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
Claims 18-20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/19/2026.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li (United States Patent Application Publication 2013/0077283 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Li discloses a polarizing illuminator (see figs.4 and 7 and 100 and 162) comprising: a light source (184) and a reflector (164) proximate one another (see fig.7); and an assembly comprising a lens (see 178 in fig.7), a quarter-wave plate (QWP) (see 182: see para.[0034]: “a quarter-wave plate 182”), and a reflective polarizer (see 184:see para.[0034]: “a quarter-wave plate 182 and reflective polarizer 184”), wherein the assembly is configured such that: the lens (see the operation of lens 178) collimates unpolarized light emitted by the light source to provide a collimated beam ([0034]: “ Light source 164 produces a green light beam 176 that is collimated by plano-convex lens 178” ); the reflective polarizer (see 184 in fig.7) receives the collimated beam transmits a first portion (see fig.4, 104a) of the collimated beam in a first polarization state (see the operation of fig.4), and reflects a second portion of the collimated beam in a second (104b), orthogonal polarization state (disclosed by the operation of 108 and 110); and the second portion propagates back through the lens (see the lens in fig.4 on which 114 is disposed and 178 in fig.7), gets focused thereby onto the reflector (see 114) in fig.4, gets reflected thereby, propagates again through the lens (see the operation of fig.4), and gets re- collimated thereby (see the operation in fig.4); wherein the QWP (see 108 in fig.4) is disposed between the light source and the reflective polarizer (see 110 in fig.4) to convert the second portion to the first polarization state after the second portion is reflected by the reflector, to propagate through the reflective polarizer (see 104c).
With respect to claim 2, Li discloses the polarizing illuminator of claim 1, wherein the assembly is configured to image the second portion of the collimated beam at a pre-determined location proximate the light source (see para.[0040]: “Method 270 then proceeds to a step 280 where a second portion of the collimated light beam is reflected from the quarter wave plate and reflective polarizer such that the second portion passes back through the collimating lens arrangement and produces an image of the light beam on a reflector at a position laterally offset from the light source.”).
With respect to claim 3, Li discloses the polarizing illuminator of claim 1, wherein an optical axis of the lens (see 112 in fig.4) is offset relative to the light source for focusing the second portion at the reflector (see light source102 and reflector 114).
With respect to claim 5, Li discloses the polarizing illuminator of claim 1, wherein at least one of: the reflector is planar (see the planar reflector 14 in fig.4); or the light source, the reflector, and the reflective polarizer are disposed at a focal point of the lens.
With respect to claim 6, Li discloses the polarizing illuminator of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a semiconductor light source (see LEDs in 102) configured to emit unpolarized light.
With respect to claim 7, Li discloses the polarizing illuminator of claim 1, further comprising a support for supporting the light source (see 124 in fig.5), wherein the reflector is a portion of a reflective surface of the support proximate the light source (see the structure of 124, 138 and 138 in fig.5).
With respect to claim 8, Li discloses the polarizing illuminator of claim 1, wherein the reflective polarizer comprises at least one of: a wire grid polarizer; a stack of films comprising birefringent materials; a stack of dielectric thin films; or a polarization beamsplitter (see the beam splitter of 110).
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) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (United States Patent Application Publication 2013/0077283 A1).
With respect to claim 4, Li discloses the polarizing illuminator of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the second portion downstream of the reflective polarizer has more than 50% of optical power of the first portion.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Li so that the second portion downstream of the reflective polarizer has more than 50% of optical power of the first portion, since it would predictably improve image quality and since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-12 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
With respect to claim 9, the prior art does not disclose or render obvious the polarizing illuminator of claim 1, wherein the assembly comprises a lens array including the lens, the polarizing illuminator further comprising: an array of light sources including the light source; and an array of reflectors including the reflector; wherein the assembly is configured such that: each lens of the lens array collimates unpolarized light emitted by a corresponding light source of the array of light sources to provide a collimated beam; the reflective polarizer receives each collimated beam transmits a first portion of each collimated beam in the first polarization state, and reflects a second portion of each collimated beam in the second polarization state; and each second portion propagates back through a corresponding lens of the lens array, gets focused by the corresponding lens onto a corresponding reflector of the array of reflectors, gets reflected by the corresponding reflector, propagates again through the corresponding lens, and gets re-collimated thereby; wherein the QWP is disposed between the array of light sources and the reflective polarizer to convert each second portion to the first polarization state after each second portion is reflected by the corresponding reflector, to propagate through the reflective polarizer.
