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 .
Response to Amendment
This Office action is in response to the communication filed 3/30/2026.
The Amendments to Claims 1 and 14, filed 3/30/2026, are acknowledged and accepted.
The Cancellation of Claims 7 and 17, filed 3/30/2026, are acknowledged and accepted.
Claims 8-13 are still withdrawn.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgement is made of receipt of Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO-1449) filed 3/30/2026. An initialed copy is attached to this Office Action.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saisho et al. (2014/0177022), hereinafter Saisho in view of Yasuhara, Makoto (WO 2022145268), hereinafter ‘268.
Regarding claim 1, Saisho discloses, in figure 4B, a micro lens array (88, microlens array) in which a plurality of lens elements (8811, 8821, micro lenses) are arranged on at least one surface of a planar member (paragraph 0095), the micro lens array comprising: a honeycomb structure (see figure 4B below) including columns of the lens elements alternately arrayed, each of the lens elements (8811 and 8812, micro lenses) having a shape of a hexagon in a plan view (paragraph 0095) and being linearly arranged such that sides of the hexagon in a predetermined direction are in contact with each other (see figure 4B below shows the hexagonal lenses in contact with each other on at least three sides)
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Saisho does not specifically disclose wherein a mathematical expression indicating a SAG of the lens element includes a term of AXMYNXMYN (m and n are integers except 0), in a case where, when an optical axis of the lens element is an origin, Y is a coordinate in an arrangement direction of the lens elements in the columns of the lens elements, X is a coordinate in an array direction in which the columns of the lens elements are alternately arrayed, and A is a predetermined coefficient, and an intensity pattern of light transmitted through the micro lens array has a substantially quadrilateral shape such that each side is curved inward.
‘268 discloses wherein a mathematical expression indicating a SAG of the lens element includes a term of AXMYNXMYN (m and n are integers except 0), in a case where, when an optical axis of the lens element is an origin, Y is a coordinate in an arrangement direction of the lens elements in the columns of the lens elements, X is a coordinate in an array direction in which the columns of the lens elements are alternately arrayed, and A is a predetermined coefficient (paragraph 0058 discloses the sag amount
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where Cj is a coefficient; X and Y are the origins of the optical axis; X and Y are Cartesian coordinates; i.e. planar coordinate system in which horizontal distance is measured along an x-axis and vertical distance is measured along a y-axis; m and n are integers), and an intensity pattern of light transmitted through the micro lens array has a substantially quadrilateral shape such that each side is curved inward (‘268 discloses the microlens array 1 is composed of an array in which the lens elements 1a are two-dimensionally arranged on the surface of one side or both sides of the base material 1b which is a flat member, and passes through the microlens array 1) (figures 2 and 4 below shows a quadrilateral shape with beveled sides).
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Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the device of Saisho with the mathematical expression for SAG of ‘268 for the purpose of showing the irradiance distribution on the screen.
Regarding claim 2, ‘268 discloses wherein a mathematical expression indicating the SAG of the lens element is represented by [Math. 1]
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where C is a curvature of a lens surface, and K is a conical coefficient of the lens surface (paragraph 0058 discloses the equation
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where C is the curvature of the X direction and the Y direction of the apex of each lens element).
Regarding claim 3, ‘268 discloses wherein the integers m and n are even numbers (‘268 discloses the range of the integers may be 0 to 10, more preferably 1 to 7).
Regarding claim 4, ‘268 discloses wherein the mathematical expression indicating the SAG of the lens element includes a term of AXMYNXMYN (paragraph 0058 discloses the sag amount
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where Cj is a coefficient; X and Y are the origins of the optical axis; X and Y are Cartesian coordinates; i.e. planar coordinate system in which horizontal distance is measured along an x-axis and vertical distance is measured along a y-axis; m and n are integers).
Regarding claim 5, Saisho discloses, in figure 4C, wherein a second pitch is greater than a first pitch, the second pitch being a pitch in an array direction in which the columns of the lens elements are alternately arrayed, the first pitch being a pitch of the plurality of lens elements in the arrangement direction of the lens elements in the columns of the lens elements (paragraph 0100 discloses the pitches of X3 and Y3 and annotated figure 4C below shows the X3 pitch is greater than the Y3 pitch).
