Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 19/197,658

DISPLAY DEVICE

Non-Final OA §103§112
Filed
May 02, 2025
Priority
Jan 31, 2023 — RE 10-2023-0012226 +1 more
Examiner
PHAM, LONG D
Art Unit
2623
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
LG Display Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
77%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 6m
Est. Remaining
93%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 77% — above average
77%
Career Allowance Rate
643 granted / 836 resolved
+14.9% vs TC avg
Strong +16% interview lift
Without
With
+15.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
13 currently pending
Career history
859
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.1%
-39.9% vs TC avg
§103
83.0%
+43.0% vs TC avg
§102
13.6%
-26.4% vs TC avg
§112
0.3%
-39.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 836 resolved cases

Office Action

§103 §112
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. Information Disclosure Statement The references cited in the IDS have been considered by examiner. Specification The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. The following title is suggested: DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING A PLURALITY OF DRIVING FREQUENCY IN DIFFERENT FRAME PERIODS. 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 3-7 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 3 recites the limitation "the driving frequency" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is not clear which the driving frequency the claim is referred to (i.e. a first driving frequency or a second driving frequency). Claims 4-7 are rejected as being dependent upon rejected claim 3. 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) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin et al (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2022/0139333) in view of Kim et al (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2019/0213942; hereinafter referenced as Kim’942). Regarding claim 1, Jin discloses a display device (1000), (fig. 1, [0042]), comprising: a display panel (100) on which pixels (PX) are arranged, (fig. 1, [0044]); a controller (600) configured to control the pixels (PX) in a first driving frequency in a first frame (i.e. first frame driven at 120 Hz) and to control the pixels (PX) in a second driving frequency in a second frame (i.e. second frame driven at 70 Hz), (fig. 1, [0059-0060 and 0128-0130]); and a data driver (300) configured to convert an image data (DAT) output from the controller (600) to generate a data voltage (data signal) and to output the data voltage to the pixels (PX) through data lines (DL), (fig. 1, [0051]), wherein the first frame (first frame at 120 Hz) and the second frame (second frame at 70 Hz) each include an active period (data writing period DP) and a blank period (blank period BP), (fig. 9, [0128-0130]), and wherein the data driver (300) configured to output a initialization voltage Vint determined in response to the first driving frequency (120 Hz) and the second driving frequency (70 Hz) to the sensing line SL during the blank period (BP) (i.e. during period BP, the transistor T3 and switch SW are turned on by signal SS and SW, hence the initialization voltage Vint outputs to the sensing line SL), (figs. 3 and 9, [0129]). However, Jin does not mention the data driver configured to output a first gray data voltage to the data lines during the blank period. In a similar field of endeavor, Kim’942 teaches wherein the data driver (500) configured to output a first gray data voltage (i.e. preset grayscale is set to 127 grayscale) to the data lines (DL) during the blank period (vertical blank period), (figs. 1 and 4a, [0067 and 0084-0085]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jin, by specifically providing the grayscale during the blank period, as taught by Kim’942, for the purpose of reducing noise, to enhance display quality, [0006]. Regarding claim 2, Kim’942 discloses wherein the first gray data voltage (127G) output during the blank period of the first frame (vertical blank period at moment A) is set to have a difference of equal to a reference value (i.e. difference of the grayscale at moment A is 127 grayscale which is equal to the difference in grayscale at moment D is also 127 grayscale during second active period) from the data voltage output in the active period of the second frame (i.e. second active period at moment D), (fig. 4a, [0084-0085]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jin, by specifically providing the grayscale during the blank period, as taught by Kim’942, for the purpose of reducing noise, to enhance display quality, [0006]. Claim(s) 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin in view of Kim’942 and in view of Kim et al (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2022/0223082; hereinafter referenced as Kim’082). Regarding claim 8, Jin in view of Kim’942 discloses everything as specified above in claim 1. However, Jin in view of Kim’942 does not mention the controller comprises a frequency calculator. In a similar field of endeavor, Kim’082 teaches wherein the controller (100) comprises a frequency calculator (120) configured to calculate the first driving frequency (i.e. first frequency calculator 122 outputs frequency F1) and the second driving frequency (i.e. second frequency calculator 124 outputs frequency F2) based on an input time of pulses of a control signal (i.e. counting pulses of the reference clock signal R_CLK and clock signal CLK), (fig. 2, [0064-0066 and 0071]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jin in view of Kim’942, by specifically providing the frequency calculator, as taught by Kim’082, for the purpose of reducing screen abnormality, [0167]. Regarding claim 9, Kim’082 discloses wherein the control signal comprises a first pulse synchronized with the start time of the first frame (i.e. first pulse of vertical synchronization signal Vsync for the first frame) and a second pulse synchronized with the start time of the second frame (i.e. second pulse of the Vsync for the second frame), (fig. 8, [0152]), and wherein the frequency calculator (120) configured to calculate the first driving frequency (F1) by counting the time from the input time of the first pulse to the input time of the second pulse (i.e. the first frequency calculator 122 may calculate a current frequency F1 of the clock signal CLK, based on a value obtained by counting pulses of the clock signal CLK in a count enable period), (fig. 2, [0065-0066]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jin in view of Kim’942, by specifically providing the frequency calculator, as taught by Kim’082, for the purpose of reducing screen abnormality, [0167]. Regarding claim 10, Kim’082 discloses wherein the frequency calculator (120) configured to calculate the first driving frequency (F1) during the active period (i.e. count enable period) of the second frame (i.e. second frame when the second Vsync is ON), (figs. 2 and 4, [0066-0068 and 0111]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jin in view of Kim’942, by specifically providing the frequency calculator, as taught by Kim’082, for the purpose of reducing screen abnormality, [0167]. Claim(s) 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin in view of Kim’942 in view of Kim’082 and in view of Kwon et al (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2023/0086572; already of record in IDS). Regarding claim 11, Kim’082 discloses everything as specified above in claim 10. However, Jin in view of Kim’942 and in view of Kim’082 does not mention the controller comprises a calculator, a storage and an image data output unit. In a similar field of endeavor, Kwon teaches wherein the controller (100), (fig. 4, [0085]), further comprises: a calculator (120) configured to calculate a first gray data (i.e. calculate luminance, step S300) based on the first frequency (i.e. based on driving frequency from step S330), (figs. 8 and 13, [0165 and 0169]); a storage (110) configured to store the first gray data, (fig. 8, [0126]); and an image data output unit (130) configured to output the first gray data to the data driver (200), (figs. 4 and 8, [0087 and 0128]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jin in view of Kim’942 and in view of Kim’082, by specifically providing the calculator, the storage and the image data output, as taught by Kwon, for the purpose of reducing power consumption, [0006]. Regarding claim 12, Kim’942 discloses wherein the image data output unit (200) configured to output the first gray data (127 grayscale) to the data driver (500) during the blank period of the second frame (frame N+1), (figs. 1-2 and 4a, [0067, 0073 and 0084]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jin, by specifically providing the grayscale during the blank period, as taught by Kim’942, for the purpose of reducing noise, to enhance display quality, [0006]. Inquiries Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LONG D PHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5573. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 9am-5pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chanh D Nguyen can be reached at 571-272-7772. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /LONG D PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2623
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

May 02, 2025
Application Filed
Feb 20, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103, §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
77%
Grant Probability
93%
With Interview (+15.9%)
2y 7m (~1y 6m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 836 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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