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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Buschbeck et al. (US 20100259804; “Buschbeck”).
Regarding claim 1, Buschbeck discloses the combination of features defined by claim 1 (see Fig. 1b, 1c, 2b, par. 0064-0089, 0148-0153) a device comprising:
•an active photonic circuit comprising optical switches (see left-hand side part of Fig. 1b, 1c comprising "coupling points", where " ... the light waveguide branches out' - according to par. 0148: "if active modulators are disposed at the coupling points which lead to the secondary light sources SLQ, then the intensities of individual secondary light sources SLQ can be modified specifically and actively by way of local dimming ... ");
•a passive photonic circuit configured to receive light from the active photonic circuit and direct the light towards a display (see Fig. 1b, 1c: the right-hand side part comprising branched out waveguides and SLQs forms a passive PIC. The SLQs illuminate a display, as indicated in Fig. 2b); and
•a control circuit configured to control the optical switches so that an illumination zone of the display is illuminated with a light intensity based on a displayed content shown within the illumination zone (implicit from par. 0148: " .. the intensities of individual secondary light sources SLQ can be modified specifically and actively by way of local dimming. This allows laser power to be saved and the power consumption to be reduced.").
Regarding claim 13, the rejection above under Buschbeck also applies mutatis mutandis to the corresponding method of operation, of the device according to claim 1, as stated in claim 13.
Claim(s) 1, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shi et al. (US 20230418105; “Shi”).
Regarding claim 1, Shi discloses the combination of features defined by claim 1 (see Fig.
4, par. 0039, 0043, 0044, 0059) a device comprising:
•an active photonic circuit comprising optical switches (tunable MZls 433 in Fig. 4);
•a passive photonic circuit configured to receive light from the active photonic circuit and direct the light towards a display (see Fig. 4: portion comprising waveguides 403R, 403G, 403B and "Out-couplers"); and
•a control circuit configured to control the optical switches so that an illumination zone of the display is illuminated with a light intensity based on a displayed content shown within the illumination zone (see par. 0059: "The method 1000 of FIG. 10 may further include changing or tuning (1008) a distribution of the illuminating light between the output waveguides to reconfigure the zonal illumination of the display panel. The distribution of illuminating light may be tuned to adjust to the imagery being displayed.").
Regarding claim 13, the rejection above under Shi also applies mutatis mutandis to the corresponding method of operation, of the device according to claim 1, as stated in claim 13.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeuner et al. (EP 3926233 A1; “Zeuner”; already of record) or Greganti et al. (WO 2024156919; “Greganti”; already of record).
Regarding claim 1, Zeuner discloses (see Fig. 3, 4, claim 10, par. 0029, 0039-0045) a device comprising:
•an active photonic circuit (upper part of optical device 1 in Fig. 3, 4 comprising secondary fan-out waveguides 4, bus waveguide 6, reflecting and coupling structure 7) comprising optical switches (see claim 10 and, in particular, par. 0029: " ... the optical device comprises a phase adjusting element for adjusting the relative optical path length of the secondary fan-out waveguide and of the bus waveguide in the reflecting and coupling structure, wherein the phase adjusting element further optionally comprises a phase shifter and/or a piezo-mirror. .. ") ;
•a passive photonic circuit configured to receive light from the active photonic circuit (see part of optical device 1 in Fig. 3, 4 comprising pixel waveguides 14) and direct the light towards a display (see Fig. 4 and par. 0044).
The subject-matter of claim 1 therefore differs from this known device in that it
comprises a control circuit configured to control the optical switches so that an illumination zone of the display is illuminated with a light intensity based on a displayed content shown within the illumination zone.
The technical effect of this differentiating feature is that illumination zones and image display are controlled in a manner that allows efficient use of illumination light.
The problem to be solved by the present invention may therefore be regarded
as increasing the power efficiency of the device.
