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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/24/2024 and 02/27/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings received on 11/27/2023 are accepted to by the Examiner.
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.
Claims 26-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Barley et al. (US 2019/0249984, of record).
Regarding claim 26, Barlev discloses a laser device (refer to US 2019/0249984, The invention more specifically utilizes an array of lasers, [0073]) comprising: a laser array (light source unit 240 includes an array of the light sources 244, e.g. VCSELs, [0079]) configured to form three or more binary patterns (Fig. 2B, 3A; FIG. 3A illustrates a time sequence of five SL patterns, … that can be generated by the projector of the present invention and used in 3D scanning and reconstruction of scanned objects. Each one of the five SL patterns is achieved by a corresponding combination of turned-on IAVAs of the light source unit 242 in FIG. 2A [0084], A sequence of m patterns to encode 2m stripes using a plain binary code. The codeword associated to each pixel is the sequence of 0s and 1s obtained from the m patterns, [0129]; and a first layer (252) above the laser array ([Fig. 2B], The diffractive optical unit 250 includes a resonance-domain diffractive optical element configured as a set of sub-arrays of static diffractive optical elements 252A-D (RDDOEs) associated respectively with the sub-arrays 244A-D of the light sources, [0079]), the first layer (252) comprises a light diffraction material over the laser array (array of light sources 244, Fig. 2B, The diffractive optical unit 250 includes a resonance-domain diffractive optical element configured as a set of sub-arrays of static diffractive optical elements 252A-D (RDDOEs, associated respectively with the sub arrays 244A-D of the light sources [0079]); wherein the light diffraction material is configured to (The diffractive optical unit 250 includes a resonance-domain diffractive optical element configured as a set of sub-arrays of static diffractive optical elements 252A-D, [0079]): steer a first binary pattern formed by the laser array to output a laser beam at a first angle (Fig. 11; [0048], Figs. 10A-B show a temporal sequence of binary-coded patterns of the structured illumination and their corresponding VCSEL array switched on; Fig. 10A VCSEL arrays, Fig. 10B Binary code patterns; Fig. 11 show schematics of a SL triangulation based 3D scanning system with projector and a projected binary-coded pattern in stationary and mobile systems; [0049]; the optical unit is configured to produce the structured light pattern having a fan angle of light projection onto a projection surface, [0034]; see [0006], [0023], [0084]); steer a second binary pattern formed by the laser array to output the laser beam at a second angle (Figs. 10A-B show a temporal sequence of binary-coded patterns of the structured illumination and their corresponding VCSEL array switched on, [0048]; FIG. 11 show schematics of a SL triangulation based 3D scanning system with projector and a projected binary-coded pattern in stationary and mobile systems; [0049]; the optical unit is configured to produce the structured light pattern having a fan angle of light projection onto a projection surface, [0034]; see [0006], [0023], [0084]); and steer a third binary pattern formed by the laser array to output the laser beam at a third angle (Figs. 10A-B show a temporal sequence of binary-coded patterns of the structured illumination and their corresponding VCSEL array switched on, [0048]; FIG. 11 show schematics of a SL triangulation based 3D scanning system with projector and a projected binary-coded pattern in stationary and mobile systems; [0049]; the optical unit is configured to produce the structured light pattern having a fan angle of light projection onto a projection surface, [0034]; see [0006], [0023], [0084]).
Regarding claim 27, Barlev teaches the device according to claim 26 (see above), wherein the laser array comprises a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array (The light source unit 240 includes an array of the light sources 244, e.g. VCSELs, [0079]).
Regarding claim 28, Barley teaches the device according to claim 26 (see above), wherein the light diffraction material is further configured to coalesce beams from a plurality of lasers of the laser array into one beam (the RDDOEs 252A-D are configured to direct and shape the light generated by the respective light sources into a set of sub-patterns and primitive shapes that in their plurality constitute each and every stretchered light pattern 260; [0079]).
