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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on December 11,2025, has been entered.
This Office Action is also in response to applicant’s amendment filed on November 11,2025, which has been entered into the file.
By this amendment, the applicant has amended claims 1, 14, 15, and 19.
Claims 1-5, 7-15 and 17-20 remain pending in this application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-5, -7-15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 14 and 15 recites “each of first pattern area and the second pattern area is arranged to occupy fewer than all the display pixels of the display device” and recites the phrases “first lens function comprise first lens values across the whole display device” and “second lens function comprises second lens values across the whole display device that are not supported by the specification of originally filed. The specification of originally filed discloses that the first lens function and the second lens function comprises first lens values and the second lens value across the whole the display device only if first pattern area or the second pattern area occupy the whole display pixels of the display device, (please see Figures 4 and 5 of the instant application). On the other hand, the instant application specification disclose that when the first pattern and the second pattern each occupies fewer than all the display pixels of the display device the first lens function and the second lens function each CANNOT have lens values across the whole display device.
Claims 1, 14 and 15 has been amended to include the phrase “the first lens values correlated to the first pattern area do not overlap the second lens values correlated to the second pattern area” that is not fully supported by the specification of originally filed.
The specification fails to support the claims.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
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.
Claims 1-15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1, 14 and 15 has been amended to include the phrase “the first lens values correlated to the first pattern area do not overlap the second lens values correlated to the second pattern area” that is confusing and indefinite, since in an earlier part of the claims have stated “first lens function comprise first lens values across the whole display device” and “second lens function comprises second lens values across the whole display device”. If the first and second lens functions with lens values across the whole display device, then the first lens values and the second lens values cannot be not overlap with each other. These contradiction statements make the scopes of the claims unclear.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, 8 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US patent application publication by Li (US 2018/0314065 A1)
Claims 1 and 14 have been amended to necessitate the new grounds of rejection.
Li teaches, with regard to claims 1 and 14, a head-up display that serves as the display engine arranged to generate pattern for display by a display device, such as a phase spatial light modulator (3, Figure 1) that implicitly comprises display pixels, wherein the display engine is arranged to generate a pattern that is comprised of a first pattern area (31, Figure 2) comprising a summed representation of a first hologram (301+303, Figure 2), of a first image for projection onto a first image plane (located at 11 and then S1) and a first lens area (305), wherein the first lens area corresponds to a sub-portion of a first lens function having a first optical power, wherein the lens function comprises first lens values on the display device. The sub-portion (305) of the first lens function comprises the first lens values correlated to the first pattern area (301+303).
Li teaches that the pattern is further comprised of a second pattern area (32) comprising a summed representation of a second hologram (302+304) of a second image for projection onto a second image plane (located at 12 and then S2) and a second lens area (306), wherein the second lens area corresponds to a second sub-portion of a second lens function having a second optical power, wherein the second lens function comprises second lens values on the display device and the sub-portion (306) of the second lens function comprises the second lens values correlated to the second pattern area (302+304).
The first optical power and the second optical power are different, (please see paragraph [0042]) such that the first image and the second image are projected different distances from the pattern when the pattern is illuminated.
Li et al teaches that the first pattern area (31, Figure 1) and the second pattern area (32) are arranged on sub-regions of the display device which implicitly allows the display engine to display the first pattern area and the second pattern area substantially simultaneously.
Li et al teaches that the each of the first pattern area and the second pattern area is arranged to occupy fewer that all the display pixels of the display device, (please see 31 and 32 on the phase spatial light modulator 3, Figure 1) and the first pattern area and the second pattern area do not overlap one another.
With regard to claim 14, Li further teaches display engine is an image projector, (please see Figure 1). Li also teaches to include a display device, (please see Figure 1) and a light source (1, Figure 1) arranged to illuminate the pattern displayed by the display device.
Li teaches that the first pattern area (31, Figure 1) and the second pattern area (32) are each occupied a sub-region of the display device or the phase spatial light modulator (3) wherein the first pattern area and the second pattern area are further each to be encoded with the lens phase hologram (305 and 306) respectively, that implicitly includes first lens values and the second lens values with associated the lens functions respectively.
This reference does not teach explicitly that the first and second lens function each comprises the first lens values or the second lens values that across the whole display device. This feature however is rejected under 35 USC 112, first and second paragraphs for the reasons stated above.
