DETAILED ACTION
Response to Remarks
1. Applicant is reminded that a proper reply, per 37 CFR 1.111, requires: “clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made” (37 CFR 1.111(c)). Applicant’s arguments do not comply with 37 CFR 1.111(c) because Applicant did not present any explanation as to their thoughts on patentable novelty of the newly presented claims. Further, these arguments do not sufficiently show how the amendments avoid such references or objections.
2. Applicant’s remarks regarding the prior art rejection of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (see pgs. 8-11 of Remarks filed 05/22/2026) have been fully considered but are moot upon further consideration because the new grounds of rejection in light of a change of statutory basis and/or in light of Jin et al.’s teachings are necessitated by the Applicant’s amendments (on 05/22/2026), as detailed below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) filed on 05/22/2026 fail to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. Specifically, every reference listed under Non-Patent Literature Documents (within each of the information disclosure statements filed on said dates), titled “USPTO Office Action dated…” does not have a corresponding copy with contents filed for each reference. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the one or more narrow-band absorbers that selectively absorb visible light within the three discrete wavelength ranges, disposed between the holographic optical elements and the outer surface of the glazing must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1, 4-5, 9-11 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shikii et al. (US 20120099170 A1) in view of Jin et al. (US 2007/0222922 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Shikii discloses: A display system for viewing information (¶0051, FIG. 1), comprising:
a. a glazing, comprising: i. a first transparent rigid substrate (¶0160: inner glass layer 215 defining an inner surface 211); ii. a second transparent rigid substrate (¶0160: outer glass layer 216 defining an outer surface 212); and iii. a polymer interlayer, positioned between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, wherein one face of the first transparent rigid substrate defines an inner surface of the glazing and one face of the second transparent rigid substrate defines an outer surface of the glazing (¶0198: polycarbonate [polymer] may be used as the substrate 210B; ¶0160: an intermediate film 217 situated between the inner and outer glass layers 215, 216; see FIG. 12 showing glazing 210B comprising polymer interlayer 217 between the first [inner] transparent substrate 215 and the second [outer] transparent substrate 216);
b. one or more holographic optical elements which reflect light within three discrete wavelength ranges (FIGS. 11-12; ¶0138, 0147, 0151-52: A volume hologram 200 may be used as the reflection-type hologram 170…the reflection-type hologram 170 reflects the red laser beam LB(r), reflects the green laser beam LB(g), and reflects the blue laser beam LB(b) is provided in material layers included in hologram 170; ¶0206: emission angles of the red, green and blue laser beams LB(r), LB(g), LB(b) from the volume hologram); and
c. one or more narrow-band absorbers that selectively absorb light within the three discrete wavelength ranges, disposed between the holographic-optical elements and the outer surface of the glazing (¶0160-61, 0165: the intermediate film 217 has absorption characteristics to absorb infrared rays…intermediate film 217 has ultraviolet ray absorption characteristics; ¶0276: an intermediate film intervenes to selectively adjust a wavelength component of light entering; see FIG. 12 showing narrow-band absorbers in 217 disposed between the holographic-optical elements 200E and the outer surface of the glazing 216).
Although Shikii discloses that the narrow-band absorbersis optimizable to selectively absorb light within discrete wavelength ranges (¶0160: The intermediate film 217 selectively adjusts the wavelength component of external light entering into the cabin. For example, the intermediate film 217 has absorption characteristics to absorb infrared or ultraviolet rays), Shikii does not appear to explicitly disclose: one or more narrow-band absorbers that selectively absorb visible light within the three discrete wavelength range (bold for emph.).
Jin is related to Shikii with respect to a display system for viewing information comprising a plurality of transparent substrates, a polymer interlayer, a reflective layer and narrow band absorbers (¶0017, 0111-13, 0039-40, 0086, 0089-91) and Jin teaches: one or more narrow-band absorbers that selectively absorb visible light within the three discrete wavelength range (¶0040, 0042, 0113: the dark contrast enhancing matrix layer absorbs all wavelengths of light across the visible light spectrum, that is, from 380 nanometers to 780 nanometers wavelength…wavelengths will generally span the visible spectrum (380 nm to 780 nm)…contrast enhancing layer 1710; see FIG. 17 showing one or more narrow-band absorbers 1710 disposed between the reflective layer 1709 and the outer surface of the glazing 1750).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shikii’s display system in view of Jin to satisfy the claimed condition, because such a narrow band absorber and HOE which absorb and reflect visible light, respectively, are well known and would be selected in a display to provide the viewer with the greatest contrast between the contrast enhancing layer and the color being formed in the cell and therefore enhances the color saturation of the display”, as taught in paragraph ¶0113 of Jin.
Regarding Claim 4, Shikii discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Shikii further discloses: wherein the holographic optical elements are provided in or on a film positioned between the first rigid substrate and the polymer interlayer (¶0161: volume hologram 200E shown in FIG. 12 is situated between the inner glass layer 215 and the intermediate film 217; see FIG. 12 showing holographic optical elements in 200E provided in or on a film positioned between the first rigid substrate 215 and the polymer interlayer 217).