Regarding claim 29, Barley teaches the device according to claim 26 (see above), wherein the laser device is a light source of a LiDAR, a time-of-flight sensor, or a laser-based tracking device ([0001], [0004]; Reference is made to FIG. 1 illustrating a projector 100 of the present invention configured for creating structured light pattern(s) 160, [0072]; see [0004], [0127]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-3, 5-7, 10-12, 14, 16, 20-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kouyama (US 20220066261, of record) in view of Barlev et al. (US 20190249984, of record).
Regarding claim 1, Kouyama teaches a display device (refer to US 20220066261, image display apparatus, Fig. 1, [0054]) comprising: a display array comprising a plurality of pixels (plurality of pixels 16/28, [0076], Figs. 2 and 3), each pixel comprises: at least one light source (incident surface on which light emitted from the light source, [0246], [0030]); at least two light source modulating pixels (28a, 28b, [0127], Fig. 6) configured to form three or more patterns (Fig. 6, [0129]); a first layer (layer 38, Fig. 3) above the at least two light source modulating pixels (pixels 16, [0099]), the first layer comprises a light diffraction material (diffractive lens array 38 is a lens array in which a plurality of diffractive lenses 51 is arranged two-dimensionally. Specifically, the plurality of diffractive lens 51 is arranged in a grid shape along the XY plane so as to overlap with the plurality of openings 28 (the plurality of pixels 16) when viewed from the Z direction. [0099]) over the pixel (over 16); wherein the light diffraction material (diffractive lens array 38 is a lens array in which a plurality of diffractive lenses 51 is arranged two-dimensionally, [0099]) is configured to: cause a first modification of a first pattern to output a first light (FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing examples of the diffraction pattern 54 of the diffractive lens 51, diffraction patterns 54a to 54f includes, … Thus, it is possible to alternately arrange the low refractive index layer 53 and the high refractive index layer 52 in the transverse direction with respect to the optical axis O. [0148]); cause a second modification of a second pattern to output a second light (Each of the diffraction patterns 54a to 54f includes, ... Thus, it is possible to alternately arrange the low refractive index layer 53 and the high refractive index layer 52 in the transverse direction with respect to the optical axis O, [0148]); and cause a third modification of a third pattern to output a third light (Each of the diffraction patterns 54a to 54f includes, ... Thus, it is possible to alternately arrange the low refractive index layer 53 and the high refractive index layer 52 in the transverse direction with respect to the optical axis O, [0148]; central region 55 of the diffraction patterns 54c and 54d is a polygon, and the plurality of strip-shaped regions 56 having an outer shape similar to that of the central region 55 is formed therearound, [0151-0152]); wherein at least the first light, the second light and the third light have different visual characteristics (the liquid crystal light valves 100R, 100G, and 100B modulate the incident light for each pixel on the basis of image signal for each color supplied, to generate red image, green image and blue image, respectively).
Kouyama doesn’t explicitly teach plurality of binary pixels configured to form three or more binary patterns.
Kouvama and Barlev are related as diffractive optical unit.
Barley teaches teach plurality of binary pixels configured to form three or more binary patterns (a sequence of m patterns to encode 2m stripes using a plain binary code. The codeword associated to each pixel is the sequence of 0s and 1s obtained from the m patterns, [0129]; an example of sequential binary-coded structured light patterns is illustrated in Figs. 3A-C).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to modify the display device of Kouyama to plurality of binary pixels configured to form three or more binary patterns, as taught by Barley for the predictable advantage of improving light efficiency as taught by Barley in [0002].
Regarding claim 2, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), wherein the first layer comprises two or more regions of different thicknesses having variable refractive index configured to cause diffractions from different phase-based modulations (Fig. 3; [0026], The diffractive lens may include a thickness change region in which a ratio of a thickness of the high refractive index layer and a thickness of the low refractive index layer varies stepwise along a plane direction parallel to the incident surface; [0135], When the high refractive index layer 52 and the low refractive index layer 53 are alternately arranged, a phase difference occurs between the layers; [0158]).
