DETAILED ACTION
Status of Application
Claims 1-19 are pending in the instant application.
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 .
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 (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 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 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hyun et al. (US 20200394964 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hyun teaches a display panel comprising: a first region including a plurality of pixels having a first pixel density; (Figs. 1 and 3. First region DA2. Para 57. The second display area DA2 may occupy most of the display area DA. The second display area DA2 may have a second pixel density, and the second pixel density may be greater than the first pixel density.)
a second region including a plurality of pixels having a second pixel density that is lower than the first pixel density; (Fig 3. Second region DA1. Para 57. (Figs. 1 and 3. First region DA2. Para 57. The second display area DA2 may occupy most of the display area DA. The second display area DA2 may have a second pixel density, and the second pixel density may be greater than the first pixel density.)
a boundary region including a plurality of pixels having a third pixel density that is higher than the second pixel density and equal to the first pixel density; (Fig. 3. The boundary region is the edge region of DA2 adjacent to region DA3. So it has a third pixel density that is higher than the second pixel density of DA1 and equal to the first pixel density of DA2)
the boundary region including a plurality of unit emission regions, (Para 54. OLED display which have emission pixels.)
the boundary region including a plurality of unit emission regions in which a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels gradually changes. (Para 3 discloses displaying of image. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, therefore a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels would gradually change.)
and a transition region including a plurality of pixels having a fourth pixel density that is higher than the second pixel density and lower than the third pixel density, (Fig. 3. Transition region DA3. Para 60. Also, the pixel density of the third display area DA3 may be higher than the first pixel density and lower than the second pixel density.)
wherein a boundary between the boundary region and the transition region includes an inflection point where a luminance gradient of pixels changes. (Fig. 3, the boundary between DA2 and DA3. Para 61: Since the pixel density of the third display area DA3 gradually increases in a direction closer to the second display area DA2, a luminance difference between the first and second display areas DA1 and DA2 may gradually change in the third display area DA3. Therefore, a sudden luminance change between the first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2 may not be perceived by the user, and image quality may be improved.)
Regarding claim 2, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 1,
And Hyun teaches wherein in the boundary region, the maximum value among the luminance values of respective pixels gradually decreases in a direction toward the first region from the boundary region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, the maximum value among the luminance values of respective pixels in the boundary region would gradually decrease in a direction toward the first region from the boundary region)
Regarding claim 3, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 1,
And Hyun further teaches wherein an absolute value of an average change in luminance of the pixels in the transition region is smaller than an absolute value of an average change in the luminance of the pixels in the boundary region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, an absolute value of an average change in luminance of the pixels in the transition region would be smaller than an absolute value of an average change in the luminance of the pixels in the boundary region)
Regarding claim 4, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 1,
And Hyun further teaches wherein a pixel density, in each of the first pixel density, the second pixel density, the third pixel density, and the fourth pixel density, is defined as the number of driven pixels per unit area. (Para 57. Fig. 3. Pixel density is pixels per display area)
Regarding claim 5, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 1,
And Hyun further teaches wherein the first region includes a first unit emission region, the second region includes a second unit emission region positioned at one side of the first unit emission region in a first direction, the boundary region includes a third unit emission region positioned at the one side of the first unit emission region in the first direction, (Para 81. Fig. 3. Each pixel in DA1 and DA2 is a unit emission region with RGB subpixels. Boundary region is the region in DA2 adjacent to DA3)
the transition region includes a fourth unit emission region positioned at the one side of the first unit emission region in the first direction, (Para 81. Fig. 3. Each pixel in DA3 is a unit emission region with RGB subpixels.)
areas of the first to fourth unit emission regions are the same in size, and a position of driven pixels in the second unit emission region corresponds to a position of driven pixels in the fourth unit emission region. (Fig. 3 shows the pixels are the same in size, and they are lined up as shown in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 5, and Hyun further teaches wherein the first unit emission region includes first to fourth pixel groups, each of the first to fourth pixel groups having one or more ON R pixels, one or more ON B pixels, and one or more ON G pixels. (Para 81. RGB pixels).
