DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 5/7/2024 and 8/27/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been 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)(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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuo et al (US 20110013913).
Regarding Claim 1, Kuo teaches an apparatus for continuously rotating an optical output about axis of rotation of the optical output (abstract; figs. 5-6), comprising:
an input centered on an optical axis of the apparatus for receiving an optical input (fig. 5A-B, 508(525/526/527);
an output centered on the optical axis of the apparatus for providing the optical output (fig. 5A-B, 510(525/526/527); and
a group of five fixed fold mirrors configured in a W orientation to receive the optical input and continuously rotate the optical output about the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 5B, 511, 504, 512, 506, 513; fig. 6, 602, 604, rotating of image F).
Regarding Claim 2, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 1 further comprising a support structure for maintaining the group of five fixed fold mirrors in a fixed orientation with respect to each other (fig. 8, 500--prism; fig. 5A-B, 500; -- five fixed fold mirrors (511, 504, 512, 506, 513) are fixed on prism 500).
Regarding Claim 3, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the W orientation of the group of five fixed fold mirrors provides an angle of incidence of beams reflected between the five fixed fold mirrors of no greater than 45° (fig. 5B, beam 526 incident on fold mirrors (511, 504, 512, 506, 513) with angles equal to or less than 45°).
Regarding Claim 4, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 1 further comprising a support structure for providing a swept volume area in which on the group of five fixed fold mirrors may rotate in order to rotate the optical output about the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 6, 500, 602, 604, rotating of image F at fold mirrors (511, 504, 512, 506, 513); the five fixed fold mirrors are mounted on prism 500).
Regarding Claim 5, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the group of five fixed fold mirrors further comprises:
a first mirror associated with the input of the apparatus and centered on the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 5B, 511);
a second mirror associated with the output of the apparatus and centered on the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 5B, 513);
a third mirror located at a first transition point of the W orientation for receiving a reflected optical input from the first mirror (fig. 5B, 504);
a fourth optical mirror located at a second transition point of the W orientation for receiving a reflected optical input from the third mirror (fig. 5B, 512); and
a fifth optical mirror located at a third transition point of the W orientation for receiving a reflected optical input from the fourth optical mirror and reflecting the optical input to the second mirror (fig. 5B, 506).
Regarding Claim 6, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a laser beam (¶[0042], line 1-5, light sources; such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers ("VCSELs")).
Regarding Claim 7, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises an image (fig. 6, image F; abstract, line 1-5, image-rotation prisms; an image passing through the image-rotation prism rotates at twice the angular rate of the image-rotation prism).
Regarding Claim 8, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a linearly polarize laser beam (¶[0042], line 1-5, light sources; such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers ("VCSELs"); --- VCSELs typically produce linearly polarized laser light).
Regarding Claim 9, Kuo teaches An apparatus for continuously rotating an optical output about axis of rotation of the optical output (abstract; figs. 5-6), comprising:
an input centered on an optical axis of the apparatus for receiving an optical input (fig. 5A-B, 508(525/526/527);
an output centered on the optical axis of the apparatus for providing the optical output (fig. 5A-B, 510(525/526/527);
a group of five fixed fold mirrors configured in a W orientation to receive the optical input and continuously rotate the optical output about the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 5B, 511, 504, 512, 506, 513; fig. 6, 602, 604, rotating of image F),
wherein the W orientation of the group of five fixed fold mirrors provides an angle of incidence of beams reflected between the five fixed fold mirrors of no greater than 45° (fig. 5B, beam 526 incident on fold mirrors (511, 504, 512, 506, 513) with angles equal to or less than 45°); and
a support structure for maintaining the group of five fixed fold mirrors in a fixed orientation with respect to each other (fig. 8, 500--prism; fig. 5A-B, 500; -- five fixed fold mirrors (511, 504, 512, 506, 513) are fixed on prism 500).
Regarding Claim 10, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the support structure provides a swept volume area in which on the group of five fixed fold mirrors may rotate in order to rotate the optical output about the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 6, 500, 602, 604, rotating of image F at fold mirrors (511, 504, 512, 506, 513); the five fixed fold mirrors are mounted on prism 500).
