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 .
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 6/24/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 27 and 30-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 27, claimed term of “depositing magnetic particles substantially uniformly across the projection screen” (line 7-8) is vague and renders the claims indefinite. The term “substantially uniformly” does not define a range/scope of claimed particle uniformity. It is not defined in instant specification disclosure and does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, further one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
Claims 30-32 are rejected as containing the deficiencies of claim 27 through their dependency from claim 27.
Claim 31 has same undefined issue as that of claim 27 in line 4.
Therefore proper amendments are required in order to clarify the scopes of the claims and overcome the rejections.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Herati et al (US 9964844).
Regarding Claim 1, Herati teaches a system for screen shaking, the system (abstract; figs. 5-8; col. 2, line 7-15, for reducing speckle artifacts; a screen is vibrated by a screen vibrator) comprising:
a projection screen (fig. 7, 102) comprising magnetic material (fig. 7, 506) affixed in a stretchable binder (fig. 7, 504; col. 7, line 54-63, batten 504; The battens can be made of a light yet stiff material, such as balsa wood, carbon fiber, or a composite material, --- balsa wood has an elastic modulus of about 3.71 GPa);
at least one electromagnetic actuator disposed at a distance from the screen (fig. 7, 722/720) and configured to vibrate the projection screen via magnetic fields; and
a controller (fig. 7, 106) configured for signal communication with the at least one electromagnetic actuator (fig. 7, 106, 720), the controller configured to:
generate and transmit one or more signals to the at least one electromagnetic actuator to cause generation of the magnetic fields by the at least one electromagnetic actuator, wherein the generated magnetic fields interact with the magnetic material to cause the projection screen to vibrate (fig. 7, 106, 720/722, 506, 102; col. 6, line 20-34, a screen vibration system that uses a stationary electromagnet system; If the core 722 is of a material, such as iron, that is influenced by a magnetic field, a small amount of electrical current can be made to pass through the coil 720 by power supply 106 to create a magnetic field that can repel or attract the element 506. The screen displacement that results from forcing the element 506 to move by the magnetic field can displace the screen 102 in either direction; col. 1, line 49-54, An electromagnet is positioned across from the permanent magnet. An electric current to the electromagnet is controlled to successively repel and attract the permanent magnet to cause the screen to vibrate).
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 of this title, 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 2, 6-7, 10-18, 24-25, 27 and 30-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herati et al (US 9964844) in a view of Schneider (US 20020160231).
Regarding Claim 2, Herati discloses as set forth above and further teaches that wherein the magnetic material disposed on a side of the projection screen (fig. 7, 102, 506/504).
But Herati does not specifically disclose that wherein the magnetic material comprises ferromagnetic particles; and disposed in a non-uniform or periodic pattern, the non-uniform or periodic pattern comprising a first density of the ferromagnetic particles at a first portion of the projection screen and a second density of the ferromagnetic particles at a second portion of the projection screen.
However, Schneider teaches a magnetic article (abstract; figs. 1-2),
wherein the magnetic material comprises ferromagnetic particles (fig. 1A, 306- magnetizable particles, 308- binder, 310- high-permeability particles, 312- binder 312; abstract, line 1-4, A magnetic article has a magnetic layer having magnetized particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder and an adjacent high-permeability layer having high-permeability particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder); and
wherein disposed in a non-uniform or periodic pattern, the non-uniform or periodic pattern comprising a first density of the ferromagnetic particles at a first portion of the projection screen and a second density of the ferromagnetic particles at a second portion of the projection screen (fig. 1B, 360/354; 356/352; ¶[0046], line 1-4, The magnetizable particles 356 are concentrated in a magnetic region 352 near the lower surface 364, and the high-permeability particles 360 are concentrated in a high-permeability region 354 near the top surface 366 of the article 350).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Screen vibration systems of Herati by the magnetic article of Schneider for a purpose to provide a magnetic layer having enhanced magnetic field strength (¶[0010], line 1-2).
