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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: “Input and display device with local selection of sensing units in a sensing group”.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al. in US 2019/0102020 (hereinafter Suzuki).
Suzuki disclose an input sensing device (Suzuki’s par. 2) comprising:
a touch panel (Suzuki’s Fig. 2 and par. 70: detection apparatus 1 on panel 30) comprising a plurality of touch electrodes (Suzuki’s Fig. 5 and par. 81-82: see Tx, Rx) divided into a plurality of sensing groups (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 116: see blocks BK);
a touch driving circuit (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 37 and par. 198: see 170) configured to apply a touch driving signal (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 78-79: see Vtx1/Vtx2) to the plurality of sensing groups (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 78-79) during a touch driving period (Suzuki’s par. 78-79: during TDM or CDM drive), and sense a touch based on a touch sensing signal (Suzuki’s par. 98: output detection signals Vdet for fingerprint or touch detection) received in response to the touch driving signal (Suzuki’s par. 98: based on Vtx1 or Vtx2); and
a plurality of multiplexers (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see 151-154 with components for each block BK1-BK4) connected to corresponding sensing group (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see blocks BK1-BK4) through a plurality of touch lines (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see Tx), and configured to electrically connect the corresponding sensing group (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: BK1-BK4) to the touch driving circuit (Suzuki’s Fig. 14, 26 and par. 166-167: see 170 which outputs Vtx1/Vtx2 as controlled by Vsel from 153) in response to a multiplexer control signal (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see Vh [for selecting a block]) and a local selection signal (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 129: see Vg [code for block Bk] and Vc [code for respective electrode Tx]),
wherein each of the plurality of sensing groups (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see blocks BK1-BK4) comprises a plurality of sensing units (Suzuki’s Figs. 5, 14-15 and par. 79: Tx electrodes in a block Bk, which form a sensing unit with a crossing Rx) including one or more touch electrodes (Suzuki’s Figs. 5, 14: see Tx), and
wherein each of the plurality of multiplexers (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see 151-154 with components for each block BK1-BK4) is configured to electrically connect all (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 33 and par. 184: see all electrodes Tx2 selected with logic 1 for supply of Vtx) or some (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 27 and par. 168-169: see some electrodes [e.g. Tx2 of BK2] selected with logic 1 for supply of Vtx) of the plurality of sensing units (Suzuki’s Figs. 5, 14: see Tx) of the corresponding sensing group (Suzuki’s Fig. 14, 27, 33: corresponding BK1-BK4) to the touch driving circuit (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 27, 33: Vtx as Vtx1 or Vtx2) in response to the local selection signal (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 27, 33: Vtx connected for transmission based on Vg and Vc) during the touch driving period (Suzuki’s par. 78-79: during TDM or CDM drive of Figs. 27, 33).
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 2 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki.
Regarding claim 17, Suzuki disclose a display device (Suzuki’s par. 2) comprising:
a display panel (Suzuki’s Figs. 2, 57 and par. 69: see 30) comprising a plurality of pixels (Suzuki’s Fig. 57 and par. 261);
a data driving circuit (Suzuki’s Fig. 57 and par. 268-269: source driver 121) configured to apply a data signal (Suzuki’s par. 268: pixel signals) to the plurality of pixels (Suzuki’s par. 269: pixels in a horizontal line);
a scan driving circuit (Suzuki’s Fig. 57 and par. 268-269: gate driver 120) configured to apply gate signals (Suzuki’s par. 268-269: for sequential selection of horizontal line) to the plurality of pixels (Suzuki’s par. 269: pixels in a horizontal line);
a touch panel overlapping the display panel (Suzuki’s Figs. 2, 57 and par. 70: detection apparatus 1 on panel 30), and comprising touch electrodes (Suzuki’s Fig. 5 and par. 81-82: see Tx, Rx) divided into a plurality of sensing groups (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 116: see blocks BK);
a touch driving circuit (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 37 and par. 198: see 170) configured to apply a touch driving signal (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 78-79: see Vtx1/Vtx2) to the plurality of sensing groups (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 78-79) during a touch driving period (Suzuki’s par. 78-79: during TDM or CDM drive), and sense a touch based on a touch sensing signal (Suzuki’s par. 98: output detection signals Vdet for fingerprint or touch detection) received in response to the touch driving signal (Suzuki’s par. 98: based on Vtx1 or Vtx2); and
a plurality of multiplexers (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see 151-154 with components for each block BK1-BK4) connected to corresponding sensing group (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see blocks BK1-BK4) through a plurality of touch lines (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see Tx) and configured to electrically connect the corresponding sensing groups (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: BK1-BK4) to the touch driving circuit (Suzuki’s Fig. 14, 26 and par. 166-167: see 170 which outputs Vtx1/Vtx2 as controlled by Vsel from 153) in response to multiplexer control signals (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see Vh [for selecting a block]) and local selection signals (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 129: see Vg [code for block Bk] and Vc [code for respective electrode Tx]),
wherein each of the plurality of sensing groups (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see blocks BK1-BK4) comprises a plurality of sensing units (Suzuki’s Figs. 5, 14-15 and par. 79: Tx electrodes in a block Bk, which form a sensing unit with a crossing Rx) including one or more touch electrodes (Suzuki’s Figs. 5, 14: see Tx), and
wherein each of the plurality of multiplexers (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see 151-154 with components for each block BK1-BK4) is configured to electrically connect all (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 33 and par. 184: see all electrodes Tx2 selected with logic 1 for supply of Vtx) or some (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 27 and par. 168-169: see some electrodes [e.g. Tx2 of BK2] selected with logic 1 for supply of Vtx) of the plurality of sensing units (Suzuki’s Figs. 5, 14: see Tx) of the corresponding sensing group (Suzuki’s Fig. 14, 27, 33: corresponding BK1-BK4) to the touch driving circuit (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 27, 33: Vtx as Vtx1 or Vtx2) in response to the local selection signal (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 27, 33: Vtx connected for transmission based on Vg and Vc) during the touch driving period (Suzuki’s par. 78-79: during TDM or CDM drive of Figs. 27, 33).
