device of claim 1 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is decreased, the gamma voltage generator is configured to narrow the voltage range of the gamma voltages by increasing a value of a first gamma voltage corresponding to a minimum value of the gamma voltages (see Kim at least [0117] “According to an exemplary embodiment, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. The luminance control signal LCS may be provided from the outside, such as from the timing controller 140. More particularly, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.” – note decreasing a minimum gamma voltage widens the voltage range, increasing a minimum gamma voltage narrows the voltage range. Adjusting the maximum gamma voltage is an obvious symmetrical variation to adjusting the minimum gamma voltage, yielding predictable results).
As to claim 8, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the display device of claim 1 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is increased, the gamma voltage generator is configured to widen the voltage range of the gamma voltages by increasing a value of a second gamma voltage corresponding to a maximum value of the gamma voltages (see Kim at least [0117] “According to an exemplary embodiment, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. The luminance control signal LCS may be provided from the outside, such as from the timing controller 140. More particularly, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.” – note decreasing a minimum gamma voltage widens the voltage range, increasing a minimum gamma voltage narrows the voltage range. Adjusting the maximum gamma voltage is an obvious symmetrical variation to adjusting the minimum gamma voltage, yielding predictable results).
As to claim 9, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the display device of claim 1 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is decreased, the gamma voltage generator is configured to narrow the voltage range of the gamma voltages by decreasing a value of a second gamma voltage corresponding to a maximum value of the gamma voltages (see Kim at least [0117] “According to an exemplary embodiment, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. The luminance control signal LCS may be provided from the outside, such as from the timing controller 140. More particularly, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.” – note decreasing a minimum gamma voltage widens the voltage range, increasing a minimum gamma voltage narrows the voltage range. Adjusting the maximum gamma voltage is an obvious symmetrical variation to adjusting the minimum gamma voltage, yielding predictable results).
As to claim 11, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the electronic device of claim 10 (see above rejection), wherein the controller comprises a look-up table including gamma voltage information corresponding to sample luminance levels (see Kim at least [0100] “the decoder 360 may output the data voltage VGS corresponding to a gray scale value by using a separate look-up table, in which relationships between the gray scale value GRAY and the gamma voltages VG0 to VG2047 are defined”; and Jeon at least [0067] “The lookup table LUT may be realized .. by selecting a plurality of panels as models and by experimentally evaluating .. for lower gray scale levels”; [0071] “additional offset values are applied to the gray scale levels .. using the lookup table LUT so that it is possible to prevent the gamma voltage...”).
As to claim 12, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the electronic device of claim 11 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is equal to a sample luminance level among the sample luminance levels, the controller is configured to calculate first gamma voltage information corresponding to the sample luminance level as the target gamma voltage information (see Jeon at least [0045] “The gamma voltage correcting unit 240 corrects reference gamma voltages for the reference gray scale levels to correspond to the reference offset values set by the reference offset value setting unit 230 and supplies the corrected reference gamma voltage to the gamma voltage applying unit.”; [0050] “The gamma voltage applying unit 210 applies the gamma voltages may be corrected by the gamma voltage correcting unit 240, that is, the reference gamma voltages corrected in accordance with the reference gray scale levels to the data driver of the organic light emitting display. Here, the corrected reference gamma voltages are realized by the sums of the reference gamma voltages and the reference offset values as described above.”).
As to claim 15, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the electronic device of claim 10 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is increased, the gamma voltage generator is configured to widen the voltage range of the gamma voltages by decreasing a value of a first gamma voltage corresponding to a minimum value of the gamma voltages (see Kim at least [0117] “According to an exemplary embodiment, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. The luminance control signal LCS may be provided from the outside, such as from the timing controller 140. More particularly, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.” – note decreasing a minimum gamma voltage widens the voltage range, increasing a minimum gamma voltage narrows the voltage range. Adjusting the maximum gamma voltage is an obvious symmetrical variation to adjusting the minimum gamma voltage, yielding predictable results).