Regarding Claim 11, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the group of five fixed fold mirrors further comprises:
a first mirror associated with the input of the apparatus and centered on the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 5B, 511);
a second mirror associated with the output of the apparatus and centered on the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 5B, 513);
a third mirror located at a first transition point of the W orientation for receiving a reflected optical input from the first mirror (fig. 5B, 504);
a fourth optical mirror located at a second transition point of the W orientation for receiving a reflected optical input from the third mirror (fig. 5B, 512); and
a fifth optical mirror located at a third transition point of the W orientation for receiving a reflected optical input from the fourth optical mirror and reflecting the optical input to the second mirror (fig. 5B, 506).
Regarding Claim 12, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a laser beam (¶[0042], line 1-5, light sources; such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers ("VCSELs")).
Regarding Claim 13, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises an image (fig. 6, image F; abstract, line 1-5, image-rotation prisms; an image passing through the image-rotation prism rotates at twice the angular rate of the image-rotation prism).
Regarding Claim 14, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a linearly polarize laser beam (¶[0042], line 1-5, light sources; such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers ("VCSELs"); --- VCSELs typically produce linearly polarized laser light).
Regarding Claim 15, Kuo teaches an apparatus for continuously rotating an optical output about axis of rotation of the optical output (abstract; figs. 5-6), comprising:
an input centered on an optical axis of the apparatus for receiving an optical input (fig. 5A-B, 508(525/526/527);
an output centered on the optical axis of the apparatus for providing the optical output (fig. 5A-B, 510(525/526/527); and
a group of five fixed fold mirrors configured in a W orientation to receive the optical input and continuously rotate the optical output about the rotation axis of the apparatus (fig. 5B, 511, 504, 512, 506, 513; fig. 6, 602, 604, rotating of image F),
wherein the group of five fixed fold mirrors further comprises:
a first mirror associated with the input of the apparatus and centered on the rotation axis of the apparatus (fig. 5B, 511);
a second mirror associated with the output of the apparatus and centered on the rotation axis of the apparatus (fig. 5B, 513);
a third mirror located at a first transition point of the W orientation for receiving a reflected optical input from the first mirror (fig. 5B, 504);
a fourth optical mirror located at a second transition point of the W orientation for receiving a reflected optical input from the third mirror (fig. 5B, 512);
a fifth optical mirror located at a third transition point of the W orientation for receiving a reflected optical input from the fourth optical mirror and reflecting the optical input to the second mirror (fig. 5B, 506); and
wherein the W orientation of the group of five fixed fold mirrors provides an angle of incidence of beams reflected between the five fixed fold mirrors of no greater than 45° (fig. 5B, beam 526 incident on fold mirrors (511, 504, 512, 506, 513) with angles equal to or less than 45°).
Regarding Claim 16, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 15 further comprising a support structure for maintaining the group of five fixed fold mirrors in a fixed orientation with respect to each other (fig. 8, 500--prism; fig. 5A-B, 500; -- five fixed fold mirrors (511, 504, 512, 506, 513) are fixed on prism 500).
Regarding Claim 17, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 15 further comprising a support structure for providing a swept volume area in which on the group of five fixed fold mirrors may rotate in order to rotate the optical output about the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 6, 500, 602, 604, rotating of image F at fold mirrors (511, 504, 512, 506, 513); the five fixed fold mirrors are mounted on prism 500).
Regarding Claim 18, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 15, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a laser beam (¶[0042], line 1-5, light sources; such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers ("VCSELs")).
Regarding Claim 19, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 15, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises an image (fig. 6, image F; abstract, line 1-5, image-rotation prisms; an image passing through the image-rotation prism rotates at twice the angular rate of the image-rotation prism)..
Regarding Claim 20, Kuo teaches the apparatus of Claim 15, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a linearly polarize laser beam (¶[0042], line 1-5, light sources; such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers ("VCSELs"); --- VCSELs typically produce linearly polarized laser light).
Examiner’s Note
Regarding the references, the Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Jie Lei whose telephone number is (571) 272 7231. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by the telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on (571) 272 3689.The Fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is (571) 273 8300.
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/JIE LEI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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