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.
Claim(s) 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipate by Sharp et al (5,552,912).
As to claims 18, Sharp et al disclose (fig. 13) a pixelated waveplate (135) for a component stack for a polarization camera (multiple pixel devices, multipixel array) comprising: an array of super-pixels (multiple pixel devices, multipixel array), wherein each super-pixel (multiple pixel devices, multipixel array), (column 22, lines 60-67) comprises: a first at least one sub-pixel (photosensor, photodiode), (column 21, lines 46-49) comprising a quarter-wave plate (133, 134), and a second at least one sub-pixel (photosensor, photodiode) comprising a half-wave plate (130), (column 23, lines 45-67).
As to claim 19, Sharp et al disclose (fig. 13) the pixelated waveplate (135) wherein the quarter-wave plate (133, 134) is configured to impart a π/2 phase difference between linear polarization states perpendicular and parallel to a fast axis of the first at least one sup-pixel (photodiode, photosensor); the half-wave plate (130) is configured to impart a π phase difference between linear polarization states perpendicular and parallel to a fast axis of the second at least one sub-pixel (photodiode, photosensor); the quarter-wave plate (133, 134) includes a fast axis oriented at 45 degrees relative to the polarizer transmission axis (transmitted modulated light path); and the half-wave plate (130) includes a fast axis oriented at 45 degrees relative to the polarizer transmission axis (transmitted modulated light path), (column 23, lines 45-67).
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(s) 1-3, 9-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over te Velthuis et al (US2021/0405086A1) in view of Pau (US2020/0064662A1).
As to claim 1, te Velthuis et al disclose (fig. 4) a polarization camera comprising: a microlens array (402), (paragraphs [0039], [0048]); a first at least one sub-pixel comprising a quarter-wave plate (quarter waveplate), and a second at least one sub-pixel comprising a half-wave plate (half waveplate); a non-pixelated polarizer (410) to receive light (418, 419); and a detector (416) configured to detect light (418, 419) received from the non-pixelated polarizer (410), (paragraph [0044]). te Velthuis et al fail to disclose a pixelated waveplate positioned to receive light passing through the microlens array, the pixelated waveplate includes an array of super-pixels comprising birefringent structures. Pau discloses (fig. 3, fig. 8) a pixelated waveplate (301) positioned to receive light (311) passing through, the pixelated waveplate (301) includes an array of super-pixels comprising birefringent structures (birefringent materials), wherein each super-pixels comprises: a first at least one sub-pixel comprising a quarter-wave plate (313), and a second at least one sub-pixel comprising a half-wave plate (314), (paragraphs [0023]-[0024], [0050]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify te Velthuis et al to include a pixelated waveplate positioned to receive light passing through the microlens array, the pixelated waveplate includes an array of super-pixels comprising birefringent structures comprising a quarter waveplate and half waveplate as taught by Pau in order to efficiently convert an incident light having a particular polarization into light having a plurality of polarizations that are distributed according to a particular pattern, (see Abstract to Pau).
As to claim 2, te Velthuis et al disclose (fig. 4) the polarization camera comprising the detector (416), (paragraph [0044]). te Velthuis et al fail to disclose wherein the pixelated waveplate comprises a metamaterial. Pau discloses (fig. 3) the pixelated waveplate (301) comprises a metamaterial (metamaterial), (paragraph [0023]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify te Velthuis to include wherein the pixelated waveplate comprises a metamaterial as taught by Pau in order to convert incident light to polarized light distributed according to a particular pattern.
As to claim 3, te Velthuis et al disclose (fig. 4) the polarization camera comprising the detector (416), (paragraph [0044]). te Velthuis et al fail to disclose wherein the metamaterial comprises high-index sub-wavelength structures defining structural birefringence. Pau discloses (fig. 3) wherein the metamaterial (metamaterial) comprises high-index sub-wavelength structures defining structural birefringence (birefringent materials), (paragraph [0023]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify te Velthuis et al to include wherein the metamaterial comprises high-index sub-wavelength structures defining structural birefringence as taught by Pau in order to efficiently convert incident light in to polarized light distributed according to a particular pattern.
As to claim 9, te Velthuis et al disclose (fig. 4) the polarization camera wherein the non-pixelated polarizer (410) comprises a non-pixelated metal grid (wire-grid polarizer), (paragraph [0044]).
As to claim 10, te Velthuis et disclose (fig. 4) the polarization camera further comprising a color filter (filter) disposed between at least one of the non-pixelated polarizer (410) and the detector (416), (paragraph [0044]).
