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.
Claims 1, 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beeson et al (US 2007/0206164; hereinafter referred to as Beeson) in view of Beeson et al (US 2005/0280785; hereinafter referred to as Beeson ‘785).
Regarding Claim 1, Beeson discloses a projector (Figure 9; Projection Display System 400) comprising:
a light source apparatus (Figure 9; Illumination System 200) that outputs light containing first polarized white light and second polarized white light (see Paragraphs [0079] and [0154]-[0156]; wherein it is disclosed that the LEDs that emit red, green and blue light, then the red, green and blue colors may be emitted concurrently to produce a single composite output color such as white light and that light ray 414 of a first polarization state is emitted by the multilayer semiconductor structure 102a of LED 100a, light ray 418 of a second polarization state is emitted by the multilayer semiconductor structure 102b of LED 100b, and light ray 420 of a first polarization state is emitted by the multilayer semiconductor structure 102c of LED 100c); a polarization separator (Figure 9; Beam Splitting Prism Polarizer 342) that receives the white light incident from the light source apparatus (see Figure 9), reflects the first polarized white light in a first direction, and transmits the second polarized white light in a second direction that intersects with the first direction (see Paragraph [0141]; wherein it is disclosed that the partially reflecting diagonal surface 352 reflects light of a first polarization state to the first output surface 346 and transmits light of a second polarization state to the second output surface 348. The light may have any wavelength or color);
a reflective liquid crystal panel (Figure 9; Imaging Modulator 406) that receives first color light, second color light, and third color light contained in the first polarized white light reflected off the polarization separator (Figure 9; Beam Splitting Prism Polarizer 342) and has first pixels that output first image light as a result of modulation of the first color light and being the second polarized light in an opposite direction of the first direction (see Paragraph [0150]; wherein it is disclosed that to form an image, each pixel of the imaging light modulator converts a portion of the light of a first polarization state into light of a second polarization state), second pixels that output second image light as a result of modulation of the second color light and being the second polarized light in the opposite direction of the first direction (see Paragraph [0150]; wherein it is disclosed that to form an image, each pixel of the imaging light modulator converts a portion of the light of a first polarization state into light of a second polarization state), and third pixels that output third image light as a result of modulation of the third color light and being the second polarized light in the opposite direction of the first direction (see Paragraph [0150]; wherein it is disclosed that to form an image, each pixel of the imaging light modulator converts a portion of the light of a first polarization state into light of a second polarization state); and
a projection lens (Figure 9; Projection Lens 410) that projects, out of the first image light, the first image light passing through the polarization separator (Figure 9; Beam Splitting Prism Polarizer 342) and being the second polarized light (see Paragraph [0164]; wherein it is disclosed that the pixel of imaging light modulator converts all or part of red light ray of a second polarization state into light ray of a first polarization state, forming one pixel of an image), projects, out of the second image light, the second image light passing through the polarization separator (Figure 9; Beam Splitting Prism Polarizer 342) and being the second polarized light (see Paragraph [0165]; wherein it is disclosed that the pixel of imaging light modulator converts all or part of light ray of a second polarization state into light ray of a first polarization state, forming one pixel of a green image), and projects, out of the third image light, the third image light passing through the polarization separator (Figure 9; Beam Splitting Prism Polarizer 342) and being the second polarized light (see Paragraph [0156]; wherein it is disclosed that the pixel of imaging light modulator 406 reflects and converts all or part of light ray 420 of a first polarization state into blue light ray 422 of a second polarization state, forming one pixel of a blue image).
Beeson does not expressly disclose a reflective color filter including first filters that are provided in accordance with the first pixels, transmit the first color light, and reflect the second color light and the third color light, second filters that are provided in accordance with the second pixels, transmit the second color light, and reflect the first color light and the third color light, and third filters that are provided in accordance with the third pixels, transmit the third color light, and reflect the first color light and the second color light.
Beeson ‘785 discloses a projector (Figure 4A; Projection Display System 300) comprising: a light source apparatus (Figure 3D; Illumination System 200) that outputs white light (see Paragraphs [0096], [0099] and [0102]; wherein it is disclosed that a first red (solid line) light ray 250 emitted from the surface 212a, a first green (dashed line) light ray 260 emitted from the surface 212b and a first blue (dotted line) light ray 270 emitted from the surface 212c); a reflective liquid crystal panel (Figure 4A; Light Modulator 362) that receives first color light, second color light, and third color light contained in the white light (see Figure 4A and Paragraphs [0137]-[0139]; wherein it is disclosed that red light ray 380 then passes through relay optics 360 and is directed to a pixel of imaging light modulator 362, green light ray 382 then passes through relay optics 360 and is directed to a pixel of imaging light modulator 362 and blue light ray 384 then passes through relay optics 360 and is directed to a pixel of imaging light modulator 362), and
a reflective color filter (Figure 4A; Color Filter Wheel 350) including first filters (Figure 4A; Filter 352) that are provided in accordance with the first pixels, transmit the first color light, and reflect the second color light and the third color light (see Paragraph [0126]; wherein it is disclosed that filter 352 transmits red light and reflects green and blue light), second filters (Figure 4A; Filter 354) that are provided in accordance with the second pixels, transmit the second color light, and reflect the first color light and the third color light (see Paragraph [0126]; wherein it is disclosed that the filter 354 transmits green light and reflects red and blue light), and third filters (Figure 4A; Filter 356) that are provided in accordance with the third pixels, transmit the third color light, and reflect the first color light and the second color light (see Paragraph [0126]; wherein it is disclosed that filter 356 transmits blue light and reflects red and green light), and
a projection lens (Figure 4A; Projection Lens 364).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the projector of Beeson by incorporating a reflective color filter including first filters that are provided in accordance with the first pixels, transmit the first color light, and reflect the second color light and the third color light, second filters that are provided in accordance with the second pixels, transmit the second color light, and reflect the first color light and the third color light, and third filters that are provided in accordance with the third pixels, transmit the third color light, and reflect the first color light and the second color light, as taught by Beeson ‘785, because doing so would increase the effective brightness of the LEDs (see Beeson ‘785 Paragraph [0126]).
