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www.uspto.gov
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/212,241
`
`12/06/2018
`
`Takenobu NISHIGUCHI
`
`20295 .0033US01
`
`3798
`
`HAY
`
`M
`
`TLER
`
`HAMRE, SCHUMANN, MUELLER & LARSON P.C.
`45 South Seventh Street
`Suite 2700
`MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-1683
`
`FRANK,EMILYJ
`
`2693
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`10/07/2019
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`PTOMail @hsml.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/212,241
`NISHIGUCHI, Takenobu
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`EMILY J FRANK
`2693
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1)[¥] Responsive to communication(s) filed on 06 December2018.
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2a)(] This action is FINAL. 2b))This action is non-final.
`3)() An election was made bythe applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the meritsis
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparfe Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`6 7
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-20 is/are pending in the application.
`5)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s)__ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C] Claim(s} _is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected.
`8) ( Claim(s)__ is/are objected to.
`9)
`(4 Claim(s)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)() The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`a)[¥V) accepted or b)(_) objected to by the Examiner.
`11}(v] The drawing(s) filed on 06 December 2018 is/are:
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12) Acknowledgmentis made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)L) None of the:
`b)L) Some**
`a)LJ All
`1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.1) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(7) Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20190820
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/212,241
`Art Unit: 2693
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
`
`1.
`
`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 § 103
`
`2.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousnessrejections
`
`setforth 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 andthe 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.
`
`3.
`
`Claims 1, 2, 7-11, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being anticipated by Tanaka
`
`(United States Patent Application Publication 2008/000751 4).
`
`Regarding claim 1, Tanakadisclosesa liquid crystal display device (figure 2; liquid crystal display
`
`device 10), comprising:
`
`a first liquid crystal display panel (paragraph 0045, lines 3-7; first liquid crystal panel 11) including
`
`a plurality of first gate lines (paragraph 0046);
`
`a second liquid crystal display panel (paragraph 0045, lines 3-7; first liquid crystal panel 12)
`
`including a plurality of second gate lines (paragraph 0046);
`
`a backlight (figure 3; backlight unit 13) arranged onaside ofthe first liquid crystal display panel
`
`such thatthe first liquid crystal display panel is adjacent the backlight and between the secondliquid
`
`crystal display panel and the backlight (paragraph 0045, lines 3-10 and figure 3), the backlight including a
`
`plurality of rows of light sources (paragraph 0045, line 10);
`
`a driving circuit (figure 4; gate driver 3) configured to supply a drive signal to the plurality of rows
`
`of light sources (paragraph 0042); and
`
`a controller (figure 4; driving circuit 8) configured to:
`
`scan the plurality of first gate lines (paragraph 0052);
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/212,241
`Art Unit: 2693
`
`Page 3
`
`scan the plurality of second gate lines (paragraph 0052);
`
`control the driving circuit to illuminate a first row of the plurality of rows of light sources after the
`
`scan of a first set of the plurality offirst gate lines or after the scan of a first set of the plurality of second
`
`gate lines; and control the driving circuit to notilluminate the first row of the plurality of rows oflight
`
`sourcesuntil the scan of a secondsetofthe plurality offirst gate lines is completed or the scan of a
`
`second setof the plurality of second gate lines is completed (paragraph 0056, whereby “A liquid
`
`crystal display device ...performs normal driving of a secondliquid crystal panel 12 and performs
`
`double-speeddriving ofa first liquid crystal panel 11 under driving by a driving circuit 8. In this
`
`case, normaldriving refers to driving at a frequency (driving frequency) of an input signal (video
`
`signal), that is driving in which one frame period is not divided. Hence, double-speed driving
`
`refers to driving at a frequency twice the frequency of the input video signal.” Since driving for
`
`the LCD panel 12 (claimed second panel) is at normal driving in which one frame period is not
`
`divided, it would have been obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art at the first filing of the
`
`claimed invention that the backlight including the first row of the light sources wouldn’t be
`
`illuminated until the scan of gate lines of the 2°? LCD panel12 including both the first and second
`
`sets of second gate lines are completed; likewise, the backlight including the first row of the light
`
`sources wouldn’t be illuminated until the scan of gate lines of the 1st LCD panel 11 including both
`
`the first and secondsetsof first gate lines are completed. This interpretation of Tanakda meets
`
`interpretation of this claimed limitation, i.e. this claimed limitation has been interpreted as such. ).