However, the first lens phase hologram (305) may be viewed as to provide lens function to all of the display pixels with the display pixels having the encoded lens phase hologram (305) to have specific, such as convergent, lens function and the display pixels without the lens phase hologram (305) with a lens function to simply allows the pass of the light from the pixels without refraction. Similarly, the second lens phase hologram (306) may be viewed as to provide lens function to all of the display pixels with the display pixels having the encoded lens phase hologram (306) to have specific, such as convergent, lens function and the display pixels without the lens phase hologram (306) with a lens function to simply allows the pass of the light from the pixels without refraction.
Claims 1 and 14 have been amended to include the phrase “the first lens values correlated to the fist pattern area do not overlap the second lens values correlated to the second pattern area”.
This phrase is rejected under 35 USC 112 first and second paragraphs for the reasons set forth above. This phrase can only be examined in the broadest interpretation.
Li teaches that the first lens phase hologram (305) and the second lens phase hologram (306) have different phase factors such as have different focal length, that implicitly means they may have different lens values. Li teaches that the first lens phase hologram and the second lens phase hologram that each is associated with the first pattern area and the second pattern area that are not overlapping (in location of the pixels of the display device) with each other.
With regard to claims 2 and 3, this reference does not teach explicitly that the pattern further comprises a third pattern area at least partial replica of the first hologram and a third lens are of the first lens function and a fourth pattern area comprising an at least partial replica of the second hologram and fourth lens area of the second lens function. However, such modifications are considered to be obvious to one skilled in the art at time of invention since it only involves simple duplication of working parts for the purpose of creating pattern as desired.
With regard to claims 4 and 5, Li teaches that the first pattern (303) comprises a first grating function having a first grating period which translates the first image on the first image plane and the second pattern (304) comprises a second grating function having a second grating period which translates the second image on the second image plane, (please see paragraph [0042]).
With regard to claim 7, Li teaches that the first image and the second image may each have light areas and dark areas, (please see Figure 2). But this reference does not teach explicitly to have the first and second image, when viewed along a common axis, with light area of first image partially overlaps with the dark area of the second image and the dark area of the first image at least partially overlaps with the light area of the second image. However, these features are considered to be obvious matters of design choices to one skilled in the art to design the first and second image have the specific arrangements to achieve desired image pattern.
With regard to claim 8, the first pattern area (31) and/or the second pattern area (32) may be regarded as comprising a plurality of sub-areas wherein a sub-area represents a contiguous subset of the hologram pixels of the corresponding hologram.
Claim(s) 9-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of the US patent application publication by Onural (US 2016/0161914 A1).
The display engine taught by Li as described in claim 1 above has met all the limitations of the claims.
With regard to claims 9 and 10, Li reference does not teach explicitly that the display engine is arranged to change a characteristic of at least one of the first pattern area and the second pattern area when both pattern areas are displayed on the display device. Onural in the same field of endeavor teaches a holographic display wherein the pattern displayed on the spatial light modulator (3, Figure 1) may be controlled by a computer (6). This means that via computer one skilled in the art may change a characteristic of at least one of the first pattern area and the second pattern area on the spatial light modulator such as change the size of the pattern area for the benefit of controlling the image pattern to be projected.
With regard to claims 11-13, Onural teaches that the holograms input to the spatial light modulator may comprise video rate sequence of the holograms, (please see the abstract). It is implicitly true that for each input hologram, a corresponding pattern area (such as 31 or 32) that comprises the input hologram (301+303 or 302+304) and a corresponding lens area (305 or 306) of the lens function having optical power is displayed on the spatial light modulator. With regard to claim 12, the features are considered to be process-by-product limitations that are not given patentable weight since it does not differentiate the final product from prior art, (please see MPEP 2173.05(p)). Nevertheless, Li in light of Onural teach that each hologram may be displayed either in succession within the video rate sequence, alternatively or simultaneously. With regard to claim 13, Li teaches that the display engine is arranged to display an input hologram and it corresponding lens area on pixels of the display device, such as the spatial light modulator (3)), using a plurality of different pattern arranges. The feature concerning “before displaying a pattern area comprising a next hologram within the video-rate sequence of input hologram” is considered to be intermediate steps and product-by-process limitations that are not given patentable weight since it does not differentiate the final product from the prior art, (please see MPEP 2173.05(p)).
Claim(s) 15, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US patent application publication by Li (US 2018/0314065 A1).
Claim 15 has been amended to necessitate the new grounds of rejection.
