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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 01/28/2026 has been entered.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 17, 19 and 20 are rejoined.
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) 15, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miki (JP H0688960 A) in view of Ogasawara (JP H10319343 A).
With respect to claims 15, 17, and 20, Miki discloses a method comprising: a method comprising: generating an image in a first image plane (fig.1, 21a and 22a), transmitting said image through a fiber optic face plate (fig.1) said fiber optic face plate comprising a first side having a first surface lying in the first image plane (21a), and a second side having a second surface lying in a second image plane (see the other end of 1 in fig.1), and projecting the image from the second surface (fig.1), wherein: the first image plane comprises a plurality of first part image planes (21a and 22a) each first part image plane (21a and 22a) associated with an individual first part surface of the first side of the fiber optic face plate and the first part surfaces (21a and 22) of the first side of the fiber optic face plate are arranged in different surface planes (see fig.1), that are not parallel with the second image plane of the second surface (see the arrangement of planes of 21 and 22a).
Miki does not disclose a method for presenting at least one image via at least one surface element of a head up or head mounted display arrangement, projecting via the surface element arranged in the beam path of light emitted from the second surface, wherein the image at the second surface is projected to at least one semi-transparent beam splitting element arranged in the beam path of light emitted from the second surface, said at least one beam splitter projecting light incident from the second surface to the at least one surface element so that the image of the second image plane is directed to the surface element via said at least one semi-transparent beam splitting element, wherein said surface element is a combiner.
Ogasawara discloses a method for presenting at least one image via at least one surface element (see 62) of a head up or head mounted display arrangement (see fig.3b), projecting via the surface element (62) arranged in the beam path of light emitted from the second surface (4b), wherein the image at the second surface is projected to at least one semi-transparent beam splitting element (see 63) arranged in the beam path of light emitted from the second surface (see 4b), said at least one beam splitter (see 63) projecting light incident from the second surface to the at least one surface element (see 62 in fig.3b) so that the image of the second image plane is directed to the surface element (62) via said at least one semi-transparent beam splitting element (see the operation fig.3b), wherein said surface element is a combiner (see 62).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Miki with the method steps of Ogasawara so as to include the method for presenting at least one image via at least one surface element of a head up or head mounted display arrangement, projecting via the surface element arranged in the beam path of light emitted from the second surface, wherein the image at the second surface is projected to at least one semi-transparent beam splitting element arranged in the beam path of light emitted from the second surface, said at least one beam splitter projecting light incident from the second surface to the at least one surface element so that the image of the second image plane is directed to the surface element via said at least one semi-transparent beam splitting element, wherein said surface element is a combiner to enhance visual experience by reduce eye fatigue, and improving user safety by displaying information while permitting environmental awareness.
Claim(s) 16 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miki (JP H0688960 A) in view of Ogasawara (JP H10319343 A) and Kurata (EP 550155 A2).
With respect to claims 16 and 18, Miki in view of Ogasawara discloses the method of claim 15, but does not disclose wherein the second surface comprises a plurality of part surfaces each intended for a dedicated surface element and wherein at least two image generating elements each generate an image in the first part image plane at its associated first part surface of the first side of the fiber optic face plate.
Kurata discloses wherein the second surface comprises a plurality of part surfaces each intended for a dedicated surface element (see 440 in fig.28 and also see 333 in fig.20D; also the use of the phrase “intended for a dedicated …” is interpreted as intended use), wherein at least two image generating elements each generate an image in the first part image plane at its associated first part surface of the first side of the fiber optic face plate (see the operation and plurality of image generating units disclosed in fig.11).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Miki in view of Ogasawara with the teaching of Kurata so that the second surface comprises a plurality of part surfaces each intended for a dedicated surface element and wherein at least two image generating elements each generate an image in the first part image plane at its associated first part surface of the first side of the fiber optic face plate to enhance image quality and brightness.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miki (JP H0688960 A) in view of Ogasawara (JP H10319343 A) and Sakai (United States Patent Publication 5,502,457)
With respect to claim 19, Miki in view of Ogasawara discloses the method of claim 15, but does not disclose wherein for each position of the first surface incident light is transmitted to a plurality of second surface parts.
