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 September 7th, 2026 has been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on August 26th, 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed August 26th, 2026 has been entered. Independent claim 10 has been amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 4-5, filed August 17th, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 10-16 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Zhang have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Zhang et al. (US 20210041692 A1) in view of Jeong et al. (US 20200192100 A1); see rejection below.
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) 10, 12, and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 20210041692 A1), hereinafter Zhang, in view of Jeong et al. (US 20200192100 A1), hereinafter Jeong.
Regarding independent claim 10, Zhang discloses a head-mounted display system comprising:
a multi-layer optical stack (210; Fig. 2; ¶0024) comprising:
an eyepiece layer (250; Fig. 2; ¶0024) configured to present digital content (¶0017); and
an illumination layer (220, 230, 240; Fig. 2; ¶0024) overlying the eyepiece layer (250) (Fig. 2), the illumination layer (220, 230, 240) comprising:
a substrate (240; Fig. 2; ¶0024);
one or more LEDs (237; Fig. 2; ¶0024) disposed on a first surface of the substrate (240) (Fig. 2); and
a first encapsulation layer (230; Fig. 2; ¶0024) disposed on the first surface of the substrate (240) (Fig. 2), wherein the first encapsulation layer (230) is configured to decrease haze and increase visible light transmittance through the illumination layer (220, 230, 240) relative to the first encapsulation layer (230) not being present (implicit that the first encapsulation layer would decrease haze and increase visible light transmittance since the presence of the first encapsulation layer would planarize the surface of the substrate layer, which according to the instant application, is what causes the decrease in haze and increase in visible light transmittance).
Zhang does not disclose the first encapsulation layer comprises a patterned surface.
However, Jeong teaches a similar head-mounted display system (Fig. 3) comprising an illumination layer (Fig. 4B), the illumination layer (Fig. 4B) comprising a substrate (PL; Fig. 4B; ¶0065), one or more LEDS (LD1, LD2, LD3; Fig. 4B; ¶0074) disposed on a first surface of the substrate (PL) (Fig. 4B); and a first encapsulation layer (ECP; Fig. 4B; ¶0075), wherein the first encapsulation layer (ECP) comprises a patterned surface (CL; Fig. 4B; ¶0079) and is configured to decrease haze and increase visible light transmittance (¶0003-¶0007) through the illumination layer (Fig. 4B) relative to the first encapsulation layer (ECP) not being present (¶0003-¶0007; also see Fig. 6 and ¶0091).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zhang to incorporate the first encapsulation layer comprising a patterned surface and being configured to decrease haze and increase visible light transmittance for the purpose of suppressing a screen-door effect (¶0006 of Jeong).
Regarding claim 12, Zhang in view of Jeong discloses the head-mounted display system of claim 10, as set forth above. Zhang further discloses the illumination layer (220, 230, 240) is configured to output infrared illumination (¶0024).
Regarding claim 15, Zhang in view of Jeong discloses the head-mounted display system of claim 10, as set forth above. Zhang further discloses wherein the one or more LEDs (237) is covered by the first encapsulation layer (230) (Fig. 2; ¶0028).
Regarding claim 16, Zhang in view of Jeong discloses the head-mounted display system of claim 10, as set forth above. Zhang further discloses a light sensor (108A; Fig. 2; ¶0026), the light sensor (108A) configured to detect light reflected off an eye of a user (Fig. 7; ¶0025), wherein the light is emitted by the one or more LEDs (237) (Fig. 7; ¶0025).
Claim(s) 11 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US 20210041692 A1) in view of Jeong (US 20200192100 A1) and further in view of Chen (US 20180206298 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Zhang in view of Jeong discloses the head-mounted display system of claim 10, as set forth above. Zhang further discloses the illumination layer (220, 230, 240) further comprises a second encapsulation layer (220; Fig. 2; ¶0024), wherein the second encapsulation layer (220) has a second geometry different from a first geometry of the first encapsulation layer (230) (Fig. 2). Zhang does not disclose the second encapsulation layer is on a second surface of the substrate.
However, Chen teaches a similar display comprising an illumination layer (Fig. 5; ¶0027) comprising a substrate (1; Fig. 5; ¶0027), one or more LEDs (3; Fig. 5; ¶0027) disposed on a first surface of the substrate (1) (Fig. 5), and a first encapsulation layer (4, 6; Fig. 5; ¶0027, ¶0036) disposed on the first surface of the substrate (1) (Fig. 5), wherein the first encapsulation layer comprised a patterned surface (61; Fig. 5; ¶0036); and further comprises a second encapsulation layer (5; Fig. 5; ¶0031) on a second surface of the substrate (1) (Fig. 5), wherein the second encapsulation layer (5) has a second geometry different from a first geometry of the first encapsulation layer (4, 6) (Fig. 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zhang in view of Jeong to incorporate the second encapsulation layer as taught by Chen for the purpose of improving the display quality (¶0033 of Chen).
Regarding claim 13, Zhang in view of Jeong and further in view of Chen discloses the head-mounted display system of claim 11, as set forth above. Jeong does not disclose the second encapsulation layer has a finite radius of curvature.
However, Zhang further discloses the second encapsulation layer (220) has a finite radius of curvature (Fig. 2). Further, Chen further teaches the second encapsulation layer (5) has a finite radius of curvature (Fig. 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zhang in view of Jeong to incorporate the second encapsulation layer as taught by Chen for the purpose of improving the display quality (¶0033 of Chen).
Regarding claim 14, Zhang in view of Jeong and further in view of Chen discloses the head-mounted display system of claim 13, as set forth above. Zhang further discloses the radius of curvature is configured to increase an optical power of the eyepiece layer (250) (may be used to focus a virtual image included in display light for an eye of a user; Fig. 2; ¶0028).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATASHA NIGAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5423. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9-4.
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/NATASHA NIGAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2872 September 11th, 2026
/George G. King/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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