Regarding claim 7, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 6, and Hyun further teaches wherein the first to fourth pixel groups are configured to emit light at a same luminance. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, the first to fourth pixel groups are configured to emit light at a same luminance)
Regarding claim 8, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 5, and Hyun further teaches wherein the number of driven pixels in the fourth unit emission region is greater than the number of driven pixels in the second unit emission region and is smaller than the number of driven pixels in the third unit emission region. . (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different RGB subpixels may be activated, therefore the number of driven pixels in the fourth unit emission region is greater than the number of driven pixels in the second unit emission region and is smaller than the number of driven pixels in the third unit emission region)
Regarding claim 9, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 5, and Hyun further teaches wherein a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the fourth unit emission region is greater than or equal to a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the third unit emission region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, so a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the fourth unit emission region is greater than or equal to a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the third unit emission region)
Regarding claim 10, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 1, and Hyun further teaches wherein the first region includes a first unit emission region, the second region includes a second unit emission region positioned at one side of the first unit emission region in a first direction, the boundary region includes a third unit emission region positioned at one side of the first unit emission region in the first direction, (Para 81. Fig. 3. Each pixel in DA1 and DA2 is a unit emission region with RGB subpixels. Boundary region is the region in DA2 adjacent to DA3)
areas of the first to third unit emission regions are the same in size, (Para 81. Fig. 3. Each pixel in DA3 is a unit emission region with RGB subpixels.)
the third unit emission region includes a third-first unit emission region and a third-second unit emission region positioned closer to the first unit emission region than the third-first unit emission region, (Para 81. Fig. 3. Each pixel in the boundary region is a unit emission region with RGB subpixels. So the boundary region include two rows of pixels as shown in Fig. 3. The pixel in top row is the third-first unit emission region, and the pixel in the row below is third-second unit emission region which is closer to DA2)
and a difference between a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the third-first unit emission region and a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the first unit emission region is greater than a difference between a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the third-second unit emission region and the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the first unit emission region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, so a difference between a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the third-first unit emission region and a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the first unit emission region is greater than a difference between a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the third-second unit emission region and the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the first unit emission region)
Regarding claim 11, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 1,
And Hyun further teaches wherein a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the second region is greater than a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the first region, the boundary region, and the transition region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, so a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the second region is greater than a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the first region, the boundary region, and the transition region).
Regarding claim 12, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 11, and Hyun further teaches wherein a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the transition region is greater than a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the first region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, so a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the transition region is greater than a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the first region)
Regarding claim 13, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 11, and Hyun further teaches wherein a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the boundary region is greater than a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the first region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, so a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the boundary region is greater than a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the first region)
Regarding claim 14, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 11, and Hyun further teaches wherein a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the transition region is greater than or equal to a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the boundary region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, so a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the transition region is greater than or equal to a maximum value among luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the boundary region)
Regarding claim 15, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 1, and Hyun further teaches wherein the transition region includes a fourth-first unit emission region and a fourth-second unit emission region positioned closer to the boundary region than the fourth-first unit emission region, (Fig. 3. Pixel in bottom row of DA3 is a fourth-second unit emission region positioned closer to the boundary region than the fourth-first unit emission region, and the fourth-first unit emission region is pixel in the row above the bottom row)
and a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the fourth-first unit emission region is different from a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the fourth-second unit emission region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, so a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the fourth-first unit emission region is different from a maximum value among luminance values of respective pixels arranged in the fourth-second unit emission region)
Regarding claim 16, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 15, and Hyun further teaches wherein the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the fourth-first unit emission region is greater than the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the fourth-second unit emission region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, so the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the fourth-first unit emission region is greater than the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the fourth-second unit emission region)
Regarding claim 17, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 15, and Hyun further teaches wherein the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the fourth-first unit emission region is smaller than the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the fourth-second unit emission region. (Para 3. So depending on the image being displayed, different grayscale may be required of for different pixels, so wherein the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the fourth-first unit emission region is smaller than the maximum value among the luminance values of the respective pixels arranged in the fourth-second unit emission region)
Regarding claim 18, Hyun already teaches the display panel of claim 1, and Hyun further teaches wherein the boundary region is positioned between the first region and the second region, and the transition region is positioned between the boundary region and the second region. (Fig. 3. The boundary region is the edge region of DA2 adjacent to region DA3, so it is between DA2 and DA1. DA3 is between the boundary region and the DA1)
Regarding claim 19, Hyun already teaches a display device comprising: the display panel according to claim 1;
And Hyun further teaches and an optical element overlapping the display panel, wherein the optical element overlaps the second region in a plane direction of the display panel. (Para 63-64. Figs. 1-2 shows optical element 300 under DA1)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HANG LIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7596. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.
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, Temesghen Ghebretinsae can be reached at 571-272-3017. 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.
/HANG LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2626
Prosecution Insights