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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 18-27, in the reply filed on July 1, 2025 is acknowledged. Accordingly, claims 28-34 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The prior art documents submitted by applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on March 31, 2022 have all been considered and made of record (note the attached copy of form PTO-1449).
Drawings
Twelve (12) sheets of drawings were filed on March 31, 2022 and have been accepted by the examiner.
Specification
Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Inventorship
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Trisnadi et al. (US 2022/0171190 A1), hereafter Trisnadi.
Regarding claims 18-21; Trisnadi discloses a display system (see Figures 9A-9B, 11, 29, and 30A-30C and paragraphs 95, 118, 120-123, 162-165, 196-197174 and 286) comprising:
a first display die (1044a; see Figure 29) configured to emit light (1032a) of a first color (red; see paragraphs 221, 238, 297, and 300);
a second display die (1044b; see Figure 29) configured to emit light (1032b) of a second color (green; see paragraphs 221, 238, 297, and 300);
a third display die (1044c; see Figure 29) configured to emit light (1032c) of a third color (glue; see paragraphs 221, 238, 297, and 300);
a lens system (collimator array 1300 and/or projection optics 1070; see Figure 29; see paragraphs 288 and 289); and
an optical waveguide system (eyepiece 1020 including stacked waveguides 1020a, 1020b, 1020c; the stacked waveguides, 670, 680, 690 are illustrated in Figures 9A-9B) comprising
a first grating portion (in-coupling optical elements 1022a, 1022b, 1022c in Figure 29; in-coupling optical elements 700, 710, 720 are illustrated in Figures 9A-9B; see paragraphs 216 and 249) configured to couple in an incident light (1032a, 1032b, 1032c in Figure 29; 770, 780, 790 in Figures 9A-9B) to the optical waveguide system (1020a/1020b/1020c; 670/680/690; see Figures 9A-9B and 29) and
a second grating portion (out-coupling optical element 730, 740, 750 in Figures 9A-9B, not illustrated in Figure 29; see paragraphs 153, 157 125) configured to couple out a transmitting light (1032a, 1032b, 1032c coupled to eye 210; see Figure 29) from the optical waveguide system (1020a/1020b/1020c; 670/680/690); and
wherein the first display die (1044a), the second display die (1044b) and the third display die (1044c) are arranged in one package (1030; see Figure 29); and
wherein the lens system (1300, 1070) is arranged in between the package (1044) and the optical waveguide system (1020), configured to collimate the light (1032a) of first color (red), the light (1032b) of second color (green) and the light (1032c) of third color (blue) onto the first grating portion of the optical waveguide system (1020; see Figure 15);
wherein the first grating portion (1022a/1022b/1022c) is configured to couple in the light (1032a) of first color (red), the light (1032b) of second color (green) and the light (1032c) of third color (blue) to the optical waveguide system (1020) and the second grating portion is configured to couple out the light (1032a) of first color (red), the light (1032b) of second color (green) and the light (1032c) of third color (blue) from the optical waveguide system (1020);
wherein the optical waveguide system comprises at least three separate waveguides (1020a, 1020b, 1020c in Figure 29; 640, 680, 690 in Figures 9A-9B) corresponding to the light (1032a) of first color (red), the light (1032b) of second color (green) and the light (1032c) of third color (blue), whereby each separate waveguide comprises a first grating portion (1022 in Figure 29; 710/720/730 in Figures 9A-9B) and a second grating portion (not illustrated in Figure 29; 730, 740, 750 in Figures 9A-9B) in order to couple in and couple out the respective light;
wherein the first display die (1044a), the second display die (1044b) and the third display die (1044c) are light emitting dies, comprising arrays of microscopic light emitting diodes forming the individual pixel elements (see paragraphs 118, 206, and 283).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 22-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Trisnadi et al. (US 2022/0171190 A1), hereafter Trisnadi, in view of Ota et al. (US 10,367,035 B2), hereafter Ota.
Regarding claims 22; Trisnadi discloses the system according to claim 18 as applied above, but does not specifically disclose that the first display die, the second display die and the third display die comprise a driver circuit array including a plurality of pixel driver circuits, each being coupled to the individual pixel elements.
The examiner takes Official notice that micro-displays / displays with pixels inherently require driver circuitry coupled to pixel element to operate the display. Ota teaches that a color display element (100; see Figures 1 and 2) having pixels (P) includes a display panel (101), a flexible printed circuit board (102; i.e. a flexible connector), and a driver IC (103) and may be employed as a micro-display (100L, 100R) in a head mounted device (1000; see Figures 26).
Before the effective filing date of the present invention, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to provide a driver circuit array for the first, second, and third display dies of Trisnadi, including a plurality of pixel driver circuits, each being coupled to individual pixel elements for the purpose of operating the display to display images, since they are the elements conventionally provided for operating display devices.