Regarding claim 3, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), wherein the first layer comprises a variable-sized aperture patterned mask configured to cause different diffractions from amplitude-based modulations (para [0158]- The example shown in FIG. 11 is a four-level staircase shape in which the thickness of the high refractive index layer 52 has Oto 3 steps; para
[0159]- after the high refractive index layer 52 of the first step is stacked, lithography and film formation for the high refractive index layer 52 of the second step are performed using a mask having a larger opening than the first step. It is possible to easily form a staircase shape by repeating such processes; para [0106]- gradation display with the light intensity changed for each pixel 16 becomes possible).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), wherein the third light is formed by optical interference of the light from at least a first light source modulating pixel and a second light source modulating pixel (para [0069]- The light of each color modulated by each liquid crystal light valve 100 (formed image) enters the dichroic prism 543 and is combined by the dichroic prism 543. The dichroic prism 543 superimposes and combines the light beams of the respective colors incident from the three directions, and emits the resultant light toward the projection system 512).
Regarding claim 6, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), wherein the first modification and the second modification comprise different optical transformations (para [0148]- FIG. 10 ... Each of the diffraction patterns 54a to 54f includes ... Thus, it is possible to alternately arrange the low refractive index layer 53 and the high refractive index layer 52 in the transverse direction with respect to the optical axis O; para [0149]- The central region 55 of the diffraction pattern 54a is circular...the plurality of arcuate strip-shaped regions 56 concentrically arranged is formed around the central region 55; para [0150]- The central region 55 of the diffraction pattern 54b is elliptical, and the plurality of strip-shaped regions 56 having an elliptical outer shape is formed therearound).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), wherein the first light, the second light, and the third light differ in one or more of light direction, focal point, intensity profile, phase profile, image formation, wavelength and/or polarization (note: see Fig. 1 for the description, para [0068]- The liquid crystal light valves lO0R, 1000, and lO0B modulate the incident light for each pixel on the basis of the image signal of each color supplied, to generate a red image, a green image, and a blue image, respectively).
Regarding claim 10, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), further comprising: a beam shaping layer between the first layer and the at least two light source modulating pixels, and/or an aperture layer (24a) configured to block light around peripheral edges of each of the at least two light source modulating pixels (Fig. 3, para [0089]- When the incident-side light shielding layer 24a and the emission-side light shielding layer 24b are provided, it is possible to block the light incident from the incident side and the emission side with respect to the TFT 27,
wiring, or the like).
Regarding claim 11, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), The modified Kouyama doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the first layer comprises transparent or semitransparent plastic, glass, and/or quartz. However, these are known materials and with known properties, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use the first layer comprises transparent or semi-transparent plastic, glass, and/or quartz, on the basis of its the suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In this case to improve image quality (see Kouyama, para [0006]).
Regarding claim 12, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two light source modulating pixels are from a light emitting diode (LED) backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) (para [0056]- a solid-state light source such as a laser diode or a light emitting diode is used; para [0067]- The liquid crystal light valves 10R, 100G, and 100B are each a liquid crystal display element of the transmission type; para [0205]- light from the backlight emitting white light enters the lens layer including a refractive lens and a diffractive lens).
Regarding claim 14, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), The modified Kouyama doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the light diffraction material comprises Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Acrylic plastic.
However, Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Acrylic plastic is a known material with known properties, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use, wherein the light diffraction material comprises Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Acrylic plastic, on the basis of its the suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In this case to improve image quality (see Kouyama, para [0006]).
Regarding claim 16, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), wherein the plurality of pixels is configured to form a virtual image with pixels having a plurality of focal depths (paragraph [0111] as shown in B of Fig. 4, when white light is incident parallel to the optical axis O of the diffractive lens 51, the diffraction angles of the blue light B1 (solid line), the green light G1 (dotted line), and the red light R1 (dashed line) included in the white light increase in this order. As a result, the blue light B1 is focused at a position farthest from the refractive lens 50, and the red-light R1 is focused at a position closest to the refractive lens 50. Further, the focal point of the green light G1 is formed between the focal points of the blue light B1 and the red light R1).
