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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-3, 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hallack et al (US 2017/0080867 A1 from IDS filed) in view of Bang et al (US 2018/0323783 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hallack discloses a display device (Figs. 1-12B, para 29, “the display mirror assembly 10”) comprising:
a transmission reflection member configured to transmit part of incident light and
reflect part of the incident light (para 29, “a partially reflective, partially transmissive element 12 (also referred to as a “glass element” herein)”);
a display panel configured to display an image (para 37, “the display 22”);
a sensor (Figs. 9B and 9C, para 68, “sensor 366”) including a base material (see Fig. 9B, sensor 366 has base material), a light emission element, and a light detection element (para 70, “the sensor 366 may correspond to an optical sensor comprising an emitter and a receiver”), the base material having a first surface (see Fig. 9B, sensor 366 has base material having a first surface),
an operating mechanism (Fig. 9B, para 64, “toggle switch 304”; Fig. 9A, para 64, “pivot plate 342”); and
a first control circuit (para 72, “the sensor 366 corresponds to an optical sensor”) configured to perform control to switch on and off of the display panel on the basis of an amount of light received by the light detection element (para 72, “the emission passing from the emitter to the receiver may be received by the receiver. The receipt of the emission may be detected by a controller in communication with the sensor 366. In response to detection, the controller may control display 22 to an “ON” condition; para 71, “in response to the detection of the blockage, the controller may control the display 22 to an “OFF” condition);
wherein the operating mechanism (304, 342) is configured to switch a relative position of the sensor with respect to the operating mechanism between a first position (the position 362, Fig. 9C) and a second position (the second position 360, Fig. 9B) different from the first position, and
change the amount of light received by the light detection element (para 70, “The sensor 366 may correspond to an optical sensor comprising an emitter and a receiver. The emitter and the receiver may be configured to generate and detect an emission from a first protruding member 370 to a second protruding member 372. The first protruding member 370 and the second protruding member 372 may form the valley 368 aligned with and configured to receive the blade 364. In this configuration, the sensor 366 may detect the toggle switch 304 in the first position 360 and the second position 362”); para 71, “in response to positioning of the toggle switch 304 in the second position 362, the pivot plate 342 and the slider component 332 may rotate toward the primary PCB 28. The rotation of the slider component 332 toward the primary PCB 28 may cause the blade 364 or protrusion to pass into the valley 368 formed by the sensor 366 … the sensor 366 corresponds to an optical sensor, the emission passing from the emitter to the receiver may be blocked by the blade 364. The blockage of the emission may be detected by a controller in communication with the sensor 366. In response to the detection of the blockage, the controller may control the display 22 to an ‘OFF’ condition”); para 72, “in response to positioning of the toggle switch 304 in the first position 360, the pivot plate 342 and the slider component 332 may rotate away from the primary PCB 28. The rotation of the slider component 332 away from the primary PCB 28 may cause the blade 364 or protrusion to move out of the valley 368 formed by the sensor 366. In an exemplary embodiment wherein the sensor 366 corresponds to an optical sensor, the emission passing from the emitter to the receiver may be received by the receiver. The receipt of the emission may be detected by a controller in communication with the sensor 366. In response to the detection, the controller may control the display 22 to an ‘ON’ condition”).
Hallack does not disclose a sensor including the light emission element being located on the first surface, the light detecting element being located on the first surface and receiving reflected light of light emitted by the light emission element.
Bang discloses disclose a sensor (Fig. 1 and para 48, “proximity sensor 102”) including the light emission element (transmitter 4) being located on the first surface, the light detecting element (receiver 6) being located on the first surface and receiving reflected light of light emitted by the light emission element (see the light from transmitter to receiver shown in Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention before the effective filing date to disclose a sensor including the light emission element being located on the first surface, the light detecting element being located on the first surface and receiving reflected light of light emitted by the light emission element as taught by Bang for the purpose of achieving simplified installation and wiring, since only one-sided mounting bracket is needed while obtaining space efficiency and ease of alignment.
Regarding claim 2, the display device according to claim 1, wherein the operating mechanism (Hallack, Fig. 9B, para 64, “toggle switch 304” further “blade 364”; Fig. 9A, para 64, “pivot plate 342”) has multiple surfaces including a second surface (outer surface of blade 364),
the second surface is a surface facing the first surface (surface of sensor 366, including valley 368) when the relative position of the sensor with respect to the operating mechanism is the first position (Fig. 9C), and
an overlapping area between the first surface (surface of 368) and the second surface (surface of 364) when viewed in a normal direction of the first surface in a case where the relative position of the sensor with respect to the operating mechanism is the first position (Fig. 9C) is larger than an overlapping area between the first surface (surface of 368) and the second surface (surface of 364) when viewed in the normal direction of the first surface in a case where the relative position of the sensor with respect to the operating mechanism is the second position (Fig. 9B, thus overlapping for 9C is larger than the overlapping for 9B).
