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 .
Response to Amendment
The applicant has amended their application as follows:
Amended: 1 and 13
Cancelled: 6 and 17
Added: None
Therefore, claims 1-5, 7-12 and 14-20 are currently pending in the instant application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Specifically, the office has to respectfully disagree with an argument that the prior art does not disclose the limitation “a timing controller configured to adjust the power voltage based on at least one of a brightness value according to an externally set brightness mode and a luminance value of the image data, and output the power voltage control signal indicating a voltage value of the adjusted power voltage”. Pyun discloses adjusting the gamma power voltage based on a load of the input image data which is calculated by averaging grayscale values in the input image data (Para. 0051). The average grayscale value is interpreted to read on “luminance” of the input image. Therefore, Pyun teaches “a timing controller (140) configured to adjust the power voltage based on at least one of a brightness value according to an externally set brightness mode and a luminance value of the image data (Para. 0052-0053, average grayscale value), and output the power voltage control signal indicating a voltage value of the adjusted power voltage” (Para. 0052).
Furthermore, Yoo discloses adjusting the power voltage, i.e. the adjustment of ELVSS would change the power voltage ELVDD-ELVSS, to display an image with certain luminance or brightness setting (Para. 0071). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Yoo to adjust the gamma power voltage based on the brightness setting as the gamma voltage would affect the brightness (Pyun; Fig. 4; Para. 0106).
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 and 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being anticipated by Pyun et al. (US 2021/0012705 A1, hereinafter “Pyun”).
As to claim 1, Pyun (Fig. 1) discloses a display device (100) comprising:
a display panel (110) comprising pixels (PX1, PX2, PX3) arranged therein;
a power supply unit (160) configured to generate a power voltage (AVDD) based on a power voltage control signal (C_AVDD2; Para. 0055);
a gamma voltage generator (170) configured to generate gamma voltages by dividing a voltage between the power voltage and a reference voltage (Para. 0084, OV);
a data driver (130) configured to convert image data (DATA2) into a data voltage (DL1, DLj..) using the gamma voltages (GAMMAS) and apply the data voltage to the pixels (PX1, PX2..),
a timing controller (140) configured to adjust the power voltage based on at least one of a brightness value according to an externally set brightness mode and a luminance value of the image data (Para. 0051-0053, a load of the input image data or average grayscale value), and output the power voltage control signal indicating a voltage value of the adjusted power voltage (Para. 0051-0052),
wherein the gamma voltages (GAMMAS) have a voltage range determined between the power voltage (V1) and the reference voltage (0V; Para. 0084),
wherein the voltage range of the gamma voltages is varied as the power voltage is varied (Fig. 5B element V1_C; Para. 0094), and
wherein the data voltage has a voltage range (Range2_C) configured to vary according to the voltage range of the gamma voltages (Para. 0095).
The above rejection also stands fort eh corresponding method of claim 13.
As to claim 2, Pyun discloses wherein the voltage value of the power voltage varies in proportion to the brightness value or the luminance value (Fig. 6; Para. 0106).
The above rejection also stands fort eh corresponding method of claim 14.
As to claim 3, Pyun (Fig. 5A) discloses the display device of claim 1, wherein the gamma voltages comprise:
a highest gamma voltage (GAMMA1) having a highest voltage level corresponding to a highest gradation (Para. 0084-0085), and
a lowest gamma voltage (GAMMA9) having a lowest voltage level corresponding to a lowest gradation (Para. 0084-0086).
The above rejection also stands fort eh corresponding method of claim 15.
As to claim 4, Pyun (Fig. 3) discloses the display device of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit (150) configured to store a plurality of voltage values of the power voltage (Para. 0053), each of the plurality of voltage values of the power voltage corresponding to one of a plurality of brightness values or a plurality of luminance values (Para. 0053).
As to claim 5, Pyun (Fig. 3) discloses the display device of claim 4, wherein the timing controller (140) is configured to obtain a brightness value or a luminance value from an externally applied control signal or image signal (Para. 0051-0052) and generate the power voltage control signal (C_AVDD2) based on the voltage value of the power voltage corresponding to the brightness value or the luminance value obtained from the storage unit (150; Para. 0053-0055).
The above rejection also stands fort eh corresponding method of claim 16.
As to claim 6, Pyun discloses the display device of claim 1, wherein the gamma voltages (GAMMAS) have a voltage range determined between the power voltage and the reference voltage (Para. 0084),
wherein the voltage range of the gamma voltages is varied as the power voltage is varied (Fig. 5A; Para. 0083-0084), and
wherein the data voltage has a voltage range configured to vary according to the voltage range of the gamma voltages (Para. 0085-0086).
The above rejection also stands fort eh corresponding method of claim 17.
As to claim 7, Pyun discloses the display device of claim 6, wherein a power consumption of the display device is varied according to the voltage range of the data voltage (Para. 0091, 0104, 0111).
As to claim 8, Pyun (Fig. 5B) discloses the display device of claim 1, wherein the power voltage decreases as the brightness value or the luminance value decrease, and a power consumption of the display device decreases as the power voltage decreases (Para. 0104).
The above rejection also stands fort eh corresponding method of claim 18.
As to claim 11, Pyun (Fig. 5B) disclose the display device of claim 3, wherein the highest gamma voltage of the gamma voltages varies (GAMMA1) while the lowest gamma voltage of the gamma voltages remains fixed (GAMMA9) when the power voltage varies (Para. 0094-0095).
As to claim 12, Pyun (Fig. 2) discloses the display device of claim 1, wherein each of at least one of the pixels includes a driving transistor (T1), a light-emitting element (LED) connected to the driving transistor, and a control circuit (T2) configured to control an amount of driving current applied to the light-emitting element via the driving transistor (Para. 0061-0062),
wherein the driving transistor is an oxide semiconductor thin-film transistor (Para. 0064), and
wherein at least one of a plurality of transistors in the control circuit is an oxide semiconductor thin- film transistor (Para. 0064).
Claim(s) 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pyun as applied to claims 1 and 13 above, and further in view of Cheng (US 2023/0386415 A1, hereinafter “Cheng”).
As to claim 10, Pyun does not disclose the display device of claim 1, wherein the gamma voltages are set differently for each color of the pixels,
the gamma voltages for a first pixel of a red color being set higher than the gamma voltages for a second pixel of a green color, and
the gamma voltages for a third pixel of a blue color being set higher than the gamma voltages for the first pixel.
However, Cheng teaches wherein the gamma voltages are set differently for each color of the pixels (Para. 0077),
the gamma voltages for a first pixel of a red color being set higher than the gamma voltages for a second pixel of a green color (Para. 0077), and
the gamma voltages for a third pixel of a blue color being set higher than the gamma voltages for the first pixel (Para. 0077).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Cheng to different gamma voltages for different color pixels in the device disclosed by Pyun. The motivation would have been to increase luminous efficiency (Cheng; Para. 0086).
The above rejection also stands fort eh corresponding method of claim 20.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 19 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant‘s disclosure.
Kim (US 2015/0243230 A1) discloses generating different gamma voltages for different color pixels (Para. 0056).
Bellers et al. (US 12,620,370 B2) discloses selecting gamma adjustment with respect to brightness setting (Fig. 9; Col. 6 lines 56-67).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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BIPIN GYAWALI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2625
/BIPIN GYAWALI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625
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