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 .
Claims 1, 19, and 20 have been amended as per Applicant’s amendment filed on September 10, 2026. No claims have been canceled. Claims 1-20 are pending.
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.
Claims 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Pyun (US 2021/0150971 A1, Published May 20, 2021) in view of Kim2 (US 2020/0211457 A1, Published July 2, 2020).
As to claim 1, Pyun discloses a display apparatus comprising:
a display panel including a pixel configured to emit a light based on a first power voltage and a second power voltage less than the first power voltage (Pyun at Fig. 2, ELVDD and ELVSS);
a data driver configured to output a data voltage to the pixel (Pyun at Fig. 1, data driver 30); and
a power voltage generator configured to output a data power voltage (Pyun at Fig. 1, Examiner regards power source manager 70 and memory 60 together as a power voltage generator. AVDD is analogous to a data power voltage), a maximum data voltage and a minimum data voltage to the data driver, wherein a luminance setting value varies, and the data power voltage (Pyun at Figs. 4, 5, 9 shows AVDD is varied) and the maximum data voltage are varied (Pyun at Figs. 4-5)…
the minimum data voltage is fixed (Pyun at Figs. 4-5; black is fixed at 1V; ¶ [0076] discloses “For example, referring to FIG. 4, the data voltage of a black grayscale that requires the lowest data voltage may be 1 V”).
Pyun does not disclose according to the luminance setting value
However, Kim does disclose according to the luminance setting value (Kim2 at Fig. 1, luminance compensator 114; Figs. 9-13; ¶ [0055])
Pyun discloses a base display device upon which the claimed invention is an improvement. Kim2 discloses a comparable device which has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify or add to Pyun the teachings of Kim for the predictable result of compensating for luminance by reflecting an IR drop include the display panel (Kim2 at ¶ [0006]).
As to claim 8, the combination of Pyun and Kim2 discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the maximum data voltage is greater than a white data voltage corresponding to a maximum grayscale value at the luminance setting value (Pyun at Figs. 4, 5, 8).
As to claim 9, the combination of Pyun and Kim2 discloses the display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the luminance setting value varies, and a difference between the maximum data voltage and the white data voltage is fixed (Pyun at Figs. 4, 5, 8).
As to claim 10, the combination of Pyun and Kim2 discloses the display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the minimum data voltage is substantially the same as a black data voltage corresponding to a minimum grayscale value (Pyun at Figs 4, 5, 8).
As to claim 11, the combination of Pyun and Kim2 discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixel includes a light emitting element and a first transistor configured to apply a driving current to the light emitting element, and wherein the first transistor is an N-type transistor (Pyun at Fig. 2, transistor M1; ¶ [0059]).
As to claim 17, the combination of Pyun and Kim2 discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a driving controller configured to control an operation of the data driver and an operation of the power voltage generator, wherein the driving controller is configured to output the luminance setting value to the power voltage generator (Pyun at Figs. 1, 8).
As to claim 18, the combination of Pyun and Kim2 discloses the display apparatus of claim 17, wherein the driving controller and the data driver are integratedly formed to form an integrated driver, wherein the integrated driver is configured to output the luminance setting value to the power voltage generator, and wherein the power voltage generator is configured to output the data power voltage, the maximum data voltage and the minimum data voltage to the integrated driver (Pyun at Figs. 1, 2. MPEP 2144.04(V) establishes making integral is obvious).
As to claim 19, Pyun discloses a display apparatus comprising:
a display panel including a pixel configured to emit a light based on a first power voltage and a second power voltage less than the first power voltage; a data driver configured to output a data voltage to the pixel (Pyun at Figs. 1-2); and
a power voltage generator configured to output a data power voltage Pyun at Fig. 1, Examiner regards power source manager 70 and memory 60 together as a power voltage generator. AVDD is analogous to a data power voltage), a maximum data voltage and a minimum data voltage to the data driver, wherein a luminance mode varies, and the data power voltage (Pyun at Figs. 4, 5, 9 shows AVDD is varied) and the maximum data voltage are varied (Pyun at Figs. 4-5)…
the minimum data voltage is fixed (Pyun at Figs. 4-5; black is fixed at 1V; ¶ [0076] discloses “For example, referring to FIG. 4, the data voltage of a black grayscale that requires the lowest data voltage may be 1 V”).
Pyun does not disclose according to the luminance setting value
However, Kim does disclose according to the luminance setting value (Kim2 at Fig. 1, luminance compensator 114; Figs. 9-13; ¶ [0055])
Pyun discloses a base display device upon which the claimed invention is an improvement. Kim discloses a comparable device which has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify or add to Pyun the teachings of Kim for the predictable result of compensating for luminance by reflecting an IR drop include the display panel (Kim2 at ¶ [0006]).
