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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/27/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 05/05/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any interpretation of the references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1, 2, 4-12, and 14-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sadakane et al. (2022/0334300, of record) in view of Bellman et al. (2016/0324016, of record).
Regarding claim 1, Sadakane discloses a laminated pane (at least Figure 12, 10G, laminated glass) comprising an outer pane (12, glass plate; [0040]) having an outer-side surface (top surface of 12, glass plate) and an interior-side surface (bottom surface of 12, glass plate, adjacent to 13, interlayer film), an inner pane (11, glass plate; [0040]) having an outer-side surface (top surface of 11, glass plate, adjacent to 13, interlayer film) and an interior-side surface (bottom surface of 11, glass plate, adjacent to 16, adhesive), and a thermoplastic intermediate layer (13, interlayer film; [0087]), wherein the interior-side surface of the outer pane and the outer-side surface of the inner pane are connected to one another via the thermoplastic intermediate layer (at least Figure 12), a reflective layer is arranged in at least a first sub-region of the laminated pane on the interior-side surface of the inner pane directly adjacent to surroundings (25, p-polarized light reflecting coating, arranged in R, HUD display region), which reflective layer is configured to reflect p-polarized light of a light source (Figure 1, at least 50, light source; [0132]), at least one opaque cover layer is arranged at least in a second sub-region of the laminated pane on the outer-side surface of the outer pane, on the interior-side surface of the outer pane, on the outer-side surface of the inner pane, and/or on the interior-side surface of the inner pane (Figure 2A, 14, shielding layer; [0045]), and a projection of the second sub-region into the plane of the first sub-region is at least partially congruent therewith (at least Figure 2A; [0050]), and wherein in this order, starting from the interior-side surface, the reflective layer comprises at least one optically high refractive index layer with a refractive index of greater than or equal to 1.7 ([0133, 0136]) and an optically low refractive index layer with a refractive index of less than or equal to 1.6, arranged flat one above the other ([0133, 0136]).
Sadakane fails to teach the at least one optically high refractive index layer, or the optically low refractive index layer, or both, is a sol-gel coating. Sadakane and Bellman are related because both teach a laminated pane.
Bellman teaches a laminated pane wherein at least one optically high refractive index layer, or the optically low refractive index layer, or both, is a sol-gel coating (at least Figure 1, 130, crack mitigating layer; [0136, 0138] teaches 130, crack mitigating layer, may be formed by sol-gel methods; at least [0009] teaches the refractive index is lower than the refractive index of the film, thus considered a low refractive index layer).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified Sadakane to incorporate the teachings of Bellman and provide the at least one optically high refractive index layer, or the optically low refractive index layer, or both, is a sol-gel coating. Doing so would allow for improved durability to the film without sacrificing the optical characteristics desired.
Regarding claim 2, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, wherein the reflective layer reflects at least 5% of the p-polarized light impinging on the reflective layer in a wavelength range of 450 nm to 650 nm (at least [0070]).
Regarding claim 4, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, wherein at least one opaque cover layer is arranged at least partially in a circumferential edge region of the laminated pane (Figure 2A).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, wherein at least one opaque cover layer in the form of an opaque cover print is arranged on the interior-side surface of the outer pane and/or the interior-side surface of the inner pane (Figure 2A; Examiner notes that 14, shielding layer, is at least indirectly arranged on the interior-side of 12, glass plate, and/or 11, glass plate).
Regarding claim 6, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, wherein the refractive index of the optically high refractive index layer is at least 1.8 (at least [0136]).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, wherein the optically high refractive index layer contains silicon nitride, a silicon-metal mixed nitride, aluminum nitride, tin oxide, niobium oxide, bismuth oxide, titanium oxide, tin-zinc mixed oxide, zirconium oxide, scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, tantalum oxide, lanthanum oxide or cerium oxide (at least [0137-0142]).
Regarding claim 8, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, wherein the refractive index of the optically low refractive index layer is at most 1.6 (at least [0136]).
Regarding claim 9, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, wherein the optically low refractive index layer contains silicon oxide ([0144]).
Regarding claim 10, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, wherein the optically low refractive index layer is a sol-gel coating in which closed and/or open nanopores are formed (Bellman: at least Figure 1, 130, crack mitigating layer; [0136]; [0138]; at least [0009] teaches the refractive index is lower than the refractive index of the film, thus considered a low refractive index layer).
