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, 2, 11 – 14, 25 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pietilae et al. (US Pub. No. 2022/0390666 A1).
As to claims 1 and 26, Pietilae shows a waveguide 106 and associated methodology (Fig. 4 and para. 39) comprising: an incoupler 212/404/412 comprising a plurality of reflective facets (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42 and 44), each reflective facet of the plurality of reflective facets to selectively reflect light having a first optical characteristic of a plurality of optical characteristics (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42 and 44), wherein light having each one of the plurality of optical characteristics is received from a different input (i.e. from an individual laser/light emission 210/300/400 associated light source 206, Fig. 4 and paras. 19, 29 and 39), wherein the plurality of reflective facets is positioned such that one or more reflective facets of the plurality of reflective facets is in a path of light propagation of light incoupled at another one of the plurality of reflective facets (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42 and 44).
As to claim 2, Pietilae shows that one or more reflective facets of the plurality of reflective facets allows light incoupled at other ones of the plurality of reflective facets to pass through (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42 and 44).
As to claim 11, Pietilae shows that the plurality of optical characteristics are different polarization states (paras. 51 and 52).
As to claim 12, Pietilae shows that a first facet of the plurality of reflective facets comprises a mirror to reflect light (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42 and 44) having a first polarization state (paras. 51 and 52) and wherein a second facet of the plurality of reflective facets comprises a polarization beam splitter (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42, 44, 51 and 52).
As to claim 13, Pietilae shows that the polarization beam splitter allows light having the first polarization state incoupled at the first facet to pass through and reflects light having a second polarization state (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42, 44, 51 and 52).
As to claim 14, Pietilae shows that light having each of the plurality of optical characteristics is emitted from a different light emitting source (i.e. from an individual laser/light emission 210/300/400 associated light source 206, Fig. 4 and paras. 19, 29 and 39).
As to claim 25, Pietilae shows an eyewear display (Fig. 1 and para. 7), comprising: a waveguide according to claim 1 (see rejection above).
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 3 – 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pietilae in view of Schultz et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0011708 A1).
As to claim 3, Pietilae shows that the plurality of optical characteristics are different wavelength ranges (para. 39).
Pietilae does not show that the one or more reflective facets of the plurality of reflective facets comprises a dichroic mirror coating.
Schultz shows that a reflective facet comprises a dichroic mirror coating (para. 69).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the teachings of Pietilae with those of Schultz because designing the system in this way allows the devoice to selectively transmit or reflect light according to its incident angle (para. 69).
As to claim 4, Pietilae shows that a first facet of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to reflect light having a first wavelength range to propagate light having the first wavelength range within the waveguide (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42 and 44).
As to claim 5, Pietilae shows that a second facet of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to allow light having the first wavelength range to pass through and reflect light having a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range to propagate light having the second wavelength range within the waveguide (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42 and 44).
As to claim 6, Pietilae shows that a third facet of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to allow light having the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range to pass through and reflect light having a third wavelength range different from the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range to propagate light having the third wavelength range within the waveguide (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 40, 42 and 44).
As to claim 7, Pietilae shows that a first facet of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to reflect light of a first wavelength range corresponding to blue light, a second facet of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to reflect light of a second wavelength range corresponding to green light, and a third facet of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to reflect light of a third wavelength range corresponding to red light (Fig. 4 and paras. 11 and 39).
As to claim 8, Pietilae shows that the second facet is configured to allow light having the first wavelength range to pass through, and the third facet is configured to allow light having the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range to pass through (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 29, 40, 42 and 44).
As to claim 9, Pietilae shows that a first facet of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to reflect light of a first wavelength range corresponding to red light, a second facet of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to reflect light of a second wavelength range corresponding to green light, and a third facet of the plurality of reflective facets is configured to reflect light of a third wavelength range corresponding to blue light (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 29, 40, 42 and 44).
As to claim 10, Pietilae shows that the second facet is configured to allow light having the first wavelength range to pass through, and the third facet is configured to allow light having the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range to pass through (Fig. 4 and paras. 24, 29, 40, 42 and 44).
COCLUSION
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/CARL ADAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 2627