As to claim 16, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the electronic device of claim 10 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is decreased, the gamma voltage generator is configured to narrow the voltage range of the gamma voltages by increasing a value of a first gamma voltage corresponding to a minimum value of the gamma voltages (see Kim at least [0117] “According to an exemplary embodiment, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. The luminance control signal LCS may be provided from the outside, such as from the timing controller 140. More particularly, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.” – note decreasing a minimum gamma voltage widens the voltage range, increasing a minimum gamma voltage narrows the voltage range. Adjusting the maximum gamma voltage is an obvious symmetrical variation to adjusting the minimum gamma voltage, yielding predictable results).
As to claim 17, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the electronic device of claim 10 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is increased, the gamma voltage generator is configured to widen the voltage range of the gamma voltages by increasing a value of a second gamma voltage corresponding to a maximum value of the gamma voltages (see Kim at least [0117] “According to an exemplary embodiment, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. The luminance control signal LCS may be provided from the outside, such as from the timing controller 140. More particularly, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.” – note decreasing a minimum gamma voltage widens the voltage range, increasing a minimum gamma voltage narrows the voltage range. Adjusting the maximum gamma voltage is an obvious symmetrical variation to adjusting the minimum gamma voltage, yielding predictable results).
As to claim 18, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the electronic device of claim 10 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is decreased, the gamma voltage generator is configured to narrow the voltage range of the gamma voltages by decreasing a value of a second gamma voltage corresponding to a maximum value of the gamma voltages (see Kim at least [0117] “According to an exemplary embodiment, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT in response to a luminance control signal LCS. The luminance control signal LCS may be provided from the outside, such as from the timing controller 140. More particularly, the second buffer AMP_BOT may vary the minimum gamma voltage VG_BOT according to a display luminance of the display device 100, and thus, a range of the gamma voltages VO to V2047 may be adjusted.” – note decreasing a minimum gamma voltage widens the voltage range, increasing a minimum gamma voltage narrows the voltage range. Adjusting the maximum gamma voltage is an obvious symmetrical variation to adjusting the minimum gamma voltage, yielding predictable results).
Claims 4 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (USPN 2020/0286448 A1) in view of Jeon (USPN 2012/0062609 A1), further in view of Chun et al. (USPN 2013/0342585 A1), and further in view of Son et al. (USPN 2020/0335042 A1).
As to claim 4, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the display device of claim 2 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is different from the sample luminance levels (see Kim at least [0064] “overall voltage range of the gamma voltages and target voltage levels of the gamma voltages may be changed depending on a luminance.”; [0124] “when a display luminance of the display device 100 is changed from the first luminance to the second luminance, ..” and Jeon at least [0043] “compensating for a difference between the target luminance and the measured luminance”), and to calculate third gamma voltage information, by applying an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level to the second gamma voltage information, as the target gamma voltage information. (see Kim at least [0064] “actual voltage levels .. may be based on offsets”; [0124] “an offset .. is changed according to a change of the minimum gamma voltage”; [0132] “the gamma voltages may have errors due to the offsets”; and Jeon at least [0043] “sets gamma control values capable of compensating for a difference between the target luminance and the measured luminance as reference luminance offset values”).
Kim, Jeon and Chun do not directly teach a linear interpolation method.
Son teaches the controller is configured to calculate second gamma voltage information by applying a linear interpolation method to the gamma voltage information (see Son at least [0111] “gamma data VGAM for a corresponding brightness level may be acquired through gamma interpolation.”; [0121] “gamma data VGAM may be finely controlled … to correct the color coordinate.”; [0128] “Each gamma data VGAM… may be calculated through linear interpolation with respect to the remaining brightness levels.”; [0162] “The gamma controller 256 may differentially adjust and output the gamma data VGAM of the reference gray levels according to each brightness level.” – note Son explicitly teaches linear interpolation of gamma data. Applying an “offset value” is reasonably interpreted as adjusting interpolated gamma data to more closely match a target brightness or luminance level. The claim does not require the offset to be calculated using a specific equation (claims 5 and 14 recite that limitation and are not rejected)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the luminance-dependent gamma correction scheme of Kim, Jeon and Chun with Son’s linear interpolation technique because Son teaches generating gamma data for brightness levels that do not exactly correspond to stored reference levels through linear interpolation. Incorporating Son’s interpolation would have predictably enabled Kim, Jeon and Chun’s system to generate intermediate gamma voltage information for target luminance levels between sample luminance points while reducing transition artifacts and maintaining smoother luminance and color performance across varying display brightness conditions.
