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 .
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) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kurata (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0285138 A1).
With respect to claims 13, Kurata discloses projector (see fig.1, 100) comprising a first optoelectronic semiconductor chip (2 in fig.4) for generating a first radiation (BLDS) having a first color (blue in fig.4), a second optoelectronic semiconductor chip (1) for generating a second radiation (1) having a second color, a wavelength conversion element (see the wavelength conversion element on the aluminum ring of 12 (see para.[0048]: a yellow fluorescent body layer for converting the wavelength of the light exiting from the quarter-wave plate 10 is provided in the form of a ring on an aluminum substrate )) arranged to generate a third radiation (green or yellow in fig.5) having a third color from a first portion (converted portion of BLDS) of the first radiation, wherein the wavelength conversion element (see the wavelength conversion element on the aluminum ring of 12 (see para.[0048]: a yellow fluorescent body layer for converting the wavelength of the light exiting from the quarter-wave plate 10 is provided in the form of a ring on an aluminum substrate )) is configured for a partial conversion of the first radiation (see the reflect BLDS in fig.4), the entire first radiation (BLDS) and the second radiation (1: see RLDS) being guided through the wavelength conversion element (see the operation of yellow phosphor in fig.4 of 12), so that a common beam path is provided for the first radiation, the second radiation and the third radiations (see the common beam of beam path following the wavelength conversion element), at least in places.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Aida (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0393747 A1).
With respect to claim 13, Aida discloses a projector (see fig.1, 100) comprising a first optoelectronic semiconductor chip (1 in fig.1) for generating a first radiation (20) having a first color (blue), a second optoelectronic semiconductor chip (2) for generating a second radiation (21) having a second color, a wavelength conversion element (see 12 in fig.1) arranged to generate a third radiation (yellow emitted by 12) having a third color from a first portion (1) of the first radiation, wherein the wavelength conversion element ( 12) is configured for a partial conversion of the first radiation ([0031] :The red light (auxiliary light) that has entered the phosphor 12 is also not subjected to the wavelength conversion and is emitted as the red light toward the condenser lens 11. Thereby, as illustrated in FIG. 6, white light obtained by combining the blue light as the excitation light, the yellow light as the fluorescent light, and the red light as the auxiliary light travels from the phosphor 12 to the condenser lens 11.), the entire first radiation (1) and the second radiation (2) being guided through the wavelength conversion element (see 12), so that a common beam path is provided for the first radiation, the second radiation and the third radiations (see Ax), at least in places.
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) 1- 6, 8 -11 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurata (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0285138 A1) in view of Mi (WO 2019153639 A1).
With respect to claims 1- 6, 8-10 and 14, Kurata discloses a projector (see fig.5 and fig.1) comprising a first optoelectronic semiconductor chip (2) for generating a first radiation (2) having a first color, a second optoelectronic semiconductor chip (1) for generating a second radiation (RLDS or RLDP or both RLDS and RLDP ) having a second color, a wavelength conversion element (see the wavelength conversion element on the aluminum ring of 12 (see para.[0048]: a yellow fluorescent body layer for converting the wavelength of the light exiting from the quarter-wave plate 10 is provided in the form of a ring on an aluminum substrate ) or the combination of the wavelength conversion element and the aluminum ring of 12) which is configured to generate a third radiation (Green) having a third color from a first portion of the first radiation, (see BLDS), a beam splitter (611), and a scattering plate (see 9), wherein the wavelength conversion element (121) is configured to convert the first portion (see BLDS) of the first radiation (2),the beam splitter (611) is configured to branch off a second portion (see the operation of 611) of the first radiation upstream of the wavelength conversion element (see 121), and the scattering plate (see diffusing body unit 9) is arranged in a beam path of the second portion (BLDP) of the first radiation(2) at a point at which the first portion (BLDS) has already been branched off, wherein the first optoelectronic semiconductor chip (2) comprises a first laser diode and the first radiation (2) is blue light, the second optoelectronic semiconductor chip (1) comprises a second laser diode and the second radiation (RLDS or RLDP) is red light, and the third radiation (see green in yellow) is green light, wherein the second radiation (RLDP in fig.5) is directed past the wavelength conversion element (12) such that the second radiation does not interact with the wavelength conversion element (see 12), wherein the second radiation (RLDS) passes through the wavelength conversion element (see the wavelength conversion material on aluminum substrate as discussed above),wherein the