CTNF 18/722,383 CTNF 91784 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restrictions 08-25-01 AIA Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (Claims 1-17 and 23-25) in the reply filed on 05/28/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 18-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention II. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 AIA Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Claim 3, lines 2-4, recites the limitations “the first direction" and “the second direction”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for each of these limitations in the claim. For examination purposes, examiner has interpreted these limitations as - - a first direction - - and - - a second direction - -. 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-4, 8-14, 16-17 and 23-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Naono (US 2021/0223539) . Regarding claim 1 , Naono (US 2021/0223539) teaches a piezoelectric mirror component (Fig. 1-33, [0003-0273]) comprising: a mirror element (12 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 15, [0074]), a piezoelectric drive ring (14 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 15, [0087]) which surrounds the mirror element (12 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 15, [0074]) and is connected to the mirror element (12 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 15, [0074]) via at least a first torsion spring element (21 in Fig. 1, Fig. 15, [0074]), and a frame element (20 and/or 16 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 15, [0074]), which is connected to the drive ring (14 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 15, [0087]) via at least one second torsion spring element (22 in Fig. 1, Fig. 15 [0074]). Regarding claims 2-4, 8-14, 16-17 and 23-25 , Naono (US 2021/0223539) also teaches the following elements: (Claim 2) the drive ring (14 in Fig. 1, [0087]) has an elliptical shape (Fig. 1) (Claim 3) the at least one first torsion spring element (21 in Fig. 1, [0074]) is arranged along a first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1) and the at least one second torsion spring element (22 in Fig. 1, [0074]) is arranged along the second direction (the direction Y in Fig. 1). (Claim 4) the drive ring (14 in Fig. 1, [0087]) is connected to the mirror element (12 in Fig. 1, [0074]) via two first torsion spring elements (21 in Fig. 1, [0074]) arranged along a straight line on two opposite sides of the mirror element (Fig. 1), and the drive ring (14 in Fig. 1, [0087]) is connected to the frame element (20 and/or 16 in Fig. 1, [0074]) via two second torsion spring elements (22 in Fig. 1, [0074]) arranged along a straight line on two opposite sides of the drive ring (Fig. 1). (Claim 8) the frame element (20 and/or 16 in Fig. 1, [0074]) surrounds the drive ring (14 in Fig. 1, [0087]) and has a recess (Fig. 1-2) penetrating the frame element (20 and/or 16 in Fig. 1, [0074]), in which recess the drive ring (14 in Fig. 1, [0087]) and the at least one second torsion spring element (22 in Fig. 1, [0074]) are arranged (Fig. 1-2). (Claim 9) the mirror element and the drive ring have a smaller thickness than ([0096], Fig. 1 and 3) at least one edge part of the frame element and the frame element, the drive ring, the mirror element and the torsion spring elements are formed in one piece (Fig. 1-2, [0095]). (Claim 10) a first electrode (the lower electrode 31 in Fig. 3, [0088-0089]) and a second electrode (the upper electrode 33 in Fig. 2-3 and Fig. 15, [0088-0089]) patterned into a plurality of actuation regions (the regions corresponding to 34A/34B/36A/36B in Fig. 2 and 1A-1D/2A-2D in Fig. 15) are applied to the drive ring (14 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 15, [0087]) and a piezoelectric layer (32 in Fig. 2-3 and Fig. 15, [0088-0089]) is arranged between the first and second electrodes (Fig. 2-3 and Fig. 15, [0088-0089]). (Claim 11) the first electrode (the lower electrode 31 in Fig. 3, [0088-0089]) and at least partially the piezoelectric layer (32 in Fig. 2-3 and Fig. 15, [0088-0089]) are applied to (Fig. 2-3, [0088-0089]) the frame element (20 and 16 in Fig. 1-2 and Fig. 15, [0074]). (Claim 12) the second electrode (the upper electrode 33 in Fig. 2-3 and Fig. 15, [0088-0089]) is applied in an actuation region (the regions corresponding to 36A/36B in Fig. 2 and 2A-2D in Fig. 15) of the frame element (20 and 16 in Fig. 1-2 and Fig. 15, [0074]) surrounded by an edge part (the edge part corresponding to 20 in Fig. 2 and 15) and the actuation region (the region corresponding to 36A/36B in Fig. 2 and 2A-2D in Fig. 15) has a smaller thickness than ([0096], Fig. 1 and 3) the edge part (the edge part corresponding to 20 in Fig. 2 and 15). (Claim 13) the actuation region (the region corresponding to 36A/36B in Fig. 2 and 2A-2D in Fig. 15) is partially separated from (Fig. 1-2 and Fig. 15) the edge part (the edge part corresponding to 20 in Fig. 2 and 15) by means of at least one cut-out (the cutout between 16 and 20 in Fig. 1-2, [0095]). (Claim 14) there are contact elements (the contact elements for 33 and 31, which are corresponding to 42A, 42B and/or 48 in Fig. 2, [0088]) on the frame element for controlling the first and second electrodes (31 and 33 in Fig. 2-3, [0088-0089]), and actuation regions (the regions corresponding to 34A and 34B in Fig. 2) of the second electrode (the upper electrode 33 in Fig. 2-3, [0088-0089]) are connected to contact elements (the contact elements for 33, which are corresponding to 48 in Fig. 2, [0088]) via conductor tracks (the wirings 45 in Fig. 2) that run over the at least one second torsion spring element (22 in Fig. 1, [0074]). (Claim 16) at least two third actuation regions (the regions corresponding to two adjacent electrodes of 2A-2D in Fig. 15) are