Regarding Claim 6, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that the system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic material comprises iron powder suspended in the stretchable binder (abstract, line 1-4, A magnetic article has a magnetic layer having magnetized particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder and an adjacent high-permeability layer having high-permeability particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder; ¶[0037], line 1-13, particulate magnetic material; magnetic particles; such as those incorporating neodymium, iron, boron and the like, can be used, as disclosed in Schneider); the stretchable binder comprising a resin and coated on the projection screen (¶[0028], line 1-7, the magnetic layer by forming a dispersion of a particulate magnetic material and a resin binder; be coated onto a substrate, as disclosed in Schneider).
Regarding Claim 7 Herati - Schneider combination teaches that system of claim 6, wherein the resin comprises alkyd (abstract, line 1-4, A magnetic article has a magnetic layer having magnetized particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder and an adjacent high-permeability layer having high-permeability particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder, as disclosed in Schneider, ---resin alkyd is well known in art, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 146).
Regarding Claim 10, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that system of claim 1, wherein the stretchable binder comprises an elastic modulus between 30 and 100 megapascals (¶[0038], line 1-18, Suitable extrudable resin binders include natural and synthetic rubbers, poly(vinyl chloride), plastisols e.g., poly(vinyl chloride) plastisols,…, as disclosed in Schneider; --- elastic modulus of synthetic rubbers have elastic modulus ranging between 1 MPa to 100 MPa).
Regarding Claim 11, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that system of claim1, wherein the stretchable binder is sufficiently stretchable so as to allow the projection screen to be stretched during mounting (¶[0038], line 1-18, Suitable extrudable resin binders include natural and synthetic rubbers, poly(vinyl chloride), plastisols e.g., poly(vinyl chloride) plastisols,…, as disclosed in Schneider; --- elastic modulus of synthetic rubbers have elastic modulus ranging between 1 MPa to 100 MPa, to be stretched easily).
Regarding Claim 12, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that system of claim 1,wherein the magnetic material comprises ferromagnetic particles or diamagnetic particles, or a combination thereof, deposited at least partly on a side of the projection screen in a prescribed pattern (fig. 7, 102, 506/504, as disclosed in Herati; figs. 1A-B, 300, 350; ¶[0037], line 1-12, magnetic particles having a high magnetization and high coercivity, such as strontium and barium ferrites, as disclosed in Schneider).
Regarding Claim 13, Herati teaches a method of mitigating speckle (abstract; figs. 5-8),
wherein the speckle comprises a plurality of interference artifacts on a projection screen (col. 2, line 7-15, for reducing speckle artifacts; a screen is vibrated by a screen vibrator), and
wherein the projection screen comprises magnetic material disposed on at least portions of the projection screen (fig. 7, 102, 506),
the method comprising:
generating and transmitting one or more signals to an electromagnetic actuator (fig. 7, 106, 720/722; col. 1, line 49-54, An electromagnet is positioned across from the permanent magnet. An electric current to the electromagnet is controlled to successively repel and attract the permanent magnet to cause the screen to vibrate);
wherein the electromagnetic actuator is positioned at a distance from the magnetic material (fig. 7, 506, 720/722);
wherein the magnetic material (fig. 7, 506) are affixed in a stretchable binder agent (fig. 7, 504; col. 7, line 54-63, batten 504; The battens can be made of a light yet stiff material, such as balsa wood, carbon fiber, or a composite material, --- balsa wood has an elastic modulus of about 3.71 GPa) and disposed on the projection screen (fig. 7, 506, 504, 102);
wherein the electromagnetic actuator generates magnetic fields in response to the transmitted one or more signals; and wherein the generated magnetic fields interact with the magnetic material to move the projection screen for at least partly mitigating a visual perceptibility of the speckle (fig. 7, 106, 720/722, 506, 102; col. 2, line 7-15, for reducing speckle artifacts; a screen is vibrated by a screen vibrator; col. 6, line 20-34, a screen vibration system that uses a stationary electromagnet system; If the core 722 is of a material, such as iron, that is influenced by a magnetic field, a small amount of electrical current can be made to pass through the coil 720 by power supply 106 to create a magnetic field that can repel or attract the element 506. The screen displacement that results from forcing the element 506 to move by the magnetic field can displace the screen 102 in either direction).
