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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in Korean parent Application No. KR10-2023-0009342, filed on January 25, 2023.
This application discloses and claims only subject matter disclosed in prior Application No. 18/417,372, filed January 19, 2024, and names the inventor or at least one joint inventor named in the prior application. Accordingly, this application may constitute a continuation or divisional. Applicant has claimed the benefit of the filing date of the prior application through the tenets of 35 U.S.C. 120, 37 CFR 1.78, and MPEP § 211 et seq.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on October 14, 2025 and February 27, 2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al., United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2024/0013705 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses a display device (Fig. 3, generally), comprising:
a display panel including a plurality of pixels (Fig. 3, Detailed Description, [0092]; See also Summary); and
a gate driver including first to fourth scan drivers (Figs. 1, Detailed Description, [0060-0065], “Therefore, the initialization control signal includes a first scan signal NScan(n−1) and a second scan signal PScan(n−1)….Therefore, the compensation control signal includes a third scan signal NScan(n) and a fourth scan signal PScan(n)”) and a light emission control signal driver (Figs. 1, light-emitting control signal Em; Detailed Description, [0072-0075], “The light-emitting control unit 105 includes a first switching transistor Ts1 and a second switching transistor Ts2…. The light-emitting control signal line EM is used to transmit the light-emitting control signal Em”),
wherein:
each of the pixels comprises a driving transistor configured to control a driving current of a light-emitting element (Figs. 1, driving unit, #101 and driving transistor Td; Detailed Description, [0037]) and a compensation transistor configured to compensate for a threshold voltage of the driving transistor (Figs. 1, compensation unit, #103; Tc1/Tc2; Detailed Description. [0039], “The compensation unit 103 is configured to transmit the data signal Vdata with the function of compensating the threshold voltage to the gate of the driving transistor Td according to the compensation control signal, so as to compensate the threshold voltage of the driving transistor Td.”),
each of the pixels is sequentially driven in a first bias section, an initialization section, a sampling section, a second bias section, and a light emission section during one frame (See inter alia, Fig. 2 and t1/t2/t3; Detailed Description, [0086-0091]), and
the first scan driver outputs a first scan signal so that the compensation transistor is turned on before the sampling section (Detailed Description, [0061], “Similarly, the first compensation transistor Tc1 and the second compensation transistor Tc2 need to be turned on at the same time, so as to transmit the data signal Vdata with the function of the compensation threshold voltage to the gate of the driving transistor Td. Therefore, the compensation control signal includes a third scan signal NScan(n) and a fourth scan signal PScan(n). The third scan signal NScan(n) is used to control the on and off of the first compensation transistor Tc1. The fourth scan signal PScan(n) is used to control the on and off of the second compensation transistor Tc2.” and Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 2, Wang discloses wherein the first scan driver outputs the first scan signal so that the compensation transistor is turned on in the first bias section (Figs. 1-2, Detailed Description, [0061]; Fig. 2 shows Nscan(n) being used to turn on the compensation transistor Tc1 during t2; See also Detailed Description, [0086-0091])
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamanaka, United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2023/0298520 A1 in view of Her et al., World Intellectual Property Organization Publication No. WO 2022/225253 A1.
Regarding claim 8, Yamanaka discloses a method of driving a display device (Figs. 1-5, generally, Summary) comprising an NIR (Near Infrared) proximity sensor configured to detect proximity of an object (Fig., 3-5, proximity sensor, #700; Detailed Description, [0106-0110] “FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the proximity sensor 700. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the proximity sensor 700 includes a control unit 70, an emitting unit 72, a light receiving unit 74, and an analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion unit 76. The emitting unit 72 emits infrared light (IR light) from the back surface of the display unit 600. The emitting unit 72 is constituted by, for example, an infrared light-emitting diode (LED) and receives the supply of a current from the control unit 70 to emit IR light. The light receiving unit 74 receives the reflected light of the IR light emitted from the emitting unit 72. The light receiving unit 74 is constituted by, for example, a photodiode and generates a measurement current corresponding to the amount of received light. The A/D conversion unit 76 performs A/D conversion on the basis of the measurement current and outputs a digital signal. The control unit 70 controls the emission timing of the IR light from the emitting unit 72. Specifically, the control unit 70 supplies a predetermined current to the emitting unit 72 at the timing for causing the emitting unit 72 to emit the IR light. The control unit 70 also determines whether or not an object exists at a position close to the organic EL display device on the basis of the digital signal outputted from the A/D conversion unit 76.”), a plurality of pixels (Fig. 2, display unit, #600; Detailed Description, [0095-0096]) each comprising a driving transistor configured to control a driving current of a light-emitting element (Fig. 6, drive transistor T4; Detailed Description, [0110-0115], “…the control terminal of the drive transistor T4”).
