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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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 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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species 1 (figure 1A; claims 1-6, 8-9, 11-12, 14-16, 18) in the reply filed on 03/09/2026 is acknowledged.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 1-6, 8-9, 12, 14-16, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chi et al. (US 2021/0055551).
Regarding claim 1, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses an apparatus, comprising:
a light source configured to generate a light beam (projector 510 may include a light source or image source 512 and projector optics 514; see at least paragraph 0083);
a first grating illuminated by the light beam (first output grating 1030; figure 10A; see at least paragraph 0102); and
a second grating optically coupled to the first grating (first output grating 1040; figure 10; see at least paragraph 0102),
wherein the first grating is configured to perform a first diffraction to expand the light beam in a first dimension to form a first beam (First grating 1030 may include one or more multiplexed volume Bragg gratings each configured to expand at least a portion of the display light beam (e.g., light corresponding to a certain field of view and/or a wavelength range) along one direction, as shown by lines 1032, 1034, and 1036; see at least paragraph 0102), and
the second grating is configured to perform a second diffraction to expand the first beam in a second dimension to provide a backlight for a display device (Second grating 1040 may then expand the display light from first grating 1030 in a different direction by diffracting a portion of the display light to eyebox 1050 each time the display light propagating within substrate 1010 reaches second grating 1040; see at least paragraph 0102).
Regarding claim 2, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses wherein the first grating is illuminated by a collimated light beam of a laser source (image source 512 may include a laser diode, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser, an LED, a superluminescent LED; see at least paragraph 0083).
Regarding claim 3, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses wherein the first diffraction comprises a first single diffraction configured to expand the light beam in the first dimension of the first grating coupled to the second grating (figure 10A; (First grating 1030 may include one or more multiplexed volume Bragg gratings each configured to expand at least a portion of the display light beam (e.g., light corresponding to a certain field of view and/or a wavelength range) along one direction, as shown by lines 1032, 1034, and 1036; see at least paragraph 0102).
Regarding claim 4, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses wherein the second diffraction comprises a second single diffraction configured to expand the expanded first beam in the second dimension to form a two-dimensional beam perpendicular to a plane of the second grating (figure 10A; Second grating 1040 may then expand the display light from first grating 1030 in a different direction by diffracting a portion of the display light to eyebox 1050 each time the display light propagating within substrate 1010 reaches second grating 1040; see at least paragraph 0102).
Regarding claim 5, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses wherein the first grating comprises a first volume Bragg grating (VBG), and the second grating comprises a second VBG (first grating 1030 and second grating 1040 may each include a multiplexed VBG that includes multiple VBGs each designed for a specific FOV range and/or wavelength range. For example, first grating 1030 may include a few hundred or more VBGs (e.g., about 300 to about 1000 VBGs) recorded by a few hundred or more exposures, where each VBG may be recorded under a different condition. Second grating 1040 may also include tens or hundreds of VBGs (e.g., 50 or more VBGs) recorded by tens or hundreds of exposures. First grating 1030 and second grating 1040 may each be a transmission grating or a reflection grating; see at least paragraph 0103).
Regarding claim 6, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses wherein the first VBG and the second VBG comprise single-diffraction VBGs (first grating 1030 and second grating 1040 may each include a multiplexed VBG that includes multiple VBGs each designed for a specific FOV range and/or wavelength range. For example, first grating 1030 may include a few hundred or more VBGs (e.g., about 300 to about 1000 VBGs) recorded by a few hundred or more exposures, where each VBG may be recorded under a different condition. Second grating 1040 may also include tens or hundreds of VBGs (e.g., 50 or more VBGs) recorded by tens or hundreds of exposures. First grating 1030 and second grating 1040 may each be a transmission grating or a reflection grating; see at least paragraph 0103).
Regarding claim 8, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses wherein the display device comprises an augmented reality (AR) or a virtual reality (VR) display (HMD device 200 may be a part of, e.g., a VR system, an AR system, an MR system, or any combination thereof; see at least paragraph 0069).
Regarding claim 9, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses wherein the display device comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) device (see at least paragraph 0070).
Regarding claim 12, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses a reflector plate configured to steer the light beam at various angles to increase a pupil size of the backlight (one or more reflectors or directional couplers may be used to deflect light from an image source that is outside of the field of view of user's eye 490 to make the image source appear to be at the location of image source 410 shown in FIG. 4; see at least paragraph 0076).
The limitations " to increase a pupil size of the backlight " are regarded as intended use limitations. A recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim.