Regarding claim 20, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1 (see above), wherein the first layer comprises a switchable liquid crystal film (layer 40, [0081]) configured to switch between an on state and an off state (Fig. 3, In the liquid crystal constituting the liquid crystal layer 40, the alignment and order of molecular aggregation are changed in accordance with a voltage to be applied. Thus, the liquid crystal layer 40 is capable of modulating incident light, [0106]), wherein in the off state, the first layer does not cause the first, second or third modifications to the patterns (Note that the voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal layer 40 is controlled for each pixel 16 by each pixel electrode 25 with reference to the common electrode 33. Thus, gradation display with the light intensity changed for each pixel 16 becomes possible, [0106]).
Regarding claim 21, the modified Kouyama teaches the device according to claim 1, (see above), with a signal comprising binary pattern indicia for the plurality of binary pixels. Barlev further discloses a method for displaying an image comprising: driving with a signal comprising binary pattern indicia for the plurality of binary pixels (Fig. 3A, [0084]; claim 18: projecting two-dimensional (2D) spatially varying structured light patterns comprising sub-patterns and primitive shapes onto the object and extracting a 3D image data indicative of the object utilizing said projected structured light pattern; Techniques which are based on binary codes has only two illumination levels that are commonly used, which are coded as 0 and 1, [0128]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to drive with a signal comprising binary pattern indicia for the plurality of binary pixels, on the system of Kouyama, to improve light efficiency, as disclosed in [0002].
Regarding claim 22, Kouyama teaches a method (refer to US 2022/0066261) comprising: comprising: establishing a layer comprising a light diffraction material (diffractive lens array 38 is a lens array in which a plurality of diffractive lenses 51 is arranged two-dimensionally. Specifically, the plurality of diffractive lens 51 is arranged in a grid shape along the XY plane so as to overlap with the plurality of openings 28 (the plurality of pixels 16) when viewed from the Z direction. [0099]); using the layer to create a first output light by causing a first modification of a first pattern; (Fig. 10 ... Each of the diffraction patterns 54a to 54f includes ... Thus, it is possible to alternately arrange the low refractive index layer 53 and the high refractive index layer 52 in the transverse direction with respect to the optical axis O, [0148]; The central region 55 of the diffraction pattern 54a is circular ... the plurality of arcuate strip-shaped regions 56 concentrically arranged is formed around the central region 55, [0149]), formed by light from at least two light source modulating pixels (28a, 28b, Fig. 6, The diffraction grating is configured to, for example, divide the incident light and emit it to the first and second openings 28a and 28b. Note that it is possible to set the division ratio of the light or to emit light to one of the first and second openings 28a and 28b by appropriately forming the diffraction grating, [0129]), using the layer to create a second output light by causing a second modification of a second pattern formed by light from the at least two light source modulating pixels (Fig. 10 ... Each of the diffraction patterns 54a to 54f includes ... Thus, it is possible to alternately arrange the low refractive index layer 53 and the high refractive index layer 52 in the transverse direction with respect to the optical axis O, [0148]; The central region 55 of the diffraction pattern 54b is elliptical, and the plurality of strip-shaped regions 56 having an elliptical outer shape is formed therearound, [0150]); and using the layer to create a third output light by causing a third modification of a third binary pattern formed by light from the at least two light source modulating pixels (Fig. 10 ... Each of the diffraction patterns 54a to 54f includes ... Thus, it is possible to alternately arrange the low refractive index layer 53 and the high refractive index layer 52 in the transverse direction with respect to the optical axis O, [0148]; The central region 55 of the diffraction patterns 54c and 54d is a polygon, and the plurality of strip shaped regions 56 having an outer shape similar to that of the central region 55 is formed therearound, [0151]); wherein at least the first output light, the second output light and the third output light have different visual characteristics (note: see Fig. 1 for the description, The liquid crystal light valves 100R, 100G, and 100B modulate the incident light for each pixel on the basis of the image signal of each color supplied, to generate a red image, a green image, and a blue image, respectively, [0068]).
Kouyama does not disclose a first binary pattern, a second binary pattern, a third binary pattern.
Kouyama and Barlev are related as display device.
Barlev discloses a first binary pattern, a second binary pattern, a third binary pattern (Fig. 3A; [0084], A sequence of m patterns to encode 2m stripes using a plain binary code. The codeword associated to each pixel is the sequence of 0s and 1s obtained from them patterns [0129]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide a first binary pattern, a second binary pattern, a third binary pattern, on the system of Kouyama to improve light efficiency, as disclosed in Barlev [0002].