But Herati does not specifically disclose that wherein the magnetic material comprising magnetic particles; and wherein the magnetic particles are affixed in a stretchable binder agent.
However, Schneider teaches a magnetic article (abstract; figs. 1-2), wherein the magnetic material comprising magnetic particles; and wherein the magnetic particles are affixed in a stretchable binder agent (fig. 1A, 306- magnetizable particles, 308- binder, 310- high-permeability particles, 312- binder 312; abstract, line 1-4, A magnetic article has a magnetic layer having magnetized particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder and an adjacent high-permeability layer having high-permeability
particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Screen vibration systems of Herati by the magnetic article of Schneider for a purpose to provide a magnetic layer having enhanced magnetic field strength (¶[0010], line 1-2).
Regarding Claim 14, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that method of claim 13, wherein the magnetic particles disposed on the projection screen comprise ferromagnetic particles or diamagnetic particles, or a combination thereof, deposited at least partly on a side of the projection screen in a prescribed pattern (fig. 7, 102, 506/504, as disclosed in Herati; figs. 1A-B, 300, 350; ¶[0037], line 1-12, magnetic particles having a high magnetization and high coercivity, such as strontium and barium ferrites, as disclosed in Schneider).
Regarding Claim 15, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that method of claim 14, wherein the prescribed pattern comprises a non-uniform pattern of deposition at a first non-zero density at a first portion of the projection screen, and deposition at a second non-zero density at a second portion of the projection screen, the second density different from the first density (fig. 1B, 360/354; 356/352; ¶[0046], line 1-4, The magnetizable particles 356 are concentrated in a magnetic region 352 near the lower surface 364, and the high-permeability particles 360 are concentrated in a high-permeability region 354 near the top surface 366 of the article 350, as disclosed in Schneider).
Regarding Claim 16, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that method of claim 13, wherein the magnetic particles comprise iron powder suspended in the stretchable binder agent (abstract, line 1-4, A magnetic article has a magnetic layer having magnetized particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder and an adjacent high-permeability layer having high-permeability particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder; ¶[0037], line 1-13, particulate magnetic material; magnetic particles; such as those incorporating neodymium, iron, boron and the like, can be used, as disclosed in Schneider), the stretchable binder agent comprising a resin and coated on the projection screen (¶[0028], line 1-7, the magnetic layer by forming a dispersion of a particulate magnetic material and a resin binder; be coated onto a substrate, as disclosed in Schneider).
Regarding Claim 17, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that method of claim 16, wherein the iron powder has particles with a diameter of 1 - 100 µm (¶[0055], line 1-8, magnetic materials was prepared, having a particle size of about 2 micrometers, as disclosed in Schneider).
Regarding Claim 18, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that method of claim 16, wherein the resin comprises alkyd (abstract, line 1-4, A magnetic article has a magnetic layer having magnetized particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder and an adjacent high-permeability layer having high-permeability particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder, as disclosed in Schneider, ---resin alkyd is well known in art, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 146).
Regarding Claim 24, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that method of claim 13, further comprising positioning the projection screen at a distance from an electromagnetic element configured to generate magnetic fields (fig. 7, 722/720, 102; col. 2, line 7-15, for reducing speckle artifacts; a screen is vibrated by a screen vibrator, as disclosed in Herati).
Regarding Claim 25, Herati - Schneider combination teaches that method of claim 13,wherein the stretchable binder agent comprises an elastic modulus between 30 and 100 megapascals (¶[0038], line 1-18, Suitable extrudable resin binders include natural and synthetic rubbers, poly(vinyl chloride), plastisols e.g., poly(vinyl chloride) plastisols,…, as disclosed in Schneider; --- elastic modulus of synthetic rubbers have elastic modulus ranging between 1 MPa to 100 MPa).
Regarding Claim 27, Herati teaches a method of obtaining a projection screen that can be shaken by a non-contact magnetic driver to at least partially mitigate visual perceptibility of speckle (abstract; figs. 5-8; col. 2, line 7-15, for reducing speckle artifacts; a screen is vibrated by a screen vibrator), the method comprising:
applying magnetic material to at least portions of the projection screen (fig. 7, 506/504, 102).