Regarding claim 14, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C and 26) discloses an apparatus, comprising:
a laser configured to generate a first beam (projector 510 may include a light source or image source 512 and projector optics 514; see at least paragraph 0083);
a first Bragg grating illuminated by the first beam (first output grating 1030; figure 10A; see at least paragraph 0102);
a polarizing component (FIG. 26 illustrates an example of a waveguide display 2600 including two multiplexed volume Bragg gratings 2610 and 2640 and a polarization convertor 2630 between the two multiplexed volume Bragg gratings 2610 and 2640; see at least paragraph 0162);
a second Bragg grating optically coupled to the first Bragg grating (first output grating 1040; figure 10; see at least paragraph 0102),
wherein the first Bragg grating is configured to create a first diffracted beam in a first dimension (First grating 1030 may include one or more multiplexed volume Bragg gratings each configured to expand at least a portion of the display light beam (e.g., light corresponding to a certain field of view and/or a wavelength range) along one direction, as shown by lines 1032, 1034, and 1036; see at least paragraph 0102), and
the polarizing component is configured to change a polarization state of the first diffracted beam (FIG. 26 illustrates an example of a waveguide display 2600 including two multiplexed volume Bragg gratings 2610 and 2640 and a polarization convertor 2630 between the two multiplexed volume Bragg gratings 2610 and 2640; see at least paragraph 0162); and
the second Bragg grating is configured to create a second diffracted beam to expand the first polarized diffracted beam in a second dimension to provide a backlight for a display device (Second grating 1040 may then expand the display light from first grating 1030 in a different direction by diffracting a portion of the display light to eyebox 1050 each time the display light propagating within substrate 1010 reaches second grating 1040; see at least paragraph 0102).
Regarding claim 15, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses wherein the first grating comprises a first volume Bragg grating (VBG), and the second grating comprises a second VBG (first grating 1030 and second grating 1040 may each include a multiplexed VBG that includes multiple VBGs each designed for a specific FOV range and/or wavelength range. For example, first grating 1030 may include a few hundred or more VBGs (e.g., about 300 to about 1000 VBGs) recorded by a few hundred or more exposures, where each VBG may be recorded under a different condition. Second grating 1040 may also include tens or hundreds of VBGs (e.g., 50 or more VBGs) recorded by tens or hundreds of exposures. First grating 1030 and second grating 1040 may each be a transmission grating or a reflection grating; see at least paragraph 0103).
Regarding claim 16, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses wherein the first VBG and the second VBG comprise single-diffraction VBGs (first grating 1030 and second grating 1040 may each include a multiplexed VBG that includes multiple VBGs each designed for a specific FOV range and/or wavelength range. For example, first grating 1030 may include a few hundred or more VBGs (e.g., about 300 to about 1000 VBGs) recorded by a few hundred or more exposures, where each VBG may be recorded under a different condition. Second grating 1040 may also include tens or hundreds of VBGs (e.g., 50 or more VBGs) recorded by tens or hundreds of exposures. First grating 1030 and second grating 1040 may each be a transmission grating or a reflection grating; see at least paragraph 0103).
Regarding claim 18, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses a beam expander system, the system comprising:
a first VBG illuminated by a first collimated beam and configured to form a first diffracted beam along a length of the first VBG (First grating 1030 may include one or more multiplexed volume Bragg gratings each configured to expand at least a portion of the display light beam (e.g., light corresponding to a certain field of view and/or a wavelength range) along one direction, as shown by lines 1032, 1034, and 1036; see at least paragraph 0102);
a polarizing component configured to switch polarization state of the first diffracted beam (FIG. 26 illustrates an example of a waveguide display 2600 including two multiplexed volume Bragg gratings 2610 and 2640 and a polarization convertor 2630 between the two multiplexed volume Bragg gratings 2610 and 2640; see at least paragraph 0162); and
a second VBG configured to expand the first polarized diffracted beam to form a backlight for a display device (Second grating 1040 may then expand the display light from first grating 1030 in a different direction by diffracting a portion of the display light to eyebox 1050 each time the display light propagating within substrate 1010 reaches second grating 1040; see at least paragraph 0102).
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 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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chi et al. (US 2021/0055551) in view of Qaderi et al. (US 2022/0083000).
Regarding claim 11, Chi et al. (figures 1-10C) discloses a polarizing component between the first grating and the second grating and the polarizing component configured to switch polarization state of the first diffracted beam (FIG. 26 illustrates an example of a waveguide display 2600 including two multiplexed volume Bragg gratings 2610 and 2640 and a polarization convertor 2630 between the two multiplexed volume Bragg gratings 2610 and 2640; see at least paragraph 0162). Chi et al. is silent regarding wherein the polarizing component comprises a half-wave plate configured to change a polarization state of the first beam. Qaderi et al. teaches wherein the polarizing component comprises a half-wave plate configured to change a polarization state of the first beam (Such a retarder can be affixed to the exit face of the field grating 3513, or to the outer surface of the reflective display devices 3515, or to both, and can be a halfwave plate to provide p-polarization or s-polarization or can be a quarterwave plate to provide circular polarization or can have a retardance of another value, which can also vary spatially and/or temporally and/or by wavelength, to provide optimal polarization at every point on the reflective display devices 3515 for each color; see at least paragraph 0994). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the polarizing component as taught by Qaderi et al. in order to adjust the polarization to satisfy the element.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAUREN NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1428. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday, 8:00 AM -6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Carruth, can be reached at 571-272-9791. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAUREN NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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