DETAILED ACTION
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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/03/2024, 03/12/2025 and 11/20/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
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.
Claims 1-3, 16-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Mutlu et al. (US 2021/0302745, of record) in view of Nagata et al. (US 2018/0131879).
Regarding claim 1, Mutlu discloses a wearable electronic device comprising:
a main body portion ([0017] discloses: 12, housing); a
lens module ([0023] discloses: 32, support structure) comprising a lens (discloses: 32, support structure, includes left and right lenses) and a barrel structure ([0023] discloses: 32, support structure, includes a left and right lens barrel), wherein the barrel structure surrounds the lens (Figure 1 depicts: 32, support structure, that is the barrel, surrounding 30, left and right lens) and is on one surface of the main body portion (Figure 1 depicts: 32, support structure, on at least one surface of 12, housing, bottom side of Figure 1).
Mutlu fails to disclose a device wherein at least one heat source, wherein the barrel structure comprises a thermal conductive material thermally connected to the at least one heat source and at least partially extending in a first direction, and wherein the thermal conductive material is configured to transfer heat from the at least one heat source to the lens. Mutlu and Nagata are related because both disclose electronic devices.
Nagata teaches a device wherein there is at least one heat source ([0017] teaches: 4, heater),
wherein the barrel structure comprises a thermal conductive material thermally ([0031] teaches: lens barrel made from aluminum, to facilitate transferring heat to the lens) connected to the at least one heat source (Figure 1 depicts: 4, heater connected to 2, lens barrel, that is made of the thermally conductive material) and at least partially extending in a first direction (right hand side to left hand side of Figure 1, along the optical axis, is considered the first direction; Examiner notes that the aluminum is considered to be the entire circumference of the barrel since the barrel is made of aluminum), and
wherein the thermal conductive material is configured to transfer heat from the at least one heat source to the lens ([0031] teaches: aluminum, with a high thermal conductivity to facilitate transferring heat to 1, lens).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mutlu in view of Nagata and provide a device wherein at least one heat source, wherein the barrel structure comprises a thermal conductive material thermally connected to the at least one heat source and at least partially extending in a first direction, and wherein the thermal conductive material is configured to transfer heat from the at least one heat source to the lens. Doing so would allow for efficient heat conduction to the lens of the barrel, reducing fogging/condensation of the lens surface, thereby improving optical clarity by reducing light scattering and transmission loss caused by moisture accumulation of the lens.
Regarding claim 2, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 1,
wherein the wearable electronic device comprises a video see through device ([0084] discloses: augmented reality where visual objects are superimposed over a physical environment; Examiner notes that this is an example of a video see through device).
Regarding claim 3, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 1,
wherein the thermal conductive material is formed by a double injection process with respect to the barrel structure (the modified Mutlu discloses a barrel structure with a thermally conductive material; Examiner notes that the applicant is advised that, even though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 227 USPQ 964, (Fed. Cir. 1985)).
Regarding claim 16, Mutlu discloses a wearable electronic device comprising:
a main body portion ([0017] discloses: 12, housing);
a lens module ([0023] discloses: 32, support structure) comprising: a
plurality of lenses ([0023] discloses: 30, left lens and right lens); and
a barrel structure ([0023] discloses: 32, support structure, includes a left and right lens barrel), wherein the barrel structure surrounds the plurality of lenses and is on one surface of the main body portion ([0023] discloses: left and right lens barrel for 32, support structure; Figure 1 depicts: 32, support structure on bottom surface, from bottom of Figure 1 to top of Figure 1, of 12, housing).
Mutlu fails to disclose a device with at least one heat source, wherein the barrel structure comprises a thermal conductive material thermally connected to the at least one heat source and configured to transfer heat from the at least one heat source to the plurality of lenses, and wherein the thermal conductive material comprises a first heat conductive portion extending in a first direction and a second heat conductive portion thermally connected to the first heat conductive portion and extending in a second direction different from the first direction. Mutlu and Nagata are related because both disclose electronic devices.
