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 .
Claims
Applicant’s Claims filed on 07/08/2026 regarding claims 1-20 is fully considered. Of the above claims, claims 5-8 and 16-20 have been withdrawn; claim 6 has been amended.
Claim Objections
Claims 4 and 10-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 4, the examiner believes the recitation of “a magnetic position index” in lines 3-4 is the same feature as the respective position index.
Regarding claim 10, the recitation of “each position index” in line 2 lacks antecedent basis.
Regarding claim 11, the recitation of “each position index” in line 2 lacks antecedent basis.
Regarding claim 12, the recitation of “each position index” in line 2 lacks antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maric et al. (US 2021/0325680 A1) in view of Tao et al. (US 2020/0355919 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Maric et al. teach a head-mounted device (electronic device 10; Figs 1-4), comprising:
a head-mounted housing (housing 12; Figs 1-2, 4);
guide rods coupled to the head-mounted housing (guide rods 60; FIG. 4); and
optical assemblies (optical modules 40; Figs 1-2, 4), wherein each optical assembly includes:
a lens (lenses 30; Figs 1-2);
a display that is configured to provide an image to an eye box through the lens (displays 14; FIG. 1);
a sensor (sensors 16 in input-output devices 24; sensors 16 may include optical sensors such as optical sensors that emit and detect light; sensors for detecting position; [0047]; FIG. 3); and
a support for the lens, display, and sensor, wherein the support of each optical assembly is configured to slide along a respective one of the guide rods while the sensor of that optical assembly makes position measurements (support structure 32; FIG. 1; there may be a pair of guide rods 60 on the left of device 10 to support a left-hand optical module 40 for lateral movement along the X axis; there may be a pair of guide rods 60 on the right of device 10 to support a right-hand optical module 40 for lateral movement along the X axis; [0051]; FIG. 4; sensors for detecting position; [0047]).
Further regarding claim 1, Maric et al. do not teach each of the guide rods includes a respective position index and the sensor of that optical assembly makes the position measurements on the respective position index of that guide rod.
Further regarding claim 1, Tao et al. teach a guide rod includes a position index and a sensor of an optical assembly makes position measurements on the position index of the guide rod (a magnetic encoder system can include a sensor that determines a landing position of the portions 210, 212 of the nut assembly 208 in respect to the lead screw 204 or other portion of the actuator 200; [0034]; Figs 2A-2B; typical magnetic encoder system operates by sensing magnetic indices at the landing positions along the lead screw 204 or other portion of the actuator 200) for the purpose of repositioning optical assemblies.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate each of the guide rods includes a respective position index and the sensor of that optical assembly makes the position measurements on the respective position index of that guide rod, as taught by Tao et al., into Maric et al. for the purpose of repositioning optical assemblies.
Claim(s) 2-4 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maric et al. (US 2021/0325680 A1) as modified by Tao et al. (US 2020/0355919 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yoshida et al. (US 2016/0215825 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. do not teach wherein the respective position index of each guide rod has regions with different magnetic poles.
Further regarding claim 2, Yoshida et al. teach a position index of a guide rod has regions with different magnetic poles (the north and south poles are alternately formed in the longitudinal direction on the surface of the magnetic scale 7; [0032]; Figs 4a-4b) for the purpose of using a scale having a fine magnetic pattern in an environment where there is dust, oil, or the like.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate each of the guide rods includes a respective position index and the sensor of that optical assembly makes the position measurements on the respective position index of that guide rod, as taught by Yoshida et al., into Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. for the purpose of using a scale having a fine magnetic pattern in an environment where there is dust, oil, or the like.
Regarding claim 3, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. teach wherein the sensor of each optical assembly comprises a magnetic sensor (a magnetic encoder system can include a sensor that determines a landing position of the portions 210, 212 of the nut assembly 208 in respect to the lead screw 204 or other portion of the actuator 200; [0034]; Tao).
Regarding claim 4, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. teach wherein each guide rod comprises a tube (end cap 60E may be formed from metal or other suitable material and may be attached within the opening of a metal-coated fiber-composite tube, a metal tube, or other rigid structure forming rod 60; [0064]; FIG. 16).
Further regarding claim 4, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. do not teach wherein the respective position index of that guide rod comprises a magnetic position index that extends along an exterior surface of the tube.
Further regarding claim 4, Yoshida et al. teach a position index of a guide rod comprises a magnetic position index that extends along an exterior surface of the guide rod (top surface of the magnetic scale 7; Figs 4a-4b) for the purpose of being easily detected by a magnetometer.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate wherein the respective position index of that guide rod comprises a magnetic position index that extends along an exterior surface of the tube, as taught by Yoshida et al., into Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. for the purpose of being easily detected by a magnetometer.
Regarding claim 9, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. teach wherein the support of each optical assembly has an opening configured to receive a respective one of the guide rods (optical modules 40 may have each have an upper guide rod opening for receiving a first guide rod and a lower guide rod opening for receiving a second guide rod; [0051]; Maric).
Further regarding claim 9, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. do not teach wherein the sensor of that optical assembly is mounted in the opening facing the respective position index.
