DETAILED ACTION
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 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.
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
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)(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.
Claims 1 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Price et al. (US Pub: 2008/0315785 A1).
As to claim 1, Price discloses an information processing apparatus (i.e. the personal computer element 100) (see Fig. 1A, [0024]) that operates using power supplied from an AC adapter and is operable using power supplied from a built-in battery when supply of power from the AC adapter is stopped (i.e. as seen in figure 1A the portable computer device or PDA has a AC power supply 155 plugged optional into the 160 Battery charger which manages the battery 165) (see Fig 1A, [0024-0026]), the apparatus comprising:
a sensor that detects ambient brightness (i.e. the 180 ALS sensor is the ambient light sensor which is integrated with the display system) (see Fig. 1A, [0028]).
a display that displays a display image on a screen (i.e. the display 125 is incorporated in figure 1A) (see Fig. 1A, [0028]); and
a processor that controls screen brightness of the display (i.e. the display controller 120 controls the inverter and together control the brightness of the display) (see Fig. 1A, [0024-0028]), the processor being operative, in an event that a power supply switches from the AC adapter to the built-in battery, to reduce the screen brightness (i.e. as seen in figure 2 the system management bus is said to be able to implement the battery optimized mode which select the back lighting to lower brightness and save power) (see Fig. 2, [00034]), and, in an event that the power supply switches from the built-in battery back to the AC adapter (i.e. the SMB bus of figure 2 is able to switch back to the performance mode which AC power is applied where both of the lighting unit is engaged) (see Fig. 2, [0034]), to control the screen brightness after the switching back to the AC adapter on the basis of the screen brightness prior to the switching to the built-in battery, the screen brightness prior to the switching back to the AC adapter, and any change in ambient brightness detected by the sensor from the time of switching to the built-in battery until switching back to the AC adapter (i.e. the portable computer as figure 1A and 2 is shown to have dynamic memory which stored user instruction as well as real world feedback from the ambient light sensor 180 to govern the behavior of the portable computer as seen in figure 1A and 2) (see Fig. 1-2,[0024-0034).
As to claim 5, Price teaches a control method in an information processing apparatus (i.e. as seen in figure 1A the portable computer device or PDA has a AC power supply 155 plugged optional into the 160 Battery charger which manages the battery 165) (see Fig 1A, [0024-0026]) including a sensor that detects ambient brightness (i.e. the 180 ALS sensor is the ambient light sensor which is integrated with the display system) (see Fig. 1A, [0028]), a display that displays a display image on a screen (i.e. the display 125 is incorporated in figure 1A) (see Fig. 1A, [0028]), and a processor that controls screen brightness of the display (i.e. the display controller 120 controls the inverter and together control the brightness of the display) (see Fig. 1A, [0024-0028]), the apparatus operating using power supplied from an AC adapter and being operable using power supplied from a built-in battery when supply of power from the AC adapter is stopped, the method comprising the steps, performed by the processor, of:
in an event that a power supply switches from the AC adapter to the built-in battery, reducing the screen brightness(i.e. as seen in figure 2 the system management bus is said to be able to implement the battery optimized mode which select the back lighting to lower brightness and save power) (see Fig. 2, [00034]); and,
in an event that the power supply switches from the built-in battery back to the AC adapter, controlling the screen brightness after the switching back to the AC adapter on the basis of the screen brightness prior to the switching to the built-in battery (i.e. the SMB bus of figure 2 is able to switch back to the performance mode which AC power is applied where both of the lighting unit is engaged) (see Fig. 2, [0034]), the screen brightness prior to the switching back to the AC adapter, and any change in ambient brightness detected by the sensor from the time of switching to the built-in battery until switching back to the AC adapter (i.e. the portable computer as figure 1A and 2 is shown to have dynamic memory which stored user instruction as well as real world feedback from the ambient light sensor 180 to govern the behavior of the portable computer as seen in figure 1A and 2) (see Fig. 1-2,[0024-0034).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art Rossi et al. (US Pub: 2004/0246247 A1) is cited to teach another type of display unit with two different modes of operation having ambient light sensing capacity in figure 1-5 embodiments.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CALVIN C. MA whose telephone number is (571)270-1713. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benjamin C. Lee can be reached on 571-272-2963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CALVIN C MA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693 August 22, 2026
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operative, in the event that the power supply switches from the AC adapter to the built-in battery, to store the screen brightness prior to the switching to the built-in battery in the storage unit as a first screen brightness and to control the screen brightness after the switching to the built-in battery to a second screen brightness that is lower than the first screen brightness on the basis of the ambient brightness detected by the sensor, and, in the event that the power supply switches from the built-in battery back to the AC adapter, to store the screen brightness prior to the switching back to the AC adapter in the storage unit as a third screen brightness and, upon determining that the apparatus has been moved to a bright location from the time of switching to the built-in battery until switching back to the AC adapter on the basis of the change in ambient brightness detected by the sensor, to control the screen brightness after the switching back to the AC adapter to the first screen brightness when the third screen brightness is not higher than the first screen brightness, and to control the screen brightness after the switching back to the AC adapter to a fourth screen brightness that is higher than the third screen brightness by a predetermined value when the third screen brightness is higher than the first screen brightness.
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is operative, upon determining that the apparatus has been moved to a dark location from the time of switching to the built-in battery until switching back to the AC adapter on the basis of the change in ambient brightness detected by the sensor, to control the screen brightness after the switching back to the AC adapter to a fifth screen brightness that is higher than the third screen brightness by a predetermined value.
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in controlling the screen brightness after the switching from the AC adapter to the built-in battery to the second screen brightness lower than the first screen brightness, the processor is operative, upon determining that the apparatus is in a dark location on the basis of the ambient brightness detected by the sensor, to set the second screen brightness to a preset value that is lower than the first screen brightness when the first screen brightness is not lower than a fixed value, and to set the second screen brightness to a value that is lower than the first screen brightness by a predetermined percentage when the first screen brightness is lower than the fixed value, and, upon determining that the apparatus is in a bright location on the basis of the ambient brightness detected by the sensor, to set the second screen brightness to a value that is lower than the first screen brightness by a predetermined percentage.
5. A control method in an information processing apparatus including a sensor that detects ambient brightness, a display that displays a display image on a screen, and a processor that controls screen brightness of the display, the apparatus operating using power supplied from an AC adapter and being operable using power supplied from a built-in battery when supply of power from the AC adapter is stopped, the method comprising the steps, performed by the processor, of: in an event that a power supply switches from the AC adapter to the built-in battery, reducing the screen brightness; and, in an event that the power supply switches from the built-in battery back to the AC adapter, controlling the screen brightness after the switching back to the AC adapter on the basis of the screen brightness prior to the switching to the built-in battery, the screen brightness prior to the switching back to the AC adapter, and any change in ambient brightness detected by the sensor from the time of switching to the built-in battery until switching back to the AC adapter.
Prosecution Insights