Yamanaka does not disclose a bias transistor configured to apply a bias voltage to the driving transistor to relax hysteresis of the driving transistor, and the method comprising:
supplying a bias voltage supplied to the bias transistor as a lower voltage during a period when the NIR proximity sensor operates than during a period when the NIR proximity sensor does not operate.
However, Yamanaka does provide the suggestion of supplying different voltages during a period when the NIR proximity sensor operates and during a period when the NIR proximity sensor does not operate (Summary, [0068-0069], “When the infrared light irradiation is performed at such a timing, even if the charge voltages fluctuate in the pixel circuits in the infrared light irradiation region, the data signals are immediately written, so that desired luminance display is performed. In addition, since the infrared light irradiation is performed in a state where the drive current is not flowing in each of the pixel circuits included in the infrared light irradiation region, the luminance of each pixel does not increase in the infrared light irradiation region. Thus, burn-in does not occur. Moreover, the infrared light irradiation is not performed during the writing of the data signals into the pixel circuits in the infrared light irradiation region, thereby preventing the occurrence of a phenomenon that desired gradation display is not performed throughout a period until the next writing of the data signals after the infrared light irradiation. From the above, in the display device provided with the proximity sensor, deterioration in display quality caused by the infrared light irradiation is suppressed as compared with the known display device.”; See also Detailed Description, [0099], “The host 100 also controls the operation of the proximity sensor 700 (e.g., controls an emission timing of IR light) and receives, from the proximity sensor 700, result data (data indicating whether or not an object exists at a close position) obtained by sensing.”).
Her, in a similar field of endeavor, discloses a method of driving a display device comprising:
a bias transistor configured to apply a bias voltage to the driving transistor to relax hysteresis of the driving transistor (Fig. 5-6, Pgs. 15-18, transistor, #522; Detailed Description, “In the first period 610 , the processor 120 sets the control signal SCCG to a low voltage in order to improve image quality deterioration due to a bias condition of the previous frame of the seventh transistor 521 by setting the eighth transistor 522 as a low voltage. It is turned on and a bias may be applied to the seventh transistor 521 for a predetermined time. The processor 120 may adjust the bias application time by adjusting the time when the control signal SCCG has the low voltage. The processor 120 may reduce a threshold voltage shift deviation of the seventh transistor 521 that may be caused by driving of a previous frame by applying a bias to the seventh transistor 521 ...In the pixel circuit structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a separate transistor (eg, the eighth transistor 522 of FIG. 5 ) for applying a bias to the output transistor (eg, the seventh transistor 521 of FIG. 5 ) of the CCG circuit block )) and SCCG wiring, it is possible to initialize the output transistor of the CCG circuit block more than twice per frame, and by using the grayscale data stored in the capacitor with one grayscale data input, light emission or non-emission within one frame It is possible to provide a duty drive that repeats multiple times. In addition, the bias application time of the output transistor of the CCG circuit block can be adjusted by adjusting the low voltage application time of the control signal SCCG with a separate transistor and SCCG wiring, and image quality deterioration due to hysteresis can be improved.”), and
supplying a bias voltage supplied to the bias transistor as a lower voltage during a period when the NIR proximity sensor operates than during a period when the NIR proximity sensor does not operate (Fig. 5-6, Pgs. 15-18, control signal SCCG; Detailed Description, “In the first period 610 , the processor 120 sets the control signal SCCG to a low voltage in order to improve image quality deterioration due to a bias condition of the previous frame of the seventh transistor 521 by setting the eighth transistor 522 as a low voltage. It is turned on and a bias may be applied to the seventh transistor 521 for a predetermined time. The processor 120 may adjust the bias application time by adjusting the time when the control signal SCCG has the low voltage. The processor 120 may reduce a threshold voltage shift deviation of the seventh transistor 521 that may be caused by driving of a previous frame by applying a bias to the seventh transistor 521 ...In the pixel circuit structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a separate transistor (eg, the eighth transistor 522 of FIG. 5 ) for applying a bias to the output transistor (eg, the seventh transistor 521 of FIG. 5 ) of the CCG circuit block )) and SCCG wiring, it is possible to initialize the output transistor of the CCG circuit block more than twice per frame, and by using the grayscale data stored in the capacitor with one grayscale data input, light emission or non-emission within one frame It is possible to provide a duty drive that repeats multiple times. In addition, the bias application time of the output transistor of the CCG circuit block can be adjusted by adjusting the low voltage application time of the control signal SCCG with a separate transistor and SCCG wiring, and image quality deterioration due to hysteresis can be improved.”; See next Fig. 1, sensor module, #176; Detailed Description, “The sensor module 176 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an external environmental state (eg, a user state), and generates an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the sensed state. can do. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, It may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.”).