Further regarding claim 9, Yoshida et al. teach a sensor of an assembly is mounted in an opening facing the respective position index (when the head unit 34 is fixed to the holder 35, the magnetometer 36 is located above the magnetic scale 7; [0044]; FIG. 1) for the purpose of being in proximity to the magnetic scale to easily detect the magnetic flux.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate wherein the sensor of that optical assembly is mounted in the opening facing the respective position index, as taught by Yoshida et al., into Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. for the purpose of being in proximity to the magnetic scale to easily detect the magnetic flux.
Regarding claim 10, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. do not teach wherein each position index comprises a relative position index that the sensor is configured to monitor to determine a relative position of the sensor along that relative position index.
Further regarding claim 10, Yoshida et al. teach a relative position index that the sensor is configured to monitor to determine a relative position of the sensor along that relative position index (the arrangement pitch of the north pole and the south pole can be set arbitrarily, and is set to, for example, 2 mm; [0036]; the poles are positioned at 2 mm relative to an adjacent pole) for the purpose of determining position based on a fine pitch of the index.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate wherein each position index comprises a relative position index that the sensor is configured to monitor to determine a relative position of the sensor along that relative position index, as taught by Yoshida et al., into Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. for the purpose of determining position based on a fine pitch of the index.
Claim(s) 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maric et al. (US 2021/0325680 A1) as modified by Tao et al. (US 2020/0355919 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Suzuishi et al. (US 2015/0090868 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. do not teach wherein each position index comprises an absolute position index containing coded absolute position information that the sensor is configured to monitor to determine an absolute position of the sensor along the respective one of the guide rods.
Further regarding claim 11, Suzuishi et al. teach an absolute position index containing coded absolute position information that a sensor is configured to monitor to determine an absolute position of the sensor along a scale (a code of a plurality of digits which code is formed by the pattern of the high reflection part 4 and the low reflection part 3 and includes 0 and 1 is provided; by the code, an absolute position on the scale pattern may be indicated; [0094]; FIG. 1) for the purpose of determining a predefined position by reading a code at the position on the scale.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate wherein each position index comprises an absolute position index containing coded absolute position information that the sensor is configured to monitor to determine an absolute position of the sensor along the respective one of the guide rods, as taught by Suzuishi et al., into Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. for the purpose of determining a predefined position by reading a code at the position on the scale.
Regarding claim 12, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. do not teach wherein each position index comprises relative position index regions and absolute position index portions interspersed among the relative position index regions.
Further regarding claim 12, Suzuishi et al. teach relative position index regions and absolute position index portions interspersed among the relative position index regions (note that in the absolute-type, an increment-type scale pattern 2 is included in addition to the scale pattern 2 indicating a code and is used in the reading of the cord; [0124]; [0094]; FIG. 1) for the purpose of determining a position by reading a code at the position on the scale and by counting a number of incremental parts.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate wherein each position index comprises relative position index regions and absolute position index portions interspersed among the relative position index regions, as taught by Suzuishi et al., into Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. for the purpose of determining a position by reading a code at the position on the scale and by counting a number of incremental parts.
Regarding claim 13, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. do not teach wherein the respective position index of each guide rod has alternating light and dark regions and wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor configured to make the position measurements by measuring the alternating light and dark regions.
Further regarding claim 13, Suzuishi et al. teach a position index has alternating light and dark regions and an optical sensor configured to make the position measurements by measuring the alternating light and dark regions (in the light receiving element 23, a difference between intensity of light reflected by the low reflection part 3 of the resin encoder scale 1 and that of light reflected by the high reflection part 4 is detected; [0122]; FIG. 7) for the purpose of determining a position by reading and counting a number of incremental parts.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate wherein the respective position index of each guide rod has alternating light and dark regions and wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor configured to make the position measurements by measuring the alternating light and dark regions, as taught by Suzuishi et al., into Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. for the purpose of determining a position by reading and counting a number of incremental parts.
Regarding claim 14, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. do not teach wherein each guide rod has fibers that are configured to form at least part of the light and dark regions of that guide rod (metal-coated fiber-composite tube; [0064]; Maric).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maric et al. (US 2021/0325680 A1) as modified by Tao et al. (US 2020/0355919 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yoshida et al. (US 2011/0068731 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. do not teach wherein the respective position index of each guide rod has multiple tracks and wherein the sensor of the optical assembly that slides along that guide rod has multiple sensor elements each of which measures a respective one of the multiple tracks.
Further regarding claim 15, Yoshida et al. teach a position index has multiple tracks and wherein a sensor has multiple sensor elements each of which measures a respective one of the multiple tracks (the detector 131A is disposed so as to face the track TA; the detector 131B is disposed so as to face the track TB; the detector 131C is disposed so as to face the track TC; [0106]; Figs 2-4) for the purpose of improving positional resolution.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate wherein each position index comprises an absolute position index containing coded absolute position information that the sensor is configured to monitor to determine an absolute position of the sensor along the respective one of the guide rods, as taught by Yoshida et al., into Maric et al. as modified by Tao et al. for the purpose of improving positional resolution.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENDRICK X LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-3798. The examiner can normally be reached MWFSa 10am-8pm.
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, Douglas X Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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29 July 2026
/KENDRICK X LIU/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/DOUGLAS X RODRIGUEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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