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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election with traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 3/4/2026 is acknowledged.
The applicant has argued there is no search burden because claim 7 contains all the limitations of claim 1. The Examiner disagrees. Claim 1 has separate utility outside of a machine vision application. These claims do not form a nested subset for the search but are a venn diagram—claim 7 is directed to a machine vision system, claim 1 is directed to all waveguide plates. These complete searches are different. While they have some overlap, one is not exhausted by the other. Moreover, each claim would require different prior art in order to reject, thus presenting an examination burden.
The restriction is Final.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/10/2025 was filed and 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 –
Claim(s) 1-3 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang et al (US 2019/0121014 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Huang et al disclose a light guide plate comprising:
at least one side surface; and
a top surface on which a plurality of light extraction patterns (120) are formed, wherein the plurality of light extraction patterns are randomly arranged on the top surface (see [0032]),
wherein the plurality of light extraction patterns are cavities having at least three different diameters and sag heights of openings, and
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wherein the plurality of light extraction patterns are configured such that the sag height decreases as the diameter of the opening increases (as depicted). (See annotated Figure 1; see at least [0018] onward)
In regard to claim 2, Huang et al disclose a plurality of curved surfaces that define the cavities of the plurality of light extraction patterns, respectively, wherein the plurality of curved surfaces reflect light incident through the side surfaces at three or more different reflection angles, and wherein the reflection angles of the plurality of curved surfaces are inversely proportional to the sag heights and proportional to the diameters of the openings. (Where the same structure is disclosed, it would require that the reflection angles are inversely proportional to the sag heights and proportional to the diameters. Light is pernicious, and there is at least one light ray that satisfies this limitation.)
In regard to claim 3, Huang et al disclose each of the reflection angles of the plurality of curved surfaces is an obtuse angle. (Light is pernicious, and there is at least one light ray that satisfies this limitation.)
In regard to claim 6, Huang et al disclose a bottom surface through which light incident to the side surfaces and reflected by the plurality of light extraction patterns is emitted, wherein the light emitted through the bottom surface is diffused light.
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) 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al (US 2019/0121014 A1) in view of Schwaiger et al (US 2024/0053527 A1).
In regard to claim 4, Huang et al discloses each of the openings of the light extraction patterns has a circular shape.
However, where the BRI of circular is argued, Schwaiger et al teaches light extraction patterns with a circular shape.
The shape of the light extraction pattern is routine optimization within the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to optimize the shape of the pattern in order to optimize the diffusion of the light.
In regard to claim 5, the combination of Huang et al and Schwaiger et al fail to disclose the opening has a diameter of 13 μm to 17 μm.
However, this is routine optimization, and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to optimize the size of the extraction pattern in order to optimize the resulting diffusion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Orava et al (US 2024/0319429 A1) disclose a light guide plate.
Qiu et al (US 11,385,395 B1) disclose a light guide plate.
Lin et al (US 2022/0179261 A1) disclose a light guide plate.
Huang et al (US 2022/0137283 A1) disclose a light guide plate.
Liao et al (US 2020/0233142 A1) disclose a light guide plate.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER E DUNAY whose telephone number is (571)270-1222. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 am - 6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James (Jong-Suk) Lee can be reached at 571-272-7044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER E DUNAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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