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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgement is made of receipt of Information Disclosure Statement(s)
(PTO-1449) filed 01/06/2026 and 07/10/2026. An initialed copy is attached to this Office Action.
Response to Amendment
The amendment to Claim(s) 1-4, the addition of Claim(s) 21-24, filed 03/19/2026, is acknowledged and accepted.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 11-12 and Page 14, filed 03/19/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-3 and 8-11 under 35 USC § 102, claim(s) 4-7 under 35 USC § 103 and newly added claim(s) 21-24 have been considered but are moot because the Applicant is arguing newly amended claims, filed 03/19/2026, not the Non-Final Rejection filed 01/08/2026. Newly amended claims are examined below.
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 12-14, filed 03/19/2026, with respect to Claim 12 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of correction of current used art.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 22-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 22-24 recites the limitation "optical coupler" in lines 2, 2 and 6, respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, "optical coupler" will be taken as "an optical coupler" in claim 22 and “the optical coupler” in claims 23 and 24.
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.
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(s) 1-3 and 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haddick (US 2019/0025590 A1), of record. in further view of Poon et al., (Poon hereafter) (US 9,766,464).
With respect to Claim 1, Haddick teaches a display system comprising: illumination optics (2958, Figure 29) configured to generate illumination light (light source 2958, Figure 29); an image sensor (2955, Figure 29); a waveguide (810, Figure 8a); an optical coupler (where light exits 810 towards 812, Figure 8a) configured to couple the image light (2969, Figure 29) out of the waveguide (810, Figure 8a); and a reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) having first and second operating modes (“on”, ¶[0314] and “no power”, ¶[0314]) and wherein, in the first operating mode (“on”, ¶[0314]), the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) is configured to generate the image light (2969, Figure 29) by modulating the illumination light (2958, Figure 29) using image data (information of the wearer’s eye and displayed image, ¶[0314]) and wherein, in the second operating mode (“no power”, ¶[0314]), the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) is configured to reflect light (using DLP mirrors, ¶[0314]), from the waveguide (810, Figure 8a) towards the image sensor (2955, Figure 29); and wherein the optical coupler (where light exits 810 towards 812, Figure 8a) is further configured to couple the light (where light exits 810, Figure 8a) out of the waveguide (810, Figure 8a) and towards the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c).
Haddick fails to teach the optical coupler on the waveguide.
Haddick and Poon teach display systems.
Poon teaches an optical coupler (132, Figure 1) on the waveguide (106, Figure 1)..
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick having the display with the teachings of Poon having an optical coupler on the waveguide; for the purpose of having light correspond to an image.
With respect to Claim 2, Haddick teaches display system of claim 1 and the optical coupler.
Haddick fails to teach the optical coupler comprises diffractive gratings.
Poon teaches the optical coupler (132, Figure 1) comprises diffractive gratings (input coupler 132 is a diffraction grating, column 2, lines 41-45).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick having the display with the teachings of Poon having the optical coupler comprises diffractive gratings for the purpose of coupling efficiency for light.
With respect to Claim 3, Haddick further teaches wherein the optical coupler (where light enters 810 from 202, Figure 8a) comprises a reflective input coupling prism (630, Figure 6; see also ¶[0077]) mounted to the waveguide (810, Figure 8a).
With respect to Claim 8, Haddick further teaches wherein the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) comprises pixels (bright or dark pixels, ¶[0312]), the pixels (¶[0312]) are driven using the image data (information of the wearer’s eye and displayed image, ¶[0314]) while the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) is in the first operating mode (“on”, ¶[0314]), and each of the pixels is in a predetermined state (bright or dark pixels, ¶[0312]) while the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) is in the second operating mode (“no power”, ¶[0314]).
With respect to Claim 9, Haddick further teaches wherein each of the pixels is in an ON state while the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) is in the second operating mode (“no power”, ¶[0314]).
With respect to Claim 10, Haddick further teaches wherein the image data (information of the wearer’s eye and displayed image, ¶[0314]) comprises a series of image frames (¶[0317]), each image frame (¶[0317]) in the series of image frames (¶[0317]) has an associated frame time (frame time, ¶[0317]), and the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) switches between the first and second operating modes (“on” and “no power”, ¶[0314]) during the frame time (frame time, ¶[0317]) for each of the image frames (¶[0317]) in the series of image frames (¶[0317]).