Nagata teaches a device with
at least one heat source ([0017] teaches: 4, heater),
wherein the barrel structure comprises a thermal conductive material ([0031] teaches: lens barrel made from aluminum, to facilitate transferring heat to the lens) thermally connected to the at least one heat source (Figure 1 depicts: 4, heater connected to 2, lens barrel, that is made of the thermally conductive material) and configured to transfer heat from the at least one heat source to the plurality of lenses ([0031] teaches: aluminum, with a high thermal conductivity to facilitate transferring heat to 1, lens; Examiner notes that Nagata is relied upon for teaching the heat source and thermally conductive material transferring heat to from heat source to a lens; Mutlu is relied upon for the plurality of lenses), and
wherein the thermal conductive material comprises a first heat conductive portion extending in a first direction and a second heat conductive portion thermally connected to the first heat conductive portion and extending in a second direction different from the first direction (Figure 1 depicts: 2, lens barrel, made of the thermally conducive material; Examiner notes that portions of the thermally conductive material is considered the first and second heat conducive portions because thermal conductivity refers to the ability to transfer heat; the portion that extends along the optical axis is the first heat conductive portion in the first direction and the portion that extends around the circumference of the barrel is the second heat conductive portion in the second direction, because the first and second portions are of the same continuous thermally conductive barrel, the second heat conductive portion is thermally connected to the first heat conductive portion).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mutlu in view of Nagata and provide a device with at least one heat source, wherein the barrel structure comprises a thermal conductive material thermally connected to the at least one heat source and configured to transfer heat from the at least one heat source to the plurality of lenses, and wherein the thermal conductive material comprises a first heat conductive portion extending in a first direction and a second heat conductive portion thermally connected to the first heat conductive portion and extending in a second direction different from the first direction. Doing so would allow for efficient heat conduction to the lens of the barrel, reducing fogging/condensation of the lens surface, thereby improving optical clarity by reducing light scattering and transmission loss caused by moisture accumulation of the lens.
Regarding claim 17, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 16,
wherein the wearable electronic device comprises a video see through device ([0084] discloses: augmented reality where visual objects are superimposed over a physical environment; Examiner notes that this is an example of a video see through device).
Regarding claim 20, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 16,
wherein the at least one heat source comprises at least one of a heat source inside the lens module (Nagata: [0017] teaches: 4, heater; Figure 1 depicts: 4 heater, inside the lens module; Examiner notes that the same motivation to combine applied to an earlier claim, 16, also applies here, and no further analysis is required, consistent with MPEP § 2143, which permits reliance on previously articulated rationale where the combination and reasonings remain unchanged) or a heat source in the main body portion outside the lens module.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Mutlu et al. (US 2021/0302745, of record) in view of Nagata et al. (US 2018/0131879), as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Kim et. al. (US 2024/0353660) in view of Bernal et al. (US 11,086,092).
Regarding claim 4, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 1.
Mutlu fails to disclose a device wherein the lens module comprises a plurality of lenses spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals along a height direction of the barrel structure, and wherein the thermal conductive material comprises a first heat conductive portion extending in the height direction of the barrel structure and configured to transfer the heat to the plurality of lenses. Mutlu and Kim are related because both disclose optical systems.
Kim teaches disclose a device wherein the lens module comprises a plurality of lenses spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals along a height direction of the barrel structure (Figure 1 depicts: plurality of lenses spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals along the optical axis, analogous to the height direction of the barrel structure, see [0070]; [0048] teaches: a barrel may accommodate the lens). Mutlu and Bernal are related because both disclose electronic devices.
Bernal teaches a device wherein the thermal conductive material comprises a first heat conductive portion (Figure 2 depicts: 10”, heater wire, extending along the height direction of the lens barrel) extending in the height direction of the barrel structure and configured to transfer the heat to the plurality of lenses (Examiner notes that he heating wire is considered to transfer heat to 10, heating element, that heats the plurality of lenses).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mutlu in view of Kim and Bernal and provide a device wherein the lens module comprises a plurality of lenses spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals along a height direction of the barrel structure, and wherein the thermal conductive material comprises a first heat conductive portion extending in the height direction of the barrel structure and configured to transfer the heat to the plurality of lenses. Doing so would allow for heat to be introduce along the barrel direction, reducing localized hot spots and improving thermal uniformity around the lenses, thereby improving optical clarity and reducing scattering/transmission loss.
Claims 5-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Mutlu et al. (US 2021/0302745, of record) in view of Nagata et al. (US 2018/0131879) in view of Kim et. al. (US 2024/0353660) in view of Bernal et al. (US 11,086,092), as applied to claim 4 above, in view of Duan et al. (CN 206195142, Examiner has provided a machine translation).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 4.
Mutlu fails to disclose a device wherein the thermal conductive material further comprises a plurality of second heat conductive portions thermally connected to the first heat conductive portion, wherein the plurality of second heat conductive portions extend in a second direction different from the height direction of the barrel structure and are configured to transfer the heat to the plurality of lenses. Mutlu and Duan are related because both disclose optical cooling devices.
