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
Acknowledgement is made of receipt of Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO-1449) filed 10/4/2024, 12/13/2024, 10/10/2025, 2/12/2026, and 5/7/2026. An initialed copy is attached to this Office Action.
Double Patenting
A rejection based on double patenting of the “same invention” type finds its support in the language of 35 U.S.C. 101 which states that “whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process... may obtain a patent therefor...” (Emphasis added). Thus, the term “same invention,” in this context, means an invention drawn to identical subject matter. See Miller v. Eagle Mfg. Co., 151 U.S. 186 (1894); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Ockert, 245 F.2d 467, 114 USPQ 330 (CCPA 1957).
A statutory type (35 U.S.C. 101) double patenting rejection can be overcome by canceling or amending the claims that are directed to the same invention so they are no longer coextensive in scope. The filing of a terminal disclaimer cannot overcome a double patenting rejection based upon 35 U.S.C. 101.
Claims 1-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as claiming the same invention as that of claims 1-3 and 6-20 of prior U.S. Patent No. 12,099,194. This is a statutory double patenting rejection.
18/811,513
12,099,194
1. An imaging system, comprising: a light distributor including a single light distributor entry portion, a first exit portion on a first arm and a second exit portion, distinct from the first exit portion, on a second arm, the light distributor configured to direct a light beam into a light guiding optical element, wherein the single light distributor entry portion is disposed between the first and second exit portions,
wherein the first arm is perpendicular to the second arm, and wherein the first and second arms are separated from each other along an axis
orthogonal to both respective first and second axes of the first and second arms.
1. An imaging system, comprising: a light source configured to generate a light beam; a first light guiding optical element including a first entry portion and configured to propagate at least a first portion of the light beam by total internal reflection; a second light guiding optical element including a second entry portion and configured to propagate at least a second portion of the light beam by total internal reflection; and a light distributor including a single light distributor entry portion, a first exit portion on a first arm and a second exit portion, distinct from the first exit portion, on a second arm, the light distributor configured to direct at least the first and second portions of the light beam into the first and second light guiding optical elements, respectively, wherein the single light distributor entry portion is disposed between the first and second exit portions, wherein the first arm is perpendicular to the second arm, and wherein the first and second arms are separated from each other along an axis orthogonal to both respective first and second axes of the first and second arms.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the light guiding optical element and the light distributor are configured such that when the light beam interacts with the first exit portion, a first exit beamlet of the light beam exits the light distributor and enters the a light guiding optical element via an entry portion.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second light guiding optical elements and the light distributor are configured such that: when the light beam interacts with the first exit portion, a first exit beamlet of the light beam exits the light distributor and enters the first light guiding optical element via the first entry portion, and when the light beam interacts with the second exit portion, a second exit beamlet of the light beam exits the light distributor and enters the second light guiding optical element via the second entry portion.
3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a shutter configured to selectively interrupt a light path between the first exit portion and the entry portion, respectively.
3. The system of claim 1, further comprising first and second shutters configured to selectively interrupt first and second light paths between the first and second exit portions and the first and second entry portions, respectively.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first exit portion is a first beam splitter, and wherein the second exit portion is a second beam splitter.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first exit portion is a first beam splitter, and wherein the second exit portion is a second beam splitter.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first and second beam splitters have different sizes.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second beam splitters have different sizes.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the entry portion has a size corresponding to the a size of the first beam splitter.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first and second entry portions have different sizes corresponding to the different sizes of the first and second beam splitters.
7. The system of claim 4, where the single light distributor entry portion is a receiving beam splitter configured to divide the light beam into first and second split beamlets respectively directed to the first and second beam splitters.
9. The system of claim 6, where the single light distributor entry portion is a receiving beam splitter configured to divide the light beam into first and second split beamlets respectively directed to the first and second beam splitters.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiving beam splitter is a dichroic beam splitter.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the receiving beam splitter is a dichroic beam splitter.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first split beamlet includes green light and the second split beamlet includes red and blue light.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first split beamlet includes green light and the second split beamlet includes red and blue light.
10. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiving beam splitter is a polarizing beam splitter, and wherein the light beam comprises polarized light.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein the receiving beam splitter is a polarizing beam splitter, and wherein the light beam comprises polarized light.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the polarized light includes green light, wherein the light distributor also has a retardation filter configured to change a polarization angle of a portion of the light beam, and wherein the portion of the light beam includes blue light.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the polarized light includes green light, wherein the light distributor also has a retardation filter configured to change a polarization angle of a portion of the light beam, and wherein the portion of the light beam includes blue light.
12. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiving beam splitter is an X-cube beam splitter.
14. The system of claim 9, wherein the receiving beam splitter is an X-cube beam splitter.
13. The system of claim 4, further comprising a third beam splitter disposed between the first beam splitter and the second beam splitter.
15. The system of claim 6, further comprising a third beam splitter disposed between the first beam splitter and the second beam splitter.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first exit portion and the second exit portion are a first out-coupling grating and a second out-coupling grating respectively.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the first exit portion and the second exit portion are a first out-coupling grating and a second out-coupling grating respectively, wherein the first and second light guiding optical elements and the light distributor are configured such that: when the light beam interacts with the first out-coupling grating, a first exit beamlet of the light beam exits the light distributor and enters the first light guiding optical element via the first entry portion, and when the light beam interacts with the second out-coupling grating, a second exit beamlet of the light beam exits the light distributor and enters the second light guiding optical element via the second entry portion.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first out-coupling grating is a dynamic grating.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first out-coupling grating is a dynamic grating.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first out-coupling grating is a static grating.
18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first out-coupling grating is a static grating.
17. The system of claim 1, wherein the light distributor also has a third exit portion, and
wherein the light distributor is configured to direct at least the first, second, and third portions of the light beam out of the light distributor.
19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third light guiding optical element including a third entry portion and configured to propagate at least a third portion of the light beam by total internal reflection, wherein the light distributor also a third exit portion, and wherein the light distributor is configured to direct at least the first, second, and third portions of the light beam into the first, second, and third light guiding optical elements, respectively.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first portion of the light beam is red, wherein the second portion of the light beam is green, and
wherein the third portion of the light beam is blue.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first portion of the light beam is red, wherein the second portion of the light beam is green, and wherein the third portion of the light beam is blue.
Conclusion
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/BRANDI N THOMAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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