Regarding claim 23, the modified Kouyama discloses the method of claim 22, (see above). Kouyama further discloses wherein the first modification, the second modification and the third modification comprise different optical transformations (Fig. 10 ... Each of the diffraction patterns 54a to 54f includes ... Thus, it is possible to alternately arrange the low refractive index layer 53 and the high refractive index layer 52 in the transverse direction with respect to the optical axis O, [0148]; The central region 55 of the diffraction pattern 54a is circular...the plurality of arcuate strip-shaped regions 56 concentrically arranged is formed around the central region 55, [0149]; The central region 55 of the diffraction pattern 54b is elliptical, and the plurality of strip-shaped regions 56 having an elliptical outer shape is formed therearound, [0150]; The central region 55 of the diffraction patterns 54c and 54d is a polygon, and the plurality of strip-shaped regions 56 having an outer shape similar to that of the central region 55 is
formed therearound, [0151]).
Claims 4, 8, 24 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kouyama (US 2022/0066261, of record) in view of Barlev et al. (US 2019/0249984, of record) and further in view of Saito (US 2023/0314821).
Regarding claim 4, the modified Kouyama discloses the display device of claim 1. The modified Kouyama doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the first layer comprises a volume hologram material configured to cause different diffractions from phase modulations and/or amplitude modulations.
Kouvama and Saito are related as display device.
Saito teaches drawn to image display (abstract), discloses, the first layer (250b) comprises a volume hologram material configured to cause different diffractions (Fig. 7, the incident diffraction layer 250b or the first incident-side diffraction element 50b is, for example, a diffraction element formed of a reflective volume hologram, [0068]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide the first layer comprises a volume hologram material configured to cause different diffractions, on the system of Kouyama, to improve image quality, as disclosed in Saito ( [0004]).
Regarding claim 8, Modified Kouyama discloses the display device of any one of claims 1, (see above). Modified Kouyama doesn’t explicitly discloses further comprising: a second layer of light diffraction material configured to cause secondary diffraction of light passing through the first layer.
Kouvama and Saito are related as display device.
Saito discloses a second layer (250c) of light diffraction material configured to cause secondary diffraction of light passing through the first layer (Fig. 7, [0068], [0069] The emitting diffraction layer 250c or the first emitting-side diffraction element 50c extracts the image light LB, LG, and LR of three colors traveling in the -X direction).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide a second layer of light diffraction material configured to cause secondary diffraction of light passing through the first layer, on the system of Kouyama, to improve image quality, as disclosed in Saito ( [0004]).
Regarding claim 24, the modified Kouyama discloses the method of claim 22 (see above). the modified Kouyama doesn’t explicitly teach further comprising: using an additional layer of light diffraction material in forming the first output light, the second output light, and the third output light. However, Saito discloses using an additional layer of light diffraction material (250c) in forming the output light (Fig. 7, [0068], [0069] The emitting diffraction layer 250c or the first emitting-side diffraction element 50c extracts the image light LB, LG, and LR of three colors traveling in the -X direction). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use an additional layer of light diffraction material (250c) in forming the output light, on the system of Kouyama, to improve image quality, as disclosed in Saito ([0004]).
Regarding claim 25, the modified Kouyama disclose the method of claim 24 (see above). Saito further discloses wherein the additional layer of light diffraction material (250c) is configured to cause secondary diffraction of light passing through the layer (Fig. 7, para [0069]- he emitting diffraction layer 250c or the first emitting-side diffraction element 50c extracts the image light LB, LG, and LR of three colors traveling in the -X direction as a whole in the first light guide member 50a out of the first light guide member 50a by diffraction and emits the image light LB, LG, and LR of three colors toward the eye position EP where the eye EY of the wearer US is disposed).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kouyama (US 2022/0066261, of record) in view of Barlev et al. (US 2019/0249984, of record) and in further view of Kuechler et al. (US 2007/0229790).