`
`Regarding claim 2, Tanakafurther discloses wherein the controller is configured to scan the first
`
`set of the plurality offirst gate lines prior to the scan ofthe first set of the plurality of second gate lines
`
`(paragraph 0056, wherebyinterpretation given to Tanakais that the “first gate lines” come prior to the
`
`“second gate lines” as a given definition in the current rejection).
`
`Regarding claim 7, Tanakafurther discloses wherein a refresh rate of the first liquid crystal
`
`display panel is higher than a refresh rate of the second liquid crystal display panel (paragraph 0056).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/212,241
`Art Unit: 2693
`
`Page 4
`
`Regarding claim 8, Tanakafurther discloses wherein the refresh rate ofthe first liquid crystal
`
`display panel is double the refresh rate of the secondliquid crystal display panel (paragraph 0056).
`
`Regarding claim 9, Tanakafurther discloses wherein a refresh rate of the second liquid crystal
`
`display panel is higher than a refresh rate ofthefirst liquid crystal display panel (paragraph 0098).
`
`Regarding claim 10, Tanaka discloses a method ofilluminating a liquid crystal display device
`
`includingafirst liquid crystal display panel, a second liquid crystal display panel, and a backlight, the
`
`method comprising:
`
`scanning, with a controller, a plurality of first gate lines, the plurality of first gate lines
`
`correspondingto the first liquid crystal display panel (paragraph 0046);
`
`scanning, with the controller, a plurality of second gate lines, the plurality of second gate lines
`
`corresponding to the secondliquid crystal display panel (paragraph 0046);
`
`enabling a drive signalto a first row of a plurality of rows oflight sources of the backlight before
`
`completing scanning ofa first set of the plurality of first gate lines or in response to completing scanning
`
`of a first set of the plurality of second gate lines; and disabling the drive signal to the first row of the
`
`plurality of rows of light sources of the backlight before completing scanning of a second set of the
`
`plurality of first gate lines or completing scanning of a secondsetof the plurality of second gate lines
`
`(paragraph 0056, whereby “A liquid crystal display device ...performs normaldriving of a second
`
`liquid crystal panel 12 and performs double-speeddriving ofa first liquid crystal panel 11 under
`
`driving by a driving circuit 8. In this case, normal driving refers to driving at a frequency (driving
`
`frequency) of an input signal (video signal), that is driving in which one frame period is not
`
`divided. Hence, double-speed driving refers to driving at a frequency twice the frequencyof the
`
`input video signal.” Since driving for the LCD panel 12 (claimed second panel) is at normal
`
`driving in which one frame period is not divided, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary
`
`skill in the art at the first filing of the claimed invention that the backlight including the first row of
`
`the light sources wouldn’t beilluminated until the scan of gate lines of the 2"? LCD panel 12
`
`including both the first and second sets of second gate lines are completed; likewise, the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/212,241
`Art Unit: 2693
`
`Page 5
`
`backlight including the first row of the light sources wouldn’t be illuminated until the scan of gate
`
`lines of the 1st LCD panel 11 including both the first and secondsetsof first gate lines are
`
`completed. This interpretation of Tanakda meetsinterpretation of this claimed limitation, i.e. this
`
`claimed limitation has been interpreted as such.).
`
`Claim 11 is a method claim drawn to the device of claim 2 and is therefore interpreted and
`
`rejected based on similar reasoning.
`
`Claim 16 and 17 are system claims drawn to the device of claims 1 and 2 respectively and are
`
`therefore interpreted and rejected based on similar reasoning.
`
`4.
`
`Claims 3-6, 12-15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
`
`Tanakain view of Lee et al. (United States Patent Application Publication 2018/01 82304 hereinafter
`
`referred to as Lee).
`
`Regarding claim 3, Tanakafails to disclose wherein the controller is configured to scan the first
`
`set of the plurality of second gate lines in response to completing the scanofthe first set of the plurality of
`
`first gate lines.
`
`Lee discloses wherein the controller is configured to scan the first set of the plurality of second
`
`gate lines in response to completing the scanofthe first set of the plurality of first gate lines (paragraph
`
`0064 and figure 6).
`
`Tanaka and Lee are in a similar field of endeavor of multi-layer display devices.
