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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/20/2023 and 02/06/2025 aree in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Objection/s to the Specification
The title of the invention, “ILLUMINATION SYSTEM AND PROJECTION APPARATUS,” is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-9, 11-16 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-14 of U.S. Patent No. US 12279078 B2. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 13 of the pending application have red/blue beams for the first light valve and green beam for the second light valve whereas the patented claim 1 has red beam for the first light valve and green/blue beams for the second light valve. On the other hand, patented claim 1 anticipates the pending claim 1. Pending claims 2-9, 11, 12, 14-16 contain the same subject matters as patented claims 2-14; hence they are also anticipated by patented claims 2-14.
Pending claims
Patented claims
1. An illumination system, comprising: a blue light-emitting element, configured to emit a blue light beam; a red light-emitting element, configured to emit a red light beam; a wavelength conversion device, comprising a reflective region and a wavelength conversion region, wherein the reflective region and the wavelength conversion region are sequentially located on a transmission path of the blue light beam, and the wavelength conversion region is configured to convert the blue light beam into a green light beam; a dichroic assembly, disposed between the blue light-emitting element and the wavelength conversion device; a first light diffusion element, disposed between the red light-emitting element and the dichroic assembly; and a second light diffusion element, disposed on transmission paths of the blue light beam, the red light beam, and the green light beam from the dichroic assembly, and the second light diffusion element having a diffusion region and a non-diffusion region, wherein an angle of the non-diffusion region relative to a central axis of the second light diffusion element is greater than an angle of the diffusion region relative to the central axis of the second light diffusion element, the diffusion region is located on the transmission path of the blue light beam, and the non-diffusion region is located on the transmission path of the green light beam.
13. A projection apparatus, comprising: an illumination system, comprising: a blue light-emitting element, configured to emit a blue light beam; a red light-emitting element, configured to emit a red light beam; a wavelength conversion device, comprising a reflective region and a wavelength conversion region, wherein the reflective region and the wavelength conversion region are sequentially located on a transmission path of the blue light beam, and the wavelength conversion region is configured to convert the blue light beam into a green light beam; a dichroic assembly, disposed between the blue light-emitting element and the wavelength conversion device; a first light diffusion element, disposed between the red light-emitting element and the dichroic assembly; and a second light diffusion element, disposed on transmission paths of the blue light beam, the red light beam, and the green light beam from the dichroic assembly, and the second light diffusion element having a diffusion region and a non-diffusion region, wherein an angle of the non-diffusion region relative to a central axis of the second light diffusion element is greater than an angle of the diffusion region relative to the central axis of the second light diffusion element, the diffusion region is located on the transmission path of the blue light beam, and the non-diffusion region is located on the transmission path of the green light beam; a prism assembly, disposed on transmission paths of the red light beam, the green light beam, and the blue light beam from the second light diffusion element, and having a dichroic film; a first light valve, wherein the dichroic film is configured to transmit the red light beam and the blue light beam to the first light valve, and the first light valve is configured to respectively convert the red light beam and the blue light beam into a first image light beam and a second image light beam; a second light valve, wherein the dichroic film is configured to transmit the green light beam to the second light valve, and the second light valve is configured to convert the green light beam into a third image light beam; and a projection lens, disposed on a transmission path of an image light beam, and configured to project the image light beam out of the projection apparatus, wherein the image light beam comprises at least one of the first image light beam, the second image light beam, and the third image light beam.
