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
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Inventions II-III, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/27/26
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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Marshall (US Publication No.: US 2019/0155027).
Regarding Claim 1, Marshall discloses a display system (Figures 1-3) comprising:
A waveguide body extending from an input end to an output end and configured to guide display light by total internal reflection from the input end to the output end between a top surface of the waveguide body and a bottom surface of the waveguide body (Figures 1-3, waveguide body 10/304; Paragraphs 0004-0034); and
An optical mixing element disposed within the waveguide body (Figure 2, optical mixing element 22 or Figure 3, optical mixing element 319/306).
Regarding Claim 2, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, wherein the optical mixing element is configured to split a beam of the display light incident upon a surface of the optical mixing element (Paragraph 0022 discloses dividing the rays into multiple paths 17 and 17a).
Regarding Claim 3, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, wherein the optical mixing element comprises a transflective surface (Paragraph 0022 discloses a semi-reflecting surface).
Regarding Claim 4, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, wherein the optical mixing element comprises a substantially planar shape (Figure 2 discloses a substantially planar shape 22; Paragraph 0023).
Regarding Claim 5, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, wherein the optical mixing element extends from the input end toward the output end between the top and bottom surfaces (Figure 2 discloses the optical element 22 extending from the input end to the output end in the middle of the top and bottom surfaces).
Regarding Claim 6, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, wherein the optical mixing element extends from the input end to the output end between the top and bottom surfaces (Figure 2 discloses the optical element 22 extending from the input end to the output end in the middle of the top and bottom surfaces).
Regarding Claim 7, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, wherein the optical mixing element is disposed at a fixed distance from the input end and extends between the top surface and the bottom surface (Figure 3 discloses an optical element 319 that extends between the top and bottom surfaces).
Regarding Claim 8, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, further comprising a second optical mixing element disposed within the waveguide body, the second optical mixing element oriented parallel to the optical mixing element (Figure 3, where one line of 319 is the optical element and another line of 319 is the second optical mixing element).
Regarding Claim 9, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, further comprising a second optical mixing element disposed within the waveguide body, the second optical mixing element oriented perpendicular to the optical mixing element (Figure 3a, where the left to right line of 306 is the optical element and the left to right line (perpendicular to the optical element) of 306 is the second optical element).
Regarding Claim 10, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, further comprising: a second optical mixing element disposed within the waveguide body, the second optical mixing element oriented parallel to the optical mixing element; and a third optical mixing element disposed within the waveguide body, the third optical mixing element oriented perpendicular to the optical mixing element (Figure 3a, as annotated below).
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Regarding Claim 11, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, further comprising an input coupling element located proximate to the input end for coupling the display light into the waveguide body (Figure 1, input coupling element 13; Paragraph 0006).
Regarding Claim 12, Marshall discloses the display system of claim 1, further comprising an output coupling element located proximate to the output end for coupling the display light out of the waveguide body (Figure 1, output coupling element 15; Paragraph 0010).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lien (US 2023/0044369 A1) discloses a waveguide with an optical mixing element within the waveguide.
Ronen (US 2022/0099885 A1) discloses different configurations of waveguide comprising optical mixing elements.
Shih (US 2022/0066216 A1) discloses a head mounted display comprising a waveguide with an optical mixing element.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIAM QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-4434. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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/MARIAM QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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