The closest prior art of record, Li, discloses the light source (184) and a reflector (164) proximate one another (see fig.7); and an assembly comprising a lens (see 178 in fig.7), a quarter-wave plate (QWP) (see 182: see para.[0034]: “a quarter-wave plate 182”), and a reflective polarizer (see 184:see para.[0034]: “a quarter-wave plate 182 and reflective polarizer 184”), wherein the assembly is configured such that: the lens (see the operation of lens 178) collimates unpolarized light emitted by the light source to provide a collimated beam ([0034]: “ Light source 164 produces a green light beam 176 that is collimated by plano-convex lens 178” ); the reflective polarizer (see 184 in fig.7) receives the collimated beam transmits a first portion (see fig.4, 104a) of the collimated beam in a first polarization state (see the operation of fig.4), and reflects a second portion of the collimated beam in a second (104b), orthogonal polarization state (disclosed by the operation of 108 and 110); and the second portion propagates back through the lens (see the lens in fig.4 on which 114 is disposed and 178 in fig.7), gets focused thereby onto the reflector (see 114) in fig.4, gets reflected thereby, propagates again through the lens (see the operation of fig.4), and gets re- collimated thereby (see the operation in fig.4); wherein the QWP (see 108 in fig.4) is disposed between the light source and the reflective polarizer (see 110 in fig.4) to convert the second portion to the first polarization state after the second portion is reflected by the reflector, to propagate through the reflective polarizer (see 104c) but does not disclose the reflective polarizer receives each collimated beam transmits a first portion of each collimated beam in the first polarization state, and reflects a second portion of each collimated beam in the second polarization state; and each second portion propagates back through a corresponding lens of the lens array, gets focused by the corresponding lens onto a corresponding reflector of the array of reflectors, gets reflected by the corresponding reflector, propagates again through the corresponding lens, and gets re-collimated thereby; wherein the QWP is disposed between the array of light sources and the reflective polarizer to convert each second portion to the first polarization state after each second portion is reflected by the corresponding reflector, to propagate through the reflective polarizer.
Claims 10-12 are allowable as they depend from an allowed claim.
Claims 13-17 are allowed.
With respect to claim 13, the prior art of record does not disclose or render obvious an array of light sources and an array of reflectors interlaced with the light sources, such that a light source of the array is disposed between reflectors of the array of reflectors, and vice versa; an assembly comprising an array of lenses, a quarter-wave plate (QWP), and a reflective polarizer, wherein the assembly is configured such that: each lens of the lens array collimates unpolarized light emitted by a corresponding light source of the array of light sources to provide a collimated beam; the reflective polarizer transmits a first portion of each collimated beam in a first polarization state and reflects a second portion of each collimated beam in a second, orthogonal polarization state; each second portion propagates back through the corresponding lens, gets focused thereby onto a corresponding reflector of the array of reflectors, gets reflected by the corresponding reflector, propagates again through the corresponding lens, and gets re-collimated thereby; wherein the QWP is disposed between the light source and the reflective polarizer to convert each second portion to the first polarization state after each second portion is reflected by the corresponding reflector, to propagate through the reflective polarizer; a spatial light modulator (SLM) comprising an array of pixels; and an optical system for directing the first and second portions of the collimated beams onto the array of pixels.
The closest prior art of record, Li, discloses the light source (184) and a reflector (164) proximate one another (see fig.7); and an assembly comprising a lens (see 178 in fig.7), a quarter-wave plate (QWP) (see 182: see para.[0034]: “a quarter-wave plate 182”), and a reflective polarizer (see 184:see para.[0034]: “a quarter-wave plate 182 and reflective polarizer 184”), wherein the assembly is configured such that: the lens (see the operation of lens 178) collimates unpolarized light emitted by the light source to provide a collimated beam ([0034]: “ Light source 164 produces a green light beam 176 that is collimated by plano-convex lens 178” ); the reflective polarizer (see 184 in fig.7) receives the collimated beam transmits a first portion (see fig.4, 104a) of the collimated beam in a first polarization state (see the operation of fig.4), and reflects a second portion of the collimated beam in a second (104b), orthogonal polarization state (disclosed by the operation of 108 and 110); and the second portion propagates back through the lens (see the lens in fig.4 on which 114 is disposed and 178 in fig.7), gets focused thereby onto the reflector (see 114) in fig.4, gets reflected thereby, propagates again through the lens (see the operation of fig.4), and gets re- collimated thereby (see the operation in fig.4); wherein the QWP (see 108 in fig.4) is disposed between the light source and the reflective polarizer (see 110 in fig.4) to convert the second portion to the first polarization state after the second portion is reflected by the reflector, to propagate through the reflective polarizer (see 104c) but does not disclose an array of reflectors interlaced with the light sources, such that a light source of the array is disposed between reflectors of the array of reflectors, and vice versa; an assembly comprising an array of lenses, a quarter-wave plate (QWP), and a reflective polarizer, wherein the assembly is configured such that: each lens of the lens array collimates unpolarized light emitted by a corresponding light source of the array of light sources to provide a collimated beam; the reflective polarizer transmits a first portion of each collimated beam in a first polarization state and reflects a second portion of each collimated beam in a second, orthogonal polarization state; each second portion propagates back through the corresponding lens, gets focused thereby onto a corresponding reflector of the array of reflectors, gets reflected by the corresponding reflector, propagates again through the corresponding lens, and gets re-collimated thereby; wherein the QWP is disposed between the light source and the reflective polarizer to convert each second portion to the first polarization state after each second portion is reflected by the corresponding reflector, to propagate through the reflective polarizer; a spatial light modulator (SLM) comprising an array of pixels; and an optical system for directing the first and second portions of the collimated beams onto the array of pixels.
Claims 14-17 are allowed as they depend from an allowed claim.
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
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