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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMIVHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`wwwusptogov
`
`
`
`
`
`15/223,696
`
`07/29/2016
`
`Toshiyuki KUMAGAI
`
`20326.0083USW1
`
`9954
`
`06’01’2018 —HAMRE, SCHUMANN,MUELLER&LARSONP.C. m
`7590
`53148
`45 South Seventh Street
`JOSEPH, DENNIS P
`Suite 2700
`MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402- 1683
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`2621
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`06/01/2018
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/0r 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)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 15/223,696 KUMAGAI, TOSHIYUKI
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`Dennis Joseph $2213 2621
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`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)IXI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 5/7/2018.
`[I A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2b)lX| This action is non-final.
`a)I:| 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
`
`
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`
`4)|:I Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under EX parte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`5)|XI Claim(s) 8-_10is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`6)|:l Claim(s) _ is/are allowed.
`7)IZ| CIaim(s)_8-10is/are rejected.
`8)I:I Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
`
`9)|:l Claim((s)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`
`
`
`://www.usoto. ov/ atents/init events/
`h/index.‘s orsend an inquiry to PF"I-Ifeedback{<‘buspto.qov.
`
`htt
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|:I 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:I Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`b)I:I Some” c)I:I None of the:
`a)I:I All
`1.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.|:I Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in 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)
`
`
`
`3) D Interview Summary (PT0_413)
`1) D Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`.
`.
`—
`4) I:I Other'
`2) D InformatIon DIscIosure 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 20180508
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/223,696
`
`Art Unit: 2621
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1.
`
`This Office Action is responsive to claims filed for App. 15/223,696 on March 7, 2018.
`
`Claims 8—10 are pending.
`
`America Invents Act
`
`2.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`3.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 USC. 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.
`
`4.
`
`The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere C0., 383 US. l, 148 USPQ 459
`
`(1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35
`
`USC. 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.
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`3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
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`4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or
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`nonobviousness.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/223,696
`
`Art Unit: 2621
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`Page 3
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`5.
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`Claims 8—10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al.
`
`( US 2011/0037746 A1 ) in view of Inada et al. ( US 2015/0243235 A1 ).
`
`Kim teaches in Claim 8:
`
`A liquid crystal display device ( [0003] discloses a liquid crystal display ) comprising:
`
`a plurality of data lines; a plurality of scanning lines Figures 3 and 4, [0032] disclose a
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`plurality of gate and data lines );
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`a plurality of source drivers that supply a data signal to the plurality of data lines ( Figure
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`3, [0031] disclose a plurality of source drive ICs SICl to SDIC3 which provide signals to
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`the data lines ), each of the plurality of source drivers includes a switch that switches between a
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`one—column inversion drive and a two—column inversion drive ( Figure 12 disclose selecting
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`between H1 and H2 dot inversion. Depending on the appropriate mode, one of the two
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`polarity signals is provided. Using a switch is reasonably a way to implement this );
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`a gate driver that supplies a scanning signal to the plurality of scanning lines ( Figure 3,
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`[0031] disclose a gate driving circuit GD which applies signals to the gate lines ); and
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`a display control circuit that controls the plurality of source drivers and the gate driver (
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`Figure 3, [0031], [0036] disclose a timing controller TCON which provides signals to the
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`gate driving circuit GD and the plurality of source drive ICs ); but
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`Kim does not explicitly teach “wherein some of the plurality of source drivers which are
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`connected to a respective driving region including a pattern image perform a two—column
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/223,696
`
`Art Unit: 2621
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`Page 4
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`inversion drive, whiie the ether of the plurality of source drivers winch are connected to a
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`respective driving region not including the pattern irnage pert-arm a nne colinnn inversien drive,
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`in the period during which the pattern image is displayed,“
`
`9
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`However, Kim teaches at” appiying different polarity signals to different snurce drivers, as shown
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`in Figures 8, l0, etc, s0 it is ciear that haseti 0n the pattern image, different types at inversion
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`driving are perferrned.