It would have been obvious to have modified the pixel circuit of Yamanaka to include the teachings of Her’s bias transistor, and to configure the bias transistor to apply a bias voltage to the driving transistor to relax hysteresis of the driving transistor, and supplying a bias voltage supplied to the bias transistor as a lower voltage during a period when the NIR proximity sensor operates than during a period when the NIR proximity sensor does not operate. The motivation to combine these arts is to compensate against image quality deterioration due to hysteresis (See Her, Detailed Description, Pgs. 15-18, Ex. Paragraph [0105]), which is the same intended use of the Instant Invention. The fact that Yamanaka and Her disclose similar types of light-emitting devices with proximity sensors, and also solves similar problems of improving image deterioration (See Yamanaka Summary, [0068-0069], makes this combination more easily implemented.
Regarding claim 9, Yamanaka in combination with Her discloses or suggests every element of claim 8, and Her further discloses wherein the bias voltage supplied to the bias transistor is supplied as a first bias voltage during a refresh frame, and the first bias voltage is supplied as a lower voltage during the period when the NIR proximity sensor operates than during the period when the NIR proximity sensor does not operate (Her, Fig. 5-6, Pgs. 15-18, control signal SCCG; Detailed Description, “In the first period 610 , the processor 120 sets the control signal SCCG to a low voltage in order to improve image quality deterioration due to a bias condition of the previous frame of the seventh transistor 521 by setting the eighth transistor 522 as a low voltage. It is turned on and a bias may be applied to the seventh transistor 521 for a predetermined time. The processor 120 may adjust the bias application time by adjusting the time when the control signal SCCG has the low voltage. The processor 120 may reduce a threshold voltage shift deviation of the seventh transistor 521 that may be caused by driving of a previous frame by applying a bias to the seventh transistor 521 ...In the pixel circuit structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a separate transistor (eg, the eighth transistor 522 of FIG. 5 ) for applying a bias to the output transistor (eg, the seventh transistor 521 of FIG. 5 ) of the CCG circuit block )) and SCCG wiring, it is possible to initialize the output transistor of the CCG circuit block more than twice per frame, and by using the grayscale data stored in the capacitor with one grayscale data input, light emission or non-emission within one frame It is possible to provide a duty drive that repeats multiple times. In addition, the bias application time of the output transistor of the CCG circuit block can be adjusted by adjusting the low voltage application time of the control signal SCCG with a separate transistor and SCCG wiring, and image quality deterioration due to hysteresis can be improved.”; See next Fig. 1, sensor module, #176; Detailed Description, “The sensor module 176 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an external environmental state (eg, a user state), and generates an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the sensed state. can do. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, It may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.”; Note—showing different possible levels of voltage applications with adjustment).
Thus, it would have remained obvious to combine Yamanaka and Her in the manner described in claim 8.