Duan teaches a device wherein the thermal conductive material further comprises a plurality of second heat conductive portions thermally connected to the first heat conductive portion (Figure 1 depicts: 6, water flow passage connected to 2 water cooling sleeve, consider the first heat conductive portion; Examiner notes that water is thermally conductive), wherein the plurality of second heat conductive portions extend in a second direction different from the height direction of the barrel structure (Figure 1 depicts: 6, water flow passage, extending from the top of Figure 1 to the bottom of Figure 1, which is different from the height direction of the barrel structure which is left to right of Figure 1) and are configured to transfer the heat to the plurality of lenses (Examiner notes that the modified Mutla teaches transfer of heat to the plurality of lenses, Duan is relied upon for the physical structure of the heat transfer apparatus, regardless of transfer direction).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mutlu in view of Duan and provide a device wherein the thermal conductive material further comprises a plurality of second heat conductive portions thermally connected to the first heat conductive portion, wherein the plurality of second heat conductive portions extend in a second direction different from the height direction of the barrel structure and are configured to transfer the heat to the plurality of lenses. Doing so would allow for heat to be introduce along the barrel directions, reducing localized hot spots and improving thermal uniformity around the lenses, thereby improving optical clarity and reducing scattering/transmission loss.
Regarding claim 6, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 5,
wherein the plurality of second heat conductive portions are disposed along a circumference of the barrel structure (Duan: Figure 1 depicts: 6, water flow passage, disposed along a circumference of the barrel structure; Examiner notes that the same motivation to combine applied to an earlier claim, 1, also applies here, and no further analysis is required, consistent with MPEP § 2143, which permits reliance on previously articulated rationale where the combination and reasonings remain unchanged).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 5,
wherein the plurality of second heat conductive portions are inclined with respect to a width direction of the barrel structure (Duan: Figure 1 depicts: 6, water flow passage, incline with respect to a width direction, bottom of Figure 1 to top of Figure 1, of the barrel structure; Examiner notes that the same motivation to combine applied to an earlier claim, 1, also applies here, and no further analysis is required, consistent with MPEP § 2143, which permits reliance on previously articulated rationale where the combination and reasonings remain unchanged).
Regarding claim 9, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 1,
wherein the at least one heat source comprises at least one of a heat source inside the lens module or a heat source in the main body portion outside the lens module (Nagata: Figure 1 depicts: 4, heater, inside the lens module; Examiner notes that the same motivation to combine applied to an earlier claim, 1, also applies here, and no further analysis is required, consistent with MPEP § 2143, which permits reliance on previously articulated rationale where the combination and reasonings remain unchanged).
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Mutlu et al. (US 2021/0302745, of record) in view of Nagata et al. (US 2018/0131879), as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Toleno et al. (US 10,888,037, of record).
Regarding claim 10, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 1.
Mutlu fails to disclose a device wherein the at least one heat source comprises a display and a processor in the main body portion. Mutlu and Toleno are related because both disclose electronic devices.
Toleno teaches a device
wherein the at least one heat source comprises a display and a processor in the main body portion (Col. 4, lines 48-53 teach: system that utilizes waste heat that is generated as a byproduct from a hardware component such as CPU, to increase temperature of the display element).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mutlu in view of Toleno and provide a device wherein the at least one heat source comprises a display and a processor in the main body portion. Doing so would allow for better energy efficiency by supplementing dedicated heater power while maintaining the lenses to a certain temperature, thereby improving optical clarity of the electronic device.
Regarding claim 11, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 1.
Mutlu fails to disclose a device wherein the thermal conductive material is thermally connected to a plurality of heat sources. Mutlu and Tolemo are related because both disclose electronic devices.
Tolemo teaches a device
wherein the thermal conductive material is thermally connected to a plurality of heat sources (Col. 9, lines 40-43 teach: heat sources include multiple GPU’s).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mutlu in view of Tolemo and provide a device a device wherein the thermal conductive material is thermally connected to a plurality of heat sources. Doing so would allow for better energy efficiency by supplementing dedicated heater power while maintaining the lenses to a certain temperature, thereby improving optical clarity of the electronic device.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Mutlu et al. (US 2021/0302745, of record) in view of Nagata et al. (US 2018/0131879) in view of Tolemo et al. (US 10,888,037, of record), as applied to claim 10 above, in view of Ikeda et al. (US 2024/0061256).
Regarding claim 12, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 10.
Mutlu fails to disclose a device wherein the barrel structure comprises a barrel and a barrel cover on a rear surface of the barrel. Mutlu and Ikeda are related because both disclose wearable electronic devices.
Ikeda teaches a device wherein the barrel structure comprises a barrel and a barrel cover on a rear surface of the barrel ([0041] teaches: 41u, barrel cover; Figure 5 depicts: 41u, barrel cover, on the rear surface of the barrel, the rear surface is considered to be the upper portion of the barrel, away from the eye).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mutlu in view of Ikeda and provide a device wherein the barrel structure comprises a barrel and a barrel cover on a rear surface of the barrel. Doing so would allow for the rear portion of the barrel to be covered and protected, thereby improving mechanical stability and protection of optical components.
Regarding claim 13, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 12, wherein the barrel cover comprises a display seating portion where the display is seated (Ikeda: Figure 5 depicts: 11a, display element, seated in 31u, barrel cover; Examiner notes that the same motivation to combine applied to an earlier claim, 12, also applies here, and no further analysis is required, consistent with MPEP § 2143, which permits reliance on previously articulated rationale where the combination and reasonings remain unchanged).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Mutlu et al. (US 2021/0302745, of record) in view of Nagata et al. (US 2018/0131879), as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Kwon et al. (US 2002/0101891).