`
`Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
`
`wasfiled to modify Tanaka by specifically providing wherein the controller is configured to scanthe first
`
`set of the plurality of second gate lines in response to completing the scanofthe first set of the plurality of
`
`first gate lines, as taught by Lee, as a knownalternative, analogous method ofdisplay driving.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/212,241
`Art Unit: 2693
`
`Page 6
`
`Regarding claim 4, Tanakafails to disclose wherein the controller is configured to not illuminate
`
`the first row of the plurality of rows of light sources prior to at least one of the scan of the second setof
`
`the plurality of first gate lines and the scan of the second setof the plurality of second gatelines.
`
`Lee discloses wherein the controller is configured to not illuminate the first row of the plurality of
`
`rowsoflight sourcesprior to at least one of the scan of the secondsetof the plurality of first gate lines
`
`and the scan of the second set of the plurality of second gate lines (paragraph 0064 andfigure 6).
`
`Tanaka and Leeare in a similar field of endeavor of multi-layer display devices.
`
`Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
`
`wasfiled to modify Tanaka by specifically providing wherein the controller is configured to notilluminate
`
`the first row of the plurality of rows of light sources prior to at least one of the scan of the second setof
`
`the plurality of first gate lines and the scan of the second setof the plurality of second gatelines, as
`
`taught by Lee, as a knownalternative, analogous methodof display driving.
`
`Regarding claim 5, Tanakafails to disclose wherein the controller is configured to illuminate the
`
`first row of the plurality of rows of light sources until the scan of the second set of the plurality offirst gate
`
`lines and the scan of the secondsetof the plurality of second gate lines is complete.
`
`Lee discloses wherein the controller is configured to illuminate the first row of the plurality of rows
`
`of light sources until the scan of the second setof the plurality of first gate lines and the scan of the
`
`second setof the plurality of second gate lines is complete (paragraph 0064 andfigure 6).
`
`Tanaka and Lee are in a similar field of endeavor of multi-layer display devices.
`
`Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
`
`wasfiled to modify Tanaka by specifically providing wherein the controller is configured to illuminate the
`
`first row of the plurality of rows of light sources until the scan of the second setof the plurality offirst gate
`
`lines and the scan of the secondsetof the plurality of second gate lines is complete, as taught by Lee, as
`
`a knownalternative, analogous method ofdisplay driving.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/212,241
`Art Unit: 2693
`
`Page 7
`
`Regarding claim 6, Tanakafails to disclose wherein the controller is configured to notilluminate
`
`the first row of the plurality of rows of light sources before the controller illuminates a second row of the
`
`plurality of rows oflight sources.
`
`Lee discloses wherein the controller is configured to not illuminate the first row of the plurality of
`
`rowsoflight sources before the controller illuminates a second row ofthe plurality of rows oflight sources
`
`(paragraph 0064 and figure 6).
`
`Tanaka and Leeare in a similar field of endeavor of multi-layer display devices.
`
`Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
`
`wasfiled to modify Tanaka by specifically providing wherein the controller is configured to notilluminate
`
`the first row of the plurality of rows of light sources before the controller illuminates a second row of the
`
`plurality of rows of light sources, as taught by Lee, as a knownalternative, analogous methodof display
`
`driving.
`
`Claims 12-15 are method claims drawnto the device of claims 3-6 respectively and are therefore
`
`interpreted and rejected based on similar reasoning.
`
`Claims 18-20 are system claims drawnto the device of claims 3-5 respectively and are therefore
`
`interpreted and rejected based on similar reasoning.
`
`Conclusion
`
`5.
`
`6.
`
`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
`
`Perdices-Gonzalez et al. (United States Patent Application Publication 2017/0310956) discloses
`
`an exploded view of a portion of an example display (figures 5 and 6).
`
`7.
`
`Park et al. (United States Patent Application Publication 2013/0271445) discloses a perspective
`
`viewillustrating a display device (figure 1).
`
`8.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should
`
`be directed to EMILY J FRANK whosetelephone number is (571)270-7255. The examiner can normally
`
`be reached on Monday-Thursday 8AM-6PM.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/212,241
`Art Unit: 2693
`
`Page 8
`
`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,
`
`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.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application
`
`Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from
`
`either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through
`
`Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
`
`you have questions on accessto the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC)
`
`at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative
`
`or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-
`
`1000.
`
`/EJF/
`
`/BENJAMIN C LEE/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2693
`
`

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