Regarding claim 10, Yamanaka in combination with Her discloses or suggests every element of claim 9, and Her further discloses wherein the bias voltage supplied to the bias transistor is supplied as a second bias voltage during a hold frame, and the second bias voltage is supplied as a lower voltage during the period when the NIR proximity sensor operates than during the period when the NIR proximity sensor does not operate (Her, Fig. 5-6, Pgs. 15-18, control signal SCCG; Detailed Description, “In the first period 610 , the processor 120 sets the control signal SCCG to a low voltage in order to improve image quality deterioration due to a bias condition of the previous frame of the seventh transistor 521 by setting the eighth transistor 522 as a low voltage. It is turned on and a bias may be applied to the seventh transistor 521 for a predetermined time. The processor 120 may adjust the bias application time by adjusting the time when the control signal SCCG has the low voltage. The processor 120 may reduce a threshold voltage shift deviation of the seventh transistor 521 that may be caused by driving of a previous frame by applying a bias to the seventh transistor 521 ...In the pixel circuit structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a separate transistor (eg, the eighth transistor 522 of FIG. 5 ) for applying a bias to the output transistor (eg, the seventh transistor 521 of FIG. 5 ) of the CCG circuit block )) and SCCG wiring, it is possible to initialize the output transistor of the CCG circuit block more than twice per frame, and by using the grayscale data stored in the capacitor with one grayscale data input, light emission or non-emission within one frame It is possible to provide a duty drive that repeats multiple times. In addition, the bias application time of the output transistor of the CCG circuit block can be adjusted by adjusting the low voltage application time of the control signal SCCG with a separate transistor and SCCG wiring, and image quality deterioration due to hysteresis can be improved.”; See next Fig. 1, sensor module, #176; Detailed Description, “The sensor module 176 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an external environmental state (eg, a user state), and generates an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the sensed state. can do. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, It may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.”; Note—showing different possible levels of voltage applications with adjustment).
Thus, it would have remained obvious to combine Yamanaka and Her in the manner described in claim 8.
Regarding claim 11, Yamanaka in combination with Her discloses or suggests every element of claim 9, and Her further discloses wherein the bias voltage supplied to the bias transistor is supplied as an average voltage of the first bias voltage and the second bias voltage supplied during the period when the NIR proximity sensor operates (Her, Fig. 5-6, Pgs. 15-18, control signal SCCG; Detailed Description, “In the first period 610 , the processor 120 sets the control signal SCCG to a low voltage in order to improve image quality deterioration due to a bias condition of the previous frame of the seventh transistor 521 by setting the eighth transistor 522 as a low voltage. It is turned on and a bias may be applied to the seventh transistor 521 for a predetermined time. The processor 120 may adjust the bias application time by adjusting the time when the control signal SCCG has the low voltage. The processor 120 may reduce a threshold voltage shift deviation of the seventh transistor 521 that may be caused by driving of a previous frame by applying a bias to the seventh transistor 521 ...In the pixel circuit structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a separate transistor (eg, the eighth transistor 522 of FIG. 5 ) for applying a bias to the output transistor (eg, the seventh transistor 521 of FIG. 5 ) of the CCG circuit block )) and SCCG wiring, it is possible to initialize the output transistor of the CCG circuit block more than twice per frame, and by using the grayscale data stored in the capacitor with one grayscale data input, light emission or non-emission within one frame It is possible to provide a duty drive that repeats multiple times. In addition, the bias application time of the output transistor of the CCG circuit block can be adjusted by adjusting the low voltage application time of the control signal SCCG with a separate transistor and SCCG wiring, and image quality deterioration due to hysteresis can be improved.”; See next Fig. 1, sensor module, #176; Detailed Description, “The sensor module 176 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an external environmental state (eg, a user state), and generates an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the sensed state. can do. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, It may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.”; Note—showing different possible levels of voltage applications with adjustment).
Thus, it would have remained obvious to combine Yamanaka and Her in the manner described in claim 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 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 does not disclose the display device further comprising an NIR (Near Infrared) proximity sensor configured to detect proximity of an object,
wherein each of the pixels comprises:
a driving transistor configured to provide a driving current to a light-emitting element, the driving transistor including a first electrode configured to receive a data voltage and a second electrode electrically connected to the light-emitting element;
a data supply transistor configured to receive the data voltage, the data supply transistor including a first electrode configured to receive the data voltage and a second electrode connected to the first electrode of the driving transistor; and
a bias transistor configured to apply a bias voltage to the driving transistor, the bias transistor including a first electrode configured to receive the bias voltage and a second electrode connected to the first electrode of the driving transistor, and
wherein the bias voltage supplied to the driving transistor by the bias transistor is supplied as different voltages during a period when the NIR proximity sensor operates and during a period when the NIR proximity sensor does not operate.
The prior art does not disclose the combination of structural, relational, functional and conditional aspects of claim 3 as recited above. Claims 4-7 are dependent off of claim 3 and are also objected to as a result of their dependencies.
Further Reasons for Allowance may be furnished in a Notice of Allowance.
Other References
The following references are also cited as pertinent on the PTO-892 but may not be specifically relied upon within this Action:
Li et al. (US 2023/0377517 A1)
Zhang et al. (US 2022/0157239 A1)
Lai et al. (US 12,494,161 B1)
Conclusion
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/KWIN XIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2626
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