`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMNHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`
`
`
`
`12/792,886
`
`06/03/2010
`
`Yoshihisa OOISHI
`
`1497.50812X00
`
`5575
`
`12/12/2014 —ANTONELLI, TERRY, STOUT & KRAUS, LLP m
`7590
`20457
`1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
`MISTRY’ RAM A
`SUITE 550
`ARLINGTON, VA 22209-3873
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`2691
`
`MAIL DATE
`
`12/ 12/2014
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`PAPER
`
`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.
`
`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 12/792,886 OOISHI ET AL.
`
`
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Art Unit
`Examiner
`Office Action Summary
`
`
`RAM MISTRY its“ 2691
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR1. 136( a).
`after SIX () MONTHS from 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) MONTHS from 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, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1 .704(b).
`
`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
`
`Status
`
`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 8/1/2014.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)|ZI This action is non-final.
`2a)|:l This action is FINAL.
`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)|:| Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
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`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
`
`5)IZI Claim(s) 7-_12 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`is/are allowed.
`6)I:I Claim(s)
`7)|Z| CIaim(s)_7-12 Is/are rejected.
`
`8)|:I Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
`* If any)claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`
`
`
`()
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`:/'/\W¢W.LISI>I‘.0. ovI’ atentS/init events/
`iindex.‘s orsend an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
`
`hit
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)I:l The drawing(s) filed on
`is/are: a)I:I accepted or b)I:I objected to by the Examiner.
`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)I:| Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`a)I:l All
`
`b)|:l Some” c)I:l None of the:
`
`1.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.|:l Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.|:| Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
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`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)
`
`3) D Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) D Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`.
`.
`4) I:I Other'
`2) I] InformatIon DIsclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL—326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20141211
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1.
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`Claims 7-12 are pending in this application.
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`2.
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`Claims 7-12 are objected to for the following informalities:
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`Claim Objections
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`Claim 7 states “...supplies the data signal to the data signal line included in th_e
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`divided display section, and during a blanking period...” (emphasis added). It is unclear
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`to which divided display section this limitation refers. For the sake of compact
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`prosecution, this limitation will be taken as “...the first divided display section”.
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`A similar change is required in the following paragraph with respect to the second
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`divided display section.
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`Appropriate correction is required.
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`Claim Rejections — 35 USC § 1 12
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`3.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph:
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`The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly
`claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
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`Claims 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA),
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`second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the
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`applicant regards as the invention.
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`Claim 7 recites the limitation "...are supplied at the time of selecting the first
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`scanning line which is included in the second divided display section..." There is
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`insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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`Specifically, there is no previous mention of the term “the first scanning line” as it
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`relates to the second divided display section. It is only previously defined as it relates to
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`the first divided display section. For the sake of compact prosecution, the limitation is
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`assumed to read “a first scanning line”. Appropriate correction is required.
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`Claim Rejections — 35 USC § 103
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`4.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and
`the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the
`invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.
`Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
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`5.
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`Claims 7I 9I 10I 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being
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`unpatentable over Hayashiguchi (US 5,742,269) in view of Tsumura (US
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`2004/0041760).
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`As to claim 7, Hayashiguchi (Figs. 2-4) teaches a liquid crystal display device
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`(Fig. 3) comprising:
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`a drive circuit (15); and
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`a plurality of divided display sections (10A, 108),
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`wherein each of the divided display sections comprises:
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`a plurality of scanning lines (X1-Xm for each of 10A and 108) which are
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`connected to the drive circuit (15);
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`a plurality of data signal lines (Y1-Yn provided for each of 10A and 108) which
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`intersect with the plurality of scanning lines (X1-Xm), and are connected to the drive
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`circuit (15); and
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`a plurality of pixel circuits (Pixel circuits are located at the intersections of the X
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`and Y lines) which are provided correspondingly to intersections of the scanning lines
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`and the data signal lines, the pixel circuit displaying gray level based on a data signal
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`which is supplied when the corresponding scanning line is selected and is supplied to
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`the corresponding data signal line (This is the manner in which active matrix pixel
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`circuits display images) [Col. 1, Lines 13-27; Col. 3, Lines 20-44],
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`wherein a first divided display section (10A) which is one of the plurality of the
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`divided display sections and a second divided display section (1 OB) which is another
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`one of the plurality of the divided display sections are adjacent to each other in a
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`direction in which the data signal lines extend (Vertically adjacent),
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`wherein, during a writing period corresponding to the first divided display section
