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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Roes et al. (USPN 2005/0041020).
With regard to claim 1,
Roes et al. disclose an optical device capable of use in an automotive vehicle, comprising a layer including liquid crystals (112), a first layer of an electrically conductive coating (120a), and a second layer of an electrically conductive coating (120b), the first layer and the second layer being two separate layers arranged on either side of the layer including liquid crystals (see fig. 2B), the first layer including a first positive terminal (210a) and the second layer including a first negative terminal (210b), the first positive terminal and the first negative terminal being intended to be connected to a first electric power source so as to generate an electric field through the layer including liquid crystals (see paragraph 16), wherein at least one layer of the first layer and the second layer includes a second positive terminal (212a) and a second negative terminal (212b) intended to be connected to a second electric power source so as to cause an electric current to flow through this layer, between the second positive terminal and the second negative terminal (see paragraph 20).
With regard to claim 2,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in the claim 1, wherein the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal form a single positive terminal (see paragraph 16).
With regard to claim 3,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first positive terminal, the second positive terminal, the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal are four separate terminals (see paragraph 16).
With regard to claim 4,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the layer including liquid crystals is a layer including liquid crystals (112) dispersed in a polymer (114).
With regard to claim 5,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first electric power source (230a) electrically connected to the first positive terminal and to the first negative terminal, and a second electric power source (260) electrically connected to the second positive terminal and to the second negative terminal
With regard to claim 6,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first power source is an AC power source (see paragraphs 20, 21), or in that the second power source is a DC power source (260).
With regard to claim 7,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second positive terminal and the second negative terminal are spaced apart from each other by a distance greater than or equal to 50% of a largest dimension of the layer of electrically conductive coating including them (see fig. 2B).
With regard to claim 8,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the layer including the second positive terminal and the second negative terminal includes a rectangular shape, the second positive terminal and/or the second negative terminal extending along at least 50% of a short side of the rectangular shape (see fig. 2B).
With regard to claim 9,
Roes et al. disclose a luminous device for an automotive vehicle, comprising a light source (see paragraph 18) and an optical device (200), the optical device being arranged so as to receive light rays coming from the light source (see paragraph 18), with the optical device including a layer including liquid crystals (112), a first layer (120a) of an electrically conductive coating, and a second layer (120b) of an electrically conductive coating, the first layer and the second layer being two separate layers arranged on either side of the layer including liquid crystals (see fig. 2B), the first layer including a first positive terminal (210a) and the second layer including a first negative terminal (212b), the first positive terminal and the first negative terminal being intended to be connected to a first electric power source so as to generate an electric field through the layer including liquid crystals (see paragraph 16), wherein at least one layer of the first layer and the second layer includes a second positive terminal (210a,212a) and a second negative terminal (210b,212b) intended to be connected to a second electric power source so as to cause an electric current to flow through this layer (see paragraphs 16, 19-21), between the second positive terminal and the second negative terminal.
With regard to claim 10,
Roes et al. disclose a method for controlling an optical device, with the optical device including a layer including liquid crystals (112), a first layer of an electrically conductive coating (120a), and a second layer of an electrically conductive coating (120b), the first layer and the second layer being two separate layers arranged on either side of the layer including liquid crystals (see fig. 2B), the first layer including a first positive terminal (210a) and the second layer including a first negative terminal (212b), the first positive terminal and the first negative terminal being intended to be connected to a first electric power source so as to generate an electric field through the layer including liquid crystals (see paragraph 16), wherein at least one layer of the first layer and the second layer includes a second positive terminal (210a,212a) and a second negative terminal (210b,212b) intended to be connected to a second electric power source so as to cause an electric current to flow through this layer, between the second positive terminal and the second negative terminal the method comprising: detecting a temperature less than or equal to a threshold, and causing an electric current to flow between the second positive terminal and the second negative terminal to heat the layer of electrically conductive coating including the second positive terminal and the second negative terminal (see paragraph 16,19-21, 61).
With regard to claim 11,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in the claim 1, wherein the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal form a single negative terminal (see paragraph 16).
With regard to claim 12,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first layer or the second layer is a layer of indium tin oxide (see paragraph 17).
With regard to claim 13,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer is a layer of indium tin oxide (see paragraph 17).
With regard to claim 14,
Roes et al. disclose the optical device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first power source is an AC power source (see paragraph 16) and the second power source is a DC power source (250/260).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. USPN 2022/0100011.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christopher Raabe whose telephone number is (571)272-8434. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0530-1430.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James R Greece can be reached at (571)272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHRISTOPHER M RAABE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights