DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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 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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/11/2024 and 2/2/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-6, 9-11 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Streets et al (US 20170248799).
Regarding Claim 1, Streets teaches an eyeglass-type head mounted display (abstract; figs. 1-2) comprising:
an eyeglass frame that includes a rim (fig. 1, 12, 16), an end piece fixed to the rim (fig. 1, 26A-B), and
a temple connected to the end piece (fig. 1, 14A-B);
a lens that is fitted into the rim (fig. 1, 12; ¶[0022], line 1-14, the smart glasses comprise an eyewear body configured for wearing by a user to hold one or more optical elements mounted on the eyewear body within a field of view of the user. the term optical elements includes displays (such as virtual reality displays, augmented reality displays, or other near-eye displays), surfaces such as those of a smartphone or tablet, and lenses, both corrective and non-corrective);
an image generation device that is fixed to the end piece and outputs image light toward the lens (fig. 1, 20A-B; ¶[0028], line 1-10, the onboard electronic components 20A and 20B can comprise a power source, power and communication related circuitry, communication devices ( e.g., a camera, a microphone, sensors, etc.), display devices, a computer, a memory, modules, and/or the like); and
an elongated heat transfer member that extends from the image generation device to the temple (fig. 1, 22A-B; ¶[0029], line 1-18, the core wires 22A, 22B and/or 24 can act as a heat sink to transfer the heat generated by the onboard electronic components 20A and 20B away thereform so as to reduce the likelihood of localized heating adjacent the onboard electronic components 20A and 20B).
Regarding Claim 2, Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein
a portion of the elongated heat transfer member is embedded in the temple (fig. 1, 14A-B, 22A-B).
Regarding Claim 3, Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein
a portion of the elongated heat transfer member that is in contact with the temple has a length of 2.0 cm or more (fig. 1, 14A-B, 22A-B).
Regarding Claim 4, Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according claims 1, wherein
the image generation device includes a light source (fig. 1, 20A-B; ¶[0028], line 1-10, the onboard electronic components 20A and 20B can comprise … display devices, ….), and a support member on which the light source is mounted (fig. 1, 26A-B, 20A-B), and
the elongated heat transfer member is fixed to the support member (fig. 1, 22A-B, 26A-B).
Regarding Claim 5, Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to any one of claims 1, wherein
the eyeglass frame further includes a hinge (fig. 1, 18A-B; fig. 1A, 28), and
the temple is connected to the end piece via the hinge (fig. 1A, 14A, 18A, 28, 26A).
Regarding Claim 6, Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claim 5, further comprising:
a coupling member that increases a coupling force between the elongated heat transfer member and the image generation device when the temple is open (fig. 2, 22A, 20A, 34, 28, 30/36; ¶[0035], line 1-11, the thermal coupling 34 can be comprised of components of the hinge assembly 28, the thermal coupling 34 can be configured to conduct heat across the articulated joint 18A both when the temple 14A is in the wearable condition and when the temple is in the collapsed condition).
Regarding Claim 9 Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claims 1, wherein
the elongated heat transfer member is a heat transfer pipe, a heat transfer rod, or a heat transfer plate (fig. 1, 22A-B).
Regarding Claim 10, Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claim 5,
wherein at least a portion of the elongated heat transfer member is bendable (¶[0029], line 1-18, The core wires 22A, 22B and/or 24 can be constructed of a relatively flexible conductive metal or metal alloy material such as one or more of an aluminum, an alloy of aluminum, alloys of nickel-silver, and a stainless steel, for example).
Regarding Claim 11, Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claim 5, wherein
the hinge includes a hinge pin (fig. 2, 28),
the elongated heat transfer member includes a first heat transfer component, a second heat transfer component, and the hinge pin (fig. 2, 22A, 28/32, 30/36),
the first heat transfer component extends from the image generation device to the hinge pin (fig. 2, 20A, 30/36, 28/32), and
the second heat transfer component extends from the hinge pin to the temple (fig. 2, 28/32, 22A; ¶[0038], line 1-12, the thermal coupling 34 can be configured such that the heat from the onboard electronic components 20A can be conducted to the cap hinge 30, through the screw and temple hinge 32 to the core wire 22A within the temple 14A).
Regarding Claim 13, Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claims 1,
wherein the elongated heat transfer member has a higher thermal conductivity than the temple (¶[0029], line 1-18, The temples 14A, 14B and the frame 16 can be constructed of a plastics material, cellulosic plastic…. The core wires 22A, 22B and/or 24 can be constructed of a relatively flexible conductive metal or metal alloy material such as one or more of an aluminum, an alloy of aluminum, alloys of nickel-silver, and a stainless steel, for example; ---metals has higher thermal conductivity than plastics).
Regarding Claim 14, Streets teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claims 1,
wherein the elongated heat transfer member has a thermal conductivity of 1.0 W/(m K) or more (¶[0029], line 1-18, The core wires 22A, 22B and/or 24 can be constructed of a relatively flexible conductive metal or metal alloy material such as one or more of an aluminum, an alloy of aluminum, alloys of nickel-silver, and a stainless steel, for example; --- aluminum has a thermal conductivity of approximately 237 W/m·K).
Claims 1-2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nikkhoo (US 9791704).
