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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed 1/17/2024 has been considered.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraph [0062], line 8, “Not” must be changed to “Note”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the first polarizing regions" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, it will be taken that the above limitation is “first polarizing regions”.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the wavelength-converting regions" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, it will be taken that the above limitation is “wavelength-converting regions”.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 2016/0070104, hereinafter “Yang”) in view of Tsai et al. (US 2022/0252883, hereinafter, “Tsai”) and Kemp et al. (US 2010/0020290, hereinafter, “Kemp”).
Regarding claim 1, Yang discloses a virtual image display device 400 (Fig. 5), comprising:
a display member 10 including a region EA as a pixel display region, the region being configured to emit light SP1, SP2, SP3 (Fig. 3, 5, [0065], [0066]);
a first polarizing member arranged at a face side of the display member and including a first polarizing region 450a provided corresponding to the region EA, the first polarizing region being configured to restrict the image light displayed by the display member to a first polarization direction (Fig. 5, [0084]-[0085]);
a second polarizing member arranged at an external side of a position of the first polarizing member and including a second polarizing region 450b configured to restrict the external light to a second polarization direction different from the first polarization direction (Fig. 5, [0084]-[0085]); and
a polarization separation lens element 60 arranged at a face side of the first polarizing member and having refractive power configured to selectively act on polarized light of the image light (Fig. 5, [0071], lens 60 selectively focuses the polarized image light).
Yang does not disclose a light-blocking member arranged at an external side of the display member and configured to suppress incidence of external light on the wavelength-converting region.
Tsai discloses a head mounted display apparatus comprising a display 120 and a focus adjuster 130. In one embodiment, a light shielding member 110 is disposed at an external side of the display that suppresses incidence of external light to the display region (Fig. 1, [0017]).
Both Yang and Tsai disclose virtual image devices comprising pixelated displays.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Yang so that a light-blocking member is arranged at an external side of the display 10 so that it suppresses incidence of external light on the regions EA, as taught by Tsai, for achieving better performance by preventing ambient noise light from being focused onto the eye.
Yang/Tsai does not disclose the display member including wavelength-converting regions being configured to emit fluorescence upon being excited by image light and a projection optical system configured to irradiate the wavelength-converting regions with the image light as excitation light having a single wavelength.
Yang/Tsai discloses that the display unit 10 may include an organic light-emitting display device or a liquid crystal display device ([0043] in Tsai).
Kemp discloses a method for image projection on a screen (Abstract). In one embodiment, a projector 300 emits ultraviolet image light 302 onto a screen comprising fluorescent layers 304 which absorb the UV light and emit fluorescent light of different wavelength, i.e., visible (Fig. 3A, 3B, [0027]-[0029]).
Both Yang and Kemp disclose optical display systems comprising a display which emits multiple visible wavelengths.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Yang/Tsai so that the emissive regions EA of the display 10 in Yang are fluorescent regions being excited by incident UV image light emitted by a projection optical system, as taught by Kemp, for exciting different pixels, lines and/or regions of the light excitable region in order to generate an image ([0019] in Kemp).
Regarding claim 2, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein
the excitation light is ultraviolet light ([0028] in Kemp) and
the wavelength-converting region emits fluorescence of any of red light, green light, and blue light by ultraviolet light excitation ([0029] in Kemp).
Regarding claim 3, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 2.
Yang/Tsai/Kemp does not disclose further comprising an ultraviolet radiation blocking member configured to absorb or reflect the ultraviolet light at a face side of the wavelength-converting region.
In Yang/Tsai/Kemp, the UV light blocking member is at an external side of the display ([0117] in Tsai, the light-shielding element 110 of Tsai blocks all exterior light).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Yang/Tsai/Kemp so that a UV light blocking member is also at the face side of the display/wavelength-converting regions, since it has been held that a mere duplication of working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Harza 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). Here, an additional UV light blocking member would further improve the performance of the display of Yang/Tsai/Kemp as less external light would be incident at the eye.
Regarding claim 5, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein
the display member 10 includes the wavelength-converting region EA, and a light-transmitting region TA enabling visual recognition of an outside world (Fig. 5, [0084] in Yang).