Regarding claims 23-26; Trisnadi discloses a display system (see Figures 9A-9B, 11, 29, and 30A-30C and paragraphs 95, 118, 120-123, 162-165, 196-197174 and 286) comprising:
a first display die (1044a; see Figure 29) configured to emit light (1032a) of a first color (red; see paragraphs 221, 238, 297, and 300);
a second display die (1044b; see Figure 29) configured to emit light (1032b) of a second color (green; see paragraphs 221, 238, 297, and 300);
a third display die (1044c; see Figure 29) configured to emit light (1032c) of a third color (glue; see paragraphs 221, 238, 297, and 300);
a first lens (first lens 1302 of lens array 1300/1300a; see Figures 24B, 26A-B, and 29),
a second lens (second lens 1302 of lens array 1300/1300b; see Figures 24B, 26A-B, and 29) and
a third lens (third lens 1302 of lens array 1300/1300c; see Figures 24B, 26A-B, 29, and 30A-30C); and
an optical waveguide system (eyepiece 1020 including stacked waveguides 1020a, 1020b, 1020c; the stacked waveguides, 670, 680, 690 are illustrated in Figures 9A-9B) comprising
a first grating portion (in-coupling optical elements 1022a, 1022b, 1022c in Figure 29; in-coupling optical elements 700, 710, 720 are illustrated in Figures 9A-9B; see paragraphs 216 and 249) configured to couple in an incident light (1032a, 1032b, 1032c in Figure 29; 770, 780, 790 in Figures 9A-9B) to the optical waveguide system (1020a/1020b/1020c; 670/680/690; see Figures 9A-9B and 29) and
a second grating portion (out-coupling optical element 730, 740, 750 in Figures 9A-9B, not illustrated in Figure 29; see paragraphs 153, 157 125) configured to couple out a transmitting light (1032a, 1032b, 1032c coupled to eye 210; see Figure 29) from the optical waveguide system (1020a/1020b/1020c; 670/680/690); and
wherein the first display die is arranged on a first package (103a; see Figures 30B and 30C), the second display die is arranged on a second package (1030b) and the third display die is arranged on a third package (1030c), and
wherein the first lens, the second lens and the third lens (1300a, 1300b, 1300c) are arranged between the packages (1030a, 1030b, 1030c) and the optical waveguide system (1020), whereby the first lens is configured to collimate the light of first color (1032a, red), the second lens is configured to collimate the light of second color (1032b, green) and the third lens is configured to collimate the light of third color (1032c, blue), onto the first grating portion (1022, 1022a/1022b/1022c) of the optical waveguide system (1020);
wherein the first grating portion (1022a/1022b/1022c) is configured to couple in the light (1032a) of first color (red), the light (1032b) of second color (green) and the light (1032c) of third color (blue) to the optical waveguide system (1020) and the second grating portion is configured to couple out the light (1032a) of first color (red), the light (1032b) of second color (green) and the light (1032c) of third color (blue) from the optical waveguide system (1020);
wherein the optical waveguide system comprises at least three separate waveguides (1020a, 1020b, 1020c in Figure 29; 640, 680, 690 in Figures 9A-9B) corresponding to the light (1032a) of first color (red), the light (1032b) of second color (green) and the light (1032c) of third color (blue), whereby each separate waveguide comprises a first grating portion (1022 in Figure 29; 710/720/730 in Figures 9A-9B) and a second grating portion (not illustrated in Figure 29; 730, 740, 750 in Figures 9A-9B) in order to couple in and couple out the respective light;
wherein the first display die (1044a), the second display die (1044b) and the third display die (1044c) are light emitting dies, comprising arrays of microscopic light emitting diodes forming the individual pixel elements (see paragraphs 118, 206, and 283).
Trisnadi does not disclose that the first package, the second package and the third package are interconnected via a flex-connector. The examiner takes Official notice that flex-connectors (i.e. flexible circuits) are conventionally provided to connect display element pixels to driver circuitry, as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.
Ota teaches that a color display element (100; see Figures 1 and 2) having pixels (P) includes a display panel (101), a flexible printed circuit board (102; i.e. a flexible connector), and a driver IC (103) and may be employed as a micro-display (100L, 100R) in a head mounted device (1000; see Figures 26).
Before the effective filing date of the present invention, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to interconnect the first package, the second package, and the third package of the display element of Trisnadi with a flex-connector for the purpose of coordinating and controlling the packages to provide a desired image light to the waveguide system of Trisnadi, since flex-connectors are routinely employed in the art for interconnecting display elements.
Regarding claim 27; Trisnadi and Ota teach the system according to claim 23 as applied above, but does not specifically disclose that the first display die, the second display die and the third display die comprise a driver circuit array including a plurality of pixel driver circuits, each being coupled to the individual pixel elements.
The examiner takes Official notice that micro-displays / displays with pixels inherently require driver circuitry coupled to pixel element to operate the display. Ota teaches that a color display element (100; see Figures 1 and 2) having pixels (P) includes a display panel (101), a flexible printed circuit board (102; i.e. a flexible connector), and a driver IC (103) and may be employed as a micro-display (100L, 100R) in a head mounted device (1000; see Figures 26).
Before the effective filing date of the present invention, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to provide a driver circuit array for the first, second, and third display dies of Trisnadi, including a plurality of pixel driver circuits, each being coupled to individual pixel elements for the purpose of operating the display to display images, since they are the elements conventionally provided for operating display devices.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Giudicelli et al. (US 10,690,914 B2), see entire document;
Parsons (US 10,466,496 B2), see entire document;
Fleck et al. (US 9,684,174 B2), see entire document;
Robbins (US 8,989,535 B2), see entire document;
Robbins et al. (US 8,817,350 B1), see entire document;
Hellman et al. (US 2022/0390746 A1), see entire document;
Chi et al. (US 2021/0055553 A1), see entire document;
Hu (US 2020/0018960 A1), see entire document;
Fatal et al. (US 2018/0172893 A1), see entire document;
Bohn et al. (US 2013/0208362 A1), see entire document;
Pockett et al. (US 2010/0277803 A1), see entire document;
Sonoda et al. (US 2006/0138239 A1), see entire document; and
Song (US 2003/0210467 A1), see entire document.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHELLE R CONNELLY whose telephone number is (571)272-2345. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
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, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at 571-272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHELLE R CONNELLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874