Regarding claim 14, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 1.
Mutlu fails to disclose a device further comprising: a heat dissipation plate adjacent to the at least one heat source and configured to transfer the heat from the at least one heat source to the barrel structure. Mutlu and Kwon are related because both disclose electronic devices.
Kwon teaches a device further comprising:
a heat dissipation plate ([0010] teaches: heat transfer plate; Examiner notes that while Figure 1 depict a prior art feature, nonetheless it is still considered a prior art disclosure) adjacent to the at least one heat source ([0010] teaches: 130, heat source; Figure 1 depicts: 120, heat transfer plate adjacent to 130, heat source) and configured to transfer the heat from the at least one heat source to the barrel structure ([0007] teaches: flow of heat transferred from heat source to the device through heat transfer plate; Examiner notes that in the proposed combination, the heat transfer plate of Kwon would be thermally coupled to Mutla’s barrel structure).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mutlu in view of Kwon and provide a device further comprising: a heat dissipation plate adjacent to the at least one heat source and configured to transfer the heat from the at least one heat source to the barrel structure. Doing so would allow for efficient heat conduction to the lens of the barrel, reducing fogging/condensation of the lens surface, thereby improving optical clarity by reducing light scattering and transmission loss caused by moisture accumulation of the lens.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Mutlu et al. (US 2021/0302745, of record) in view of Nagata et al. (US 2018/0131879), as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Eckman (US 2022/0043326) in view of Moore et al. (US 2019/0198981).
Regarding claim 15, the modified Mutlu discloses the wearable electronic device of claim 1.
Mutlu fails to disclose a device further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the at least one heat source is on a surface of the printed circuit board, and wherein the heat is transferred to the barrel structure through a fastening member connected to a fastening hole formed in the barrel structure. Mutlu and Eckman are related because both disclose electronic devices.
Eckman teaches a device further comprising a circuit board ([0062] teaches: 404, camera board),
wherein the at least one heat source is on a surface of the circuit board ([0062] teaches: 406,microcontroller on 404, camera board), and
wherein a fastening member ([0005] teaches: one or more fasteners to couple each of the components) connected to a fastening hole formed in the barrel structure ([0068] teaches: heat produced by 406, microcontroller, transferred to 420, heat plate, [0065] teaches: 420, heater plate, with openings 120A-N). Mutlu and Moore are related because both disclose electronic devices.
Moore teaches wherein the circuit board is printed ([0006] teaches: a printed circuit board), and wherein the heat is transferred to the barrel structure (Examiner notes that the modified Mutlu discloses heat transfer to a barrel structure; Moore is relied upon for thermal transfer through a fastening member) through a fastening member ([0065] teaches: thermally conductive fastener).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Mutlu in view of Eckman and Moore and provide a device further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the at least one heat source is on a surface of the printed circuit board, and wherein the heat is transferred to the barrel structure through a fastening member connected to a fastening hole formed in the barrel structure. Doing so would allow for efficient heat conduction to the lens of the barrel, reducing fogging/condensation of the lens surface, thereby improving optical clarity by reducing light scattering and transmission loss caused by moisture accumulation of the lens.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 18-19 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 8, the prior art fails to teach or suggest “wherein the plurality of second heat conductive portions comprises a second heat conducting portion corresponding to the movable lens and a second heat conducting portion corresponding to the fixed lens, and
wherein the second heat conductive portion corresponding to the movable lens comprises a thickness greater than a thickness of the second heat conductive portion corresponding to the fixed lens” along with the other structural limitations positively recited in claim 8, 5, 4 and 1 in a manner that would be appropriate under 35 U.S.C. § 102 or § 103 and consistent with search requirements outlined in MPEP § 904.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art fails to teach or suggest “wherein the second heat conductive portion comprises a plurality of second heat conductive portions extending in the second direction from the first heat conductive portion, wherein each of the plurality of second heat conductive portions corresponds to a lens of the plurality of lenses” along with the other structural limitations positively recited in claim 18 and 16 in a manner that would be appropriate under 35 U.S.C. § 102 or § 103 and consistent with search requirements outlined in MPEP § 904.
Claim 19 is dependent on claim 18 and therefore allowed for at least the same reasons.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Curcio (US 4,868,929) discloses a lens heating method but fails to disclose the proper structure of heating elements, Kumar (US 2019/0113743) discloses a lens heater but fails to disclose the proper structure of heating elements, Liu (US 2020/0033549) discloses a lens heater but fails to disclose the proper structure of heating elements
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John Sipes
Examiner
Art Unit 2872
/J.C.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/BUMSUK WON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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