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 03/08/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
1. Claims 1, 2 and 4-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chelf (2023/0333392).
As to claim 1: Chelf teaches a head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) (claim 1, 100) comprising:
a solar charging system comprising:
one or more solar panels including a first solar panel disposed at a first side of a frame of the HMWD (paragraph 0058, wherein the panel can be on either side or arms of the glasses);
a controller electrically connected to the one or more solar panels (paragraph 0059, control system, 140);
an energy storage device disposed at a second side of the frame of the HMWD and electrically connected to a power level monitor (batteries 160a, 160b, figure 1, in both arms, power level monitor explained in paragraph 0128, battery charging circuit); and
a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) electrically connected to the energy storage device and is electrically connected to one or more loads of the HMWD (power management module 229, paragraph 0072).
As to claim 2: Chelf teaches a light intensity sensor electrically connected to the one or more solar panels and to a processor (paragraph 0054, “sensor” connected to all of the elements through a cable).
As to claim 4: Chelf teaches that the first side of the frame of the HMWD is a first temple arm (figure 1, 155a and 155b).
As to claim 5: Chelf teaches that the second side of the frame of the HMWD is a second temple arm (figure 1, 155a and 155b).
As to claim 6: Chelf teaches that the one or more loads includes a light engine assembly disposed at one or more shoulders of the frame of the HMWD (paragraph 0033).
As to claim 7: Chelf teaches that the one or more loads includes a dimmer (paragraph 0129).
As to claim 8: Chelf teaches a second solar panel of the one or more solar panels disposed at the second side of the frame of the HMWD (paragraph 0128 explains solar panels in multiple locations including the side arms).
As to claim 9: Chelf teaches a dimmer comprising:
a photochromic lens (paragraphs 0036, 0040) disposed at a world side (paragraph 0040) of a micro-light emitting diode (microLED) display (paragraph 0082, figure 3C, paragraph 0129); and
a solar panel disposed between the photochromic lens and the microLED display (paragraph 0129 explains that the LED can be placed behind the glasses element, whereas the polarizer is the front of the optical elements in figures 3 and 5-8. As the solar panel is on the PCB, claim 12, Chelf shows configurations where the solar panel is interposed between the polarized lens and the LED element).
As to claim 10: Chelf teaches that the photochromic lens is optically aligned with an eyebox (figures 1, 7).
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.
2. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chelf (2023/0333392) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Lore (2018/0081201). The teachings of Chelf are discussed above.
As to claim 3: Chelf teaches the limitations of claim 1.
Chelf is silent as to that the storage device is a supercapacitor.
Lore teaches a solar powered glasses device wherein the storage device is a supercapacitor (paragraph 0120).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to combine the teachings of Chelf with the teachings of Lore so that the storage device is a supercapacitor because supercapacitors are commonly used in conjunction with photoelectric devices to store power without damaging batteries due to small fluctuations in the power input due to inconsistent light. Furthermore, it would not take undue testing to modify the battery of Chelf with the supercapacitor of Lore, and both references lie in a highly overlapping field of solar powered glasses.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID P TARDIF whose telephone number is (571)270-7810. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 11AM-7:30PM. If the examiner cannot be reached by telephone, he can be reached through the following email address: david.tardif@uspto.gov
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone and email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on (571)272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DAVID TARDIF
Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/DAVID TARDIF/
Examiner, Art Unit 2876
david.tardif@uspto.gov
/MATTHEW MIKELS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
