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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 01/26/20260has been entered.
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) 10 and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takagi (United States Patent 10, 203, 589 B2).
With respect to claims 10 and 12-14, Takagi discloses a light source device (see figs.1, 3 and 4), comprising: a light emitter (see light emitter of 10 in fig.1) to emit first light in a first light emitting direction and having a first wavelength (see the wavelength of 10 in fig.1); an optical system (90) to condense the first light; and a wavelength converter (see a rotary fluorescent plate 30 (wavelength converter)) to convert the first light to second light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength (see the operation of 30), wherein the wavelength converter is circular (see the structure of fig.3), and the optical system (see 90 in fig.3) and the wavelength converter (see 90 of fig.4) face each other in an incident direction of the first light such that the optical system (see 90) is positioned entirely within a width of the wavelength converter (see the positioning of 90 in fig.4), further comprising: a spatial light modulator including multiple pixels (400 RGB), the spatial light modulator configured to turn on and off the first light emitted from the light emitter for each of the multiple pixels to generate an image (see disclosed by the spatial light modulation devices of 400 RGB); and a projection optical system (see 600 in fig.1) configured to project the image generated by the spatial light modulator, wherein the light emitter (10 in fig.1) has a light emitting surface facing in a facing direction intersecting (see direction perpendicular to the light emitting direction and parallel to the surface of the light emitter) a surface of the wavelength converter that receives the first light (see the direction intersecting the surface of 30 in fig.1), further comprising a mirror (80 in fig.1) to reflect the first light toward the optical system (90 in fig.1).
Claim(s) 15, 17 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawasumi (United States Patent Application Publication 2017/0307969 A1).
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With respect to claims 15, 17 and 18, Kawasumi discloses a light source device (see 200 in fig.11), comprising: a light emitter (see 1BL in fig.11) including a light emitting surface facing in a facing direction (see direction perpendicular to the light emitting direction and parallel to the surface of the light emitter) to emit first light in a first light emitting direction (see the orientation of 1BL1) and having a first wavelength (see the blue light of 1BL1); an optical system (see 6L) to condense the first light which passes through the optical system in a propagation direction; and a wavelength converter (see 7PH) to convert the first light to second light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength (see the operation of 7PH), wherein the propagation direction intersects the facing direction, the wavelength converter is circular (see the wheel of 7PH), a width direction of the wavelength converter (see the arrow direction of fig.11) intersects the facing direction of the light emitting surface (see the direction along which the face of the light emitting device extending in fig.11), and a condition that D1< D2 (see the figure above) is satisfied, where Dl is a distance between the light emitting surface (see where D1 arrow begins in fig.11) and an end portion of the wavelength converter farthest from the light emitting surface in the width direction (see where D1 arrow ends above), and D2 is a distance between the light emitting surface (see D2 above) and an end portion of the optical system farthest from the light emitting surface in the width direction (see where D2 ends above), further comprising: a spatial light modulator including multiple pixels (see 20 B), the spatial light modulator configured to turn on and off the first light emitted from the light emitter for each of the multiple pixels to generate an image (disclosed by the operation of 20 B in fig.25); and a projection optical system (23 in fig.25) configured to project the image generated by the spatial light modulator, further comprising a mirror to reflect the first light toward the optical system (see 5m).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masuda (United States Patent Application Publication 2017/0052434 A1).
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With respect to claims 15, Masuda discloses a light source device figure above and fig.11), comprising: a light emitter (8 in fig.11) including a light emitting surface facing in a facing direction (see direction perpendicular to the light emitting direction and parallel to the surface of the light emitter) to emit first light in a first light emitting direction and having a first wavelength; an optical system (22) to condense the first light which passes through the optical system in a propagation direction; and a wavelength converter (12a and b) to convert the first light to second light having a second wavelength (see the operation of 12 in fig.11) different from the first wavelength, wherein the propagation direction intersects the facing direction (see the arrangement of fig.11), the wavelength converter is circular (see the wheel of 12), a width direction of the wavelength converter intersects the facing direction of the light emitting surface (see the facing direction of 8 and the intersection in the width direction of the wavelength converter in fig.11), and a condition that D1< D2 is satisfied (see D1 and D2 above), where D1 is a distance between the light emitting surface and an end portion of the wavelength converter farthest from the light emitting surface in the width direction (see the figure above), and D2 is a distance between the light emitting surface and an end portion of the optical system farthest from the light emitting surface in the width direction (see the figure above).
