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 .
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-14 are currently pending in the present application. Claims 1, 4 and 8 are currently amended; and claims 2-3, 5-7 and 9-14 are original. The amendment dated July 1, 2026 has been entered into the record.
Claims 4-6 were previously rejected under 35 USC §112(b). The objections and the rejections are now withdrawn as the applicant has amended the claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to at least claim 1 have been fully considered, but are moot in light of the new ground of rejection set forth below. The new ground of rejection cites Para. [0031] of Li et al. (US 20210191125 A1), of record.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 and 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li (US 20210191125 A1), of record.
Regarding claim 1, Li discloses a wavefront manipulator (Figs. 1-2, 7 and 12; Paras. [0006]-[0007], [0013], [0018] and [0049] identifying the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-2, 7 and 12) comprising:
a holographic arrangement (206 in Fig. 2; Para. [0037]) for arrangement in a beam path of a head-up display (200; Paras. [0028], [0036]) between a picture generating unit (202; Para. [0036]) and a projection surface (208; Para. [0038]),
wherein the holographic arrangement is configured for arrangement as the sole aberration correction element between the picture generating unit and the projection surface (Para. [0037] “the holographic relay 206 … configured to at least partially correct for optical aberrations”; the examiner considers 206 is the only aberration correction element between 202 and 208), and
wherein the holographic arrangement is configured for at least partly correcting at least one aberration which is caused by a curvature of the projection surface and/or by the picture generating unit and/or by at least one optical element in the beam path and/or by a tilting of the image plane (Para. [0031] “The holographic relay 106 is configured to relay an image provided by the image source 102 to an intermediate image plane … while at least partially correcting for various optical aberration … The intermediate plane/surface may be disposed between the holographic relay and the holographic image combiner” teaching a holographic relay 106 (i.e., 206 in Fig. 2) at least partly correcting various optical aberration for at least one optical element such as an intermediate plane in the beam path between the holographic relay 206 and the holographic image combiner 208).
Regarding claim 2, Li discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the holographic arrangement is configured for correcting a plurality of aberrations (Para. [0037] “correct for optical aberrations”).
Regarding claim 3, Li discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the holographic arrangement comprises a plurality of holograms which are configured to be transmissive and/or reflective (211 and 212 in Fig. 2; Para. [0037] “the holographic relay 206 includes first 211 and second 212 reflective freeform HOEs”).
Regarding claim 4, Li discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the holographic arrangement comprises at least two holographic elements (211 and 212 in Fig. 2; Para. [0037] “the holographic relay 206 includes first 211 and second 212 reflective freeform HOEs”) which are arranged one directly behind another at least in portions in the beam path (see Fig. 2) and are configured to be reflective (Para. [0037]) for at least one wavelength and an angle of incidence range (see Fig. 2 where the incident light is reflected by 211 and 212; Para. [0037] “reflective freeform HOEs”), and
wherein a first holographic element (211) comprises at least one hologram (211) which is assigned to a hologram of a second holographic element (212) for reflection purposes (see Para. [0037] “first 211 and second 212 reflective freeform HOEs disposed optically in sequence … relaying the projected image”).
Regarding claim 5, Li discloses the limitations of claim 4 above, and further discloses wherein the at least two holographic elements comprise reflection holograms recorded with two design wavefronts, of which at least one design wavefront is a freeform wavefront (see Figs. 2 and 7 teaching two lights 204A and 204B having wavefronts incident onto at least two holographic elements, creating two beams 205A and 205B, and at least one hologram being recorded or generated; Paras. [0039], [0049]).
Regarding claim 6, Li discloses the limitations of claim 4 above, and further discloses wherein the at least two holographic elements comprise reflection holograms (211 and 212 in Fig. 2; Para. [0037] “the holographic relay 206 includes first 211 and second 212 reflective freeform HOEs”), wherein at least one reflection hologram is recorded with two design wavefronts (Figs. 2 and 7; see at least one of two beams 205A and 205B with wavefronts generated), and wherein at least one of the design wavefronts is configured such that it is generated in accordance with a function having a plurality of degrees of freedom (Para. [0024] “HOEs may be configured to redirect light beams propagating within a specific range of ray angles, to perform a desired function of focusing, collimation, aberration correction, and the like. Freeform HOEs can be constructed with a great degree of flexibility”).
Regarding claim 8, Li discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the holographic arrangement is configured for at least partly correcting at least one aberration which is caused by the course of the beam path (see Para. [0033] teaching the holographic relay compensating for optical aberrations due to off-axis impinging light).
Regarding claim 9, Li discloses a method (Figs. 2, 7 and 12; Paras. [0007], [0013], [0018] and [0049] identifying the embodiment shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 12) for producing a holographic arrangement of a wavefront manipulator (the arrangement of 206 in Fig. 2; Paras. [0037], [0049]) for arrangement in a beam path of a head-up display (200; Paras. [0028], [0036]) between a picture generating unit (202; Para. [0036]) and a projection surface (208; Para. [0038]), wherein the holographic arrangement is configured for arrangement as the sole aberration correction element between the picture generating unit and the projection surface (see Para. [0037] “the holographic relay 206 … configured to at least partially correct for optical aberrations”; the examiner considers 206 is the only aberration correction element disposed between 202 and 208), the method comprising:
generating at least one hologram by exposure with at least one design wavefront configured as a freeform wavefront (see Figs. 2 and 7 teaching at least two beams 205A and 205B with wavefronts generated by exposure when the lights 204A and 204B incident on first 211 and second 212 reflective freeform HOEs”; Paras. [0039], [0049]).
Regarding claim 10, Li discloses the limitations of claim 9 above, and further discloses wherein the at least one freeform wavefront is generated via a freeform lens and/or a freeform mirror and/or a freeform hologram (Para. [0037] “the holographic relay 206 includes first 211 and second 212 reflective freeform HOEs”).
Regarding claim 11, Li discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein an optical arrangement (200 in Fig. 2) or a head-up display (1200 in Fig. 12), the optical arrangement comprising:
a picture generating unit (1202 in Fig. 12; Para. [0058]), and
the wavefront manipulator (206 in Fig. 2) according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, Li discloses the limitations of claim 11 above, and further discloses wherein the optical arrangement does not comprise a mirror (see Figs. 2 and 12, in which the optical arrangement does not require a mirror, because holographic optical elements (HOEs) perform the function of redirecting image light).
Regarding claim 13, Li discloses the limitations of claim 11 above, and further discloses a head-up display (1200 in Fig. 12) comprising the optical arrangement of claim 11.
Regarding claim 14, Li discloses the limitations of claim 13 above, and further discloses wherein the head-up display does not comprise a mirror in the beam path proceeding from the picture generating unit as far as a projection surface (see Figs. 2 and 12, in which the optical arrangement does not require a mirror, because holographic optical elements (HOEs) perform the function of redirecting image 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.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li.
Regarding claim 7, Li discloses the limitations of claim 1 above.
In the Figure 2 embodiment, Li does not explicitly disclose the holographic arrangement is configured in curved fashion.
In the Figure 11 embodiment, however, Li teaches a holographic arrangement is configured in curved fashion (Fig. 11; Para. [0056]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at a time before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the holographic arrangement embodiment as disclosed by Li, wherein the holographic arrangement is configured in curved fashion, for the purpose of further facilitating aberrations reduction (Li: Para. [0056]).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN Y JUNG whose telephone number is (469)295-9076. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael H Caley can be reached on (571)272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JONATHAN Y JUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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