The solution proposed in claim 1 of the present application cannot be considered as inventive. This is because Zeuner already teaches in par. 0029 that a display that provides local dimming can be implemented using the device disclosed in Zeuner. The skilled person aiming to reduce power consumption would, thus, already be prompted by Zeuner to use local dimming. The implementation of such an arrangement requires "a control circuit configured to control the optical switches so that an illumination zone of the display is illuminated with a light intensity based on a displayed content shown within the illumination zone.". Therefore, the subject-matter of claim 1 is obvious from Zeuner in view of common knowledge of the skilled person.
For the sake of completeness, it is noted that Greganti (see Fig. 6, 7, par. 0017,
0063-0069) also discloses the combination of features credited to Zeuner above. Therefore, Greganti can also be used to render claim 1 as obvious for reasons analogous to those discussed in the rejection of claim 1 under Zeuner above.
Regarding claim 13, the rejection above also applies mutatis mutandis to the corresponding method of operation, of the device according to claim 1, as stated in claim 13.
Since claim 1 is rendered obvious under either of Zeuner or Greganti, each of Zeuner and Greganti may also be used, mutatis mutandis, to render claim 13 as obvious also.
Claim(s) 2-12, 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buschbeck and/or Shi and/or Zeuner and/or Greganti et al. as applied above to claims 1, 13 in light of further reasoning/citation from the aforesaid references and/or additionally from Pitsios et al. ["The Quantum Light Chip Technology", INTERNATIONAL DISPLAY WORKSHOPS, IDW PROCEEDINGS, 15 December 2022 (2022-12-15), page 294, XP093232762, Fukuoka, ISSN: 1883-2490, DOI: 10.36463/idw.2022.0294; “Pitsios”; already of record].
Regarding claims 2-4, 14, 15, 16: See Shi, Fig. 11, 12, claim 17, par. 0005, 0060-0067 and, in particular, par. 0067: "Embodiments of the present disclosure may include, or
be implemented in conjunction with, an artificial reality system.". Furthermore, commonly known embodiments of displays (see, for example Pitsios, section "3.2 Augmented Reality Displays"). Therefore, at least obvious from any of Buschbeck, Zeuner or Greganti in view of common knowledge.
Regarding claims 5, 17-19: See Buschbeck, Fig. 1b, 1c: branched-out waveguides and SLQs. See also Shi, Fig. 4: waveguides 403R, 403G, 403B and "Out-couplers". Furthermore, see Zeuner, Fig. 4 and Zeuner claim 15. See also optical redirecting element 27 in Greganti, par. 0053 and Fig. 3, 4, 8.
Regarding claims 6, 7: See Buschbeck, par. 0095, 0099. See also Shi, par. 0047. Furthermore, these are commonly known out-coupling means (see, for example, Buschbeck, par.0095, 0099. See also Shi, par. 0047). Therefore, obvious from any of Zeuner or Greganti in view of common knowledge.
Regarding claim 8-9: See Zeuner, Fig. 3, 4 and par. 0034. See also Greganti, claim 14.
Regarding claim 10: See tunable MZls 433 in Shi, Fig. 4 and par. 0043. Further, see Zeuner, par. 0042 and Greganti, par. 0023. The skilled person at least in light of Buschbeck would consider an MZI as a well-known alternative optical switching device.
Regarding claim 11: See Buschbeck, par. 0151, 0152 and Shi, claim 4. Further, these limitations are commonly known optical switching device (see, for example, Buschbeck, par.0151, 0152).
Regarding claim 12: Implicit in any of the devices disclosed in Buschbeck or Shi (see references/citations provided in the rejections of claims 10, 11 above). Furthermore, implicit in any of the devices disclosed in Zeuner or Greganti (see references provided for claim 8 rejection above).
Regarding claim 20 [it is noted claim 20 has been formulated as an independent claim, but comprises all features of independent claim 1; therefore, claim 20 is, in essence a claim
dependent from claim 1 at least as far as treatment for rejection]: See SLM in Buschbeck, Fig. 2b. See also "Display panel" in Shi, Fig. 4. Furthermore, see Zeuner, par. 0035. See also Greganti, claim 15.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mr. Michael Mooney whose telephone number is 571-272-2422. The examiner can normally be reached during weekdays, M-F.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached on 571-272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL P MOONEY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874