Regarding claim 9, the modified Kouyama discloses the display device of any one of claim 1, (see above). The modified Kouyama doesn’t explicitly teach further comprising: one or more of additional layers configured to cause an attenuation of light passing through the first layer. Kouyama and Kuechler are related as substrate includes an illumination device. Kuechler, drawn to photomask (abstract), discloses, one or more of additional layers (9) configured to cause an attenuation of light passing through the first layer (2) (Fig. 1, para [0042]- The diffraction orders of the radiation, incident on the stacked antireflection layers 9 and diffracted at the photomask 2, are attenuated as a function of the shape of the stacked antireflection layers 9 and as a function of the angle of incidence of the radiation with respect to the surface 7 of the optical element 6).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide one or more of additional layers configured to cause an attenuation of light passing through the first layer, on the system of Kouyama, to control light intensity accurately, as disclosed in Kuechler (para [0011]).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kouyama (US 2022/0066261, of record) in view of Barlev et al. (US 2019/0249984, of record) and in further view of Harris et al. (US 2021/0349322).
Regarding claim 13, the modified Kouyama discloses the display device of any one of claim 1, (see above). The modified Kouyama doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the at least two light source modulating pixels are from a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) backlit liquid crystal display (LCD).
Kouyama and Harris are related as optical device.
Harris, drawn to display (abstract), discloses, the at least two light source pixels are from a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) ([0109]- An "optical emitter" as employed herein may refer to, but is not limited to ... and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs); [0116]- A "display" as employed herein may refer to, but is not limited to, a flat panel display using an array of optical emitters as pixels for generating image content ... a LED backlit liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD display, and a plasma (PDP) display).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide the at least two light source pixels are from a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) backlit liquid crystal display (LCD), on the system of Kouyama, to improve user comfort and minimize fatigue and strain, as disclosed in Harris (para [0004]).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kouyama (US 2022/0066261, of record) in view of Barlev et al. (US 2019/0249984, of record) and in further view of Hedges et al. (US 2012/0237703).
Regarding claim 15, the modified Kouyama discloses the display device of any one of claim 1, (see above). The modified Kouyama doesn’t explicitly teach wherein the light diffraction material comprises soda lime glass covered with an opaque patterned film.
Kouyama and Hedges are related as optical device.
Hedges, drawn to photomask (abstract), discloses, the light diffraction material comprises soda lime glass covered with an opaque patterned film ([0004]- Conventional photomasks generally have a transparent glass blank and a thin opaque film on the blank ... Conventional materials for the blank include soda lime ... The opaque film can be a patterned layer of chrome less than 100 microns thick).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide the light diffraction material comprises soda lime glass covered with an opaque patterned film, on the system of Kouyama, to improve reliability of the system, as disclosed in Hedges ([0005], [0006]).
Claim 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barlev et al. (US 2019/0249984, of record) in view of Kouyama (US 2022/0066261, of record).
Regarding claim 30, Barlev discloses a laser based three-dimensional (3D) printer (para [0001), [0023) Additive manufacturing and 3D printing based on 3D scanners; para [0073)- The invention more specifically utilizes an array of lasers) comprising: a laser device (para [0073)- The invention more specifically utilizes an array of lasers), the laser device comprises a laser array configured to form three or more binary patterns (Fig. 2B, para [0129)- A sequence of m patterns to encode 2m stripes using a plain binary code. The codeword associated to each pixel is the sequence of 0s and 1s obtained from them patterns; para [0079)- The light source unit 240 includes an array of the light sources 244, e.g. VCSELs); and a first layer (252) above the laser array (Fig. 2B, para [0079]- The diffractive optical unit 250 includes a resonance-domain diffractive optical element configured as a set of sub-arrays of static diffractive optical elements 252A-D (RDDOEs) associated respectively with the sub-arrays 244A-D of the light sources), the first layer (252) comprises a light diffraction material over the laser array (244) (Fig. 2B, para [0079]- The diffractive optical unit 250 includes a resonance-domain diffractive optical element configured as a set of sub-arrays of static diffractive optical elements 252A-D (RDDOEs) associated respectively with the subarrays 244A-D of the light sources).