Regarding claim 6, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein
the first polarizing regions 450a are discretely provided corresponding to the wavelength-converting regions 450b (Fig. 5, [0085] in Yang).
Regarding claim 7, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein
the light-blocking member includes a light-blocking layer configured to suppress incidence of the external light, and
the light-blocking layer has a size corresponding to that of the wavelength-converting region ([0019] in Tsai, the light-blocking element which shields an environmental image from the outside covers all the pixels, i.e., the wavelength-converting regions of the display of Yang/Tsai/Kemp).
Regarding claim 8, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein
the first polarizing member 450a and the second polarizing member 450b are arranged at the same substrate (Fig. 5 in Yang), and
the second polarizing region is arranged around the first polarizing region (Fig. 5 in Yang).
Regarding claim 9, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein
the polarization separation lens element is a polarization separation liquid crystal lens 61 configured to cause a plurality of pixels constituting the display member to collectively form an image (Fig. 5, [0077]-[0081] in Yang).
Regarding claim 10, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein
the projection optical system includes an image display panel configured to display an image, and projects light emitted from a light-emitting region of the image display panel onto the pixel display region as the image light ([0033] in Kemp).
Regarding claim 11, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein
the projection optical system projects modulated light from a laser onto the pixel display region as the image light, by a micro mirror driven for scanning ([0021], [0026], [0033] in Kemp).
Regarding claim 12, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1.
Yang/Tsai/Kemp does not disclose the light-blocking member, the display member, and the first polarizing member are integrated in order from an external side.
In Yang and Tsai, the light-blocking member, the display member, and the first polarizing member appear to be separate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Yang/Tsai/Kemp so that display device is such that the light-blocking member, the display member, and the first polarizing member are integrated in order from an external side, since it has been held that making in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in multiple pieces involves only routine skill in the art. In re Larson 144 USPQ 347, 349, (CCPA 1965). Here, an integral display device would offer advantages in size and adaptability.
Regarding claim 13, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein
the display member includes a wavelength-converting region for red fluorescence, a wavelength-converting region for green fluorescence, and a wavelength-converting region for blue fluorescence, and includes a light-transmitting region in a region where the wavelength-converting region is not arranged, the light-transmitting region being configured to transmit the external light ([0067] in Yang, emitted light SP1, SP2, SP3 is red, green, blue, region 450b transmits external light).
Regarding claim 14, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses a head-mounted display apparatus 1 (Fig. 7) comprising:
a first device and a second device each including the virtual image display device according to claim 1; and
a support device including a temple 70 supporting the first device and the second device, the temple being configured to enable mounting of the first device and the second device on a head ([0007], [0095] in Yang, a display is positioned for each eye).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang, Tsai, Kemp in view of Gai et al. (US 2020/0258958, hereinafter, “Gai”).
Regarding claim 4, Yang/Tsai/Kemp discloses the virtual image display device according to claim 1.
Yang/Tsai/Kemp does not disclose wherein
the excitation light is blue light,
the display member includes a scattering region configured to scatter the blue light, and
the wavelength-converting region emits fluorescence of any of red light and green light by blue light excitation.
In Yang/Tsai/Kemp, the excitation light is ultraviolet ([0028] in Kemp). It is noted that the pixel display regions (i.e., EA in Fig. 5 of Yang) emitting fluorescent light are scattering regions ([0028] in Kemp).
Gai discloses a display device (Abstract). In one embodiment, Gai discloses that an OLED device emits blue light which is then used to excite color conversion materials (for example, fluorescent material) to obtain red light and green light ([0108]).
Both Yang and Gai disclose color display optical systems.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Yang/Tsai/Kemp so that the emissive regions EA of the display 10 in Yang are fluorescent regions being excited by incident blue image light emitted by a projection optical system to produce emitted fluorescence of red and blue light, as taught by Gai, for realizing a color display ([0108] in Gai).
Conclusion
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/L.B./
Patent Examiner, AU 2872
/STEPHONE B ALLEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872