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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 04/23/2026 has been entered.
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) 1-5, 7-10 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grief et al. (US 2020/0310120 A1) in view of Duer (US 2010/0302544 A1) and Yamazaki et al. (US 2005/0207702 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Grief et al. teaches an Illumination device comprising:
light sources (100R, 100G, 100B; see at least figure 6A);
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a distributing light guide element (601; figure 6A) including a first side surface opposing the light sources (100R, 100G, 100B; see at least figure 6A), a second side surface on an opposite side to the first side (see 601 in at least figure 6A), and light waveguides (609G, 609B, 609R; see at least figure 6A) extending from the first side surface towards the second side surface (see at least figure 6A); and
a light guide (608; figure 6A) including a third side surface (see figure 6A) opposing the second side surface and a first main surface, wherein each of the light waveguides (609G, 609R, 609B) includes a first end portion into which light emitted from a corresponding light source enters (see figure 6A), and a second end portion from which the light entering from the first end portion and propagating in the light waveguide (609G, 609B, 609R) is emitted, and the light emitted from the second end portions enters the light guide (608: via the second side surface and the third side surface, propagates in the light guide (608), and is emitted from the first main surface with uniform luminance in a plan-view (see figure 6A).
Grief et al. does not explicitly teach each of the light waveguides branches off from one first end portion facing a corresponding light source and the plurality of second end portions which branch off from one first end portion, are positioned entirely across the second side surface.
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Duer teaches each of the light waveguides (720) branches off from one first end portion facing a corresponding light source (718) and the plurality of second end portions (see figure 7D, portions of the fibers 720 inside of the substrate 704) which branch off from one first end portion, are positioned entirely across the second side surface (see figure 7D where the second end portions are positioned entirely across the second side surface, where the second side surface is the end of the substrate 704 opposite the side where the fibers enter the substrate).
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Grief et al. to include waveguides wherein each of the light waveguides branches off from one first end portion facing a corresponding light source and the plurality of second end portions which branch off from one first end portion, are positioned entirely across the second side surfaces as taught by Duer to tap light from the excitation waveguides (see paragraph [0235] of Duer).
Grief et al. in view of Duer does not explicitly teach a pitch of the second end portions at a position where a light propagation path in the light guide is shorter is narrower than a pitch of the second end portions at a position where the light propagation path is longer.
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Yamazaki et al. teaches a pitch of the second end portions at a position where a light propagation path in the light guide is shorter is narrower than a pitch of the second end portions at a position where the light propagation path is longer (see paragraph [0021] where the pitch of a plurality of the output waveguides positioned in the center can be set small and the pitch of a plurality of the output waveguides in the peripheral portion can be set large.)
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Grief et al. to teach pitches of second end portions are varied as taught by Yamazaki et al. so that the light intensities can be made almost uniform (see paragraph [0021] of Yamazaki et al.).
Regarding claim 2, Grief et al. teaches the illumination device of claim 1, wherein the second side surface and the third side surface are parallel to each other (see 608 in at least figure 6A), and the light waveguides (609B, 609G, 609R) are each bent in a thickness direction near the second end portion (see figure 6A).
Regarding claim 3, Grief et al. teaches the illumination device of claim 1, wherein the third side surface is inclined with respect to the first main surface (620; see at least figure 6A), and the second side surface and the third side surface are not parallel to each other.
Regarding claim 4, Grief et al. teaches the illumination device of claim 2, wherein the light sources include a first light source which emits red laser light (100R; paragraph [0039]), a second light source which emits green laser light (100G; paragraph [0039]), and a third light source which emits blue laser light (100B; paragraph [0039]).
Regarding claim 5, Grief et al. teaches the illumination device of claim 4, wherein a light waveguide (609B, 609R, 609G ) corresponding to the first light source (100B), a light waveguide corresponding to the second light source (100R), and a light waveguide corresponding to the third light source (100G) are located hierarchically along the thickness direction and do not intersect each other (see at least figure 6A).
Regarding claim 7, Grief et al. teaches an illumination device comprising:
light sources (100B, 100G, 100R; see at least figure 6A);
a distributing light guide element (601) including a first side surface opposing the light sources (100B, 100G, 100R; see at least figure 6A), a second side surface on an opposite side to the first side surface (see at least figure 6A), and light waveguides (609G, 609R, 609B)extending from the first side surface towards the second side surface;
a light guide (608; see figure 6A) located above the distributing light guide element (601) and including a first main surface (see figure 6A) and a third side surface overlapping the second side surface in plan view; and
a reflector (see paragraph [0050]) opposing the second side surface and the third side surface, wherein each of the light waveguides (609B, 609R, 609G) includes a first end portion into which light emitted from a corresponding light source (100R, 100G, 100B) enters, and a second end portion from which the light entering from the first end and propagating in the light waveguide (609B, 609R, 609G) is emitted, and the light emitted from the second end portions is reflected by the reflector, enters the light guide (608), propagates in the light guide (608), and is emitted from the first main surface (620) with uniform luminance in a plan-view.
Duer teaches each of the light waveguides (720) branches off from one first end portion facing a corresponding light source (718) and the plurality of second end portions (see figure 7D, portions of the fibers 720 inside of the substrate 704) which branch off from one first end portion, are positioned entirely across the second side surface (see figure 7D where the second end portions are positioned entirely across the second side surface, where the second side surface is the end of the substrate 704 opposite the side where the fibers enter the substrate).
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Grief et al. to include waveguides wherein each of the light waveguides branches off from one first end portion facing a corresponding light source and the plurality of second end portions which branch off from one first end portion, are positioned entirely across the second side surfaces as taught by Duer to tap light from the excitation waveguides (see paragraph [0235] of Duer).