wavelength conversion element (see the return of RLDS in fig.12) is a passive optical element for the second radiation, further comprising a color splitter (comprised by DM1 and DM2 or DM2 in fig.1) downstream of the wavelength conversion element, (see the wavelength conversion material on aluminum substrate in fig.5), wherein the color splitter (comprised by DM1 and DM2 or DM2) is configured to separate the second radiation (see the radiation of 1) from the third radiation (see green light in fig.1) so that three separate beam paths are provided for the first radiation, the second radiation and the third radiation at least partially (see fig.1), further comprising a color block (see dichroic mirror which reflects red and transmits green in CP) in the optical path of the third radiation (green in fig.1) downstream of the wavelength conversion element (see 100 which contains the conversion element),wherein the color block (see dichroic mirror which reflects red and transmits green in CP) is transmissive to the third radiation (green in fig.1) and opaque to the second radiation (see the reflection of red in fig.1) wherein the wavelength conversion is operated in transmission (when the wavelength conversion element is interpreted as disposed on an aluminum substrate, the wavelength converted light is transmitted through the wavelength conversion element), wherein the wavelength conversion element is operated in reflection (wherein the wavelength conversion layer and the aluminum ring of 12 comprise the wavelength conversion element, the unconverted and converted excitation light are reflected through wavelength conversion layer as discussed above), a projector (see fig.1) according to claim 1,wherein the projector (100) illuminates the imaging unit (LP1-3), wherein a spectral range of the third radiation (see yellow in fig.5) overlaps with a spectral range of the second radiation (red in fig.5) immediately after the wavelength conversion element (see para.[0048]: a yellow fluorescent body layer for converting the wavelength of the light exiting from the quarter-wave plate 10 is provided in the form of a ring on an aluminum substrate) but does not disclose wherein the first portion is fully converted.
Mi disclose wherein the first portion is fully converted (see fig.6, 100 and the complete conversion of blue light to yellow light).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Kurata with the teaching of Mi so that the first portion is completely converted thereby improving image quality by reducing the amount of wasted light and enhancing the brightness of the image.
With respect to claim 11, Kurata in view of Mi discloses the projector according to any one of the preceding claims, claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the first radiation and the second radiation each have a spectral half-width of at most 5 nm, and a spectral half-width of the third radiation immediately after the wavelength conversion element is between 10 nm and 100 nm, inclusive, wherein wavelengths of maximum intensity of the first radiation, the second radiation and the third radiation are located in the following spectral ranges: between 445 nm and 475 nm inclusive for the first radiation, between 605 nm and 630 nm inclusive for the second radiation, and between 520 nm and 555 nm inclusive for the third radiation.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Kurata in view of Mi so that the first radiation and the second radiation each have a spectral half-width of at most 5 nm, and a spectral half-width of the third radiation immediately after the wavelength conversion element is between 10 nm and 100 nm, inclusive, wherein wavelengths of maximum intensity of the first radiation, the second radiation and the third radiation are located in the following spectral ranges: between 445 nm and 475 nm inclusive for the first radiation, between 605 nm and 630 nm inclusive for the second radiation, and between 520 nm and 555 nm inclusive for the third radiation since it would predictably improve color purity by strictly defining the desired color bands and since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claim(s) 1 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okuda (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0285138 A1) in view of Mehr (CN 104081114 A) and Hou (United States Patent Application Publication 2022/0137497 A1; (proxy for Hou (PCT/CN2020/098515)).
With respect to claim 1, Okuda discloses a projector (see light source components of fig.1) comprising a first optoelectronic semiconductor chip for generating a first radiation having a first color (see blue in fig.1, 10B), a second optoelectronic semiconductor chip for generating a second radiation having a second color (see 10R), a wavelength conversion element (see 20) which is configured to generate a third radiation having a third color from a first portion of the first radiation (see green fluorescence from 20), a beam splitter (see 51 in fig.10), and a rod integrator (30), wherein the wavelength conversion element is configured to convert the first portion of the first radiation (see the operation of 20 in fig.1), the beam splitter (121 in fig.1) is configured to branch off a second portion of the first radiation upstream of the wavelength conversion element (see the second portion incident on 122 in fig.1), and the rod integrator (30) is arranged in a beam path of the second portion of the first radiation at a point at which the first portion has already been branched off (see the configuration of fig.1).
