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 § 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 1 and 2 recite the limitation " the main body portion of the mirror is outside of the motor support member ". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of examination, this limitation was interpreted as, “the main body portion of the mirror is outside of the motor support portion”.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/25/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., “mirror outside of the housing”) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). There is no claimed limitation that the mirror be outside of the casing, and further in Fig. 3 of Nishimura it can be seen that the mirror 41 is outside of the designated mirror support portion (circumference of motor 42a and support 55).
Further, Applicant argues that in Nishimura gears 42c and 48a are exposed, and thus can not satisfy the limitation of, “motor support portion…that covers the first gear portion and the second gear portion”. The Examiner disagrees. Fig. 2 of Nishimura explicitly shows the circumference of motor 42a covering gears 42c and 48a
Therefore the rejection of Claims 1-4, are restated in light of the amendments and made final.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 1029(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nishimura (‘Mirror Unit’ JP 2011150099 A, 08/04/2011, retrieved 09/16/2025 from Espacenet Machine Translation).
Re Claim 1, Nishimura discloses on Fig. 3-4, a mirror device comprising: a mirror (Reflector 40) including a main body portion (Fig. 3-4: Concave mirror 41) having a reflection surface that reflects display light (display light L is reflected, see Fig. 3), and a rotating shaft (Fig. 3-4: First shaft 47 and second shaft 48) protruding from a side wall of the main body portion (side portion 46); and a driving member that includes (driving means 42): a motor (stepping motor 42a) including an output shaft (Fig. 3-4: Driving shaft 42b) arranged parallel to the rotating shaft and neighboring the rotating shaft in a direction orthogonal to a rotation axis line of the rotating shaft (Fig. 3-4: drive shaft 42b is parallel to first shaft 47 and neighbors shaft 47 in an orthogonal direction) [Par 27-30]; a first gear (Fig. 3-4: output gear 42c) portion coupled to the output shaft; and a second gear portion (Gear 48a) engaged with the first gear portion (Fig. 3-4: gear 42c) and coupled to the rotating shaft (shaft 47), and that rotates the mirror by transmitting rotation of the output shaft of the motor to the rotating shaft via the first gear portion and the second gear portion (shaft 42b is driven, rotating gear 42c which meshes with gear 48a attached to a second shaft 48) [Par 27-31],
wherein the driving member (driving means 42) includes a motor support portion (Fig. 3: circumference of motor 42a and Fig. 5: support 55) that supports the motor (motor 42a is mounted on support 55) [Par 35[ and covers the first gear portion and the second gear portion (See Fig., 3: outside of motor 42a covers gears 42c and 48a), and the main body portion of the mirror (Fig. 3: concave mirror 41) is outside of the motor support portion (see Fig 3 and 5: mirror 41 is outside of support 55 and circumference of motor 42a).
Re Claim 2, Nishimura discloses, on Fig. 2-4, a vehicle display device comprising: a casing (housing 50) including an opening portion (opening window 52); an image display device that is provided in the casing (reflectors 30 and 40, LCD 20, and source 21) and outputs display light of an image (See Fig. 2); and a mirror device provided in the casing (reflector 40), wherein the mirror device includes: a mirror (Reflector 40) including a main body portion (Fig. 3-4: Concave mirror 41) having a reflection surface that reflects display light (display light L is reflected, see Fig. 3), and a rotating shaft (Fig. 3-4: First shaft 47 and second shaft 48) protruding from a side wall of the main body portion (side portion 46); and a driving member that includes (driving means 42): a motor (stepping motor 42a) including an output shaft (Fig. 3-4: Driving shaft 42b) arranged parallel to the rotating shaft and neighboring the rotating shaft in a direction orthogonal to a rotation axis line of the rotating shaft (Fig. 3-4: drive shaft 42b is parallel to first shaft 47 and neighbors shaft 47 in an orthogonal direction) [Par 27-30]; a first gear (Fig. 3-4: output gear 42c) portion coupled to the output shaft; and a second gear portion (Gear 48a) engaged with the first gear portion (Fig. 3-4: gear 42c) and coupled to the rotating shaft (shaft 47), and that rotates the mirror by transmitting rotation of the output shaft of the motor to the rotating shaft via the first gear portion and the second gear portion (shaft 42b is driven, rotating gear 42c which meshes with gear 48a attached to a second shaft 48) [Par 27-31],
wherein the driving member (driving means 42) includes a motor support portion (Fig. 3: circumference of motor 42a and Fig. 5: support 55) that supports the motor (motor 42a is mounted on support 55) [Par 35[ and covers the first gear portion and the second gear portion (See Fig., 3: outside of motor 42a covers gears 42c and 48a), and the main body portion of the mirror (Fig. 3: concave mirror 41) is outside of the motor support portion (see Fig 3 and 5: mirror 41 is outside of support 55 and circumference of motor 42a).
Re claim 3, Nishimura discloses, the vehicle display device according to claim 2, and Nishimura further discloses on Fig. 2, wherein the casing includes a box portion (Fig. 2: housing 50 is a box shape) [Par 32] with an opened upper part (Fig. 2: opening window 52 is on the upper part of housing 50) [Par 32, and a lid portion (translucent cover 53) [Par 33] covering the opening of the box portion and including the opening portion (Fig. 2: cover 53 covers window 52 and the opening portion of window 52) [Par 33], on a mating surface of the box portion and the lid portion (Fig. 2: leftmost end of cover 53 where it connects to window 52 and housing 50) [Par 33], one portion of the mating surface is formed at a height position lower than a height position of a different portion of the mating surface (Fig. 2: leftmost end of cover 53 where it connects to window 52 and housing 52 is at a lower height than the rightmost end of cover 53 where it connects to window 52 and housing 50) , and the one portion of the mating surface (leftmost end of cover 53 wherein it connects to window 52 and housing 50) includes a portion neighboring at least the driving member (Fig. 2: left most end of cover 53 neighbors mirror 40 and thus driving means 42 attached to mirror 40).
Re Claim 4, Nishimura discloses, the vehicle display device according to claim 3, and Nishimura further discloses on Fig. 2, wherein the mirror (concave mirror 41 of mirror unit 40) reflects the display light through the opening portion (Fig. 2 shows mirror unit 40 reflecting light through a portion of translucent cover 53) , and the opening portion is in the lid portion (the display light reflects through the translucent portion of translucent cover 53) and is spaced away from the mating surface of the box portion and the lid portion (Fig. 2 shows the display light going through a sagging portion of translucent cover 53 that is spaced away from the edges of cover 53 where it mates with window part 52 and housing 50) [Par 34].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Fujimoto (US 20210132332 A1), teaches a similar rotating mirror device.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAY ALEXANDER DEAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4027. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at (571)-272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAY ALEXANDER DEAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/BUMSUK WON/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872