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`(When data is written on the first divided display), the drive circuit sequentially selects
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`the plurality of scanning lines included in the first divided display section from a first
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`scanning line of the plurality of scanning lines (X1) [Col. 4, Lines 5-18], supplies the
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`data signal to the data signal line included in the first divided display section [Col. 4,
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`Lines 18-25], and during a blanking period (Vertical Blanking Period) right after the
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`writing period, the drive circuit does not scan any of the data signal lines included in the
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`first divided display section (No scanning electrodes are turned on until the following
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`frame pulse FP is provided. The period of time between these two pulses is the Vertical
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`Blanking Period and is present after the last scanning line is scanned) [Col. 4, Lines 36-
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`47],
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`wherein, during a writing period corresponding to the second divided display
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`section (When data is written on the second divided display), the drive circuit
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`sequentially selects the plurality of scanning lines included in the second divided display
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`section from a first scanning line (X1) [Col. 4, Lines 5-18], supplies the data signal to the
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`data signal line included in the second divided display section [Col. 4, Lines 18-25], and
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`during a blanking period (Vertical Blanking Period) right after the writing period, the
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`drive circuit does not scan any of the data signal lines included in the first divided
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`display section (No scanning electrodes are turned on until the following frame pulse FP
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`is provided. The period of time between these two pulses is the Vertical Blanking Period
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`and is present after the last scanning line is scanned) [Col. 4, Lines 36-47],
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`wherein the writing periods and the blanking periods which are corresponding to
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`the first and second divided display sections respectively are repeated [Col. 4, Lines 36-
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`47].
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`However, Hayashiguchi does not teach utilizing the average of data signals in
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`order to determine the precharging signal. Hayashiguchi does teach the display
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`sections as rejected above.
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`On the other hand, Tsumura teaches based on an average of the data signals
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`which are supplied at a time of selecting a first scanning line (E.g. the current scanning
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`line) and a third scanning line adjacent to the first scanning line (E.g. the scanning line
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`before the current scanning line) (In the display of Hayashiguchi, this corresponds to the
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`first scanning line of the second half of the display and the last scanning line of the first
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`half of the display), the drive circuit supplies a signal potential to the data signal line
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`included in the second divided display section during a pre-data signal output period
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`(Precharge time) which is within the blanking period corresponding to the second
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`divided display section (Supplied as a precharge signal before driving the main signal
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`as shown in Fig. 17. In addition, the precharge data can be composed of a column-
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`direction average value of image data consisting of rows in the vicinity) [0032, 0137].
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`That is, based on the value of a previous scan line, the precharge for the current
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`scan line is determined. This, when applied to the dual display sections of
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`Hayashiguchi, results in a system where the first scan line of the second display section
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`is precharged based on an average value of the previous scan line and the current scan
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`line.
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`It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of
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`the invention, to utilize the row average precharge of Tsumura with the display device of
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`Hayashiguchi because the combination would allow for the utilization of a precharge
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 7
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`value that better reflects adjacent pixels and drives the row of pixels to a value closer to
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`the intended display value in the area.
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`As to claim 9, Hayashiguchi teaches wherein the length of the pre-data output
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`period is equal to a horizontal scanning period (Fig. 4 — Pre-data is displayed at the
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`horizontal duration before the vertical blanking period ends).
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`As to claim 10, Hayashiguchi teaches wherein the drive circuit comprises a
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`vertical drive circuit (19) driving the plurality of scanning lines, a first data line drive
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`circuit (17A) driving the plurality of data signal lines included in the first divided display
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`section (10A) and a second data line drive circuit (178) driving the plurality of data
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`signal lines included in the second divided display section (1 OB).
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`As to claim 12, Hayashiguchi teaches wherein the drive circuit supplies a signal
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`potential to the data signal lines included in the second divided display section during a
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`pre-data signal output period (Fig. 4 — During the horizontal duration immediately before
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`frame pulse FP) which is within the blanking period (Vertical blanking period)
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`corresponding to the second divided display section (1 OB).
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`However, Hayashiguchi does not teach utilizing image data from a plurality of
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`rows in order to determine the precharging signal. Hayashiguchi does teach the display
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`sections as rejected above.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 8
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`On the other hand, Tsumura teaches based on image data for a plurality of rows,
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`the drive circuit supplies a pre-data signal to the data signal line (Supplied as a
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`precharge signal before driving the main signal as shown in Fig. 17. In addition, the
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`precharge data can be composed of a column-direction average value of image data
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`consisting of rows in the vicinity) [0032, 0137].
