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 .
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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xiao et al (US Publication No.: US 2020/0348522 A1, “Xiao”).
Regarding Claim 1, Xiao discloses a display apparatus (Figures 2-4), comprising:
A picture generation unit configured to generate imaging light comprising image information and to project the imaging light along a light path (Figure 2, picture generation unit 10; Paragraphs 0045-0046; Paragraph 0063);
A transflective member positioned along the light path and configured to reflect imaging light received from the picture generation unit (Figure 2, transflective member 20; Paragraphs 0047-0048); and
A curved mirror positioned along the light path and configured to reflect imaging light to the transflective member (Figure 2, curved mirror 60; Paragraphs 0049-0050; Paragraph 0058), wherein:
The transflective member is further configured to transmit at least a portion of imaging light reflected by the curved mirror (Figure 2 and Paragraph 0049 disclose that light reflected by the curved mirror 60 is transmitted by the transflective member 20).
Regarding Claim 2, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: a polarization direction of the imaging light reflected by the transflective member is different from a polarization direction of the imaging light transmitted by the transflective member (Paragraph 0047; Paragraphs 0055-0058).
Regarding Claim 3, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the transflective member comprises a polarized transflective member, and a polarization direction of imaging light reflected by the polarized transflective member is perpendicular to a polarization direction of imaging light transmitted by the polarized transflective member (Paragraphs 0057-0058; Figure 3).
Regarding Claim 4, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transflective member comprises a polarized transflective member (Paragraph 0047), wherein imaging light reflected by the polarized transflective member is circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light (Paragraph 0058 discloses circularly polarized light), and imaging light transmitted by the polarized transflective member is linearly polarized light (Paragraph 0058 discloses conversion to linearly polarized light).
Regarding Claim 5, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the imaging light reflected by the transflective member is P polarized light, and the imaging light transmitted by the transflective member is S polarized light; or the imaging light reflected by the transflective member is S polarized light, and the imaging light transmitted by the transflective member is P polarized light (Figure 3; Paragraphs 0058-0059).
Regarding Claim 6, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first polarization conversion device positioned along the light path between the transflective member and the curved mirror and configured to change a polarization direction of the imaging light reflected by at least one of the transflective member or a polarization direction of the imaging light reflected by the curved mirror (Figure 3; Paragraphs 0055-0060).
Regarding Claim 7, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a first polarization conversion device is a quarter-wave plate (Figure 3; Paragraphs 0057-0058).
Regarding Claim 8, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a diffusion element positioned along the light path between the picture generation unit and the transflective member and configured to diffuse the imaging light projected by the picture generation unit (Figure 6a, diffusion element 18; Paragraphs 0069-0070).
Regarding Claim 9, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a first polarizer located on a light-emitting side of the diffusion element (Figure 5; Paragraphs 0069-0070; first polarizer 26).
Regarding Claim 10, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transflective member comprises: a semi-reflective and semi-transparent film (Figure 5, semi-reflective semi-transparent film 26; Paragraph 0055 discloses partially transmitting and partially reflecting light); and a second polarizer (Figure 5, second polarizer 24; Paragraph 0074; wherein: the semi-reflective and semi-transparent film is configured to reflect a first part of the imaging light to the curved mirror and to transmit a second part of the imaging light to the second polarizer (Figure 5 discloses this); and the second polarizer is configured to absorb the second part of the incident imaging light and to transmit the imaging light reflected by the curved mirror (Paragraph 0074).
Regarding Claim 11, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: the imaging light reflected by the semi-reflective and semi-transparent film is P polarized light, the imaging light absorbed by the second polarizer is P polarized light, and the imaging light transmitted by the second polarizer is S polarized light; or the imaging light reflected by the semi-reflective and semi-transparent film is S polarized light, the imaging light absorbed by the second polarizer is S polarized light, and the imaging light transmitted by the second polarizer is P polarized light (Paragraph 0074).
Regarding Claim 12, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the semi-reflective and semi-transparent film is attached to the second polarizer (Figure 5, the semi-reflective and semi-transparent film 26 is attached to the second polarizer 24).
Regarding Claim 13, Xiao discloses the display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the imaging light reflected by the semi-reflective and semi-transparent film is circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light, and the imaging light transmitted by the semi-reflective and semi-transparent film is circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light (Paragraph 0058 discloses circularly polarized light).
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.
Claims 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao in view of Qin et al (US Publication No.: US 2022/0055479 A1, “Qin”).
Regarding Claim 15, Xiao discloses a display apparatus (Figures 2-4), comprising:
A picture generation unit configured to generate imaging light comprising image information and to project the imaging light along a light path (Figure 2, picture generation unit 10; Paragraphs 0045-0046; Paragraph 0063);
A transflective member positioned along the light path and configured to reflect imaging light received from the picture generation unit (Figure 2, transflective member 20; Paragraphs 0047-0048); and
A curved mirror positioned along the light path and configured to reflect imaging light to the transflective member (Figure 2, curved mirror 60; Paragraphs 0049-0050; Paragraph 0058), wherein:
The transflective member is further configured to transmit at least a portion of imaging light reflected by the curved mirror (Figure 2 and Paragraph 0049 disclose that light reflected by the curved mirror 60 is transmitted by the transflective member 20).
Xiao fails to disclose a transportation means.
However, Qin discloses a transportation means comprising a display apparatus (Qin, Figure 1; Paragraph 0031).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the display as disclosed by Xiao to be included in a transportation means as disclosed by Qin. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of providing a heads up display system within a vehicle (Qin, Paragraph 0031).
Regarding Claim 16, Xiao in view of Qin discloses the transportation means according to claim 15, wherein: a polarization direction of the imaging light reflected by the transflective member is different from a polarization direction of the imaging light transmitted by the transflective member (Paragraph 0047; Paragraphs 0055-0058).
Regarding Claim 17, Xiao in view of Qin discloses the transportation means according to claim 15, wherein: the transflective member comprises a polarized transflective member, and a polarization direction of imaging light reflected by the polarized transflective member is perpendicular to a polarization direction of imaging light transmitted by the polarized transflective member (Paragraphs 0057-0058; Figure 3).
Regarding Claim 18, Xiao in view of Qin discloses the transportation means according to claim 15, wherein the transflective member comprises a polarized transflective member (Paragraph 0047), wherein imaging light reflected by the polarized transflective member is circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light (Paragraph 0058 discloses circularly polarized light), and imaging light transmitted by the polarized transflective member is linearly polarized light (Paragraph 0058 discloses conversion to linearly polarized light).
Regarding Claim 19, Xiao in view of Qin discloses the transportation means according to claim 15, wherein: the imaging light reflected by the transflective member is P polarized light, and the imaging light transmitted by the transflective member is S polarized light; or the imaging light reflected by the transflective member is S polarized light, and the imaging light transmitted by the transflective member is P polarized light (Figure 3; Paragraphs 0058-0059).
Regarding Claim 20, Xiao in view of Qin discloses the transportation means according to claim 15, further comprising: a first polarization conversion device positioned along the light path between the transflective member and the curved mirror and configured to change a polarization direction of the imaging light reflected by at least one of the transflective member or a polarization direction of the imaging light reflected by the curved mirror (Figure 3; Paragraphs 0055-0060).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 14 is 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.
Conclusion
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/MARIAM QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2871