Grief et al. in view of Duer does not explicitly teach pitches of the plurality of second end portions are varied in accordance with a shape of a display device to be illuminated by the illumination device.
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Yamazaki et al. teaches a pitch of the second end portions at a position where a light propagation path in the light guide is shorter is narrower than a pitch of the second end portions at a position where the light propagation path is longer (see paragraph [0021] where the pitch of a plurality of the output waveguides positioned in the center can be set small and the pitch of a plurality of the output waveguides in the peripheral portion can be set large.)
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Grief et al. to teach pitches of second end portions are varied as taught by Yamazaki et al. so that the light intensities can be made almost uniform (see paragraph [0021] of Yamazaki et al.).
Regarding claim 8, Grief et al. teaches the illumination device of claim 7, wherein the light waveguides (609R, 609B, 609G) are each bent in a thickness direction near the second end portion (see figure 6A).
Regarding claim 9, Grier et al. teaches the illumination device of claim 7, wherein the light sources (100R, 100G, 100B; figure 6A) include a first light source which emits red laser light (100R), a second light source which emits green laser light (100G), and a third light source which emits blue laser light (100B).
Regarding claim 10, Greif et al. teaches the illumination device of claim 9, wherein a light waveguide (609B, 609G, 609R) corresponding to the first light source (100B), a light waveguide corresponding to the second light source (100G), and a light waveguide corresponding to the third light source (100R) are located hierarchically in the thickness direction and do not intersect each other (see at least figure 6A).
Regarding claim 12, Grief et al. teaches an illumination device comprising:
light sources (100R, 100G, 100B; see at least figure 6A);
a distributing light guide element (601; see figure 6A) including a first side surface opposing the light sources (100R, 100G, 100B), a second side surface on an opposite side to the first side surface (see at least figure 6A), a first main surface (620), and light waveguides (609R, 609B, 609G) extending from the first side surface towards the second side surface (see at least figure 6A), and a reflector (paragraph 0050]) opposing the second side surface,
wherein each of the light waveguides (609R, 609B, 609G) includes a first end portion into which light emitted from a corresponding light source enters (100R, 100G, 100B), and a second end portion from which the light entering from the first end portion and propagating in the light waveguide (609R, 609B, 609G) is emitted, and the light emitted from the second end portions is reflected by the reflector (see paragraph [0050]), propagates in the distributing light guide element (601), and is emitted from the first main surface (620) with uniform luminance in a plan-view.
Duer teaches each of the light waveguides (720) branches off from one first end portion facing a corresponding light source (718) and the plurality of second end portions (see figure 7D, portions of the fibers 720 inside of the substrate 704) which branch off from one first end portion, are positioned entirely across the second side surface (see figure 7D where the second end portions are positioned entirely across the second side surface, where the second side surface is the end of the substrate 704 opposite the side where the fibers enter the substrate).
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Grief et al. to include waveguides wherein each of the light waveguides branches off from one first end portion facing a corresponding light source and the plurality of second end portions which branch off from one first end portion, are positioned entirely across the second side surfaces as taught by Duer to tap light from the excitation waveguides (see paragraph [0235] of Duer).
Grief et al. in view of Duer does not explicitly teach pitches of the plurality of second end portions are varied in accordance with a shape of a display device to be illuminated by the illumination device.
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Yamazaki et al. teaches a pitch of the second end portions at a position where a light propagation path in the light guide is shorter is narrower than a pitch of the second end portions at a position where the light propagation path is longer (see paragraph [0021] where the pitch of a plurality of the output waveguides positioned in the center can be set small and the pitch of a plurality of the output waveguides in the peripheral portion can be set large.)
It would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Grief et al. to teach pitches of second end portions are varied as taught by Yamazaki et al. so that the light intensities can be made almost uniform (see paragraph [0021] of Yamazaki et al.).
Claim(s) 6 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grief et al. (US 2020/0310120 A1) in view of Duer (US 2010/0302544 A1) and Yamazaki et al. (US 2005/0207702 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 7, respectively, above and further in view of Koshelev et al. (US 2022/0035159 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Grief et al. modified by Duer and Yamazaki et al. teaches the illumination device of claim 1, wherein the light guide further includes a second main surface on an opposite side to the first main surface (see at least figure 6A) but does not explicitly teach a prism layer provided on the second main surface.
Koshelev et al. teaches a waveguide layer 906 comprising a prism layer (see paragraph [0066]) . It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Grief et al. to include a prism layer as taught by Koshelev et al. as an obvious design choice to achieve a desired illumination output.
Regarding claim 11, Grief et al. modified by Duer and Nichol et al. teaches the illumination device of claim 7, wherein the light guide further (608; see at least figure 6A) includes a second main surface opposing the first main surface but does not explicitly teach a prism layer provided on the second main surface.
Koshelev et al. teaches a waveguide layer 906 comprising a prism layer (see paragraph [0066]) . It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Grief et al. to include a prism layer as taught by Koshelev et al. as an obvious design choice to achieve a desired illumination output.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-12 have been considered but are moot because in view of new grounds of rejection necessitated by applicant’s amendment of independent claims 1, 7 and 12. Specifically, independent claims 1, 7 and 12 have been amended to recite the limitation, “a pitch of the second end portions at a position where a light propagation path in the light guide is shorter is narrower than a pitch of the second end portions at a position where the light propagation path is longer.” and a new reference, Yamazaki et al. (US 2005/0207702 A1), teaches the newly recited limitation.
Claims 2-6 and 8-11 are rejected based on dependency on a rejected base claim.
Conclusion
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/JESSICA M APENTENG/Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/ABDULMAJEED AZIZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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