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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 5 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokote et al. (US PG Pub. 20080198338) in view of Sun (US PG Pub. 20140198304).
Regarding claim 1, Yokote discloses a projection apparatus (projector main body 100 of fig. 1A and 1B), comprising:
an illumination system (para. 0024; lower housing 102 houses an optical system other than the projection lens 103, and a circuit part for driving and controlling a light source, a display device and the like), comprising a light source (para.0024; lower housing 102 houses an optical system other than the projection lens 103, and a circuit part for driving and controlling a light source, a display device and the like), and configured to provide an illumination light beam (para. 0024; lower housing 102 houses an optical system other than the projection lens 103, and a circuit part for driving and controlling a light source, a display device and the like);
an optical engine module (illustrated in fig. 1A being located within the lower housing 102), disposed on a transmission path of the illumination light beam, and configured to convert the illumination light beam into an image light beam (para. 0058; display devices 502 for R (red), G (green) and B (blue) colors and an optical assembly comprising a dichroic prism (not shown) for combining light beams that have passed through the display devices);
a lens module (upper housing 101 houses a projection lens 103 and a mirror 105 of fig. 1A), disposed on a transmission path of the image light beam (para. 0058; display devices 502 for R (red), G (green) and B (blue) colors and an optical assembly comprising a dichroic prism (not shown) for combining light beams that have passed through the display devices 502 and guiding the light beams to a projection lens 103), and configured to project the image light beam out of the projection apparatus, wherein the lens module has an optical axis, and the lens module is adapted to move between a first position and a second position along the optical axis (para. 0037; FIG. 4A shows a state when the projector main body 100 is in a lowermost position thereof, and FIG. 4B shows a state when the projector main body 100 is in the uppermost position thereof).
Yokote fails to teach a heat-dissipation module, comprising a light source heat-dissipation fin connected to the light source.
Sun discloses a heat-dissipation module (heat sink 14 of fig. 1), comprising a light source (light source 1211 of fig. 1) heat-dissipation fin connected to the light source (illustrated in fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the filing date of the application to modify projection device of Yokote with the heat dissipation module of Sun in order to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the light source.
Regarding claim 2, Yokote discloses an optical engine module comprises a light valve (para. 0058; display devices 502 for R (red), G (green) and B (blue) colors and an optical assembly comprising a dichroic prism (not shown) for combining light beams that have passed through the display devices 502 and guiding the light beams to a projection lens 103), and the light valve (display devices 502 for R (red), G (green) and B (blue) colors) moves with the lens module (upper housing 101 houses a projection lens 103 and a mirror 105 of fig. 1A).
Yokote fails to teach the heat dissipation module further comprises a light valve and a heat dissipation fin.
Sun discloses the heat dissipation module (14) further comprises a light valve (digital micro device (DMD) 1222 of fig. 1) and a heat dissipation fin (the heat sink 14 has fins; illustrated in fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the filing date of the application to modify projection device of Yokote with the heat dissipation module of Sun in order to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the light source.
Regarding claim 5, Yokote discloses wherein a first reference plane passes through a geometric center of the optical engine module (shown in the examiners illustration of fig. 10 below), and divides the optical engine module into an upper side and a lower side (shown in the examiners illustration of fig. 10 below), at least a part of the optical engine module and at least a part of the lens module are located at the upper side (shown in the examiners illustration of fig. 10 below), and the light valve is located at the lower side of the optical engine module (shown in the examiners illustration of fig. 10 below).
PNG
media_image1.png
439
576
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Yokote fails to teach the heat-dissipation module.
Sun discloses the heat-dissipation module (heat sink 14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the filing date of the application to modify projection device of Yokote with the heat dissipation device of Sun placing the heat sink adjacent to the display device in order to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the display device.
Regarding claim 13, Yokote discloses a casing (holder 200 of fig. 4A and 4B), wherein the illumination system (para. 0024; lower housing 102 houses an optical system other than the projection lens 103, and a circuit part for driving and controlling a light source, a display device and the like), the optical engine module are located within the casing (para. 0024; lower housing 102 houses an optical system other than the projection lens 103, and a circuit part for driving and controlling a light source, a display device and the like), wherein when the lens module (103) is located at the first position (illustrated in fig. 4A), the lens module (component such as the projection lens 103 located in the upper housing 101 of fig. 10) is located within the casing (illustrated in fig. 4A), and when the lens module is located at the second position (illustrated in fig. 4B), the lens module protrudes out of the casing (illustrated in fig. 4B).
Yokote fails to teach the heat-dissipation module.
Sun discloses the heat-dissipation module (heat sink 14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the filing date of the application to modify projection device of Yokote with the heat dissipation device of Sun placing the heat sink adjacent to the display device in order to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the display device.
Claim(s) 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokote et al. (US PG Pub. 20080198338) and Sun (US PG Pub. 20140198304) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Dai (US PG Pub. 20140092368).
Regarding claim 3, Yokote as modified by Sun discloses heat dissipation module (14) for the light source fan (fan 15 of fig. 1) adjacent to the light source heat dissipation fin (heat sinks 14 of fig. 1) and the display device (1222) and is located within the optical module (lower housing 102 of para. 0058) and the display device (1222) and the light source (1211) and the display device move together with the lens module (illustrated in figs. 4A and 4B).
Yokote as modified by Sun fails to teach a light valve fan adjacent to the light valve heat dissipation fin.
Dai discloses a light valve fan (fan 282 of fig. 2) adjacent to the light valve heat dissipation fin (heat sink 244d is thermally coupled to the light valve 248a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the filing date of the application to modify projection device of Yokote and Sun with the heat dissipation device of Dai placing the fan adjacent to the heat sink in order to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the display device.
Regarding claim 4, Yokote as modified by Sun discloses heat dissipation module (14) for the light source fan (fan 15 of fig. 1) adjacent to the light source heat dissipation fin (heat sinks 14 of fig. 1) and the display device (1222) and is located within the optical module (lower housing 102 of para. 0058) and the display device (1222) and the light source (1211) and the display device move together with the lens module (illustrated in figs. 4A and 4B).
Yokote as modified by Sun fails to teach wherein there is a fixed distance between the light source fan and the light source heat-dissipation fin, and there is a fixed distance between the light valve fan and the light valve heat-dissipation fin.
Dai discloses wherein there is a fixed distance (illustrated in fig. 2) between the light source fan (fan 260 of fig. 2) and the light source heat-dissipation fin (para. 0036; solid state light emitting device 242a is thermally coupled to the first heat sink 244a), and there is a fixed distance (illustrated in fig. 2) between the light valve fan (282) and the light valve heat-dissipation fin (244d).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the filing date of the application to modify the projection device of Yokote and Sun with the cooling and dissipation devices of Dai in order to efficiently cool the projection device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-12 are 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 subject matter of claim 6 that was found to be allowable is wherein a fourth reference plane is perpendicular to the first reference plane and the second reference plane, and is located at one side of the illumination system, the heat-dissipation module is located between the second reference plane and the third reference plane, and an outermost side of the heat-dissipation module does not exceed the fourth reference plane.
Claims 7 and 8 are allowable as being dependent on claim 6.
The subject matter of claim 9 that was found to be allowable is wherein the heat-dissipation module further comprises: a light source fan; and a light valve fan, wherein when the lens module moves, the light source fan and the light valve fan do not move together with the lens module.
Claims 10-12 are allowable as being dependent on claim 9.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANELL L OWENS whose telephone number is (571)270-5365. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am-5:00pm M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached at 571-272-2303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DANELL L OWENS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2882 18 December 2025
/BAO-LUAN Q LE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882