Regarding Claim 4, Beeson as modified by Beeson ‘785 discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Beeson further discloses a reflector (Figure 9; Light Collimating Means 302) that is disposed in an optical path between the light source apparatus (Figure 9; Illumination System 200) and the polarization separator (Figure 9; Beam Splitting Prism Polarizer 342) and reflects light incident on the reflector (see Figure 9 and Paragraphs [0139]-[0140]; wherein it is disclosed that light ray 324 of a first polarization state enters the input surface 304 of light-collimating means 302 as uncollimated light and light ray 324 of a first polarization state is reflected by the sides of light-collimating means 302 and exits the light-collimating means through the output surface 306 as partially collimated light and that light ray 326 of a second polarization state is reflected by the sides of the light-collimating means 302 and then exits through the output surface 306 of the light-collimating means 302 as partially collimated light).
Regarding Claim 5, Beeson as modified by Beeson ‘785 discloses the limitations of claim 4 as detailed above.
Beeson further discloses the reflector (Figure 9; Light Collimating Means 302) scatters the incident light and outputs the first polarized light and the second polarized light (see Paragraphs [0139]-[0140]; wherein it is disclosed that light ray 324 of a first polarization state enters the input surface 304 of light-collimating means 302 as uncollimated light and light ray 324 of a first polarization state is reflected by the sides of light-collimating means 302 and exits the light-collimating means through the output surface 306 as partially collimated light and that light ray 326 of a second polarization state is reflected by the sides of the light-collimating means 302 and then exits through the output surface 306 of the light-collimating means 302 as partially collimated light).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beeson et al (US 2007/0206164; hereinafter referred to as Beeson) as modified by Beeson et al (US 2005/0280785; hereinafter referred to as Beeson ‘785) as applied to claim 1, in view of Phillips et al (US 2009/0116214; hereinafter referred to as Phillips).
Regarding Claim 6, Beeson as modified by Beeson ‘785 discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Beeson as modified by Beeson ‘785 does not expressly disclose a parallelizing lens that is disposed in the optical path between the light source apparatus and the polarization separator and parallelizes the light output from the light source apparatus, the parallelizing lens is a Fresnel lens.
Phillips discloses a parallelizing lens (Figure 6A; Fresnel Lens 634) that is disposed in the optical path between a light source apparatus (Figure 6A; LED Emitter 608) and a polarization separator (Figure 6A; PBS 622) and parallelizes the light output from the light source apparatus (see Figure 6A and Paragraph [0031]; wherein it is disclosed that the Fresnel lens 634 functions as a collimating lens to provide a collimated image), the parallelizing lens (Figure 6A; Fresnel Lens 634) is a Fresnel lens (see Paragraph [0031]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the parallelizing lens of Beeson as modified by Beeson ‘785 such that the parallelizing lens is disposed in the optical path between the light source apparatus and the polarization separator and parallelizes the light output from the light source apparatus, the parallelizing lens is a Fresnel lens, as taught by Phillips, because the use of a Fresnel lens would predictably allow for the projector to be made more compact.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 and 7 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 2, the prior art of record, whether taken alone or in combination, fails to teach, suggest or render obvious the limitations which require the polarization separator reflects in an opposite direction of the second direction the first polarized light reflected off the first, second, and third filters and entering the polarization separator in the opposite direction of the first direction, and the light source apparatus includes a scattering section that scatters the first polarized light incident from the polarization separator and outputs the scattered light.
These limitations in combination with the limitations of claim 1 would render the claim non-obvious over the prior art of record if rewritten.
Dependent claim 3 would likewise be non-obvious over the prior art of record if the abovementioned amendment were made.
Regarding Claim 7, the prior art of record, whether taken alone or in combination, fails to teach, suggest or render obvious the limitations which require a polarizer that is disposed in an optical path between the polarization separator and the projection lens, blocks the first polarized light incident on the polarizer, and transmits the second polarized light incident on the polarizer, wherein the polarization separator includes a pair of light transmissive members, and a polarization separation film provided between the pair of light transmissive members and inclining with respect to the first and second directions.
These limitations in combination with the limitations of claim 1 would render the claim non-obvious over the prior art of record if rewritten.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER A LAMB II whose telephone number is (571)270-0648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am - 5pm EST.
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/CHRISTOPHER A LAMB II/Examiner, Art Unit 2882