Sakai disclose wherein for each position of the first surface incident light (see the bottom first surface of each optical fiber 3 and the light that inters therein in fig.4) is transmitted to a plurality of second surface parts (see the plurality of second surface parts 30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Miki in view of Ogasawara with the teaching of Sakai so that for each position of the first surface incident light is transmitted to a plurality of second surface parts to enhance image quality by reducing moiré fringes and the deterioration of the resolution of the display.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21-31 are allowed.
With respect to claim 21, the prior art does not disclose or suggest a method for presenting at least one image via at least one surface element of a head up or head mounted display arrangement, said method comprising: generating an image in a first image plane, transmitting said image through a fiber optic face plate said fiber optic face plate comprising a first side having a first surface lying in the first image plane, and a second side having a second surface lying in a second image plane, and projecting the image from the second surface via the surface element arranged in the beam path of light emitted from the second surface, wherein: the first image plane comprises a plurality of first part image planes each first part image plane associated with an individual first part surface of the first side of the fiber optic face plate, and the fiber optic faceplate is arranged to transfers at least parts of the images from the plurality of first part surfaces to mutually overlapping positions in a common second surface.
With respect to claim 22-26, they are allowed as they depend from allowed claim 21.
With respect to claim 27, the prior art of record does not discloses or suggest a method for presenting at least one image via at least one surface element of a head up or head mounted display arrangement, said method comprising: generating an image in a first image plane, transmitting said image through a fiber optic face plate said fiber optic face plate comprising a first side having a first surface lying in the first image plane, and a second side having a second surface lying in a second image plane, and projecting the image from the second surface via the surface element arranged in the beam path of light emitted from the second surface, wherein: the first image plane comprises a plurality of first part image planes each first part image plane associated with an individual first part surface of the first side of the fiber optic face plate, the second image plane comprises a plurality of second part image planes each second part image plane associated with an individual second part surface of the second side of the fiber optic face plate, and for each position of the first surface, incident light is divided and divergently transmitted to a plurality of second part surfaces.
With respect to claim 28-31, they are allowed as they depend from allowed claim 27.
The closest prior art of record, Miki, discloses a method comprising: a method comprising: generating an image in a first image plane (fig.1, 21a and 22a), transmitting said image through a fiber optic face plate (fig.1) said fiber optic face plate comprising a first side having a first surface lying in the first image plane (21a), and a second side having a second surface lying in a second image plane (see the other end of 1 in fig.1), and projecting the image from the second surface (fig.1), wherein: the first image plane comprises a plurality of first part image planes (21a and 22a) each first part image plane (21a and 22a) associated with an individual first part surface of the first side of the fiber optic face plate and the first part surfaces (21a and 22) of the first side of the fiber optic face plate are arranged in different surface planes (see fig.1), that are not parallel with the second image plane of the second surface (see the arrangement of planes of 21 and 22a) but does not disclose wherein: the first image plane comprises a plurality of first part image planes each first part image plane associated with an individual first part surface of the first side of the fiber optic face plate, and the fiber optic faceplate is arranged to transfers at least parts of the images from the plurality of first part surfaces to mutually overlapping positions in a common second surface or wherein: the first image plane comprises a plurality of first part image planes each first part image plane associated with an individual first part surface of the first side of the fiber optic face plate, the second image plane comprises a plurality of second part image planes each second part image plane associated with an individual second part surface of the second side of the fiber optic face plate, and for each position of the first surface, incident light is divided and divergently transmitted to a plurality of second part surfaces structurally arranged and functionally operated as in claims 21 or 27.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 06/26/2025 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERRY L. BROOKS whose telephone number is (571)270-5711. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-4:00 PM.
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/JERRY L BROOKS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882