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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS's) submitted comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the examiner has considered the information disclosure statement; please see attached forms PTO-1449.
Drawings
The drawings submitted have been reviewed and determined to facilitate understanding of the invention. The drawings are accepted as submitted.
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.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 1 (see lines 17-20) describes:
“… an area of the reflector and/or spacing between the reflectors is changed according to a distance from the projection optical system,
the area is larger at a larger distance from the projection optical system, and
the spacing is smaller at a larger distance from the projection optical system.”
Because line describes that the area of the reflector and/or the spacing between the reflectors is changed, and lines 19-20 describe particulars of the area and the spacing while using “and”, it is not clear from the current claim language whether the claimed light guiding plate requires one or both of the area of the reflector and the spacing between the reflectors to be changed according to a distance from the projection optical system.
Claims 2-17 depend from Claim 1 and fail to remedy the indefiniteness.
For examination purposes, Claim 1 shall be considered to only require one of the area of the reflector or the spacing between the reflectors to be changed according to a distance from the projection optical system.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the two transparent members" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 18 previously only describes “a transparent member” at lines 3-4.
For examination purposes, Claim 18 shall be considered to describe two transparent members as lines 3-4.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action, see above.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Claim 1 describes:
the projection optical system causing each piece of video light reflected at the second surface to be reflected onto a corresponding one of the plurality of reflectors, and
the reflectors of the plurality of reflectors being arranged side by side in a direction in which the video light enters the transparent member
Claim 18 describes:
bonding at least the two transparent members such that the saw-tooth-roof-shaped surfaces of the at least the two transparent members face each other.
These limitations represent subject matter not described or reasonably suggested, in conjunction with the further limitations of the present claims, by the prior art of record.
Claims 2-17 depend from Claim 1 and therefore contain at least the same allowable subject matter.
US Patent Application 2020/0201049 to Ukai et al. (“Ukai”) stands as the closest prior art of record. Ukai describes a light guiding plate (see Figs 8-19), comprising:
a transparent member (300) that is formed of a transparent material;
a plurality of reflectors (320) arranged inside of the transparent member, each of the plurality of reflectors projecting video light onto an eye of a viewer; and
a projection optical system (200),
the transparent member including
a light entering portion (at 316) from which the video light enters the transparent member,
a first surface (310) that is arranged on a side of the viewer, and
a second surface (311) that faces the first surface, the second surface being a surface at which the video light entering the transparent member from the light entering portion is reflected, wherein
spacing between the reflectors is changed according to a distance from the projection optical system, and
the spacing is smaller at a larger distance from the projection optical system (see [0084]-[0085) and Figs 9A-9B).
Ukai does not describe the above-identified limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art cited in the attached form PTO-892 are made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art describes various light guiding plate structures including transparent members and reflectors.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERRY RAHLL whose telephone number is (571)272-2356. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at 571-272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JERRY RAHLL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874