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 7/2/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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) 1 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi (20190258059) hereafter Takahashi.
Regarding claim 1, Takashi discloses a vehicle display device comprising: a housing (2) that is mounted on a vehicle and has an opening facing a windshield (101); an image display device (3A) that is disposed inside the housing (2) and outputs display light of an image (par. [0020]); a mirror (7A) that is disposed inside the housing (2), faces the windshield (101) via the opening (see fig. 1), and reflects the display light toward the windshield (fig. 1, par. [0021]); and a transparent cover (5A) that is disposed in the opening (see fig. 1), wherein the cover (5A) has an outer surface (5b) having an arc shape (fig. 1, par. [0022]), the outer surface facing the windshield (101) and an inner surface (5b) facing the mirror(5A), and has a shape curved (fig. 1, par. [0022]) toward an inside of the housing in a cross section orthogonal to an image lateral direction (fig. 1), the inner surface is a free-form surface formed to correct distortion (par. [0032]) or aberration of the image (fig. 1, par. [0032]), and an angular difference between the outer surface (5b) and the inner surface (5a) in the cross section is set to a value within a range in which external light incident on an inside of the cover (5A) from the outer surface is not totally reflected inside the cover (fig. 1, par. [0017][0032]).
Regarding claim 2, Takashi discloses the vehicle display device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is disposed in such a way that the cover (5A) is positioned on a rear side of the vehicle and behind a light-blocking wall (2b) provided in the vehicle (par. [0022]), the outer surface (5b) has a shape that reflects the external light toward the light-blocking wall (2), and the angular difference is set to a value at which, in a case where the external light incident on the inside of the cover (5A) from the outer surface (5b) is reflected by the inner surface(5a), the reflected external light is emitted from the outer surface (5b) toward the light-blocking wall (fig. 1, par. [0017]-[0032]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 2 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 JAMES JONES whose telephone number is (571)270-1278. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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, Pinping Sun can be reached at (571) 270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JAMES C. JONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
Prosecution Insights