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) 1-6, 9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ito (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0174246 ).
With respect to claim 1, Ito discloses a pixel shifting device (see fig.5) comprising: an optical member (30 in fig.5); a first frame (see 31 in fig.5) (see 31 in fig.5) which is configured to hold the optical member (see the operation in fig.5), and which oscillates around a first oscillation axis (see J1 in fig.5); a second frame (40 in fig.5) which is disposed on a periphery of the first frame (see 31 in fig.5), which is coupled to the first frame (see 31 in fig.5), and which oscillates around a second oscillation axis (see J2 in fig.5) perpendicular (see the configuration in fig.4) to the first oscillation axis (see J1 in fig.5); a base (see 5 in fig.5) which is disposed on a periphery of the second frame (see periphery 40 in fig.5), and which is coupled to the second frame (40 in fig.5); a pair of first oscillation shaft formation parts (see 38 and 37 in fig.5) which are disposed at both sides (see left and right (-X and X) of 31 in fig.5) of the first frame (see 31 in fig.5) in a direction along the first oscillation axis (see J1 in fig.5), and which are configured to couple the first frame (see 31 in fig.5) and the second frame (40 in fig.5) to each other; a first actuator (6 in fig.5) configured to oscillate the first frame (see 31 in fig.5) with respect to the second frame (40 in fig.5) between the first frame (see 31 in fig.5) and the second frame (40 in fig.5); and a second actuator (7 inf ig.5) configured to oscillate the second frame (40 in fig.5) with respect to the base (see 5 in fig.5) between the second frame (40 in fig.5) and the base (see 5 in fig.5), wherein the second frame (40 in fig.5) and the base (see 5 in fig.5) are provided with an actuator holding part (see at least 71B in fig.5) which extends toward one side in an axial direction (see the configuration of fig.5) along the second oscillation axis (see J2 in fig.5), and which is configured to hold the second actuator (see 71 B and 74B in fig.5 ; para.[0056] : the second coil 72B is fixed to the base member 5 via the coil holding plate 74B.; and para.[0056]: the second protruding part 42 is provided with a bending part 421 to which the magnet holding plate 73B is fixed ), and the pair of first oscillation shaft formation parts (see 38 and 37 in fig.5) have a pair of coupling shafts (see the portion of 38 and 37, between 40 and 30) which are located on the first oscillation axis (see J1 in fig.5), and which are configured to couple the first frame (see 31 in fig.5) and the second frame (40 in fig.5) to each other, and a pair of beams (see beams that straddle J1 in fig.5 on the left side and on the right side of 40 at the ends of 37 and 38 in fig.5) which extend on a surface of the second frame (40 in fig.5) respectively from the pair of coupling shafts in a direction along the second oscillation axis (see J2 in fig.5 and the direction along which the pair of beams extend).
With respect to claims 2-6, Ito discloses the pixel shifting device according to Claim 1, wherein the second frame (40 in fig.5) and the base (5 in fig.5) are provided with a pair of the actuator holding parts (see 71A, 72A and 71B 72B ), and the second actuator is constituted by a pair of actuators respectively disposed in the pair of actuator holding parts (see 7 in fig.5), wherein the pair of first oscillation shaft formation parts (see 38 in fig.5) are symmetrically disposed centering on the second oscillation axis (see the axis J2), wherein each of the pair of beams is disposed to straddle the first oscillation axis (see the Y and -Y directions in which the beam straddles the J2 axis in fig.5), wherein a length in a direction along the second oscillation axis (see the Y and -Y directions in fig.5) in each of the pair of beams (see the beams at the ends of 38 and 37 extending in the Y and -Y directions) is a length corresponding to a length in the direction along the second oscillation axis of the first frame (see the length of the beams in fig.5, wherein the unspecified correspondence between the beam length and the light of the first frame is satisfied by either a whole number or a fractional multiple of the length of the beam), wherein each of the pair of beams (see the beams at the ends of 38 and 37 extending in the Y and -Y directions) is symmetrically disposed centering on the first oscillation axis (see the disposition in fig.5 about J1 in fig.5).
With respect to claim 9, Ito discloses the pixel shifting device according to Claim 1, wherein the first actuator (6 in fig.5) is disposed on the second oscillation axis (see J2 in fig.5), and the actuator holding part (see 71B and 71B) is located at an opposite side to the first oscillation axis (see J1) with respect to the first actuator (see 6 in fig.5).
With respect to claim 11, Ito discloses a projector comprising: an image generator (see 108B) configured to generate image light; a projection optical system (112 in fig.1) configured to project the image light; and the pixel shifting device (see 2 in fig.1) according to Claim 1 which is disposed between the image generator (see 108B) and the projection optical system (see 112 in fig.1), and which is configured to shift a light path of the image light from the image generator (disclosed by the operation of 2 in fig.1).
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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0174246 ) in view of Chou (United States Patent Application Publication 2019/0346684 A1)
With respect to claim 7, Ito discloses the pixel shifting device according to Claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the pair of beams have an uprise wall part which rises along a normal direction of the surface of the second frame, and which extends in a direction along the second oscillation axis.
