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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lu et al. (CN 112102791).
As to claims 10, Lu discloses a processing circuit (Fig. 2, (control host (4)), and control method (“The dimming target brightness is determined by the following method”), of a display (Fig. 1), comprising: a statistical circuit, configured to calculate brightness characteristic of each region of multiple regions in image data (“the control host 4 calculates the dimming target brightness value corresponding to the LED backlight array 2”); a backlight brightness calculation circuit, configured to determine backlight brightness of each region according to ambient light brightness of the display (“the ambient light sensor array 1 sends the ambient light brightness information of different blocking areas of the display screen to the control host (4)) and the brightness characteristics of each region (“the control host 4 calculates the dimming target brightness value corresponding to the LED backlight array 2 according to the ambient light brightness information of different blocking areas of the display screen panel 3”); and a local dimming control circuit, coupled to the backlight brightness calculation circuit, configured to generate a corresponding backlight control signal according to the backlight brightness of each region to control at least one backlight source in a display panel of the display corresponding to the region (“the control host 4 sends the dimming target brightness value signal of each blocking area to the LED backlight array 2; the LED backlight array 2 adjusts the LED backlight brightness of each blocking area according to the current value or the PWM wave”) (control host 4 processes all the steps); and a compensation circuit (control host 4), coupled to the backlight brightness calculation circuit (control host 4), configured to compensate the image data according to the backlight brightness calculated for each region by the backlight brightness calculation circuit, to generate processed image data for display on the display panel (“the LED backlight array adjusts the LED backlight brightness of each blocking area according to the current value or the PWM wave”)(control host (4) processes all the steps).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 1-2, 4-7, and 9 are allowed.
6. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Claims 1-2, 4-7, and 9, are allowable since certain key features of the claimed invention are not taught or fairly suggested by the prior art. In claims 1 and 6, “wherein when the ambient light brightness indicates that the display is in a high ambient light, wherein the ambient light exceeds a first threshold value, and the multiple regions include a bright region with a high brightness characteristic and a dark region with a low brightness characteristic, the backlight brightness calculation circuit determines a first backlight brightness for the bright region and a second backlight brightness for the dark region; and when the ambient light brightness indicates that the display is in a low ambient light, wherein the ambient light is lower than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value, the backlight brightness calculation circuit determines a third backlight brightness for the bright region and a fourth backlight brightness for the dark region, wherein a reduction ratio applied to the first backlight brightness to obtain the third backlight brightness is greater than a reduction ratio applied to the second backlight brightness to obtain the fourth backlight brightness.”. The closest prior art of record, Lu et al. (CN 112102791), see rejection above for reference, singularly or in combination, fails to anticipate or render the above limitations obvious, together with all the other limitations of the claims.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
7. Applicant's arguments filed 07/01/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Lu’s system never modifies, processes, or compensates the image data, or pixel matrix arrays.
Examiner disagrees because adjusting the brightness is a form of compensation when done to correct or improve image quality, color accuracy, or viewing conditions. Adjusting a system parameter to correct for a mismatch between the desired output and the actual performance is considered, or defined, as a compensation.
Conclusion
8. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICARDO OSORIO whose telephone number is (571)272-7676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 AM-5:30 PM.
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/RICARDO OSORIO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625
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