Barley doesn’t explicitly teach a laser device for curing a resin to form 3D objects, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to provide a laser device for curing a resin to form 3D objects, based on routine experimentation, since curing a resin to form 3D objects was well known and to quality control parts (see Barlev, para [0001], [0023]). Barlev does not explicitly disclose wherein the light diffraction material is configured to: modify a first binary pattern formed by the laser array to output a first laser beam with a beam spot at a first focal distance; modify a second binary pattern formed by the laser array to output a second laser beam with a beam spot at a second focal distance; and modify a third binary pattern formed by the laser array to output a third laser beam with a beam spot at a third focal distance.
Barley and Kouyama are related as display device.
Kouyama discloses the light diffraction material is configured ([0099]- The diffractive lens array 38 is a lens array in which a plurality of diffractive lenses 51 is arranged two-dimensionally) to modify a first pattern formed by the laser array to output a first laser beam with a beam spot at a first focal distance ([0148], [0149]- The central region 55 of the diffraction pattern 54a is circular ... the plurality of arcuate strip-shaped regions 56 concentrically arranged is formed around the central region 55; [0111]- as shown in B of FIG. 4, when white light is incident parallel to the optical axis O of the diffractive lens 51, the diffraction angles of the blue light B1 (solid line), the green light G1 (dotted line), and the red light R1 (dashed line) included in the white light increase in this order. As a result, the blue light B1 is focused at a position farthest from the refractive lens 50, and the red light R1 is focused at a position closest to the refractive lens 50. Further, the focal point of the green light G1 is formed between the focal points of the blue light B1 and the red light R1); modify a second pattern formed by the laser array to output a second laser beam with a beam spot at a second focal distance ([0148], [0150]- The central region 55 of the diffraction pattern 54b is elliptical, and the plurality of strip-shaped regions 56 having an elliptical outer shape is formed therearound; [0111]- as shown in B of Fig. 4, when white light is incident parallel to the optical a-xis O of the diffractive lens 51, the diffraction angles of the blue light B1 ( solid line), the green light G1 (dotted line), and the red-light R1 (dashed line) included in the white light increase in this order. As a result, the blue light B1 is focused at a position farthest from the refractive lens 50, and the red-light R1 is focused at a position closest to the refractive lens 50. Further, the focal point of the green light G1 is formed between the focal points of the blue light B1 and the red-light R1); and modify a third pattern formed by the laser array to output a third laser beam with a beam spot at a third focal distance ([0148], The central region 55 of the diffraction patterns 54c and 54d is a polygon, and the plurality of strip-shaped regions 56 having an outer shape similar to that of the central region 55 is formed therearound [0151]; [0111]- as shown in B of FIG. 4, when white light is incident parallel to the optical axis O of the diffractive lens 51, the diffraction angles of the blue light B1 ( solid line), the green light G1 (dotted line), and the red light R1 (dashed line) included in the white light increase in this order. As a result, the blue light B 1 is focused at a position farthest from the refractive lens 50, and the red-light R1 is focused at a position closest to the refractive lens 50. Further, the focal point of the green light G1 is formed between the focal points of the blue light B1 and the red-light R1). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide the light diffraction material is configured to modify a first pattern formed by the laser array to output a first laser beam with a beam spot at a first focal distance; modify a second pattern formed by the laser array to output a second laser beam with a beam spot at a second focal distance; and modify a third pattern formed by the laser array to output a third laser beam with a beam spot at a third focal distance, on the system of Barlev, to utilize light efficiently, as disclosed in ([0006]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17, 18 and 19 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: The pertinent prior art cannot be reasonably construed as adequately teaching all limitations: a processor configured to drive the at least two light source modulating pixels based on an input image comprising pixels that are binary patterns of quantized depth values attenuated by the intensity of the pixel for a corresponding color (claim 17); a processor configured to identify a viewing angle of a viewer and select binary patterns for each binary pixel based on the viewing angle, (claim 18) and the plurality of binary pixels is configured to simultaneously display two or more different virtual images to viewers at different viewing angles, (claim 19).
Conclusion
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/R.A/Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/BUMSUK WON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872