With respect to Claim 11, Haddick further teaches wherein the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) comprises a display panel (202, Figure 1) selected from the group consisting of: a digital micromirror device (DMD) display panel (202 includes a DLP (also known as DMD or digital micromirror device), ¶[0211]), a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display panel, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal on silicon (fLCOS) display panel.
Claim(s) 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haddick (US 2019/0025590 A1), of record, in view of Poon (US 9,766,464), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chang et al., (hereafter Chang) (US 2020/0026169 A1).
With respect to Claim 4, Haddick teaches the display system of claim 1, the optical coupler, the image sensor and the reflective display panel.
Haddick fails to teach an optical coupler.
Poon teaches an optical coupler (132, Figure 1).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick having the display with the teachings of Poon having an optical coupler for the purpose of low loss signal splitting and distribution.
Haddick in view of Poon fail to teach a prism, wherein the prism is configured to direct the illumination light and image light.
Haddick in view of Poon teach a see-through display and Chang teaches an illumination system (illumination system can efficiently produce a high intensity light source that can be adapted to applications that include image, ¶[0036]) which can be used in the see-through display.
Chang teaches a prism (232, Figure 3), wherein the prism (232, Figure 3) is configured to direct the illumination light (see Figure 3; see also ¶[0041]) and the prism (232, Figure 3) is configured to direct the image light (232, Figure 3).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick in view of Poon having the display with the teachings of Chang having a prism configured to direct the illumination light towards the reflective display panel, to direct the image light towards the input coupler, to direct the light from the waveguide towards the reflective display panel, and to direct the light towards the image sensor after the light has reflected off of the reflective display panel for the purpose of providing a light source with high intensity.
With respect to Claim 5, Haddick in view of Poon teach the display system of claim 1.
Haddick in view of Poon fail to teach the prism.
Chang teaches the prism (232, Figure 3).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick in view of Poon having the display with the teachings of Chang having the prism and modify Haddick in view of Poon where the prism is interposed between the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) and the image sensor (2955, Figure 29) for the purpose of providing a light source with high intensity.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haddick (US 2019/0025590 A1), of record, in view of Poon (US 9,766,464), and Chang (US 2020/0026169 A1), as applied to claim 5 above, and in further view of Ouyang (CN207910882U).
With respect to Claim 6, Haddick in view of Poon and Chang teach the display system of claim 5, the image sensor (2955, Figure 29, of Haddick), the reflective display panel, and the second operating mode (“no power”, ¶[0314], of Haddick), the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c, of Haddick) is configured to reflect the additional light towards the waveguide (810, Figure 8a, of Haddick), the light being a version of the additional light that has reflected off of an object external to the display system.
Haddick in view of Poon and Chang fail to teach an additional prism and an infrared emitter configured to emit additional light,
Haddick in view of Poon and Chang teach a see-through display and Ouyang teaches an imaging system that can be used with the see-through display.
Ouyang teaches an additional prism (3, Figure 1) and an infrared emitter (1, Figure 1) configured to emit additional light (transmits the infrared light, Figure 1).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick in view of Poon and Chang having the display with the teachings of Ouyang having the additional prism and the infrared emitter wherein the additional prism is configured to direct the additional light towards the reflective display panel, the additional prism is configured to direct the light that has reflected off of the reflective display panel towards the image sensor for the purpose of increased/better image effect.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haddick (US 2019/0025590 A1), of record, in view of Poon (US 9,766,464), Chang (US 2020/0026169 A1) and Ouyang (CN207910882U), as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Freeman et al., (hereafter Freeman) (US 12,153,218 B2).
With respect to Claim 7, Haddick in view of Poon, Chang and Ouyang teach the display system of claim 6.
Haddick in view of Poon, Chang and Ouyang fail to teach a powered prism; and a partially reflective coating on the powered prism, wherein the partially reflective coating is configured to reflect the illumination light and transmit the light.
Haddick in view of Poon, Chang and Ouyang teach an imaging system, and Freeman teaches an optical arrangement for use in a display to transmit an image.
Freeman teaches a powered prism (optically powered prism 612, Figure 5); and a partially reflective coating on the powered prism (prism 612, Figure 5), wherein the partially reflective coating (620 and 622 are surfaces of 612, column 6, lines 62-64) is configured to reflect the illumination light (column 7, lines 14-29) and transmit the light column 7, lines 14-29).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick in view of Poon, Chang and Ouyang having the display with the teachings of Freeman having a powered prism with a partially reflective coating, interposed between the prism and the additional prism for the purpose of external viewing.