arranged on the frame element (20 and 16 in Fig. 1-2 and Fig. 15, [0074]) on a same side (Fig. 15) with respect to the at least one first torsion spring element (21 in Fig. 15) or the at least one second torsion spring element (22 in Fig. 15). (Claim 17) the third driving regions (the regions corresponding to two adjacent electrodes of 2A-2D in Fig. 15) are arranged in one or more regions of the frame element (20 and 16 in Fig. 1-2 and Fig. 15, [0074]) which have a smaller thickness ([0096], Fig. 1 and 3) compared to at least one edge portion (the edge portion corresponding to 20 in Fig. 2 and 15) of the frame element (20 and 16 in Fig. 1-2 and Fig. 15, [0074]). (Claim 23) A projection device ([0003-0010]), comprising: a laser light source ([0003, 0128, 0198], the inherent laser light source making a laser beam incident on the mirror portion 12) and a piezoelectric mirror component (10 in Fig. 1-2). (Claim 24) the drive ring (14 in Fig. 1, [0087]) has a first diameter (Fig. 1) along a first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1) and a second diameter (Fig. 1) along a second direction (the direction Y in Fig. 1) perpendicular to the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1) and the first diameter is greater than the second diameter (Fig. 1). (Claim 25) measures (the measures corresponding to the sensor electrode 51/52 in Fig. 2, [0137-0142]) are provided for achieving a position determination of the mirror element ([0137-0140]) and/or a position determination of the drive ring ([0137-0138, 0141-0142]) and/or a frequency determination of one or both torsional oscillations . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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 of this title, 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naono (US 2021/0223539) as applied to claim 1 above, and in view of Naono (US 2017/0199375) . Regarding claims 5 and 6 , Naono (US 2021/0223539) teaches that the mirror element (12 in Fig. 1, [0074]) has a mirror region (the region corresponding to 12a in Fig. 2) and an edge region (the region surrounding 12a in Fig. 2) surrounding the mirror region (the region corresponding to 12a in Fig. 2), and a reflective coating ([0075]) is applied to the mirror region (the region corresponding to 12a in Fig. 2). Naono (US 2021/0223539) does not teach the following elements. Naono (US 2017/0199375) teaches the following elements (Fig. 2, [0079]): (Claim 5) the edge region (the region surrounding 12C/12D in Fig. 2) is partially separated from (Fig. 2) the mirror region (the region corresponding to 12C/12D in Fig. 2) by means of two cut-outs (13A and 13B in Fig. 2), and the edge region is connected to the mirror region via two connection regions (Fig. 2). (Claim 6) the edge region (the region surrounding 12C/12D in Fig. 2) and the connection regions (Fig. 2) are free of the reflective surface material (Fig. 2, [0079]). Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to employ the above elements as taught by Naono (US 2017/0199375) for the system of Naono (US 2021/0223539) such that in the system of Naono (US 2021/0223539), (Claim 5) the edge region is partially separated from the mirror region by means of two cut-outs, and the edge region is connected to the mirror region via two connection regions. (Claim 6) the edge region and the connection regions are free of the reflective coating. The motivation is to suppresses dynamic deformation of the reflecting surface during scan driving (Naono (US 2017/0199375), [0079]). Regarding claim 7 , Naono (US 2021/0223539) also teaches the following elements: (Claim 7) the mirror region (the region corresponding to 12a in Fig. 2) is circular (Fig. 2) or elliptical . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naono (US 2021/0223539) as applied to claim 1 above, and in view of Keilaf (CN109997057A) . Regarding claim 15 , Naono (US 2021/0223539) does not teach the following elements. Keilaf teaches the following elements (Fig. 62, Pages 144-145 of English translation of CN109997057A): (Claim 15) at least two electrode elements (the portions of 90611 and 90612 forming the capacitor 9061 in Fig. 62, Pages 144-145) are present which form a capacitor (Fig. 62, Pages 144-145) having a variable capacitance upon movement of the mirror element (the mirror corresponding to 9002 in Fig. 62) or the drive ring.. Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to employ the above elements as taught by Keilaf for the system of Naono (US 2021/0223539) such that in the system of Naono (US 2021/0223539), (Claim 15) at least two electrode elements are present which form a capacitor having a variable capacitance upon movement of the mirror element or the drive ring.. The motivation is to monitor the mirror by sensing variable capacitor provided to the controller, and estimate the MEMS reflector orientation/facing (Keilaf, Page 144, Paragraph 4-5, Page 145, Paragraph 2). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAN LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-0383. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm EST M-F. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Carruth can be reached on 571-272-9791. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Shan Liu/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871 Application/Control Number: 18/722,383 Page 2 Art Unit: 2871 Application/Control Number: 18/722,383 Page 3 Art Unit: 2871 Application/Control Number: 18/722,383 Page 4 Art Unit: 2871 Application/Control Number: 18/722,383 Page 5 Art Unit: 2871 Application/Control Number: 18/722,383 Page 6 Art Unit: 2871 Application/Control Number: 18/722,383 Page 7 Art Unit: 2871 Application/Control Number: 18/722,383 Page 8 Art Unit: 2871 Application/Control Number: 18/722,383 Page 9 Art Unit: 2871
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