Li teaches a projection display device that implicitly includes a method for projecting a first image onto a first image plane (at 11 and S1, Figure 1) and a second image onto a second image plane (at 12 and S2) at substantially the same time with a display device having display pixels, wherein the method comprises (a) displaying, that implicitly or obvious modification by one skilled in the art to determine, a first hologram (301+303, Figure 2) of the first image, (b) displaying, that implicitly or obvious modification by one skilled in the art to determine, a first lens area (305) of a first lens function having a first optical power wherein the first lens function enables formation of the first image on the first image plane, and wherein the first lens area (305) corresponds to a sub-portion of the first lens function and the first lens function comprises for lens values displayed on the display device, (c) displaying, that implicitly or obvious modification by one skilled in the art to determine, a second hologram (302+304, Figure 2) of the second image, (d) displaying, that implicitly or obvious modification by one skilled in the art to determine, a second lens area (306) of a second lens function having a second optical power wherein the second lens function enables formation of the second image on the second image plane, wherein the second lens area corresponds to a sub-portion of the second lens function and the second lens function comprises second lens value displayed on the display device.
Li teaches that the first optical power and the second optical power are different such that the first image and the second image are projected different distances from a pattern when the pattern is illuminated, (please see paragraph [0043]).
The method further comprises (e) displaying simultaneously on the display device both a first pattern area (31) comprising a summed or superimposed representation of the first hologram (301+303) and the first lens area (305), wherein the sub-portion of the first lens function comprises the first lens values correlated to the first pattern area, (please see Figure 2), and a second pattern area (32) comprising a summed or superimposed representation of the second hologram (304+302) and the second lens area (306) wherein the sub-portion of the second lens function comprises the second lens values correlated to the second pattern area.
Li teaches that method function comprises the step of (f) illuminating the display device, (please see Figure 1).
Li teaches that the first pattern area (31, Figure 1) and the second pattern area (32) are each occupied a sub-region of the display device or the phase spatial light modulator (3) which means that the first pattern area and the second pattern area occupies fewer than all display pixels of the display device (3). The first pattern area and the second pattern area do not overlap one another.
Li teaches that the first lens area (305, Figure 2) implicitly has a first lens function (such as convergent function) and having a first optical power and the second lens area (306) has a second lens function (such as convergent function) and having a second optical power. This reference does not teach explicitly that the first lens area corresponds to a sub-portion of the first lens function and the first lens function comprises first lens values across the whole display and the second lens are corresponds to a sub-portion of the second lens function and the second lens function comprises second lens values across the whole display. But the feature is rejected under 35 USC 112, first and second paragraphs, for the reasons set forth above.
Li teaches that the image projection is based on only the first lens area or the second lens area, respectively, which means the first lens area may be considered as a sub-portion of the first lens function wherein the first lens function has lens values corresponding to the first pattern area to provide the first optical power and to have lens values for portion corresponding to other portion of the display device (including the second pattern area) with a value that does not provide any lens function and the second lens function has lens values corresponding to the second pattern area to provide the second optical power and to have lens values for portion corresponding to other portion of the display device (including the first pattern area) with a value that does not provide any lens function. This means the first lens function of Li therefore has lens value for providing first optical power correlates to the first pattern area and to have lens value for providing non-optical power correlates to whole display device other than the first pattern area and the second lens function of Li therefore has lens value for providing second optical power correlates to the second pattern area and to have lens value for providing non-optical power correlates to whole display device other than the second pattern area.
With regard to claim 17, Li teaches that the first lens area is comprised within a plurality of lens areas of the first lens function where each lens area comprises an arc, (305, Figure 2) wherein each of the arcs has a first common center. The plurality of lens areas of the first lens function is implicitly determined.
With regard to claim 18, the first common center of the first lens is located one a projection axis of the display device to create the image at the location (11). The first image is formed within a first holographic replay field on the first image plane wherein an axis defined between the first common center and the first image plane center intersects a center of the first holographic replay field.
With regard to claim 19, Li teaches that the second lens area is comprised within a plurality of lens areas of the second lens function where each lens area comprises an arc, (306, Figure 2) wherein each of the arcs has a second common center. The plurality of lens areas of the second lens function is implicitly determined.
With regard to claim 20, the second common center of the second lens is located one a projection axis of the display device to create the image at the location (12). The second image is formed within a second holographic replay field on the second image plane wherein an axis defined between the second common center and the second image plane center intersects a center of the second holographic replay field.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on November 11, 2025, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The newly amended claims have been fully considered and they are rejected under the reasons set forth above.
Applicant’s arguments are mainly drawn to the newly amended features of the claims that have been fully addressed in the reasons for rejection set forth above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AUDREY Y CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-2309. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 9:00AM-4:30PM.
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AUDREY Y. CHANG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2872
/AUDREY Y CHANG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872