Claim(s) 12 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al., (hereafter Lee) (US 2019/0227316 A1) in further view of Haddick (US 2019/0025590 A1).
With respect to Claim 12, Lee teaches a display system comprising: a projector (610, Figure 6) configured to generate image light (610 includes 612, Figure 6, which emits image light; see also ¶[0075]); a waveguide (810, Figure 8) configured to propagate the image light (610 includes 612, Figure 6, which emits image light; see also ¶[0075]) and reflected light via total internal reflection (total internal reflection, ¶[0081]); a reflective input coupling prism (630, Figure 6; see also ¶[0077]) mounted to the waveguide (810, Figure 8), wherein the reflective input coupling prism (630, Figure 6) has a reflective surface (630 may include a volume holographic grating, a DOE (a surface-relief grating), or a refractive coupler (a wedge or a prism), ¶[0076]) configured to reflect the image light (610 includes 612, Figure 6, which emits image light; see also ¶[0075]) into the waveguide (810, Figure 8); and an output coupler (640, Figure 6) configured to couple the image light (610 includes 612, Figure 6, which emits image light; see also ¶[0075]) out of the waveguide (810, Figure 8); reflected light (¶[0081]) and the waveguide (810, Figure 8) through the reflective input coupling prism (630, Figure 6) and the reflective surface (¶[0076]).
Lee fails to teach an image sensor configured to receive light.
Lee and Haddick teach waveguide displays.
Haddick teaches an image sensor (3280 is an image sensor, Figure 54) configured to receive light (5357, Figure 54).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Lee having the display with the teachings of Haddick having an image sensor configured to receive light for the purpose of illumination of inner portions of images.
With respect to Claim 16, Lee in view of Haddick further teaches control circuitry (¶[0158], [0172] and [0179], of Lee) configured to perform gaze tracking operations (¶[0179], of Lee) based on the reflected light (¶[0081], of Lee) received by the image sensor (2955, Figure 29, of Lee).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2019/0227316 A1) in view of Haddick (US 2019/0025590 A1)., as applied to claim 12 above, and in further view of Freeman (US 12,153,218 B2).
With respect to Claim 13, Lee in view of Haddick teach the display system of claim 12.
Lee in view of Haddick fail to teach a partially reflective coating on the reflective surface, wherein the partially reflective coating is configured to reflect visible wavelengths of light while transmitting infrared wavelengths of light.
Lee in view of Haddick teach a waveguide display and Freeman teaches an optical arrangement for use in a display to transmit an image.
Freeman teaches a partially reflective coating (column 7, lines 14-29) on the reflective surface (620 and 622 are surfaces of 612, column 6, lines 62-64), wherein the partially reflective coating (column 7, lines 14-29) is configured to reflect visible wavelengths (column 7, lines 17-20) of light while transmitting infrared wavelengths of light (column 7, lines 14-29).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Lee in view of Haddick having the display with the teachings of Freeman having a partially reflective coating on the reflective surface for the purpose of external viewing.
Claim(s) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2019/0227316 A1) in view of Haddick (US 2019/0025590 A1), as applied to claim 12 above, and in further view of Ouyang (CN207910882U).
With respect to Claim 14, Lee in view of Haddick teach the display system of claim 12, the waveguide (810, Figure 8, of Lee), the reflective input coupling prism (630, Figure 6, of Lee), the reflected light (¶[0081], of Lee), and the reflective surface (¶[0076], of Lee).
Lee in view of Haddick fail to teach an infrared emitter.
Lee in view of Haddick teach a waveguide display and Ouyang teaches an imaging system that can be used with the waveguide display.
Ouyang teaches an infrared emitter (1, Figure 1).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Lee in view of Haddick having the display with the teachings of Ouyang having the infrared emitter and modifying Lee in view of Haddick having the infrared emitter configured to emit, into the waveguide through the reflective input coupling prism and the reflective surface, infrared light corresponding to the reflected light, the waveguide being configured to propagate the infrared light via total internal reflection for the purpose of increased/better image effect.
With respect to Claim 15, Lee in view of Haddick further teach the display system of claim 14 and a prism (a wedge or a prism), ¶[0076], of Lee).
Lee in view of Haddick fail to teach infrared light.
Lee in view of Haddick teach a waveguide display and Ouyang teaches an imaging system that can be used with the waveguide display.
