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 .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
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.
Claims 1-3, 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jobi (US 2019/0094676 A1) in view of Huang (US 2020/0319425 A1).
As of claim 1, Jobi teaches an optical engine module 60 [fig 4] configured to receive an illumination beam (from laser diodes 71) [fig 1], wherein the optical engine module 60 [fig 4] comprises a casing 10 [fig 3], a light uniforming element 175 (light guiding device) [fig 4] [0050], an optical lens element 178 (collective lens) [fig 4] [0047], an elastic member 62b, 63b [fig 6] [0066], and a light valve 51(display device) [fig 4] [0029]; the casing 10 [fig 3] has an accommodating space (space of casing 10 where all the components are located as shown in fig 3), and the light uniforming element 175 [fig 4], the optical lens element 178 [fig 4] and the elastic member (elastic portions 62b, 63b of silicone rubber, for example, are formed on outer circumferences of lid member main bodies (a first lid member main body 62a, a second lid member main body 63a) that are each formed of a thin iron plate on the first lid member 62 and the second lid member 63, respectively) [0066] are disposed in the accommodating space (space of casing 10 where all the components are located as shown in fig 3); wherein the optical lens element 178 [fig 4] is disposed adjacent to a light exit end (towards light axis turning mirror 179) [fig 4] of the light uniforming element 175 [fig 4], and the elastic member 62b, 63b [fig 6] is sealingly disposed (by silicone rubber) [0068] in a gap between the optical lens element 178 [fig 4] and the casing 10 [fig 3] to separate the accommodating space into a first chamber 610 [fig 4] [0061] and a second chamber 620 [fig 4] [0061], wherein the light uniforming element 175 [fig 4] is positioned in the first chamber 610 [fig 4], and the illumination beam passes through the light uniforming element 175 [fig 4] and the optical lens element 178 [fig 4] sequentially and is transmitted to the light valve 51 [fig 4].
Jobi does not teach the elastic member surrounds at least part of an outer periphery of the optical lens element.
Huang teaches and optical module 100 [fig 1A] having the elastic member E (elastic sheets) [fig 1A] [0035] surrounds at least part of an outer periphery of the optical lens element 20 [fig 1A].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the elastic member surrounds at least part of an outer periphery of the optical lens element as taught by Huang to the optical engine module as disclosed by Jobi to reduce the manufacturing cost, thereby increasing the production yield (Huang; [0011]).
As of claim 2, Jobi teaches the casing 10 [fig 1] comprises a first casing 10a (upper casing) [fig 1] [0020] and a second casing 10b (lower casing) [fig 1] [0020], and the first casing and the second casing 10a, 10b [fig 1] are assembled to form the accommodating space (space of casing 10 where all the components are located as shown in fig 3).
As of claim 3, Jobi teaches the second casing 620 [fig 4] has a cavity (a cavity of second housing 620 where collective lens 183, a shining mirror 185, and a condenser lens 195 resides) [fig 4], and a shape of an inner wall of the cavity [fig 4] matches the outer periphery of the optical lens element 195 [fig 4], so that the optical lens element 195 [fig 4] is disposed corresponding to the cavity [fig 4].
As of claim 10, Jobi teaches the invention as cited above except for the accommodating space has a minimum cross-sectional area on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical lens element, and the optical lens element and the elastic member are disposed at the minimum cross-sectional area.
Huang teaches the accommodating space has a minimum cross-sectional area H1 [fig 1B] on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis (H1 is perpendicular to the optical axis which is shown by the dotted line) [fig 1B] of the optical lens element [fig 1B], and the optical lens element 120 [fig 1B] and the elastic member E [fig 1B] are disposed at the minimum cross-sectional area H1 [fig 1B].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the accommodating space has a minimum cross-sectional area on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical lens element, and the optical lens element and the elastic member are disposed at the minimum cross-sectional area as taught by Huang to the optical engine module as disclosed by Jobi to reduce the manufacturing cost, thereby increasing the production yield (Huang; [0011]).
