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.
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, 2, 4-6, 8, 13, 14, and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung et al (US 2021/0366344; hereinafter Chung), in view of Kim et al (US 2016/0189661; hereinafter Kim).
• Regarding claims 1, 8, and 13, Chung discloses a display and corresponding control method (figure 13) comprising:
at least one visual display element (¶ 95); and
a display driver circuit connected to drive the at least one visual display element (elements 5300 and 5400 in figure 13),
the display driver circuit comprising:
at least one bias generator, configured to output a bias voltage (element 2630 in figure 10 and ¶ 77);
a first gamma operational amplifier (element GAMP1 in figure 10 and ¶ 76),
a second gamma operational amplifier (element GAMPk in figure 10 and ¶ 76),
at least one of the first gamma operational amplifier and the second gamma operational amplifier being electrically connected to the at least one note where each of elements GAMP1-GAMPk in figure 10 receive the signal VBG output from element 2630),
the at least one of the first gamma operational amplifier and the second gamma operational amplifier electrically connected to the at least one ¶ 77);
a resistance string electrically connected to output terminals of the first gamma operational amplifier and the second gamma operational amplifier (element 2650 in figure 10 and ¶ 77),
the resistance string configured to perform voltage division on the output terminals of the first gamma operational amplifier and the second gamma operational amplifier (¶ 77); and
a plurality of source driving channels electrically connected to the resistance string (at least suggested by DL1-DLm in figure 9 and ¶s 72-75).
However, Chung fails to disclose the additional details of the display.
In the same field of endeavor, Kim discloses where the display driver circuit comprises at least one dynamic bias generator configured to output a dynamically adjustable bias voltage (elements 100-2 in figures 8 and 9 and ¶ 52).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the invention of Chung according to the teachings of Kim, for the purpose of reducing the power consumed by a display device (¶s 9 and 55).
• Regarding claims 2, 4-6, 14, and 16-18, Chung, in view of Kim, discloses everything claimed, as applied to claim 1. Additionally, Chung discloses where:
Claims 2 & 14: the plurality of gamma operational amplifiers comprise a first gamma operational amplifier and a second gamma operational amplifier (GAMP1 and GAMPk in figure 10),
the first gamma operational amplifier outputs an upper-limit gamma reference voltage Vg0 (VG<0> in figure 10), and
the second gamma operational amplifier outputs a lower-limit gamma reference voltage Vgn (VG<2N-1> in figure 10); and
the dynamic bias generator is electrically connected to at least one of the first gamma operational amplifier and the second gamma operational amplifier (note where each of elements GAMP1-GAMPk in figure 10 receive the signal VBG output from element 2630).
However, Chung fails to disclose the additional details of the display device.
In the same field of endeavor, Kim discloses where:
Claims 4 & 16: the display driver circuit further comprises:
a bias controller, electrically connected to the dynamic bias generator, and configured to output a bias control signal (inherent in figures 8 and 9 for performing the functions of at least ¶s 52-55), and
the dynamic bias generator is configured to output the dynamically adjustable bias voltage based on the bias control signal (¶s 52-55).
Claims 5 & 17: the display driver circuit further comprises:
a timing controller, electrically connected to the bias controller, and configured to generate a display signal (element TCON in figure 1 and ¶ 51), and
the bias controller is configured to output the bias control signal based on the display signal (¶s 51-55).
Claims 6 & 18: the dynamic bias generator comprises:
a current source, electrically connected between a first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal, and configured to provide an initial current (“current source (not shown)” in ¶ 52);
a current mirror, electrically connected to the current source, the first voltage terminal, and the second voltage terminal (element 110 (910) in figure 9; note where figure 9 appears to show the basic structures of the current controller but also appears to incorrectly show the details described in ¶s 52-55); and
at least one first switching device (elements SW1-SW8 in figure 9 and ¶ 52), and
a control terminal of the first switching device is electrically connected to a second comparator circuit (¶ 54),
a first terminal of the first switching device is electrically connected to the first voltage terminal (figure 9 and ¶ 52), and
a second terminal is electrically connected to the current mirror and an output terminal of the dynamic bias generator (figure 9 and ¶ 52).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the invention of Chung according to the teachings of Kim, for the purpose of reducing the power consumed by a display device (¶s 9 and 55).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 7, 9-12, 15, 19, and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including 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: the prior art of record, either alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest:
a. In claim 3, where “the display driver circuit further comprises a static bias generator, configured to output a constant bias voltage; and the plurality of gamma operational amplifiers further comprise at least one third gamma operational amplifier, a gamma reference voltage output by the at least one third gamma operational amplifier is between the lower-limit gamma reference voltage Vgn and the upper-limit gamma reference voltage Vg0, and the static bias generator is electrically connected to the at least one third gamma operational amplifier”, in combination with all the remaining limitations in the claim and all the limitations in all the claims from which it depends.
b. In claim 7, where “the bias controller comprises … a counting circuit, electrically connected to the first comparator circuit, and configured to count a quantity of times of a comparison result from the first comparator circuit; and a second comparator circuit, electrically connected to the counting circuit, and configured to: compare a counting result from the counting circuit with a preset counting threshold, and output the bias control signal”, in combination with all the remaining limitations in the claim and all the limitations in all the claims from which it depends.
c. In claim 9, where “the method further comprises … counting a quantity of times the comparison result is received, and outputting a counting result; and comparing the counting result with a preset counting threshold, and if the counting result is greater than or equal to the preset counting threshold, generating a bias control signal”, in combination with all the remaining limitations in the claim and all the limitations in all the claims from which it depends.
d. Claims 10-12 are objected to based on their dependence from claim 9.
e. In claim 15, where “the display driver circuit further comprises: a static bias generator configured to output a constant bias voltage; and at least one third gamma operational amplifier connected to the static bias generator and configured to produce a third gamma reference voltage between the lower-limit gamma reference voltage Vgn and the upper-limit gamma reference voltage VgO”, in combination with all the remaining limitations in the claim and all the limitations in all the claims from which it depends.
f. In claim 19, where “the bias controller comprises … a counting circuit, electrically connected to the comparator circuit, and configured to count a quantity of times of a comparison result from the comparator circuit”, in combination with all the remaining limitations in the claim and all the limitations in all the claims from which it depends.
g. Claim 20 is objected to based on its dependence from claim 19.
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a. Noh et al (US 2016/0180764) disclose a display device in which a count value is used to generate a bias signal for an output buffer in a source driver (see at least figures 6-8 and the portions of the specification related thereto), but do not disclose the specific use of a counter found in at least claims 7 and 9.
Closing Remarks/Comments
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN DANIELSEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4248. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
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/NATHAN DANIELSEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622