As to claim 20, Pyun discloses an electronic apparatus comprising: a display panel including a pixel configured to emit a light based on a first power voltage and a second power voltage less than the first power voltage; a data driver configured to output a data voltage to the pixel (Pyun at Figs. 1-2);
a power voltage generator configured to output a data power voltage (Pyun at Fig. 1, Examiner regards power source manager 70 and memory 60 together as a power voltage generator. AVDD is analogous to a data power voltage), a maximum data voltage and a minimum data voltage to the data driver (Pyun at Figs. 1, 4-5, ¶ [0076] discloses “For example, referring to FIG. 4, the data voltage of a black grayscale that requires the lowest data voltage may be 1 V, and the data voltage of a peak white grayscale that requires the highest data voltage may be 8.4 V.”);
a driving controller configured to control an operation of the data driver and an operation of the power voltage generator; and a processor configured to output an input control signal and input image data to the driving controller (Pyun at Fig. 1. MPEP 2144.04(IV) establishes that changes in configuration are obvious),
wherein a luminance setting value varies, and the data power voltage (Pyun at Figs. 4, 5, 9 shows AVDD is varied) and the maximum data voltage are varied (Pyun at Figs. 4-5), and the minimum data voltage is fixed (Pyun at Figs. 4-5; black is fixed at 1V; ¶ [0076] discloses “For example, referring to FIG. 4, the data voltage of a black grayscale that requires the lowest data voltage may be 1 V”).
Pyun does not disclose according to the luminance setting value
However, Kim2 does disclose according to the luminance setting value (Kim2 at Fig. 1, luminance compensator 114; Figs. 9-13; ¶ [0055])
Pyun discloses a base display device upon which the claimed invention is an improvement. Kim discloses a comparable device which has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify or add to Pyun the teachings of Kim for the predictable result of compensating for luminance by reflecting an IR drop include the display panel (Kim2 at ¶ [0006]).
Claim 12 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pyun and Kim2 as applied to claim 11 above, and in further view of Kim (US 2023/0117873 A1, Published April 20, 2023).
As to claim 12, the combination of Pyun and Kim2 discloses the display apparatus of claim 11.
The combination does not disclose that the driving current of the pixel is proportional to a square of a difference between the data voltage and a reference voltage applied to the pixel.
However, Kim does disclose that the driving current of the pixel is proportional to a square of a difference between the data voltage and a reference voltage applied to the pixel (Kim at Fig. 2; ¶ [0225] disclose “Since the voltage level of the gate electrode of the first transistor T1 is (ELVDD−Vth+VREF−Vdata), the current flowing through the light-emitting device ED is proportional to (VREF−Vdata).sup.2, which is the square voltage of the difference between the reference voltage Vref and the data voltage Vdata corresponding to the data signal Di.”).
Pyun discloses a base display device upon which the claimed invention is an improvement. Kim discloses a comparable display device which has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify or add to Pyun the teachings of Kim for the predictable result of providing a display device capable of operating at various driving frequencies (Kim at ¶ [0006]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 13-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all limitations of the objected to claim and 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:
As to claim 2, Pyun discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the luminance setting value varies (Pyun at ¶ [0096]).
However, none of the prior art found by the Examiner discloses the claimed aspect of: a difference between the data power voltage and the maximum data voltage is fixed.
As to claim 4, Pyun discloses the display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the luminance setting value varies (Pyun at ¶ [0096]).
However, none of the prior art found by the Examiner discloses the claimed aspect of: a difference between a reference voltage applied to the pixel and the minimum data voltage is fixed.
As to claim 13, the combination of Pyun and Kim discloses the display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the pixel comprises: the first transistor including a control electrode connected to a first node, a first electrode connected to a second node and a second electrode connected to a third node; a second transistor including a control electrode configured to receive a writing gate signal, a first electrode configured to receive the data voltage and a second electrode connected to the first node (Pyun at Fig. 2);
a third transistor including a control electrode configured to receive a reference gate signal, a first electrode configured to receive a reference voltage and a second electrode connected to the first node; a fourth transistor including a control electrode configured to receive an initialization gate signal, a first electrode configured to receive an initialization voltage and a second electrode connected to an anode electrode of the light emitting element; a fifth transistor including a control electrode configured to receive a first emission signal, a first electrode configured to receive the first power voltage and a second electrode connected to the second node; a sixth transistor including a control electrode configured to receive a second emission signal, a first electrode connected to the third node and a second electrode connected to the anode electrode of the light emitting element (Kim at Fig. 2);
the light emitting element including the anode electrode and a cathode electrode configured to receive the second power voltage (Pyun at Fig. 2);
a first capacitor including a first electrode connected to the first node and a second electrode connected to the third node (Pyun at Fig. 2, Cst).
However, none of the prior art found by the Examiner discloses the claimed aspect of: a second capacitor including a first electrode configured to receive the first power voltage and a second electrode connected to the third node.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but they are believed to be addressed above, and therefore, moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Pyun (US 2021/0012705 A1, Published January 14, 2021) is made of record for its relevance to claims 1 and 19 by its disclosure of the following at Fig. 5A, 5N:
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471
784
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Greyscale
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581
783
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Nam (US 2018/0158397 A1, Published June 7, 2018) is made of record for its relevance to claims 1, 19 by its disclosure of the following at Fig. 1:
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562
637
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Greyscale
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sanjiv D Patel whose telephone number is (571)270-5731. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Boddie can be reached at 571-272-0666. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Sanjiv D. Patel/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625
09/20/2026