Regarding claim 11, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 10, wherein the low refractive index layer has pores with a size of 1 nm to 500 nm (Bellman: at least [0137]).
Regarding claim 12, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, wherein the reflective coating comprises exactly one high refractive index layer and exactly one low refractive index layer (at least [0133]).
Regarding claim 14, the modified Sadakane discloses a method for producing a projection arrangement according to claim 16 (Figure 1, 1, HUD system), comprising: a) providing an outer pane (12, glass plate; [0040]), an inner pane (11, glass plate; [0040]) and a thermoplastic intermediate layer (13, interlayer film; [0087]), b) applying at least one opaque cover layer is applied on at least a second sub-region of the outer-side surface of the outer pane, the interior-side surface of the outer pane, the outer-side surface of the inner pane and/or to the outer-side surface of the inner pane (Figure 2A, 14, shielding layer; [0045, 0048]), c) assembling at least the inner pane, the thermoplastic intermediate layer, and the outer pane in this order to form a layer stack (at least Figure 12), d) laminating the layer stack consisting of at least inner pane, thermoplastic intermediate layer and outer pane is laminated to form a laminated pane (at least Figure 12), e) applying a reflective layer is applied on at least a first sub-region of the interior-side surface of the inner pane (25, p-polarized light reflecting coating, arranged in R, HUD display region), and f) orienting a light source for p-polarized light relative to the laminated pane such that the p-polarized light of the light source falls onto the reflective layer (at least 50, light source), wherein step e) can take place before, during or after steps a) to d) but, if there is an opaque cover layer on the outer-side surface of the inner pane, step e) takes place after the application of said opaque cover layer (at least Figure 2A).
Regarding claim 15, the modified Sadakane discloses a method comprising providing a projection arrangement according to claim 16 in vehicles for traffic on land, in the air, or on water (at least Abstract, [0029]).
Regarding claim 16, the modified Sadakane discloses a projection arrangement (Figure 1, 1, HUD system) comprising the light source for p-polarized light (at least 50, light source, and 70, image display element) and the laminated pane according to claim 1 (10, laminated glass), wherein the reflective layer is configured to reflect the p-polarized light of the light source ([0132]), and the interior-side surface of the inner pane is the surface of the laminated pane closest to the light source for p-polarized light (Figure 1).
Regarding claim 17, the modified Sadakane discloses the projection arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the light source for p-polarized light is a display (70, image display element).
Regarding claim 18, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 2, wherein the reflective layer reflects at least 10% of the p-polarized light impinging on the reflective layer in a wavelength range of 450 nm to 650 nm (at least [0070], claim 1).
Regarding claim 19, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 6, wherein the refractive index of the optically high refractive index layer is at least 2.0 (at least [0136]).
Regarding claim 20, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 7, wherein the optically high refractive index layer contains titanium oxide (at least [0132, 0159, 0163]).
Regarding claim 21, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 8, wherein the refractive index of the optically low refractive index layer is at most 1.4 (at least [0136]).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sadakane et al. (2022/0334300, of record) in view of Bellman et al. (2016/0324016, of record), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wu et al. (2024/0184106, of record).
Regarding claim 13, the modified Sadakane discloses the laminated pane according to claim 1, but fails to teach wherein an HUD reflective layer is arranged between the interior-side surface of the outer pane and the interior-side surface of the inner pane. The modified Sadakane and Wu are related because both teach a laminated pane.
Wu teaches a laminated pane wherein an HUD reflective layer is arranged between the interior-side surface of the outer pane and the interior-side surface of the inner pane (at least Figures 1 and 3; 52, first reflective polarizer).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have further modified Sadakane to incorporate the teachings of Wu and provide wherein an HUD reflective layer is arranged between the interior-side surface of the outer pane and the interior-side surface of the inner pane. Doing so would allow for improved display light with increased brightness to be projected to the human eye.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 22 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to teach or suggest the limitations of claim 22 along with the structural limitations positively recited in claim 1 in a manner that would be appropriate under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 BALRAM T PARBADIA whose telephone number is (571)270-0602. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at (571) 272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BALRAM T PARBADIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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