As of claim 11, Jobi teaches a projector 10 [fig 1], comprising a light source module 70 [fig 4], a projection lens 220 [fig 4], and an optical engine module 60 [fig 4]; wherein, the light source module 70 [fig 4] is configured to provide an illumination beam [0040]; the optical engine module 60 [fig 4] is configured to receive the illumination beam from the light source module 70 [fig 4]; the light valve 51 [fig 4] is configured to convert the illumination beam into an image beam [0053]; and the projection lens 220 [fig 4] is positioned on a transmission path of the image beam from the light valve 51 [fig 4] and configured to emit the image beam from the projector [0010].
As of claim 12, Jobi teaches the light source module 70 [fig 4] comprises a light source device 71 [fig 4], an optical assembly 78 [fig 4], and a filter module 101 (luminescent plate) [fig 4] [0044], the optical assembly 78 [fig 4] is disposed between the light source device 71 [fig 4] and the filter module 101 [fig 4], the filter module 101 [fig 4] is disposed adjacent to a light entrance end [fig 4] of the light uniforming element 175 [fig 4], a laser beam [0040] emitted by the light source device 71 [fig 4] passes through the optical assembly 78 [fig 4] and the filter module sequentially 101 [fig 4], and the light uniforming element 175 [fig 4] is positioned between the optical lens element 178 [fig 4] and the filter module 101 [fig 4].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
As of claim 4, the closest prior art Jobi (US 2019/0094676 A1) teaches a projector 10 of the embodiment includes a casing upper 10a and a casing lower 10b. A front panel 12, a back panel 13, a right panel 14 and a left panel 15 that constitute side panels of a casing of the projector 10 are erected downwards from an outer circumferential edge of the casing upper 10a. Lower ends of the panels 12 to 15 come into abutment with an outer circumferential edge of the casing lower 10b. Consequently, the projector 10 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape by the casing upper 10a and the casing lower 10b. In description of this embodiment, when left and right are referred to in relation to the projector 10, they denote, respectively, left and right directions with respect to a projecting direction of the projector 10. When front and rear are referred to in relation to the projector 10, they denote, respectively, front and rear directions with respect to the direction of a screen and a traveling direction of a pencil of light from the projector 10. A keys/indicators unit 37 and a projection image control unit 11a are provided on an upper panel 11 of the casing of the projector 10. Disposed on this keys/indicators unit 37 are keys and indicators including a power supply switch key, a power indicator, a projection switch key, an overheat indicator, and the like. The power indicator informs whether a power supply is on or off. The projection switch key switches on or off the projection by the projector 10. The overheat indicator informs of an overheat condition occurring in a light source unit, a display device, a control unit or the like when they really overheat. The projection image control unit 11a includes one or a plurality of rotary knobs. Operating this rotary knob controls the position of a movable lens of a projection-side optical system, which will be described later by reference to FIG. 4, to thereby control the size and focus of an image to be projected. Although not shown, the projector 10 includes an Ir reception unit configured to receive a control signal from a remote controller. Jobi does not anticipate or render obvious, alone or in combination, the elastic member has a first side and a second side, the first side corresponds to the first casing, the second side corresponds to the second casing, the elastic member has an accommodating part, and the at least part of the outer periphery of the optical lens element is in contact with the inner wall of the accommodating part.
Claims 5-9 would be allowed as being dependent on claim 4.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
- Prior Art LIU et al. (US 20200249416 A1) teaches a fixing base for fixing an optical element and disposing at least two elastic members where the fixing base includes a fixing groove and an elastic member fixing groove. The elastic members abut against the elastic member fixing groove to provide the elastic members with a push force toward the optical element, so that the optical element abuts against the fixing groove. An opening direction of the fixing groove and an opening direction of the elastic member fixing groove are nonparallel to the optical axis of the optical element, and the elastic members and the optical element are respectively disposed in the elastic member fixing groove and the fixing groove along a direction nonparallel to the optical axis. The invention also provides a projection device including the fixing base. The fixing base provided by the invention can accurately and easily fix the optical element;
- Prior Art HOU (US 20220091488 A1) teaches a laser projection apparatus includes a laser source, an optical engine and a projection lens. The optical engine includes a housing, a light pipe, a lens assembly, a reflector, a prism assembly, a digital micromirror device and at least one prism fixing member. The at least one prism fixing member is configured to fix the prism assembly on the housing, so that a relative position of the prism assembly to the projection lens is kept fixed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SULTAN U. CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-3336. The examiner can normally be reached on 5:30 AM-5:30 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached on 571-272-2303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SULTAN CHOWDHURY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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