Regarding claim 3, the display device according to claim 1, wherein the operating mechanism (Hallack, Fig. 9B, para 64, “toggle switch 304”; Fig. 9A, para 64, “pivot plate 342”) has multiple surfaces (first surface is surface of sensor 366) including a second surface (second surface is surface of toggle switch 304), the second surface is a surface facing the first surface when the relative position of the
sensor with respect to the operating mechanism is at the first position (Fig. 9C), and
a shortest distance between the first surface and the second surface in a case where the
relative position of the sensor with respect to the operating mechanism is the first position (distance between 304 and 366 shown in Fig. 9C) is shorter than a shortest distance between the first surface and the second surface in a case where the relative position of the sensor with respect to the operating mechanism is the second position (distance between 304 and 366 shown in Fig. 9B, see distance for 9C is shorter than distance for 9B).
Regarding claim 15, the display device according to claim 1, wherein the first control circuit is configured to cause the display panel to display the image when the relative position of the sensor with
respect to the operating mechanism is the first position (Hallack, paras 71 and 72, Fig. 9C).
Regarding claim 16, the display device according to claim 2, wherein the first control circuit is configured to cause the display panel to display the image when the relative position of the sensor with
respect to the operating mechanism is the second position (Hallack, paras 71 and 72, Fig. 9B).
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hallack et al (US 2017/0080867 A1 from IDS filed) in view of Bang et al (US 2018/0323783 A1) as applied to claims above, and further in view of Inaba et al (US 2021/0300247 A1).
Regarding claim 17, Hallack in view of Bang discloses the claimed invention as set forth above including wherein the transmission reflection member includes a transparent plate configured to transmit the incident light (Hallack, para 29, “a partially reflective, partially transmissive element 12 (also referred to as a “glass element” herein)”); but does not disclose a reflective polarizing layer located on a side of the display panel with respect to the transparent plate, the reflective polarizing layer transmitting light polarized in a first direction and reflecting light in a direction different from the first direction.
Inaba discloses a reflective polarizing layer (Fig. 6, para 57, “the polarization reflection element 35) located on a side of the display panel with respect to the transparent plate, the reflective polarizing layer transmitting light polarized in a first direction and reflecting light in a direction different from the first direction (para 57, “The polarization reflection element 35 allows the first polarized light polarized in the first polarization direction to pass therethrough and reflects the second polarized light polarized in the second polarization direction different from the first polarization direction. In the present embodiment, the first polarization direction is orthogonal to the second polarization direction”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of inventio before the effective filing date to use the transmission reflection member includes a transparent plate configured to transmit the incident light, and a reflective polarizing layer located on a side of the display panel with respect to the transparent plate, the reflective polarizing layer transmitting light polarized in a first direction and reflecting light in a direction different from the first direction for the purpose of preventing glare and providing high ambient contrast and further increasing brightness.
Regarding claim 18, the display device according to claim 17, wherein the transmission reflection member further includes a first electrode (31), a second electrode (33), and a control substance (32) located between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a reflectance of the transmission reflection member changes in accordance with a state of the control substance varying with a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode (para 56, “the control substances 32 are positioned between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33 and between the first electrode 31 and the third electrode 34. In the present embodiment, the peripheral part of the first electrode 31 and the peripheral part of the third electrode 34 are coupled and sealed with a sealant 38 to form a space 39. The control substances 32 are positioned in the space 39. The state of the control substances 32 changes depending on potential difference at least one of between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33 and between the first electrode 31 and the third electrode 34, whereby the reflectance of the reflectance control unit 204 changes. Specifically, the state of the control substances 32 changes by changing the voltage applied between the first electrode 31 and the second electrode 33, between the first electrode 31 and the third electrode 34, or both of them, whereby the reflectance of the reflectance control unit 204 changes”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-14 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 4, claim is allowable at least for the reason that the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest the display device further comprising a first substrate located on a side opposite to the transmission reflection member with respect to the display panel, the first substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface opposed to each other, wherein the display panel has a display surface displaying the image, and a fifth surface opposed to the display surface, the third surface and the fifth surface face each other, and the sensor is located on the fourth surface as set forth in the claimed combination; and
Regarding claims 5-14, claims are allowable at least for the reason that the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest the display device further comprising: a first substrate located on a side opposite to the transmission reflection member with respect to the display panel, the first substrate having a third surface; and a second substrate having a sixth surface extending in a direction intersecting the display panel, wherein the display panel has a display surface displaying the image, and a fifth surface opposed to the display surface, the third surface and the fifth surface face each other, and
the sensor is located on the sixth surface as set forth in the claimed combination.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUNCHA P CHERRY whose telephone number is (571)272-2310. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 7am to 3:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached at (571) 270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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4/25/2026
/EUNCHA P CHERRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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