But Herati does not specifically disclose that wherein the applying of the magnetic material comprises at least one of: coating the at least portions of the projection screen with a stretchable binder agent, wherein magnetic particles are affixed in the binder agent; affixing one or more sheets of the magnetic material in rolled form having a thickness of less than 0.1 mm; depositing magnetic particles substantially uniformly across the projection screen; or spatially positioning magnetic particles at a first non-zero density at a first portion of the projection screen and at a second non-zero density at a second portion of the projection screen, the second density different from the first density.
However, Schneider teaches a magnetic article (abstract; figs. 1-2),
wherein the applying of the magnetic material comprises at least one of:
coating the at least portions of the projection screen with a stretchable binder agent, wherein magnetic particles are affixed in the binder agent (fig. 1A, 306- magnetizable particles, 308- binder, 310- high-permeability particles, 312- binder 312; abstract, line 1-4, A magnetic article has a magnetic layer having magnetized particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder and an adjacent high-permeability layer having high-permeability particles dispersed in a natural or synthetic resin binder);
affixing one or more sheets of the magnetic material in rolled form having a thickness of less than 0.1 mm (fig. 1A, 302, 304; ¶[0027], line 1-18, the magnetic particles may be dispersed in an uncured rubber or plasticized resin in a high-shear mixer, and the mixture may then be extruded, usually at elevated temperature, through a suitably shaped die or nozzle to form a sheet material. the magnetic layer may have a thickness of from about 0.01 inch to about 1 inch; ¶[0031], line 1-7, to provide a dried solid layer of magnetic material of a thickness ranging from about 1 mil (25 µm) to about 120 mils (3 mm);
depositing magnetic particles substantially uniformly across the projection screen (fig. 1A, 306, 310); or
spatially positioning magnetic particles at a first non-zero density at a first portion of the projection screen and at a second non-zero density at a second portion of the projection screen, the second density different from the first density.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Screen vibration systems of Herati by the magnetic article of Schneider for a purpose to provide a magnetic layer having enhanced magnetic field strength (¶[0010], line 1-2).
Regarding Claim 30, , Herati - Schneider combination teaches that the method of claim 27, wherein the applying of the magnetic material comprises the affixing of the one or more sheets of the magnetic material in rolled form having the thickness of less than 0.1 mm (fig. 1A, 302, 304; ¶[0027], line 1-18, the magnetic particles may be dispersed in an uncured rubber or plasticized resin in a high-shear mixer, and the mixture may then be extruded, usually at elevated temperature, through a suitably shaped die or nozzle to form a sheet material. the magnetic layer may have a thickness of from about 0.01 inch to about 1 inch; ¶[0031], line 1-7, to provide a dried solid layer of magnetic material of a thickness ranging from about 1 mil (25 µm) to about 120 mils (3 mm), as disclosed in Schneider).
Regarding Claim 31, , Herati - Schneider combination teaches that the method of claim 27, wherein the projection screen comprises an active image area (fig. 7, 102, as disclosed in Herati), wherein the applying of the magnetic material to the at least portions of the projection screen (fig. 7, 102, 506/504, as disclosed in Herati) comprises the depositing of the magnetic particles substantially uniformly across the active image area of the projection screen (fig. 1A, 302/306 or 304/310, as disclosed in Schneider).
Regarding Claim 32, , Herati - Schneider combination teaches that the method of claim 27, wherein the applying of the magnetic material to the at least portions of the projection screen (fig. 7, 102, 506/504, as disclosed in Herati) comprises the spatially positioning of the magnetic particles at the first non-zero density at the first portion of the projection screen and at the second non-zero density at the second portion of the projection screen (fig. 1B, 360/354; 356/352; ¶[0046], line 1-4, The magnetizable particles 356 are concentrated in a magnetic region 352 near the lower surface 364, and the high-permeability particles 360 are concentrated in a high-permeability region 354 near the top surface 366 of the article 350, as disclosed in Schneider).
Examiner’s Note
Regarding the references, the Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Jie Lei whose telephone number is (571) 272 7231. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by the telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Stephone Allen can be reached on (571) 272 2434.The Fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is (571) 273 8300.
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/JIE LEI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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