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 submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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 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, 3, 7, 8, 12, 13, 16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang et al (US 2021/0065620 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yang discloses a display device comprising:
a display panel [e.g., Fig. 1: 100] including
a first pixel area [e.g., Fig. 17: 1st and 3rd row, left pixel area of 50% in AA1],
a second pixel area [e.g., Fig. 17: 1st and 3rd row, TA + PXA in AA2; Fig. 8: rows including the (TA + PXA) repeating pattern], and
a boundary pixel area [e.g., Fig. 17: 1st and 3rd row, right pixel area of 50% in AA1 to left pixel area of 80% in AA3] disposed between the first pixel area and the second pixel area; and
a display panel driver [e.g., Fig. 1: 220] configured to write pixel data [e.g., Paragraph 59: data signals] of an input image [e.g., Paragraph 59: image data] into pixels [e.g., Fig. 2: PXL, LD; Figs. 6-7, 9-10: PXL; Fig. 14: PXL’; Paragraphs 118-121] disposed in pixel areas [e.g., Fig. 2: areas including PXL, LD; Figs. 6-7, 9-10: PXL; Fig. 14: PXL’] of the display panel, wherein
the second pixel area includes a plurality of unit emission regions [e.g., Fig. 17: TA + PXA (100%)], and
the boundary pixel area includes a plurality of unit emission regions [e.g., Fig. 17: (50% + 60%) and (30% + 80%)], wherein
each of the plurality of unit emission regions of the second pixel area includes an emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: PXA (100%)] and a non-emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: TA],
each [e.g., Fig. 17: each (50% + 60%) and each (30% + 80%)] of the plurality of unit emission regions of the boundary pixel area has a same size as a unit emission region [e.g., size of Fig. 17: [TA + PXA (100%)] region = (50% + 60%) region = (30% + 80%) region] of the second pixel area, and
each [e.g., Fig. 17: each (50% + 60%) and each (30% + 80%)] of the plurality of unit emission regions of the boundary pixel area includes a first emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: 60%, 80%] and a second emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: 50%, 30%], wherein
first emission regions are spaced apart from each other by a distance [e.g., Fig. 17: distance between 60% and 80%] equal to a distance [e.g., Fig. 17: distance between 1st PXA and 2nd PXA = TA = distance between 60% and 80% = 30%] between emission regions of the second pixel area, with the second emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: 30%] interposed therebetween,
a maximum luminance of a first emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: luminance decreases from 80% to 60%] decreases as a distance [e.g., Fig. 17: distance from AA2 to 80% increases to 60%] from the second pixel area increases, and
a maximum luminance of a second emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: luminance increases from 30% to 50%] increases as a distance [e.g., Fig. 17: distance from AA2 to 30% increases to 50%] from the second pixel area increases, and
a separation distance between the first emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: 80%] of the boundary pixel area and the emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: PXA (100%)] of the second pixel area is constant at a boundary [e.g., Fig. 17: 10%] between the boundary pixel area and the second pixel area (e.g., see Paragraphs 51-170).
Regarding claim 3, Yang discloses light travels to an optical element [e.g., Fig. 4: 120] disposed under the display panel through the second pixel area (e.g., see Paragraphs 91-100).
Regarding claim 7, Yang discloses a distance between a pair of first emission regions [e.g., Fig. 17: distance between 60% and 80%] is equal to a distance between a pair of emission regions [e.g., Fig. 17: distance between 1st PXA and 2nd PXA = TA = distance between 60% and 80% = 30%] from the plurality of unit emission regions in the second pixel area without another one of the plurality of unit emission regions between the pair of emission regions (e.g., see Paragraphs 160-165).
Regarding claim 8, Yang discloses the separation distance between a corresponding emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: TA] of the second pixel area and a corresponding first emission region [e.g., Fig. 17: 80%] of the boundary pixel area in each of a plurality of lines [e.g., Fig. 17: 5th and 7th row] of emission regions is equal to the distance between the pair of emission regions in the second pixel area (e.g., see Paragraphs 160-165).