1. A projection apparatus, comprising: an illumination system, comprising: a blue light emitting element, configured to emit a blue beam; a red light emitting element, configured to emit a red beam; a wavelength conversion device, comprising a reflection area and a wavelength conversion area, wherein the reflection area and the wavelength conversion area are located on a transmission path of the blue beam in time sequence, and the wavelength conversion area is configured to convert the blue beam into a green beam; a dichroic assembly, disposed between the blue light emitting element and the wavelength conversion device; a first light diffusing element, disposed between the red light emitting element and the dichroic assembly; and a second light diffusing element, disposed on transmission paths of the blue beam, the red beam and the green beam from the dichroic assembly, the second light diffusing element having a diffusion area and a non-diffusion area, an angle of the non-diffusion area relative to a central axis of the second light diffusing element being greater than an angle of the diffusion area relative to the central axis of the second light diffusing element, the diffusion area being located on the transmission path of the blue beam, and the non-diffusion area being located on a transmission path of the green beam; a prism assembly, disposed on transmission paths of the red beam, the green beam and the blue beam from the second light diffusing element, and having a dichroic film; a first light valve, wherein the dichroic film is configured to transmit the red beam to the first light valve, and the first light valve is configured to convert the red beam into a first image beam; a second light valve, wherein the dichroic film is configured to transmit the green beam and the blue beam to the second light valve, and the second light valve is configured to convert the green beam and the blue beam into a second image beam and a third image beam; and a projection lens, disposed on a transmission path of an image beam, and configured to project the image beam out of the projection apparatus, wherein the image beam comprises at least one of the first image beam, the second image beam and the third image beam.
2. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein an angle coverage of the wavelength conversion region relative to a central axis of the wavelength conversion device is 270 degrees to 306 degrees.
2. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an angle coverage of the wavelength conversion area relative to a central axis of the wavelength conversion device is 270 degrees to 306 degrees.
3. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the dichroic assembly comprises a first dichroic element and a second dichroic element, wherein the first dichroic element is disposed between the second dichroic element and the wavelength conversion device.
3. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dichroic assembly comprises a first dichroic element and a second dichroic element, and the first dichroic element is disposed between the second dichroic element and the wavelength conversion device.
4. The illumination system according to claim 3, wherein the first dichroic element has a first region, a second region, and a third region sequentially arranged, wherein coating properties of the first region are the same as coating properties of the third region, and the coating properties of the first region are different from coating properties of the second region.
4. The projection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first dichroic element has a first area, a second area and a third area arranged in sequence, coating properties of the first area are the same as coating properties of the third area, and the coating properties of the first area are different from coating properties of the second area.
5. The illumination system according to claim 4, wherein the first region and the third region are configured to allow the blue light beam and the red light beam to pass through and reflect the green light beam, the second region is configured to be allow the red light beam to pass through and reflect the blue light beam and the green light beam, the second region and the third region are located on a transmission path of the blue light beam from the reflective region of the wavelength conversion device, and an area ratio of the second region to the third region is 1:1.
5. The projection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first area and the third area are configured to allow the blue beam and the red beam to pass through and reflect the green beam, the second area is configured to allow the red beam to pass through and reflect the blue beam and the green beam, the second area and the third area are located on a transmission path of the blue beam from the reflection area of the wavelength conversion device, and an area ratio between the second area and the third area is 1:1.
6. The illumination system according to claim 3, wherein the second dichroic element is configured to allow the red light beam to pass through and reflect the blue light beam.
6. The projection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second dichroic element is configured to allow the red beam to pass through and reflect the blue beam.
7. The illumination system according to claim 3, wherein the red light beam emitted by the red light-emitting element is sequentially transmitted to the first light diffusion element, the second dichroic element, the first dichroic element, and the second light diffusion element.
7. The projection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the red beam emitted by the red light emitting element is transmitted to the first light diffusing element, the second dichroic element, the first dichroic element and the second light diffusing element in sequence.
8. The illumination system according to claim 7, wherein the red light beam passes through the non-diffusion region of the second light diffusion element.
8. The projection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the red beam passes through the diffusion area and the non-diffusion area of the second light diffusing element in time sequence.
9. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the first light diffusion element has a diffusion region.
9. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first light diffusing element has a diffusion area.
11. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein a sum of the angle of the diffusion region relative to the central axis of the second light diffusion element and the angle of the non-diffusion region relative to the central axis of the second light diffusion element is 360 degrees.
10. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a sum of the angle of the diffusion area relative to the central axis of the second light diffusing element and the angle of the non-diffusion area relative to the central axis of the second light diffusing element is 360 degrees.
12. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the non-diffusion region comprises a reflective layer, configured to reflect the blue light beam.
11. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the non-diffusion area comprises a reflection layer, which is configured to reflect the blue beam.
14. The projection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the red light beam and the green light beam pass through the non-diffusion region of the second light diffusion element during a first time interval, and the blue light beam passes through the diffusion region of the second light diffusion element during a second time interval.
12. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a first time interval, the green beam passes through the non-diffusion area of the second light diffusing element, and in a second time interval, the blue beam passes through the diffusion area of the second light diffusing element.
15. The projection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the red light beam and the green light beam are respectively transmitted to the first light valve and the second light valve during a first time interval, and the blue light beam is transmitted to the first light valve during a second time interval.
13. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a first time interval, the red beam and the green beam are transmitted to the first light valve and the second light valve respectively, and in a second time interval, the red beam and the blue beam are transmitted to the first light valve and the second light valve respectively.
16. The projection apparatus according to claim 15, wherein ratio relationships between the first time interval and the second time interval are 75:25 to 85:15.
14. The projection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a ratio between the first time interval and the second time interval is 75:25 to 85:15.
Claim Rejections - AIA 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 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.
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.
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.
Claims 1-9, 11-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 20210247677 A1) in view of Pan (US 20210368145 A1) and in further view of Hsieh (US 20180173087 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 13, Chen teaches an illumination system, comprising: a blue light-emitting element (110; [0022]), configured to emit a blue light beam (L1); a red light-emitting element (120; [0022]), configured to emit a red light beam (L2);a wavelength conversion device (130), comprising a reflective region and a wavelength conversion region, wherein the reflective region and the wavelength conversion region are sequentially located on a transmission path of the blue light beam (Fig. 2A, 2B, 2C; [0023]), and the wavelength conversion region is configured to convert the blue light beam into a green light beam (L3; [0023]); a dichroic assembly (140, 150), disposed between the blue light-emitting element (110) and the wavelength conversion device (130).
Chen does not teach a first light diffusion element or a second light diffusion element.
Pan teaches a first light diffusion element (first 140), disposed between the red light-emitting element (AL) and the dichroic assembly (130); or a second light diffusion element (second 140), disposed on transmission paths of the blue light beam (70B), the red light beam (70R), and the green light beam (70G) from the dichroic assembly (130; Fig. 3A). Pan also teaches a prism assembly (210), disposed on transmission paths of the red light beam (70R), the green light beam (70G), and the blue light beam (70B) from the second light diffusion element (second 140), and having a dichroic film (DM; Fig. 1D and 1E); a first light valve (212), wherein the dichroic film (DM) is configured to transmit the red light beam (72, 70B) and the blue light beam to the first light valve (212), and the first light valve (212) is configured to respectively convert the red light beam (72) and the blue light beam (70B) into a first image light beam (80R) and a second image light beam (80B; [0037], [0038]); a second light valve (211), wherein the dichroic film (DM) is configured to transmit the green light beam (71) to the second light valve (211), and the second light valve (211) is configured to convert the green light beam (71) into a third image light beam (80G); and a projection lens (220), disposed on a transmission path of an image light beam (80), and configured to project the image light beam out of the projection apparatus, wherein the image light beam comprises at least one of the first image light beam (80R), the second image light beam (80B), and the third image light beam (80G).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to combine Chen with Pan; because it eliminates speckles produced by the laser light sources to improve image quality ([0034], [0043] of Pan).
Neither Chen nor Pan teaches the second light diffusion element having a diffusion region and a non-diffusion region, wherein an angle of the non-diffusion region relative to a central axis of the second light diffusion element is greater than an angle of the diffusion region relative to the central axis of the second light diffusion element, the diffusion region is located on the transmission path of the blue light beam, and the non-diffusion region is located on the transmission path of the green light beam.