Ouyang teaches an infrared emitter (1, Figure 1).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Lee in view of Haddick having the display with the teachings of Ouyang having the infrared emitter and modifying Lee in view of Haddick having the prism configured to direct the infrared light from the infrared emitter towards the reflective input coupling prism and wherein the prism is configured to direct the reflected light from the reflective surface towards the image sensor for the purpose of increased/better image effect.
Claim(s) 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haddick (US 2019/0025590 A1), of record, in further view of Ouyang (CN207910882U), and Poon (US 9,766,464).
With respect to Claim 21, Haddick teaches a display system comprising: illumination optics (2958, Figure 29) configured to generate visible illumination light (light source 2958, Figure 29); an image sensor (2955, Figure 29); a waveguide (810, Figure 8a); an output coupler (where light exits 810 towards 812, Figure 8a) on the waveguide (810, Figure 8a) and configured to couple visible image light (2969, Figure 29) out of the waveguide (810, Figure 8a); a reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) having first and second operating modes (“on”, ¶[0314] and “no power”, ¶[0314]) and wherein, in the first operating mode (“on”, ¶[0314]), wherein, in the first operating mode (“on”, ¶[0314]), the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) is configured to generate the visible image light (2969, Figure 29) by modulating the visible illumination light (light source 2958, Figure 29) using image data (information of the wearer’s eye and displayed image, ¶[0314]), wherein, in the second operating mode (“no power”, ¶[0314]), the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c) is configured to reflect light from the waveguide (810, Figure 8a) towards the image sensor (2955, Figure 29).
Haddick fails to teach infrared light.
Haddick and Ouyang teach an imaging system that can be used with the waveguide display.
Ouyang teaches an infrared emitter (1, Figure 1).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick having the display with the teachings of Ouyang having the infrared emitter for the purpose of increased/better image effect.
Haddick in view of Ouyang fail to teach an input coupler.
Haddick in view of Ouyang and as well as Poon teach display systems
Poon teaches the input coupler (132, Figure 1) comprises diffractive gratings (input coupler 132 is a diffraction grating, column 2, lines 41-45).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick having the display with the teachings of Poon having the input coupler, and further modifying Haddick in view of Ouyang having the input coupler configured to couple the visible image light into the waveguide and to couple the infrared light out of the waveguide and towards the reflective display panel for the purpose of coupling efficiency for light.
With respect to Claim 22, Haddick further teaches wherein an optical coupler (where light exits 810 towards 812, Figure 8a) comprises a reflective input coupling prism (630, Figure 6; see also ¶[0077]) mounted to the waveguide (810, Figure 8a).
With respect to Claim 23, Haddick teaches the display system of claim 21 and the optical coupler (where light exits 810 towards 812, Figure 8a).
Haddick fails to teach the optical coupler comprises diffractive gratings.
Poon teaches the optical coupler (132, Figure 1) comprises diffractive gratings (input coupler 132 is a diffraction grating, column 2, lines 41-45).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick having the display with the teachings of Poon having the optical coupler comprises diffractive gratings for the purpose of coupling efficiency for light.
Claim(s) 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haddick (US 2019/0025590 A1), of record, in view of Ouyang (CN207910882U), and Poon (US 9,766,464), as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of Chang et al., (US 2020/0026169 A1).
With respect to Claim 24, Haddick in view of Ouyang and Poon teach the display system of claim 21, the optical coupler (where light exits 810 towards 812, Figure 8a, of Haddick), the waveguide (810, Figure 8a, of Haddick), and the reflective display panel (824, Figure 8c, of Haddick).
Haddick in view of Ouyang and Poon fail to teach a prism.
Haddick in view of Ouyang and Poon as well as Chang teach display systems.
Chang teaches a prism (232, Figure 3), wherein the prism (232, Figure 3) is configured to direct the visible illumination light (see Figure 3; see also ¶[0041]), and the prism (232, Figure 3) is configured to direct the image light (232, Figure 3).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Haddick in view of Ouyang and Poon having the display with the teachings of Chang having a prism configured to direct the illumination light and the prism configured to direct the image light, further modifying Haddick in view of Ouyang and Poon having the prism configured to direct the visible illumination light towards the reflective display panel, the prism is configured to direct the visible image light towards the optical coupler, the prism is configured to direct the infrared light from the waveguide towards the reflective display panel, and the prism is configured to direct the infrared light towards the image sensor after the infrared light has reflected off of the reflective display panel for the purpose of providing the light source with high intensity.
Conclusion
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/TYW/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/STEPHONE B ALLEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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