As to claim 13, the combination of Kim, Jeon and Chun teach the electronic device of claim 11 (see above rejection), wherein, when the target luminance level is different from the sample luminance levels (see Kim at least [0064] “overall voltage range of the gamma voltages and target voltage levels of the gamma voltages may be changed depending on a luminance.”; [0124] “when a display luminance of the display device 100 is changed from the first luminance to the second luminance, ..” and Jeon at least [0043] “compensating for a difference between the target luminance and the measured luminance”), and to calculate third gamma voltage information, by applying an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level to the second gamma voltage information, as the target gamma voltage information. (see Kim at least [0064] “actual voltage levels .. may be based on offsets”; [0124] “an offset .. is changed according to a change of the minimum gamma voltage”; [0132] “the gamma voltages may have errors due to the offsets”; and Jeon at least [0043] “sets gamma control values capable of compensating for a difference between the target luminance and the measured luminance as reference luminance offset values”).
Kim, Jeon and Chun do not directly teach a linear interpolation method.
Son teaches the controller is configured to calculate second gamma voltage information by applying a linear interpolation method to the gamma voltage information (see Son at least [0111] “gamma data VGAM for a corresponding brightness level may be acquired through gamma interpolation.”; [0121] “gamma data VGAM may be finely controlled … to correct the color coordinate.”; [0128] “Each gamma data VGAM… may be calculated through linear interpolation with respect to the remaining brightness levels.”; [0162] “The gamma controller 256 may differentially adjust and output the gamma data VGAM of the reference gray levels according to each brightness level.” – note Son explicitly teaches linear interpolation of gamma data. Applying an “offset value” is reasonably interpreted as adjusting interpolated gamma data to more closely match a target brightness or luminance level. The claim does not require the offset to be calculated using a specific equation (claims 5 and 14 recite that limitation and are not rejected)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the luminance-dependent gamma correction scheme of Kim, Jeon and Chun with Son’s linear interpolation technique because Son teaches generating gamma data for brightness levels that do not exactly correspond to stored reference levels through linear interpolation. Incorporating Son’s interpolation would have predictably enabled Kim, Jeon and Chun’s system to generate intermediate gamma voltage information for target luminance levels between sample luminance points while reducing transition artifacts and maintaining smoother luminance and color performance across varying display brightness conditions.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 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:
None of the prior art of record teach:
“A display device comprising:
a controller configured to receive image data, a data control signal, and a luminance control signal, to generate a gamma enable signal based on the image data and the data control signal, and to generate a gamma voltage control signal based on the luminance control signal; and
a gamma voltage generator configured to receive the gamma enable signal and the gamma voltage control signal, to generate gamma voltages based on the gamma enable signal, and to change a voltage range of the gamma voltages based on the gamma voltage control signal, and wherein the luminance control signal includes information corresponding to a target luminance level of an image, and
wherein the gamma voltage control signal includes target gamma voltage information corresponding to the target luminance level,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate an offset value corresponding to the target luminance level and to apply the offset value to values obtained using gamma voltage information about sample luminance levels to obtain the target gamma voltage information,
wherein the offset value is calculated based on proportional constants according to emission characteristics of a pixel,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate the offset value using Equation 1 below:
PNG
media_image1.png
64
279
media_image1.png
Greyscale
wherein, in Equation 1, OS denotes the offset value, DV denotes the target luminance level, DBV1 and DBV2 denote a first sample luminance level and a second sample luminance level that have the smallest difference from the target luminance level among the sample luminance levels, and a and b are proportional constants according to emission characteristics of a pixel.”
Claims 14 would be allowable if Double Patenting Rejection is overcome for at least the same reasons as the allowable subject matter for claim 5 above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/JENNIFER L ZUBAJLO/ Examiner, Art Unit 2627
5/23/2026
/KE XIAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2627
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