Regarding Claim 5, Shikii discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Shikii further discloses: further comprising a projector that emits light toward the first transparent rigid substrate of the glazing within the three discrete wavelength ranges (¶0167: HUD 300 according to the second embodiment has the projection optical system 120 and a light source 350 including a red wavelength conversion laser source 310R, a green wavelength conversion laser source 310G and a blue wavelength conversion laser source 310B).
Regarding Claim 9, Shikii discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Shikii further discloses: wherein the one or more holographic optical elements are created dynamically (¶0060, 0147).
Regarding Claim 10, Shikii discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Shikii further discloses: wherein the projector is selected from a laser diode-based projector; an LED projector; a DPSS laser-based projector, a hybrid laser-LED projector, a laser projector, a light source combined with a spatial light modulator, or a light source combined with a waveguide (¶0053: laser projector).
Regarding Claim 11, Shikii-Jin discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Jin further discloses: wherein the three discrete wavelength ranges include light of 445nm, 515nm, and 642nm (¶0040, 0042, 0113 of Jin: the dark contrast enhancing matrix layer [absorber] absorbs all wavelengths of light across the visible light spectrum, that is, from 380 nanometers to 780 nanometers wavelength…wavelengths will generally span the visible spectrum (380 nm to 780 nm)…contrast enhancing layer 1710; ¶0127, 0090-91 of Hin: reflecting material in reflective layer with near uniform response across the visible spectrum (380 nm-780 nm)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shikii’s display system in view of Jin to satisfy the claimed condition, because such wavelengths that absorb and reflect visible light are well known and would be selected in a display to provide the viewer with the greatest contrast between the contrast enhancing layer and the color being formed in the cell and therefore enhances the color saturation of the display”, as taught in paragraph ¶0113 of Jin.
Regarding Claim 17, Shikii-Jin discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Jin teaches: wherein at least one of the narrow-band absorbers is a polymethine dye (¶0040: contrast enhancing matrix layer can contain a set or multiple pigment dispersions. Suitable pigments include polycyclic pigments such as phthalocyanine).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shikii’s display system in view of Jin to satisfy the claimed condition, because such dyes are well known and would be selected in a display to be insoluble in the display medium while providing color, resulting in stability against sedimentation, creaming or flocculation under normal operating conditions, as taught in paragraph ¶0040, 0078-80 of Jin.
Regarding Claim 18, Shikii discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Shikii further discloses: wherein the holographic optical elements comprise one or more diffraction gratings (¶0060, 0062, 0064: volume hologram diffraction grating).
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shikii et al. (US 20120099170 A1) in view of Jin et al. (US 2007/0222922 A1), and further in view of Shimatani et al. (US 2017/0052369 A1).
Regarding Claim 13, Shikii-Jin discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Shikii does not appear to explicitly disclose the limitation(s) recited in claim 13. Shimatani is related to Shikii with respect to a display system comprising holographic optical elements, substrates and narrow band absorbers (¶0049-52, 0101, 0112; FIGS. 2, 16), and teaches: wherein the one or more narrow-band absorbers exhibit a FWHM from about 0.5nm to 50nm (¶0051-52, 0112; ¶0071: The full width at half maximum in the combiner 12 are in the range from 6 nm to 11 nm; ¶0094: full width at half maximum in the combiner 112 is in the range from 14 nm to 40 nm; FIG. 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shikii’s display system in view of Shimatani to satisfy the claimed condition, because such a FWHM of the absorber(s) is well known and would be selected in a display to provide the viewer with the greatest contrast between the contrast enhancing layer and the color being formed in the cell and therefore enhances the color saturation of the display”, as taught in paragraph ¶0013 of Shimatani.
Regarding Claim 14, Shikii-Jin discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Shimatani further discloses: wherein the projector emits at least one wavelength range of light that exhibits a FWHM from about 0.5nm to 100nm (¶0046: a full width at half maximum in the light emission spectrum of each color of emitting light is equal to or less than 1 nm).
Regarding Claim 15, Shikii-Jin discloses the display system according to Claim 1, as above. Shimatani further discloses: wherein the one or more holographic optical elements reflect light at a wavelength range that exhibits a FWHM from about 0.5nm to 50nm (¶0071: The full width at half maximum in the reflectance spectrum of the red light reflecting portion 16, the full width at half maximum in the reflectance spectrum of the green light reflecting portion 17, and the full width at half maximum in the reflectance spectrum of the blue light reflecting portion 18 in the combiner 12 are in the range from 6 nm to 11 nm; ¶0094: full width at half maximum in the reflectance spectrum of each of the red light reflecting portion 116, the green light reflecting portion 117, and the blue light reflecting portion 118 of the combiner 112 is in the range from 14 nm to 40 nm).
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 extension fee 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 SAMANVITHA SRIDHAR whose telephone number is (571)270-0082. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0730-1700 (EST).
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/SAMANVITHA SRIDHAR/Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/BUMSUK WON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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