Chou discloses wherein the pair of beams have an uprise wall part (see inside 150a and b in fig.1) which rises along a normal direction of the surface of the second frame (see 112 in fig.1 and the Z direction), and which extends in a direction along the second oscillation axis (see the direction of the X axis).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Ito with the teaching of Chou so that the pair of beams have an uprise wall part which rises along a normal direction of the surface of the second frame, and which extends in a direction along the second oscillation axis to facilitate maintainability by providing depth in head of the screw fasteners.
Claim(s) 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0174246 ) in view of Kondo (JP 2014/174419 A).
With respect to claim 10, Ito discloses the pixel shifting device according to Claim 1, wherein the first frame (see 31 in fig.1) is formed of stainless steel (see para.[0029]: “the first frame 31 is formed of a metal plate made of stainless steel or the like.”) but does not disclose the second frame is formed of aluminum, and the base is formed of aluminum.
Kondo discloses the outer frame (see 340 in fig.4) is formed of aluminum formed of aluminum (see 3rd para. under “As shown in fig.4A: the holding frame 340 is a frame and is made of aluminum or the like. A lens unit 324 is disposed inside the holding frame 340. ).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Ito with the teaching of Kondo so that the second frame is formed of aluminum, and the base is formed of aluminum to facilitate temperature control thereby improving the longevity and functionality of the device.
Claim(s) 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (United States Patent Application Publication 2020/0174246 ) in view of Kadotani (JP 2021124544A ) .
With respect to claim 12, Ito discloses the projector according to Claim 11, wherein the image generator includes a first light modulation device (108G in fig.1) which has a first light exit surface (see the exit surface of 108G in fig.1), and which is disposed so that the first light exit surface faces toward the projection optical system (112 in fig.1), a second light modulation device (see 108R) which has a second light exit surface (see the exit surface of 108R), and which is disposed so that the second light exit surface faces to a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first light modulation device (see the how 108R is disclosed in fig.1) and the projection optical system (112 in fig.1) are disposed side by side, a third light modulation device (see the third modulation device of 108B) which has a third light exit surface (see the exit surface of 108B), and which is disposed so that the third light exit surface is opposed to the second light exit surface of the second light modulation device (see the configuration of 1 wherein 108B is opposed to 108R), and a light combining element (110 in fig.1) which is configured to combine light beams respectively emitted from the first light modulation device, the second light modulation device, and the third light modulation device with each other to generate the image light (see the configuration in fig.1), and then emits the image light toward the projection optical system (see 112 infig.1), the optical member of the pixel shifting device (2 in fig.1) is disposed on the light path of the image light (see the light from 108RGB) between the projection optical system and the light combining element (see 112 in fig.1) but does not disclose wherein end portions at the projection optical system side of the second light modulation device and the third light modulation device each overlap the pixel shifting device in a direction in which the first light modulation device and the projection optical system are disposed side by side.
Kadotani discloses the optical member (30) of the pixel shifting device is disposed on the light path of the image light between the projection optical system (see 4 in fig.1) and the light combining element (110 in fig.1), and end portions at the projection optical system side of the second light modulation device (see end portion of 5, 6, 7 R facing 3 in fig.3) and the third light modulation device (see end portion of 5B, and unnumbered 6 and 7 B, facing 3 in fig.3) each overlap the pixel shifting device (see 3 in fig.3) in a direction in which the first light modulation device (5G in fig.1) and the projection optical system (see 4 in fig.1) are disposed side by side (see configuration of 1 in fig.1, wherein “side by side” is interpreted in the light of the specification which permits intervening elements (see fig. 1 of instant application)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Ito with the teaching of Kadotani so that end portions at the projection optical system side of the second light modulation device and the third light modulation device each overlap the pixel shifting device in a direction in which the first light modulation device and the projection optical system are disposed side by side to enhance the stability of the pixel shifter by providing a support substrate and to improve the performance of the modulation device by providing heat dissipative structures and to make the optical engine more compact.
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 prior art of record does not disclose or render obvious claim 8, wherein a pixel shifting device comprising: an optical member; a first frame which is configured to hold the optical member, and which oscillates around a first oscillation axis; a second frame which is disposed on a periphery of the first frame, which is coupled to the first frame, and which oscillates around a second oscillation axis perpendicular to the first oscillation axis; a base which is disposed on a periphery of the second frame, and which is coupled to the second frame; a pair of first oscillation shaft formation parts which are disposed at both sides of the first frame in a direction along the first oscillation axis, and which are configured to couple the first frame and the second frame to each other; a first actuator configured to oscillate the first frame with respect to the second frame between the first frame and the second frame; and a second actuator configured to oscillate the second frame with respect to the base between the second frame and the base, wherein the second frame and the base are provided with an actuator holding part which extends toward one side in an axial direction along the second oscillation axis, and which is configured to hold the second actuator, and the pair of first oscillation shaft formation parts have a pair of coupling shafts which are located on the first oscillation axis, and which are configured to couple the first frame and the second frame to each other, and a pair of beams which extend on a surface of the second frame respectively from the pair of coupling shafts in a direction along the second oscillation axis, wherein the pair of beams have an uprise wall part which rises along a normal direction of the surface of the second frame, and which extends in a direction along the second oscillation axis, wherein the uprise wall part is disposed in an end portion at the base side in each of the pair of beams, and in a plan view in a normal direction of the surface of the second frame, both end portions in the direction along the second oscillation axis in each of the pair of beams have oblique sides with which the length in the direction along the second oscillation axis increases in a direction from the first frame side toward the base side.
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