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Regarding claim 6, Saisho discloses 6. (original) The micro lens array according to claim 1, wherein in the shape of the hexagon, an apex angle of two sides which are not in contact with front and rear lens elements in the columns of the lens elements is 125 degrees or less (paragraph 0097 discloses 90 degrees).
Regarding claim 14, Saisho discloses, in figure 4B, a micro lens array (88, microlens array) in which a plurality of lens elements (8811, 8821, micro lenses) are arranged on at least one surface of a planar member (paragraph 0095), the micro lens array comprising: a honeycomb structure (see figure 4B below) including columns of the lens elements alternately arrayed, each of the lens elements (8811 and 8812, micro lenses) having a shape of a hexagon in a plan view (paragraph 0095) and being linearly arranged such that sides of the hexagon in a predetermined direction are in contact with each other (see figure 4B below shows the hexagonal lenses in contact with each other on at least three sides).
Saisho does not specifically disclose wherein a case where, when an optical axis of the lens element is an origin, a Y direction is an arrangement direction of the lens elements in the columns of the lens elements, and an X is an array direction in which the columns of the lens elements are alternately arrayed, in a direction of a predetermined angle between the X direction and the Y direction when viewed from the origin, the SAG in accordance with a distance r from the optical axis deviated from a range between the SAG in the X direction and the SAG in the Y direction, and an intensity pattern of light transmitted through the micro lens array has a substantially quadrilateral shape such that each side is curved inward.
‘268 discloses wherein a case where, when an optical axis of the lens element is an origin, a Y direction is an arrangement direction of the lens elements in the columns of the lens elements, and an X is an array direction in which the columns of the lens elements are alternately arrayed, in a direction of a predetermined angle between the X direction and the Y direction when viewed from the origin, the SAG in accordance with a distance r from the optical axis deviated from a range between the SAG in the X direction and the SAG in the Y direction (paragraph 0058 discloses the sag amount
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where Cj is a coefficient; X and Y are the origins of the optical axis; X and Y are Cartesian coordinates; i.e. planar coordinate system in which horizontal distance is measured along an x-axis and vertical distance is measured along a y-axis; m and n are integers), and an intensity pattern of light transmitted through the micro lens array has a substantially quadrilateral shape such that each side is curved inward (‘268 discloses the microlens array 1 is composed of an array in which the lens elements 1a are two-dimensionally arranged on the surface of one side or both sides of the base material 1b which is a flat member, and passes through the microlens array 1) (figures 2 and 4 below shows a quadrilateral shape with beveled sides).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the device of Saisho with the mathematical expression for SAG of ‘268 for the purpose of showing the irradiance distribution on the screen.
Regarding claim 15, Saisho discloses, in figure 4C, wherein a second pitch is greater than a first pitch, the second pitch being a pitch in an array direction in which the columns of the lens elements are alternately arrayed, the first pitch being a pitch of the plurality of lens elements in the arrangement direction of the lens elements in the columns of the lens elements (paragraph 0100 discloses the pitches of X3 and Y3 and annotated figure 4C above shows the X3 pitch is greater than the Y3 pitch).
Regarding claim 16, Saisho discloses 6. (original) The micro lens array according to claim 1, wherein in the shape of the hexagon, an apex angle of two sides which are not in contact with front and rear lens elements in the columns of the lens elements is 125 degrees or less (paragraph 0097 discloses 90 degrees).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-20 are allowed.
The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention, in conjunction with all the other claimed limitation, a micro lens array having all the claimed features of applicant's instant invention, specifically including: in claim 18, wherein15 ≤ a ≤ 35 is satisfied where α is an apex angle of two sides which are not in contact with front and rear lens elements in the columns of the lens elements in the shape of the hexagon, k is an aspect ratio obtained by dividing a second pitch by a first pitch, the second pitch being a pitch of the plurality of lens elements in an array direction in which the columns of the lens elements are alternately arrayed, the first pitch being a pitch of the lens elements in an arrangement direction in the columns of the lens elements, and a is a value of (α-90)/k, as set forth in the claims.
‘268 (WO 2022145268) discloses a microlens array in a hexagonal shape with a mathematical expression indicating a SAG of the lens element. ‘268 is silent in regards to apex angles of two sides which are not in contact with front and rear lens elements.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDI N THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2341. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 - 3:30.
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/BRANDI N THOMAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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