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 .
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: Electronic Device with Display Backlight Local Dimming.
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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) 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.
Regarding claim 1, in lines 4-5, the limitation “the plurality of frames” is unclear as to whether it is introducing a new element of a plurality of frames (as there is no or is a typo that is intended to refer to the plurality of sub-frames. The scope of the claim is indefinite. Note that the description is somewhat loose in using the term frame, but based on the technical aspects of the description it is believed that the element should refer to the plurality of sub-frames (see paragraph [46]), although this is contrary to the actual text of the claim. Claims 2-9 depend from claim 1 and share the rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2018/0246375 A1 (Zhang) teaches an electronic device, comprising: a display panel (Fig. 2A at 101), wherein a frame displayed on the display panel is formed by a plurality of sub-frames (Abstract); and a backlight source, disposed below the display panel and comprising a plurality of light-emitting units ([79]-[80], [103]); wherein the backlight source comprises a local dimming function, when a gray- level value of a position of each of the plurality of sub-frames corresponding to a first frame area is greater than a zero gray-level value and less than or equal to a fraction of the maximum gray-level value in the first frame area of the frame displayed on the display panel and a gray- level value of a position of at least one of the sub-frames corresponding to a second frame area is greater than a fraction of the maximum gray-level value in the second frame area outside the first frame area, the local dimming function uses a first mode to control the light-emitting units corresponding to a first backlight area of the first frame area, and uses a second mode to control the light-emitting units corresponding to a second backlight area of the second frame area ([58], [60], [64], [69], [105]; Figs. 2C, 2D);
wherein in the first mode, the light-emitting units corresponding to the first backlight area of the first frame area emit light at a predetermined brightness value [60], [64], [69], [105]; Figs. 2C, 2D);
wherein in the first mode, the light-emitting units in the first backlight area emit light according to a first-backlight brightness-gray-level value-ratio relationship [60], [64], [69], [105]; Figs. 2C, 2D), in the second mode, the light-emitting units in the second backlight area emit light according to a second-backlight brightness-gray-level value-ratio relationship [60], [64], [69], [105]; Figs. 2C, 2D), and the first-backlight brightness-gray-level value- ratio relationship is different from the second-backlight brightness-gray-level value- ratio relationship [60], [64], [69], [105]; Figs. 2C, 2D);
wherein a maximum brightness emitted by the light-emitting units in the first backlight area according to the first- backlight brightness-gray-level value-ratio relationship is less than a minimum brightness emitted by the light-emitting units in the second backlight area according to the second-backlight brightness-gray-level value-ratio relationship (Fig. 2C);
wherein in second mode, a light- brightness value of the light-emitting units is increased with the increase of a gray-level value (Fig. 2C),
wherein multiple threshold may set for different brightness intervals for different modes ([60]).
US 2013/0147778 A1 (Ninan) teaches when the frame displayed on the display panel has a maximum brightness, the plurality of sub-frames have a maximum gray-level value at the same time ([55]).
US 2012/0327136 A1 (Uehara) teaches that a backlight comprises different colors (Figs. 1-2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GENE W LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-7148. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:45am-6:15pm.
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/Gene W Lee/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621