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) 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishikawa (WO 2016166885 A1) in view of Kuroi ( United States Patent Application Publication 20160241821 A1).
With respect to claims 10 and 12-14, Ishikawa discloses a light source device (see figs.2), comprising: a light emitter (see light emitter of 24 in fig.2) to emit first light in a first light emitting direction and having a first wavelength (see the wavelength of 28 in fig.2); an optical system (lens in fig.2) to condense the first light; and a wavelength converter (phosphor 28) to convert the first light to second light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength (see the operation of 28), wherein the wavelength converter is circular (see the structure of fig.2), and the optical system (see lens in fig.2) and the wavelength converter (see fig.2, 28) face each other in an incident direction of the first light such that the optical system (see the lens above 28), further comprising: a spatial light modulator including multiple pixels (41, 42 and 43 B in fig.2), the spatial light modulator configured to turn on and off the first light emitted from the light emitter for each of the multiple pixels to generate an image (see disclosed by the spatial light modulation devices of 43 B); and a projection optical system (see 6 in fig.2) configured to project the image generated by the spatial light modulator, wherein the light emitter (24 in fig.3) has a light emitting surface facing in a facing direction (see direction perpendicular to the light emitting direction and parallel to the surface of the light emitter)intersecting a surface of the wavelength converter that receives the first light (see the direction intersecting the surface of 24 in fig.2), further comprising a mirror (26 in fig.2) to reflect the first light toward the optical system (26 in fig.2) but does not disclose the optical system is positioned entirely within a width of the wavelength converter.
Kuroi discloses the optical system (see the lens 60) is positioned entirely within a width of the wavelength converter (see 10A in fig.4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Ishikawa with the teaching of Kuroi so that the optical system is positioned entirely within a width of the wavelength converter to reduce noise by mitigating turbulence.
With respect to claim 11, Ishikawa in view of Kuroi discloses the light source device according to claim 10, but does not disclose further comprising: a holder holding the optical system, wherein an edge portion of the holder is : closer to one end of the wavelength converter than a position at which the optical system condenses the first light; and closer to the light emitter than the one end of the wavelength converter in the first light emitting direction in a plane.
Kuroi discloses a holder (60, 65, 65a) holding the optical system, wherein an edge portion of the holder (see the portion of fig.3, 65A closest to the one end of the wavelength converter 10A adjacent to 65A)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Ishikawa in view of Kuroi with the teaching of Kuroi so that the optical system is closer to one end of the wavelength converter than a position at which the optical system condenses the first light; and closer to the light emitter than the one end of the wavelength converter in the first light emitting direction in a plane to reduce the size of the illumination system with by make illumination system more compact and to reduce noise by decreasing turbulence.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masuda (United States Patent Application Publication 2017/0052434 A1) in view of Lin ( CN 107193099 A).
With respect to claim 16, Masuda discloses a holder holding the optical system, wherein an edge portion of the holder (see edge portion of the holder which is close to the edge of 12 but overlapping 12) is closer to the light emitter than the one end of the wavelength converter (12) in the first light emitting direction in a plane (see the configuration of fig.7) but does disclose closer to one end of the wavelength converter than a position at which the optical system condenses the first light.
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Lin discloses a lens holder (see above) wherein an edge portion of the first
optical system (2 above) is: closer to said end of the first wavelength converter (see the
edge at the tip of 1) than the position at which the first optical system condenses the
first light (see the center of the lens 150 and since 1 can be arbitrarily close to 2); and
closer to the end than the other end of the first wavelength converter in the light emitting
direction in a plane (since 1 can be arbitrarily close to 2 and farther from other side).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling
date of the claimed invention to modify the light source device of Masuda with the
teaching of Lin so that edge portion of the holder is closer to one end of the wavelength converter than a position at which the optical system condenses the first light to make the light source system more compact.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/26/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive: In both Zhang and Kawasumi, the length D11(analogous to D1 in claim) is greater than the length D10 (analogous to D2 in claim). This is in contrast to the claimed features.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Kawasumi does describe or reasonably suggest wherein a condition that D1<D2 is satisfied, where D1 is a distance between the light emitting surface and an end portion of the wavelength converter farthest from the light emitting surface in the width direction, and D2 is a distance between the light emitting surface and an end portion of the optical system farthest from the light emitting surface in the width direction, as recited in Claim 15 (see discussion above).
.
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