`
`That is, based on the value of a previous scan line, the precharge for the current
`
`scan line is determined. This, when applied to the dual display sections of
`
`Hayashiguchi, results in a system where the first scan line of the second display section
`
`is precharged based on an average value of the previous scan line and the current scan
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`line.
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`It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of
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`the invention, to utilize the row average precharge of Tsumura with the display device of
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`Hayashiguchi because the combination would allow for the utilization of a precharge
`
`value that better reflects adjacent pixels and drives the row of pixels to a value closer to
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`the intended display value in the area.
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`6.
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`Claims 8, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable
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`over Hayashiguchi (US 5,742,269) in view of Tsumura (US 2004/0041760), further
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`in view of Arimoto (US 6,989,812).
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`As to claim 8, Hayashiguchi teaches the divided display sections of claim 7
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`above.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 9
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`However, Hayashiguchi and Tsumura do not teach the writing period of the
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`second divided display section and the blanking period of the first divided display
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`section starts at the same time.
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`On the other hand, Arimoto (Fig. 26) teaches wherein the writing period of the
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`second divided display section (E.g. writing period for Gate pulse section 9-12) and the
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`blanking period of the first divided display section starts at the same time (E.g. Blanking
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`pulses applied to Gate pulse section 1-4).
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`It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of
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`the invention, to utilize the simultaneous time periods of Arimoto with the display device
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`of Hayashiguchi, as modified by Tsumura, because the combination would allow for
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`quicker driving of a display, as initiating two periods simultaneously shortens the
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`transition time between two subsequent driving periods.
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`As to claim 11, Hayashiguchi and Tsumura teach the display device of claim 7
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`above.
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`Hayashiguchi also teaches wherein each of the plurality of pixel circuits are
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`surrounded by two neighboring scanning lines (Scanning line X on top and bottom) and
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`two neighboring data signal lines (Data line Y on both sides of the pixel).
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`However, Hayashiguchi and Tsumura do not specifically teach common
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`electrodes.
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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 10
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`On the other hand, Arimoto (Fig. 1) teaches a plurality of common signal lines
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`(Lines from 105) which are arranged parallel to the plurality of scanning lines (Parallel to
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`GL),
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`wherein each of the plurality of pixel circuits comprises a pixel electrode which is
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`electrically connected to the data signal lines and a common electrode which is
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`connected to the common signal lines (The pixel is connected to the data signal lines
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`through the driving transistor and to the common electrode on the other side) [Col. 1,
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`Lines 31 -45].
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`It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of
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`the invention, to utilize the pixel structure of Arimoto with the display device of
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`Hayashiguchi, as modified by Tsumura, because the utilization of a common electrode
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`driving section would allow for the ability to control the differential voltage across the
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`liquid crystal, allowing for further control over the displayed image.
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`Response to Arguments
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`7.
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`Applicant's arguments with respect to claims fl have been considered but are
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`not persuasive.
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`As to claim 7, Applicant appears to be arguing each reference individually rather
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`than considering the combination of Hayashiguchi and Tsumura as a whole. One
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`cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections
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`are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208
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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 11
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck& Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir.
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`1986).
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`Here, Applicant argues that “Hayashiguchi teaches an arrangement in which pre-
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`data supplied to a second divided display section is based on a data signal
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`corresponding to the scanning line in the second divided display section, not based on a
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`data signal corresponding to a scanning line in a first display section which is different
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`from the second divided display section”. Examiner contends that Hayashiguchi was
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`never cited to teach precharging based on multiple data signals. Applicant also argues
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`that “Tsumura simply teaches a single display section, not a plurality of display sections"
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`when Tsumura was never cited to teach a plurality of display sections.
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`Hayashiguchi teaches a display with two divided display sections that are driven
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`with a vertical blanking period during which a precharge is applied to a data line.
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`Tsumura teaches the idea of precharging not only based on the data signal of a single
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`row but rather based on an average value of image data consisting ofj rows in the
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`vicinity. The combination that follows is a display device that has two divided display
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`sections that can also supply a precharge signal based on multiple rows. Additionally,
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`Arimoto modifies this device by providing the teaching that different sections can be
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`drive independently of each other.
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`Therefore, the claims are rejected as above.
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`Inquiry
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 12
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`Art Unit: 2691
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to RAM A. MISTRY whose telephone number is (571) 270-
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`3913. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday (7 am - 3:30 pm
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`EST).
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Chanh D. Nguyen can be reached on (571) 272-7772. The fax phone
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`number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -
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`273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`
`/Ram A Mistry/
`Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/792,886
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`Page 13
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`Art Unit: 2691
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