As to claim 11, te Velthuis et al disclose (fig. 4) the polarization camera comprising the quarter-wave plate (quarter waveplate), the half-wave plate (half waveplate), and the color filter (filter), (paragraph [0044]). te Velthuis et al in view of Pau fail to disclose wherein the quarter-wave plate and the half-wave plate are achromatic within a predetermined bandwidth of the color filter. Sharp et al disclose wherein the quarter-wave plate (133, 134) and the half-wave plate (130) are achromatic (achromatic), (column 23, lines 50-58). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify te Velthuis et al in view of Pau to include wherein the quarter-wave plate and the half-wave plate are achromatic within a predetermined bandwidth of the color filter as taught by Sharp et al in order to efficiently convert incident light in to polarized light distributed according to a particular pattern.
As to claim 12, te Velthuis et al disclose (fig. 4) the polarization camera wherein the first at least one sub-pixel comprises the quarter-wave plate (quarter waveplate) with a fast axis oriented at 45 degrees relative to the polarizer transmission axis (419), and the second at least one sub-pixel comprises the half-wave plate (half waveplate) with a fast axis oriented at 45 degrees relative to the polarizer transmission axis (419), (paragraph [0044]).
Claims 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over te Velthuis et al (US2021/0405086A1) in view of Pau (US2020/0064662A1), and further in view of Sharp et al (5,552,912).
As to claim 13, te Velthuis et al disclose (fig. 4) a component stack for a polarization camera comprising a first at least one sub-pixel comprising a quarter-wave plate (quarter waveplate), and a second at least one sub-pixel comprising a half-wave plate (half waveplate); a non-pixelated polarizer (410) to receive light (418, 419), (paragraph [0044]). te Velthuis et al fail to disclose a pixelated waveplate positioned to receive light, the pixelated waveplate comprising an array of super-pixels comprising birefringent structures, wherein each super-pixel comprises a color filter wherein the quarter-wave plate and the half-wave plate are achromatic within a predetermined bandwidth of the color filter. Pau discloses (fig. 3, fig. 8) a pixelated waveplate (301) positioned to receive light (311) passing through, the pixelated waveplate (301) includes an array of super-pixels comprising birefringent structures (birefringent materials), wherein each super-pixels comprises: a first at least one sub-pixel comprising a quarter-wave plate (313), and a second at least one sub-pixel comprising a half-wave plate (314), (paragraphs [0023]-[0024], [0050]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify te Velthuis et al to include a pixelated waveplate positioned to receive light passing through the microlens array, the pixelated waveplate includes an array of super-pixels comprising birefringent structures comprising a quarter waveplate and half waveplate as taught by Pau in order to efficiently convert an incident light having a particular polarizations into light having a plurality of polarizations that are distributed according to a particular pattern, (see Abstract to Pau). te Velthuis in view of Pau fail to disclose a color filter wherein the quarter-wave plate and the half-wave plate are achromatic within a predetermined bandwidth of the color filter. Sharp et al disclose wherein the quarter-wave plate (133, 134) and the half-wave plate (130) are achromatic (achromatic), (column 23, lines 50-58). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify te Velthuis et al in view of Pau to include wherein the quarter-wave plate and the half-wave plate are achromatic within a predetermined bandwidth of the color filter as taught by Sharp et al in order to efficiently convert incident light into polarized light distributed according to a particular pattern.
As to claim 14, te Velthuis et al disclose (fig. 4) the component stack wherein the non-pixelated polarizer (410) comprises a uniformly patterned polarizer (polarizer), (paragraph [0044]).
As to claim 15, te Velthuis et al disclose (fig. 4) the component stack comprising the quarter-wave plate (quarter waveplate) and the half-wave plate (half waveplate), (paragraph [0044]). te Velthuis et al in view of Spark et al fail to disclose wherein the pixelated waveplate comprises a metamaterial. Pau discloses (fig. 3) wherein the pixelated waveplate (301) comprises a metamaterial (metamaterial), (paragraph [0023]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify te Velthuis et al in view of Spark et al to include wherein the pixelated waveplate comprises a metamaterial as taught by Pau in order to efficiently convert incident light into polarized light distributed according to a particular pattern.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8, 16-17 and 20 are 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.
The prior art of record fail to teach either singly or in combination further comprising the claimed uniform waveplate disposed between the microlens array and the pixelated waveplate, wherein the uniform waveplate applies a uniform birefringence to the light received by the pixelated waveplate, and/or each super-pixel further comprises a third at least one sub-pixel comprising a zero-wave plate that has no net birefringence such that incident polarization states of the received light is not altered.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DON J WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-8538. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m..
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/DON J WILLIAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 2878
/KEVIN K PYO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2878