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 § 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, 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by FANG et al. (US 2022/0214542 A1; FANG).
As of claim 1, FANG (an embodiment) teaches an optical member [fig 13] comprising: an optical element 22 (hollow lamp cup) [fig 13] [0123] in which a refracting portion 21 (collimating lens) [fig 13] [0122] disposed in a central portion and a reflecting portion 22 [fig 13] disposed on both sides of the refracting portion 21 [fig 13] extend in a predetermined direction [fig 13]; and a diffusion portion 41 (first diffuser element) [fig 13] provided in at least one of a region corresponding to an emitted light flux from the refracting portion 21 [fig 13] of the optical element 22 [fig 13] and a region corresponding to an emitted light flux from the reflecting portion [0123].
As of claim 3, FANG (an embodiment) teaches the diffusion portion 41 [fig 13] is formed on at least one of an emission surfaces of the refracting portion 21 [fig 13] and an emission surface of the reflecting portion 22 [fig 13].
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FANG et al. (US 2022/0214542 A1; FANG) in view of Mukawa (US 2003/0147112 A1).
FANG teaches the invention as cited above except for the diffusion portion is a lenticular lens formed to extend in the predetermined direction.
Mukawa teaches a projection type image display device [fig 7] having the diffusion portion 616 [fig 7] is a lenticular lens [0041] formed to extend in the predetermined direction (towards the holographic optical device 618) [fig 7].
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 diffusion portion is a lenticular lens formed to extend in the predetermined direction as taught by Mukawa to the optical member as disclosed by FANG to improve the illumination efficiency (FANG; [0041]).
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FANG et al. (US 2022/0214542 A1; FANG).
As of claims 4, 5, FANG (an embodiment) teaches the invention as cited above except for a light source device comprising: a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on an incident surface side of the optical member along the predetermined direction; and a lens portion configured to guide, to an illumination target, light from the plurality of light emitting elements, which is emitted from the optical member.
FANG (another embodiment) teaches a head-up display system [fig 6] having a light source device 10 [fig 6] comprising: a plurality of light emitting elements 10 [fig 6] disposed on an incident surface side of the optical member 20 [fig 6] along the predetermined direction (towards direction controller element 30) [fig 6]; and a lens portion 30 [0098] configured to guide, to an illumination target 50 (liquid crystal panel) [fig 6], light from the plurality of light emitting elements 10 [fig 6], which is emitted from the optical member 20 [fig 6]; wherein the diffusion portion 41 [fig 6] is formed on an incident surface of the lens portion 30 [fig 6].
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 a light source device comprising: a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on an incident surface side of the optical member along the predetermined direction; and a lens portion configured to guide, to an illumination target, light from the plurality of light emitting elements, which is emitted from the optical member as taught by FANG (another embodiment) to the optical member as disclosed by FANG (an embodiment) to improve the illumination efficiency (FANG; [0041]).
As of claim 6, FANG (an embodiment) teaches the invention as cited above except for a head-up display comprising: a spatial light modulating unit as the illumination target configured to receive light from the light source device from an incident surface and emit light modulated in accordance with image information from an emission surface; and a projection unit configured to project the light emitted from the spatial light modulating unit.
FANG (another embodiment) teaches a head-up display [fig 6] comprising; a spatial light modulating unit 50 (liquid crystal panel) [fig 6] as the illumination target configured to receive light from the light source device 10 [fig 6] from an incident surface and emit light modulated in accordance with image information from an emission surface [0096]; and a projection unit 60 [fig 6] configured to project the light emitted from the spatial light modulating unit (the head-up display system is installed on a transportation means such as a vehicle; for example, the reflection device for displaying 60 in the embodiment is a windshield of the vehicle or a film attached to the windshield; and the reflection device for displaying 60 has a transflective characteristic, which allows the imaging light emitted by the liquid crystal panel 50 to be reflected by the reflection device for displaying 60 to the preset position 100) [0107].
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 a head-up display comprising: a spatial light modulating unit as the illumination target configured to receive light from the light source device from an incident surface and emit light modulated in accordance with image information from an emission surface; and a projection unit configured to project the light emitted from the spatial light modulating unit as taught by FANG (another embodiment) to the optical member as disclosed by FANG (an embodiment) to improve the illumination efficiency (FANG; [0041]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
- Prior Art KOBAYASHI (US 20200041847 A1) teaches a liquid crystal illumination device which includes a light source projecting light to a liquid crystal panel, a first diffusion unit diffusing the projected light, a first light guide unit including a radially widened reflection surface and reflect the diffused light at the reflection surface, a reflecting mirror including an opening, part of the light guided by the first light guide unit being reflected and returned to inside the first light guide unit, and remaining light passing through the opening, a light collecting unit collecting light passing through an opening on the reflecting mirror, and a second diffusion unit diffusing the collected light toward the liquid crystal panel. The opening on the reflecting mirror is formed correspondingly to a display region where the liquid crystal panel display an image. A haze value of the first diffusion unit is set to a value higher than that of the second diffusion unit;
- Prior Art SUGIYAMA et al. (US 20190113672 A1) teaches a compact light source device that can be manufactured at a low cost and is suitable as an illumination light source for a display device of an electronic device such as an HUD or an ultra-compact projector. This light source device includes a solid-state light source, a collimating optical system that converts light having exited the solid-state light source into a substantially collimated light; and a light guide that allows the light having exited the collimating optical system to enter and allows this light to exit in a direction that differs from a direction of entry. The light source device further includes a polarization converting element that aligns polarization directions of the light exiting the light guide into one direction.
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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