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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “operating an optical assembly to.” However, it is unclear if the operating an optical assembly is referring to the optical device or optics or to a new optical assembly. Clarification is required. For purposes of compact prosecution, Examiner is interpreting the optical assembly as a lens system. Claims 2-7 indirectly/directly include all the claim limitations of claim 1 and therefore are also rejected.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Vaan (US 20080192205 A1) in view of Dubinovsky (US 20020149852 A1) and Coppeta (US 2010/0253769 A1) and as evidenced by “Reference Guide: How to Combine Lasers” (2012 NPL).
Regarding claim 1, De Vaan teaches a method comprising:
Operating one or more light sources configured to emit one or more beams of light; (light source 6, P0032, Fig. 2)
operating optics comprising an optical device (condenser lens 8) ,
a spatial polarization valve (reflective LCD panel 22 [0037]; figure 2), and a polarizer (polarizer 17 [0032]; figure 2) such that:
the optical device reshapes and blends multiple beams of light, including the one or more beams of light from the one or more light sources to provide a first beam of light (polarization dependent diffuser 16 [0032]; figure 2);
De Vaan teaches the spatial polarization valve applies a spatial polarization pattern on the first beam of light to provide a second beam of light ([0035], figure 2, discloses light is reflected by the reflective polarizer 17 with pass the diffuser 16 a second time without being diffused, and re-enter the light guiding means 9 and inside the light guiding means, the light is recycled such that at least a portion of the light re-appears at the diffuser 16 having said first direction of polarization” );
De Vaan does not explicitly disclose the polarizer splits polarization states of the second beam of light to reflect a third beam of light and operating an optical assembly to: reshape the third beam of light into a fourth beam of light; introduce the fourth beam of light, in direction along a direction of the one or more beams of light emitted by the one or more light sources, as one of the multiple beams of light. However, analogous optical system art, Coppeta, depicts the polarizer splits polarization states of the second beam of light (306) to reflect a third beam of light (310) and operating an optical assembly (312) to: reshape the third beam of light (314) into a fourth beam of light; introduce the fourth beam of light, in direction along a direction of the one or more beams of light emitted by the one or more light sources (see figure 3). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to have incorporated operating an optical assembly to: reshape the third beam of light into a fourth beam of light; introduce the fourth beam of light, in direction along a direction of the one or more beams of light emitted by the one or more light sources for the benefit of providing a bright image with a long operation lifetime [0012].
De Vaan does not explicitly disclose utilizing a multiplex the multiple beams of light to result in a fifth beam of light that is transmitted through and not reflected by the polarizer. However, analogous art, Dubinovsky, teaches recycled light is combined into path 103 (figure 10 [0048]. It is conventionally known in the art that beams may be combined by the broad concept of multiplexing such as knifed edging as evidenced by (npl: “Reference Guide: How to Combine Lasers” 2012). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize a multiplex since it is well known in the art. "A person of ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known option within his or her technical grasp. If this leads to the anticipated success, it is likely the product not of innovation but of ordinary skill and common sense." KSR int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727,82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claim 5, De Vaan further teaches wherein the spatial polarization valve comprises a liquid crystal display device (reflective LCD panel 22, [0037], Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of De Vaan and Dubinovsky does not explicitly disclose teaches wherein the spatial polarization valve is configured to rotate the polarization state of one or more pixels. Analogous art, Coppeta, further teaches wherein the spatial polarization valve is configured to rotate the polarization state of one or more pixels (“first SLM 260 which rotates the polarization of each pixel depending on the desired brightness of the pixel”, [0132]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill to have incorporated the spatial polarization valve is configured to rotate the polarization state of one or more pixels as taught by Coppeta into the combination taught by De Vaan based on design needs of the required brightness of pixels.
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Vaan (US 20080192205 A1) in view of Dubinovsky (US 20020149852 A1) and Coppeta (US 2010/0253769 A1) and as evidenced by “Reference Guide: How to Combine Lasers” (2012 NPL) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Houbertz-Krauss (US 20130056910 A1).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of De Vaan, Coppeta, and Dubinovsky as applied to claim 1 does not teach the light source being a solid state laser, only mentioning a generic light source. In the same field of endeavor, optics, Houbertz-Krauss teaches wherein the one or more light sources comprise at least a solid state laser. (“Solid-state lasers, diode-pumped solid-state lasers, semiconductor lasers, fiber lasers, etc. with any wavelength can generally be used as a radiation source.”, [0052]). As the combination teaches a generic light source, and optical assemblies that would work with lasers. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that combining the apparatus according to claim 1 with a solid state laser as the light source would lead to the predictable result of the laser acting as any light source would. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use a solid state laser in order to make the optics apparatus suitable as an energy source in higher energy applications such as the 3d printing apparatus which Houbertz-Krauss teaches. "The combination of familiar elements according to known methods is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results." KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of De Vaan, Coppeta, and Dubinovsky as applied to claim 1 does not teach the light source being a semiconductor laser. In the same field of endeavor, optics, Houbertz-Krauss teaches wherein the one or more light sources comprise at least a semiconductor laser. (“Solid-state lasers, diode-pumped solid-state lasers, semiconductor lasers, fiber lasers, etc. with any wavelength can generally be used as a radiation source.”, [0052]). As the combination teaches a generic light source, optical assemblies that would work with lasers is also included. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that combining the apparatus according to claim 1 with a solid state laser as the light source would lead to the predictable result of the laser acting as any light source would. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use a solid state laser in order to make the optics apparatus suitable as an energy source in higher energy applications such as the 3d printing apparatus which Houbertz-Krauss teaches "The combination of familiar elements according to known methods is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results." KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Vaan (US 20080192205 A1) in view of Dubinovsky (US 20020149852 A1) and Coppeta (US 2010/0253769 A1) and as evidenced by “Reference Guide: How to Combine Lasers” (2012 NPL) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Amitai (US 20100202048 A1).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of De Vaan, Coppeta, and Dubinovsky fail to teach an optically addressed light valve. In the same field of endeavor, optics, Amitai teaches
wherein the spatial polarization valve comprises an optically addressed light valve (“the display can be obtained directly from either a spatial light modulator ( SLM), such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode array (OLED), a scanning source or similar devices”, [0003]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that combining the apparatus according to claim 1 with an optically addressed light valve would lead to the predictable result optically addressed light valve working as a spatial polarization valve. "The combination of familiar elements according to known methods is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results." KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Vaan (US 20080192205 A1) in view of Dubinovsky (US 20020149852 A1) and Coppeta (US 2010/0253769 A1) and as evidenced by “Reference Guide: How to Combine Lasers” (2012 NPL), as applied to claim 1, and further in view of NPL Polarization (Waves).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of De Vaan, Coppeta, and Dubinovsky as applied to claim 1 does not explicitly disclose wherein the polarizer is configured to reflect an s-polarization state of the second beam light as the third beam of light. However, NPL Polarization (waves) discloses there are only two shapes for light: p and s polarization (under polarization state). MPEP 2144.04 states obvious to try is a prima facie evidence of obviousness. Given there are only two options for the shape of light, it would be obvious for one ordinary skill in the art to choose from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions with a reasonable expectation of success.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FARAH N TAUFIQ whose telephone number is (571)272-6765. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 8:00 am-4:30 pm.
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/FARAH TAUFIQ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1754