Regarding Claim 1, Nikkhoo teaches an eyeglass-type head mounted display (abstract; figs. 1-4) comprising:
an eyeglass frame that includes a rim (fig. 1, 131r, 131l); an end piece fixed to the rim (fig. 1, 130r, 130l), and
a temple connected to the end piece (fig. 1, 102r, 102l);
a lens that is fitted into the rim (fig. 2B, 116);
an image generation device that is fixed to the end piece and outputs image light toward the lens (fig. 2B, 120, 130l, 235; col. 6, line 10-20, The waveguide directs image data in the form of image light from a projection light engine 120 towards a user's eye space 140); and
an elongated heat transfer member that extends from the image generation device to the temple (fig. 4A-B, 402r, 402l, col. 8, line 49-52, A further embodiment of the present technology utilizes graphite or graphene thermal pseudo-heat pipe to remove heat from the active circuitry 136; col. 9, line 20-30, graphite layer 402, graphite layer 402 applied to the temples 102 of the frame 115; a thermal coupling of graphite or another thermally conductive material may be routed from the circuitry 136 to the
graphite layer 402).
Regarding Claim 2, Nikkhoo teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein
a portion of the elongated heat transfer member is embedded in the temple (fig. 7B, 752).
Regarding Claim 4, Nikkhoo teaches the eyeglass-type head mounted display according claims 1, wherein
the image generation device includes a light source (fig. 2A, 136, 247, 222), and a support member on which the light source is mounted (fig. 4A, 136, 117; fig. 5A, 136, 117), and
the elongated heat transfer member is fixed to the support member (fig. 5A, 136, 117, 404r/404l; fig. 10A, 117, 136, 404r/404l).
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 of this title, 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 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Streets et al (US 20170248799).
Regarding Claim 12, Streets discloses as set forth above but does not specifically disclose that the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to any one of claims 1, wherein the end piece and the temple are integrated with each other as a single member.
However, Streets teaches an eyeglass-type head mounted display (abstract; figs. 1-2), wherein the end piece (fig. 1, 26A-B) and the temple (fig. 1, 14A-B). Further, it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed into two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 US 164 (1893).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the eyeglass-type head mounted display of Streets to have the end piece and the temple integrated with each other as a single member, for a purpose to reduce the likelihood of localized heating adjacent the onboard electronic components and heating adjacent the user's face (¶[0014], line 1-15).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Streets et al (US 20170248799) in a view of Bobuk (US 11340463).
Regarding Claim 7, Streets discloses as set forth above but does not specifically disclose that the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to claim 6, wherein the coupling member is a magnet disposed in at least one of the elongated heat transfer member or the image generation device.
However, Bobuk teaches a head mounted display device (abstract; figs. 1 and 4); wherein the coupling member is a magnet disposed in at least one of the elongated heat transfer member or the image generation device (fig. 4A, 120, 122, 124; abstract, line 1-12, The hinge includes: (A) a front magnetic component that includes a static magnet, and (B) a rear magnetic component, coupled to the at least one temple section).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the eyeglass-type head mounted display of Streets by the head mounted display device of Bobuk for a purpose of providing of a hinge that be quickly disassembled and cleaned as needed ( or replaced in the event that the hinge 114 includes a faulty component) (col. 12, line 5-10).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Streets et al (US 20170248799) in a view of Tanijiri et al (US 20070177239).
Regarding Claim 15, Streets discloses as set forth above and further teaches that the eyeglass-type head mounted display according to any one of claims 1, further comprising: a driver circuit that is fixed to the eyeglass frame and controls the image generation device (fig. 1, 26A-B, 20A-B; ¶[0028], line 1-10, the onboard electronic components 20A and 20B can comprise a power source, power and communication related circuitry, communication devices ( e.g., a camera, a microphone, sensors, etc.), display devices, a computer, a memory, modules, and/or the like).
But Streets does not specifically disclose that wherein a coaxial cable, wherein the coaxial cable includes a signal wire that is electrically connected to the driver circuit, and at least one of a shield or a heat transfer wire, the shield surrounds the signal wire, and the at least one of the shield or the heat transfer wire is connected to the elongated heat transfer member.
However, Tanijiri teaches image display apparatus (abstract; figs. 1-3); wherein a coaxial cable (fig. 2A, 7; fig. 21, 7), wherein the coaxial cable includes a signal wire that is electrically connected to the driver circuit (fig. 21, 7, 10), and at least one of a shield or a heat transfer wire (fig. 23, 71; ¶[0221], line 1-12, the cable 7 has a plurality of signal conductors 71 bundled inside a shield conductor 72, and has all these covered from around with a cover 73 formed of an insulating material. Thus structured, the cable 7 permits, across the signal conductors 71 thereof, the light source 11 and the display element 14 to be supplied with driving electric power and image signals from the circuit board 9);
the shield surrounds the signal wire (fig. 23, 72), and
the at least one of the shield or the heat transfer wire is connected to the elongated heat transfer member (¶[0241], line 1-12, the construction for heat rejection
from the light source 11; by connecting the heat absorbing member 44 not only to the shield conductor 72….; abstract, line 1-14, heat generated by the light source is efficiently rejected ….. via a shield conductor, led out of a casing, so as to be thereby expelled).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the eyeglass-type head mounted display of Streets by the image display apparatus of Tanijiri for a purpose to provide an image display apparatus and a head-mounted display that are designed to avoid degradation of the quality of the image observed by an observer resulting from the heat generated by a light source (¶[0025], line 1-6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for the allowable subject matter: The prior art taken singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the claims, in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be proper.
In regard to claim 8, the prior art taken either singly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest a an eyeglass-type head mounted display further comprising wherein the coupling member includes a recess which is formed in one of the elongated heat transfer member and the image generation device, and a protrusion which is formed in the other of the elongated heat transfer member and the image generation device and engages with the recess when the temple is open.
Examiner’s Note
Regarding the references, the Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Jie Lei whose telephone number is (571) 272 7231. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by the telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on (571) 272 3689.The Fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is (571) 273 8300.
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/JIE LEI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872