Hsieh teaches the second light diffusion element (M2) having a diffusion region (M2a) and a non-diffusion region (M2b and/or M2c; [0047]), wherein an angle of the non-diffusion region (M2b and/or M2c) relative to a central axis of the second light diffusion element (M2) is greater than an angle of the diffusion region (M2a) relative to the central axis of the second light diffusion element (M2; Fig. 4), the diffusion region (M2a) is located on the transmission path of the blue light beam, and the non-diffusion region is located on the transmission path of the green light beam (Fig. 4; [0047]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to combine Chen and Pan with Hsieh; because it allows for enhancing purity of the converted color light beams to improve image quality ([0047] of Hsieh).
Regarding claims 2 and 18, the combination of Chen, Pan and Hsieh, consequently results in an angle coverage of the wavelength conversion region (M1; Fig. 2 of Hsieh) relative to a central axis of the wavelength conversion device (M1) is 270 degrees to 306 degrees.
Regarding claim 3, Chen further teaches the dichroic assembly (140, 150) comprises a first dichroic element (140) and a second dichroic element (150), wherein the first dichroic element (140) is disposed between the second dichroic element (150) and the wavelength conversion device (130; Fig. 2A-2C).
Regarding claim 4, Chen further teaches the first dichroic element (140) has a first region (A1), a second region (A2), and a third region (A3) sequentially arranged, wherein coating properties of the first region (A1) are the same as coating properties of the third region (A3; [0032]), and the coating properties of the first region (A1) are different from coating properties of the second region (A2; Fig. 3; [0032]).
Regarding claim 5, Chen further teaches the first region (A1) and the third region (A3) are configured to allow the blue light beam (L1) and the red light beam (L2) to pass through and reflect the green light beam (L3), the second region (A2) is configured to be allow the red light beam (L2; [0034]) to pass through and reflect the blue light beam (L1; [0032]) and the green light beam (L3; [0033]), the second region (A2) and the third region (A3) are located on a transmission path of the blue light beam (L1) from the reflective region of the wavelength conversion device (130), and an area ratio of the second region (A2) to the third region (A3) is 1:1 ([0029]).
Regarding claim 6, Chen further teaches the second dichroic element (150) is configured to allow the red light beam (L2) to pass through and reflect the blue light beam (L1; [0025]).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Chen, Pan and Hsieh, consequently results in the red light beam (L2 of Chen; 50R of Pan) emitted by the red light-emitting element (120 of Chen; AL of Pan) is sequentially transmitted to the first light diffusion element (first 140 of Pan), the second dichroic element (150 of Chen), the first dichroic element (140 of Chen), and the second light diffusion element (second 140 of Pan).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Chen, Pan and Hsieh, consequently results in the red light beam (L2 of Chen) passes through the non-diffusion region (M2b of Hsieh) of the second light diffusion element (M2; [0047] of Hsieh).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Chen, Pan and Hsieh, consequently results in the first light diffusion element (first 140 of Pan) has a diffusion region (Fig. 3A; [0045] of Pan).
Regarding claims 11 and 20, the combination of Chen, Pan and Hsieh, consequently results in a sum of the angle of the diffusion region (M2a of Hsieh) relative to the central axis of the second light diffusion element (M2 of Hsieh) and the angle of the non-diffusion region (M2a and M2b of Hsieh) relative to the central axis of the second light diffusion element (M2 of Hsieh) is 360 degrees.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Chen, Pan and Hsieh, consequently results in the non-diffusion region (M2b, M2c of Hsieh) filtering out blue light ([0047] of Hsieh).
It is well known in the art that there are 3 types of color filters; filter by absorption, filter by interference and filter by reflection.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to have a reflective type color comprising a reflective layer, configured to reflect the blue light beam; because it would have been obvious to try. Furthermore, reflection type color filter is cheaper that interference type filter and operates cooler that absorption type filter.