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`To emphasize, in the same field of endeavor, display driving rising pniarity inversirm, inada,
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`teaches of applying an analogous image to eheckicerreet for flicker (similar to Kirn’s pattern) and
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`as shown in Figure 7, [@124], a first type at reversal driving is performed in the area Where the
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`e,r_iininii—i'r_=.vei*sai anaiegens image is displayed, and a seeend type of reversai driving is
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`performed in an area, other than the area where the celtnnn—reversal analcgoas image is
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`dispiayed, As both references teach, different polarities are appiied to different segments at" the
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`dispiay (which is achieved by driving diffiCTCni data lines/drivers (read as dif Terent respective
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`driving regiens), etc, as the teachings of the combination wenid show). Again, Kim teaches ef
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`difierent polarity driving in dii'i'erem regions and inada teaches the specifics of that type of
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`driving, dot at coitnnn, based on a lTiieiter image, The specifics of appiyin g a ene—eniarnn versus
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`a two-coinrnn reversal drive is a design choice or at ieast, within ordinary skili in Eight 0‘? hiadaqs
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`teachings. Again, inada teaches to have tvve different types of driving where the image/pattern is
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`and vvi'iere it is not. Please note inada teaches of several other ernhrx‘iirnents and rnrx‘iii’ications
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/223,696
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`Art Unit: 2621
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`Page 5
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`that resnh in different, types of driving, further reinforcing that it is a design choice as it) the
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`partieuiar type et‘ peiarity driving
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`Therefere, it would have been obvious to, one of ordinary skiil in the art, at the effective filed
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`date of the invention. to irnpiernent the noiarity driving based on a flicker region, as taught by
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`inada, with the motivation that t‘iieker me be suppressed and power consumption can be
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`minimized, ( inada, [0124} )t
`
`Kim and Inada teach in Claim 9:
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`The iiquid crystai dispiay device according tn claim 8, wherein the dispiay eontrol eireuit
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`includes: an image determinator that determines whether an extemaiiy-inpnt image includes a
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`pattern image? and a control signal generator that generates a eontroi signal switching between
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`the one column inversion drive and the two~coiuniri inversion drive in each source driver based
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`on a determination result of the image deterrninator, and the eentrei signai generator outputs:
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`each of the pinraiity 0‘? generated controi signais to a switch of the eerresponding source driver. (
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`Kim, Figure 12, [0049] disclose a step S1 of analyzing an input image in which white and
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`black gray scale data are regularly arranged and determining the type of polarity/inversion
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`driving to do in response. Depending on the matching/analysis of the pattern, different
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`polarity signals can be applied individually to the different ICs, as shown in Figures 10 and
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`11, [0050]. Figure 12 disclose selecting between H1 and H2 dot inversion. Depending on the
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`appropriate mode, one of the two polarity signals is provided. Using a switch is reasonably
`
`a way to implement this)
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/223,696
`
`Art Unit: 2621
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`Page 6
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`Kim and Inada teach in Claim 10:
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`The liquid crystal dispiay device according to ciaiin 8, wherein the some of the piurality
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`of source drivers which are connected to a respective driving regien including the pattem image
`
`pert‘crm the eite~ceiunm inversim drive in the peried during which the pattern image is not
`
`dispiayed. t inade, Figure ”i, {@124} diseteee the peiai‘ity driving te varieus regime changes
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`based en an the ahategees image As meted in the teasening in Ctaim 8, eeinmtt~revet‘sei
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`driving is perfermed and the type, (hilfiucttiumfl, etc, is within tittiittary ehiii in the art ta)
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`determine. Beth Kim and ineda teach at severai types of inversien driving and me et‘
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`erdhtaty shiti in the art week} teaiize that Gilevflfliu'i‘tifi driving is weii knew: it: the art. as
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`weti )
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`6.
`
`Applicant’s arguments considered, but are respectfully moot in grounds of new
`
`Response to Arguments
`
`rejection(s).
`
`Please note the updated rejection which accurately reflects the claim language. Inada
`
`teaches of several types of inversion driving and more importantly, distinguishes where the
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`analogous image is (similar to Kim's pattern, etc). Both references are directed towards
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`minimizing flicker as well. The specific type of inversion driving to perform is a design choice in
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`light of the combination, namely Inada's teachings of different types of driving specifically
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`within and outside the analogous image.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/223,696
`
`Art Unit: 2621
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`Page 7
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`Conclusion
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`7.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to Dennis Joseph whose telephone number is (57 l)270— 1459. The
`
`examiner can normally be reached on Monday—Friday, 8am—5pm.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in—person, and video conferencing using
`
`a USPTO supplied web—based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is
`
`encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Amr Awad can be reached on 571—272—7764. The fax phone number for the
`
`organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571—273—8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of 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
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`information system, call 800—786—9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571—272—1000.
`
`/Dennis J oseph/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621
`
`