Regarding claim 12, Yang discloses the first emission region is disposed on at least two row lines [e.g., Fig. 17: 1st and 3rd rows each including (50% + 60%) and (30% + 80%)] and at least two column lines [e.g., Fig. 17: 1st column including (50% + 60%) and 2nd column including (30% + 80%)] to be spaced apart from each other in each column line and each row line, and
the second emission region is disposed on the at least two row lines and the at least two column lines to be connected to each other in a row direction [e.g., Fig. 17: horizontal direction] and a column direction [e.g., Fig. 17: vertical direction] between the first emission regions (e.g., see Paragraphs 160-165).
Regarding claim 13, Yang discloses a mobile terminal [e.g., Paragraph 4: mobile terminal] comprising: the display device; and an optical element [e.g., Fig. 4: 120] disposed under the second pixel area of the display panel, wherein the second pixel area includes a plurality of unit emission regions [e.g., Fig. 17: TA + PXA (100%)] (e.g., see Paragraphs 91-100).
Regarding claim 16, this claim is rejected by the reasoning applied in rejecting claim 3.
Regarding claim 20, this claim is rejected by the reasoning applied in rejecting claim 12.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 8, 12, 16 and 17 in the reply filed on 11 February 2026 is acknowledged.
The Applicant contends claims 5, 6, 9-11, 15, 18 and 19 each encompasses elected Species 8. However, the Office respectfully disagrees.
Claim 5 recites the subject matter, “each of the first emission region and the second emission region includes a plurality of sub-pixels having different colors, and a number of sub-pixels disposed in the first emission region and a number of sub-pixels disposed in the second emission region differ by an integer multiple for each color.”
The above subject matter is directed to non-elected Species 3.
Claim 6 recites the subject matter, “pixels of the first pixel area and pixels disposed in the second emission region of the boundary pixel area emit light with luminance defined by a first gamma compensation curve, pixels of the second pixel area and pixels disposed in the first emission region of the boundary pixel area emit light with luminance defined by a second gamma compensation curve, and a maximum luminance of the second gamma compensation curve is higher than maximum luminance of the first gamma compensation curve.”
The above subject matter is directed to non-elected Species 11.
Claim 9 recites the subject matter, “in sub-pixels of a same color, the number of sub-pixels disposed in the second emission region is greater than the number of sub-pixels disposed in the first emission region by the integer multiple of the number of sub-pixels disposed in the first emission region.”
The above subject matter is directed to non-elected Species 3.
Claim 10 recites the subject matter, “a pixel density of the boundary pixel area is a same as that of the first pixel area and is higher than that of the second pixel area.”
The above subject matter is directed to non-elected Species 1.
Claim 11 recites the subject matter, “a pixel density of a part of the boundary pixel area adjacent to the second pixel area is lower than a pixel density of the first pixel area, and is equal to or higher than a pixel density of the second pixel area.”
The above subject matter is directed to non-elected Species 2.
Claim 15 recites the subject matter, “pixels of the first pixel area and pixels disposed in the second emission region of the boundary pixel area emit light with luminance defined by a first gamma compensation curve, pixels of the second pixel area and pixels disposed in the first emission region of the boundary pixel area emit light with luminance defined by a second gamma compensation curve, and a maximum luminance of the second gamma compensation curve is higher than a maximum luminance of the first gamma compensation curve.”
The above subject matter is directed to non-elected Species 11.
Claim 18 recites the subject matter, “each of the first emission region and the second emission region includes a plurality of sub-pixels having different colors, and a number of sub-pixels disposed in the first emission region and a number of sub-pixels disposed in the second emission region differ by an integer multiple for each color.”
The above subject matter is directed to non-elected Species 3.
Claim 19 recites the subject matter, “a pixel density of a part of the boundary pixel area adjacent to the second pixel area is lower than a pixel density of the first pixel area and is equal to or higher than a pixel density of the second pixel area.”
The above subject matter is directed to non-elected Species 2.
Claims 2, 4-6, 9-11, 14, 15 and 17-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to at least a nonelected species/invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11 February 2026.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The documents listed on the attached 'Notice of References Cited' are cited to further evidence the state of the art pertaining to display devices.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jeff Piziali whose telephone number is (571)272-7678. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday (7:30AM - 4PM). The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jeff Piziali/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628
20 February 2026