Okuda does not explicitly disclose full conversion of the first portion and a scattering plate.
Mehr explicitly discloses using a green fluorescent material that completely converts ([0038]: segments 20, 21 in the first section is green fluorescent material region 20, the substrate 18, pointing to the first dichroic mirror 14 and a focusing optical element 15, 16 is provided with a green fluorescent material for the blue primary light B is completely converted into green secondary light G.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Okuda with the teaching of Mehr so that the first portion is fully converted to improve brightness and efficiency by complete conversion of the excitation light.
Okuda in view of Mehr does not disclose using a scattering plate.
Hou discloses using a scattering plate to enhance uniformity (see para.[0035]: “a scattering sheet 31, to further improve the angular distribution of the laser light, expand the angle of the laser light, and enhance the homogenizing effect of the light bar 4”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Okuda in view of Mehr with teaching of Hou to enhance image quality by enhancing homogenizing effect of the rod integrator and thereby the light source.
With respect to claim 6, Okuda in view of Mehr and Hou discloses the projector according to claim 1, Okuda discloses wherein the second radiation (10R) is directed past the wavelength conversion element (20) such that the second radiation (10R) does not interact with the wavelength conversion element (20).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okuda (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0285138 A1) in view of Mehr (CN 104081114 A), (United States Patent Application Publication 2022/0137497 A1; (proxy for Hou (PCT/CN2020/098515)) and Newell (United States Patent Application Publication 2017/0092786 A1)
With respect to claim 12, Okuda in view of Mehr and Hou disclose the projector according to claim 1, but does not disclose which is free of moving parts.
Newell discloses utilization of a static phosphor (see para.[0004]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the projector of Okuda in view of Mehr, Hou and Newell with a static phosphor so that the projector is free of moving parts to make the projection system more compact by requiring fewer parts and more energy efficient by reducing power consumption.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurata (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0285138 A1) in view of Mi (WO 2019153639 A1) and Knapp (United States Patent Application Publication 2011/0069094 A1).
With respect to claim 7, Kurata in view of Mi discloses the projector according to claim 1, but does not disclose a sensor system configured to determine intensities of the first radiation and the second radiation such that different temperature dependencies of the intensities of the first radiation and the second radiation can be compensated.
Knapp discloses a sensor system (see para.[0236]: “measuring the intensity and wavelength of light produced by each LED within a group of LEDs” ) configured to determine intensities of the first radiation and the second radiation (see para.[0236]: “measuring the intensity and wavelength of light produced by each LED within a group of LEDs”)such that different temperature dependencies of the intensities of the first radiation and the second radiation can be compensated ([0263]: The disclosed embodiments include methods to set the color or color temperature produced by a group of LEDs during the manufacturing of a device such as a lamp, an LED display, or an LCD backlight, and maintaining such color or color temperature over the operating life of such a device. The methods involve measuring the intensity and wavelength of light produced by each LED within a group of LEDs and adjusting the amount of light generated by each LED to produce precise color and intensity from the group of LEDs)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the projector of Kurata in view of Mi with the teaching of Knapp so that a sensor system configured to determine intensities of the first radiation and the second radiation such that different temperature dependencies of the intensities of the first radiation and the second radiation can be compensated to improve and prolong image quality by maintaining the desired color balance overtime.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurata (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0285138 A1) in view of Mi (WO 2019153639 A1) and Toyooka (United States Patent Application Publication 2013/0229631 A1).
With respect to claim 15, Kurata in view of Mi does discloses wherein the imaging unit (LP1) comprises or is a Liquid Crystal (see LP1 in fig.1) and wherein the projector (100) is free of imaging units but does not disclose wherein the imaging unit is liquid crystal on silicon.
Toyooka discloses where in the imaging unit is liquid crystal on silicon ([0120] :While the liquid-crystal light modulating device is used as the light modulating device in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. In general, it is satisfactory as long as the light modulating device modulates incident light according to an image signal. For example, a light valve or a micromirror optical modulator may be used. As the micromirror optical modulator, for example, a digital micromirror device (DVD) (trademark of Texas Instruments Inc.) or a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) may be used).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Kurata in view of Mi with the teaching of Toyooka so that the imaging unit is liquid crystal on silicon, since transmissive liquid crystal panels and liquid crystal on silicon are art recognized equivalents (as shown by Toyooka) and since liquid crystal on silicon provides high resolution, contrast, pixel density and color accuracy.
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