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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi (PGPUB 20200218068, of record) in view of Pridie et al. (PGPUB 20210239976).
Regarding claim 1, Takahashi discloses a vehicle display device comprising:
a display unit that emits display information as display light, the display information being projected onto a projected member of a vehicle and visually recognized by a driver inside the vehicle as a virtual image (1, Fig. 1);
a reflector that reflects the display light incident from the display unit toward the projected member (30);
an eye point acquisition unit that acquires an eye point of the driver (201),
a unit driver that drives the display unit to change a direction of the display light from the display unit toward the reflector ([0045]);
a reflector driver that drives the reflector relative to the display unit to change a direction of the display light from the reflector toward the projected member ([0029], 70 drives 30 to change inclination relative to the display); and
a control unit that drives and controls the unit driver and the reflector driver on the basis of the acquired eye point ([0059] and [0062]),
wherein the display unit emits the display light that is narrower than an eye range, which is a light distribution range based on a distribution range of eye points of a plurality of drivers, and corresponds to an eye box, which is a light distribution range based on the eye point of the driver acquired by the eye point acquisition unit ([0032] where the display may accommodate a plurality of users, i.e. the eye range, but only fills an eye box of one user), and
the control unit changes an optical path of the display light from the display unit to the eye point on the basis of the acquired eye point by driving and controlling the unit driver and the reflector driver in conjunction with each other ([0059],[0062] and Fig. 1).
Takahashi does not disclose wherein the unit driver includes a first driver including a first motor that drives at least a portion of the display unit relative to the reflector.
However, Pridie teaches a head up display for a vehicle ([0005]) that includes a display (102) that includes a driving mechanism (142/108) for rotating a stage that holds the display unit about three axes ([0025], X-Y-Z stage) and a reflective surface (104) configured to rotate the reflective surface relative to the display ([0025]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date of the invention to combine Takahashi and Pridie such that the display unit was capable of rotating about an axis relative to the movable mirror motivated by reducing the size of the device ([0032]).
Regarding claim 2, modified Takahashi discloses wherein the unit driver drives the display unit in a first direction or in a second direction opposite to the first direction in such a manner that a direction in which the direction of the display light is changed is an up-down direction of the display information corresponding to an up-down direction of the eye point (Fig. 3 and [0045] height and width correspond to vertical and horizontal) directions,
the reflector driver drives the reflector in a third direction or in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction in such a manner that the direction in which the direction of the display light is changed is the up-down direction of the display information corresponding to the up-down direction of the eye point ([0059]),
when the acquired eye point is positioned above a reference eye point, the control unit drives the display unit in the first direction by the unit driver, and drives the reflector in the third direction by the reflector driver, and when the acquired eye point is positioned below the reference eye point, the control unit drives the display unit in the second direction by the unit driver, and drives the reflector in the fourth direction by the reflector driver (Fig. 1 and [0062] where the reflector is moved in accordance with the user location, Figs. 3-8 indicate that the display may be moved left, right, up and down until it is properly aligned with the driver).
Regarding claim 3, modified Takahashi discloses wherein the unit driver drives the display unit in direction A or in direction B opposite to the direction A in such a manner that a direction in which the direction of the display light is changed is a left-right direction of the display information corresponding to a left-right direction of the eye point, when the acquired eye point is positioned on a right side of a reference eye point, the control unit drives the display unit in the direction A by the unit driver, and when the acquired eye point is positioned on a left side of the reference eye point, the control unit drives the display unit in the direction B by the unit driver ([0032] and [0045] as well as Figs. 1-8 all indicate movements in opposite directions by the display and reflector in order to compensate for driver position).
Regarding claim 4, modified Takahashi discloses wherein the unit driver includes:
a first unit driver that drives the display unit in a first direction or in a second direction opposite to the first direction in such a manner that a direction in which the direction of the display light is changed is an up-down direction of the display information corresponding to an up-down direction of the eye point (40 up-down control [0031]); and
a second unit driver that drives the display unit in direction A or in direction B opposite to the direction A in such a manner that the direction in which the direction of the display light is changed is a left-right direction of the display information corresponding to a left-right direction of the eye point (40 where the controller has two distinct controlling processes for moving the image up and down as well as left and right, [0045]);
the reflector driver includes a first reflector driver that drives the reflector in a third direction or in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction in such a manner that the direction in which the direction of the display light is changed is the up-down direction of the display information corresponding to the up-down direction of the eye point (70),
when the acquired eye point is positioned above a reference eye point, the control unit drives the display unit in the first direction by the first unit driver, and drives the reflector in the third direction by the first reflector driver ([0045] and [0059]-[0062]),
when the acquired eye point is positioned below the reference eye point, the control unit drives the display unit in the second direction by the first unit driver, and drives the reflector in the fourth direction by the first reflector driver ([0045] and [0059]-[0062]),
when the acquired eye point is positioned on a right side of the reference eye point, the control unit drives the display unit in the direction A by the second unit driver ([0045] and [0059]-[0062]), and
when the acquired eye point is positioned on a left side of the reference eye point, the control unit drives the display unit in the direction B by the second unit driver ([0045] and [0059]-[0062]).
Claim(s) 5-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi in view of Pridie and further in view of Yamada et al. (PGPUB 20140334075).
Regarding claim 5, modified Takahashi discloses further comprising:
a first pivot shaft connected to the display unit, the first pivot shaft has a first pivot axis that extends in a first direction,
wherein the first motor drives the portion of the display unit to pivot about the first pivot axis.
However, Yamada teaches a head up display for a vehicle ([0036]) comprising:
a first pivot shaft connected to the display unit, the first pivot shaft has a first pivot axis that extends in a first direction ([0047], first axis 34 about a shaft),
wherein the first motor drives the portion of the display unit to pivot about the first pivot axis ([0047] first motor).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date of the invention to combine modified Takahashi and Yamada such that the display included a first pivot shaft and first motor motivated by automating movement of the display.
Regarding claim 6, modified Takahashi discloses further comprising:
a second pivot shaft connected to the display unit, the second pivot shaft has a second pivot axis that extends in a second direction that intersects the first direction, wherein the unit driver includes a second motor that drives the display unit to pivot about the second pivot axis ([0047] of Yamada where the display is driven by first and second shafts and drivers).
Regarding claim 7, modified Takahashi discloses wherein display unit includes a housing and a light source mounted inside the housing, the first motor drives the housing to pivot about the first axis, and the second motor drives the housing to pivot about the second axis ([0047] of Pridie).
Regarding claim 8, modified Takahashi discloses wherein display unit includes a housing (102 of Pridie), a light source mounted inside the housing (Pridie’s 102 emits light), and an optical element mounted inside the housing ([0027]), the optical element is connected to the first pivot shaft and is pivotable about the first pivot axis and relative to the housing, and the first motor drives the optical element to pivot about the first axis ([0025] of Pridie and [0047] of Yamada).
Regarding claim 9, modified Takahashi discloses wherein the unit driver includes a second motor that drives the display unit in the first direction ([0047] of Yamada).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-9 have been considered but are moot because of new grounds of rejection.
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 TRAVIS S FISSEL whose telephone number is (313)446-6573. The examiner can normally be reached on 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephone Allen can be reached on (571) 272-2434. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRAVIS S FISSEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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