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Chen, Pan and Hsieh, consequently results in the red light beam (L2 of Chen; B2 of Hsieh) and the green light beam (L3 of Chen; B3 of Hsieh) pass through the non-diffusion region (M2b, M2c) of the second light diffusion element (M2 of Hsieh) during a first time interval, and the blue light beam (L1 of Chen, B1 of Hsieh) passes through the diffusion region (M2a of Hsieh) of the second light diffusion element (M2 of Hsieh) during a second time interval.
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Chen, Pan and Hsieh, consequently results in the red light beam (L2 of Chen; 72/70R of Pan) and the green light beam (L3 of Chen; 71/70G of Pan) are respectively transmitted to the first light valve (212 of Pan) and the second light valve (211 of Pan) during a first time interval (Fig. 1D of Pan), and the blue light beam (L1 of Chen; 70B of Pan) is transmitted to the first light valve (212 of Pan) during a second time interval (Fig. 1E of Pan).
Regarding claim 16, neither Chen, Pan, nor Hsieh teaches ratio relationships between the first time interval and the second time interval are 75:25 to 85:15.
It is well known in the art that ratio relationships between the first time interval and the second time interval are matters of color balance in the projected pictures. Consequently, choosing the color balance by controlling the ratio relationship between the first time interval and the second time interval is matter of design choice.
Lacking criticality to the functioning of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to have ratio relationships between the first time interval and the second time interval are 75:25 to 85:15; because it is a matter of design choice.
Regarding claim 17, neither Chen, Pan nor Hsieh, explicitly teaches the red light-emitting element (120) is turned off when the reflective region of the wavelength conversion device (130) is located on the transmission path of the blue light beam (L1).
Pan teaches the first light valve (212) being sequentially modulating red light (72, 70R) then blue light (70B), i.e., the red light is turned off when the blue light is on.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention that the combination of Chen, Pan and Hsieh results in the red light-emitting element (120 of Chen) is turned off when the reflective region of the wavelength conversion device (130 of Chen) is located on the transmission path of the blue light beam (L1 of Chen) to produce blue light (Fig. 2A-2C); because it is a matter of common sense.
Claims 10 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Pan and Hsieh and in further view of Lin (US 20210018825 A1).
Regarding claims 10 and 19, neither Chen, Pan, nor Hsieh teaches the first light diffusion element (250) has a diffusion region and a non-diffusion region, wherein an angle of the diffusion region of the first light diffusion element (250) relative to a central axis of the first light diffusion element (250) is the same as an angle of the wavelength conversion region relative to a central axis of the wavelength conversion device (130).
Lin teaches the first light diffusion element (120; Fig. 2A, 4) has a diffusion region (122) and a non-diffusion region (124), wherein an angle of the diffusion region (122) of the first light diffusion element (120) relative to a central axis of the first light diffusion element (120) is the same as an angle of the wavelength conversion region (132; Fig. 3, 5) relative to a central axis of the wavelength conversion device (130; Fig. 1-8).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to combine Chen, Pan and Hsieh with Lin; because it allows synchronization between the diffusion wheel and wavelength conversion wheel to eliminate color smearing reducing image quality.
Conclusion
The prior art references cited in PTO-892 are made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Patent documents, US 20220283484 A1, US 20210255532 A1, US 20210048736 A1, US 20200314396 A1, US 20220182587 A1, US 20200192208 A1, US 20200050093 A1, US 20200064620 A1, US 20190354001 A1, US 20190346753 A1, US 20180129126 A1, US 20170019645 A1, and US 20150316775 A1, disclose projection systems having wavelength conversion module and an auxiliar light and diffusing element/s in the light path.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BAO-LUAN Q LE whose telephone number is (571)270-5362. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday; 9:00AM-5:00PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached on (571) 272 230303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
Any response to this action should be mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
Or faxed to:
(571) 273-8300, (for formal communications intended for entry)
Or:
(571) 273-7490, (for informal or draft communications, please label “PROPOSED” or “DRAFT”)
Hand-delivered responses should be brought to:
Customer Service Window
Randolph Building
401 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
/BAO-LUAN Q LE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882