Suzuki fails to explicitly disclose a data voltage or a timing controller configured to control operation timings of the data driving circuit and the scan driving circuit.
However, the office takes official notice that it is conventional in the art of LCDs and OLED displays that the pixel signal is a data voltage, and to include a timing controller supplying a clock that controls operation timings of the gate driver and source driver.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, that Suzuki’s data driving circuit (Suzuki’s Fig. 57 and par. 268-269: see 121) is configured to apply a data voltage (Suzuki’s par. 268: pixel signals which upon combination with conventional technology is a voltage) to the plurality of pixels (Suzuki’s par. 269: pixels in a horizontal line); and
that Suzuki also includes a timing controller configured to control operation timings of the data driving circuit and the scan driving circuit (Suzuki’s Fig. 58 includes upon combination a timing controller supplying a clock to control the operation timings of selecting a horizontal line of pixels and supplying the pixel signal per par. 268-269);
in order to obtain the predictable result of conventional operation of LCD or OLED displays (Suzuki’s Fig. 58 and par. 264-265, 268-269).
Regarding claims 2 and 18, Suzuki disclose wherein each of the plurality of multiplexers (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see 151-154 with components for each block BK1-BK4) comprises:
a first switching unit (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 167: see 153 for each corresponding block) configured to control a connection between the plurality of touch lines (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see Tx) and the touch driving circuit (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see 170) based on the multiplexer control signal (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 26 and par. 167: see Vh [for selecting a block] which controls generation of Vtx [shown as 1 in Fig. 26]) and the local selection signal (Suzuki’s Figs. 14, 26 and par. 167: see Vg [code for block Bk] and Vc [code for respective electrode Tx]).
Suzuki fails to explicitly disclose a second switching unit configured to control a connection between a common voltage and the touch lines based on an output signal of the first switching unit.
However, Suzuki does disclose supplying a common voltage for display through all the touch lines (Suzuki’s Fig. 58 and par. 269: common potential to Txa), and the supply of the voltage to the drive electrodes Tx through a switching unit (Suzuki’s Figs. 37, 40 and par. 199-201: see TP_VENB and SW1/SW2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, that the switching unit controlling the supply of either Vtx1/Vtx2 (Suzuki’s Fig. 37: see TR1 or TR2) also controls the supply of the common potential to the touch electrodes (Suzuki’s par. 269), in order to obtain the predictable result of using the disclosed circuit that supplies the driving voltage to the driving touch electrodes (Suzuki’s Figs. 37, 40) to obtain the intended objective of supplying a common potential for display (Suzuki’s par. 269).
By doing such combination, Suzuki’s switching unit of Fig. 37 also supplies the common potential during display (Suzuki’s par. 269), and thus Suzuki also disclose:
a second switching unit (Suzuki’s Figs. 37, 40: see Tr1/Tr2, or SW1/SW2) configured to control a connection between a common voltage (Suzuki’s par. 269: common potential as Txa which upon combination is supplied such as Vtx1 or Vtx2 in Figs. 37, 40) and the touch lines (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see Tx) based on an output signal (Suzuki’s Fig. 14, 26 and par. 167: Vtx is generated when logic 1 and shown output from 153 as Vsel) of the first switching unit (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see 153 outputting Vsel, shown in Fig. 26 as Vtx).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-16 and 19-20 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.
Regarding claims 3 and 19, the prior art fails to disclose ALL limitations of claims 1+2 [for claim 3] and ALL limitations of claims 17+18 [for claim 19], in addition to “wherein the first switching unit comprises: first logic gates configured to output a first logic signal at a logic high level based on the local selection signal being at a turn-on level; second logic gates configured to output a second logic signal at a logic high level based on both the first logic signal and the multiplexer control signal being at a turn-on level; and switching elements configured to be turned on and electrically connect a corresponding touch line to the touch driving circuit based on the second logic signal being at a logic high level”.
Dependent claims 4-16 and 20 are allowed for at leas the same reason.
The closest prior art to Suzuki disclose the first switching unit (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 167: see 153) comprising first logic gates (Suzuki’s Fig. 14: see XOR 164) configured to output a first logic signal (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 162: Vk) at a logic high level (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 162: when either Vg or Vc is one and the other is zero) based on the local selection signal being at a turn-on level (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 162: when either Vg or Vc is one [and the other is zero]); second logic gates (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 166: see NAND 165) configured to output a second logic signal at a logic high level (Suzuki’s Fig. 14 and par. 166: when Vsel is high), but fails to disclose “the second logic signal at a logic high level based on both the first logic signal and the multiplexer control signal being at a turn-on level, or switching elements configured to be turned on and electrically connect a corresponding touch line to the touch driving circuit based on the second logic signal being at a logic high level” as required for claims 3 and 19.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zhao et al. in US 2021/0223936 (Fig. 2 and Table 1 in pg. 3), Uehara et al. in US 2018/0314380 (Fig. 21), Rhe et al. in US 10,976,848 (Fig. 5) and Lee et al. in US 2025/0264949 (Fig. 8), all directed to details of the multiplexer for subgroup scanning.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Liliana Cerullo whose telephone number is (571)270-5882. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM to 3PM MT.
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, Amr Awad can be reached at 571-272-7764. 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.
/LILIANA CERULLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621
Prosecution Insights