DETAILED ACTION
Status
1. This Office Action is responsive to claims filed for application no. 18867406 on November 19, 2024. Please note claims 1-19 are pending and have been examined.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. 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
3. 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
4. Claims 1, 2 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang (US 20190121115 A1).
Regarding claim 1 (Original), Zhang discloses: A display device (see Figs. 3-5), comprising:
a display (Fig. 2, [0022], [0023], display 175),
wherein the display device is configured to display, using light including infrared light, a high-temperature image portion representing a high-temperature object having a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature in response to an image displayed by the display including the high-temperature image portion (Figs. 3-5, [0023]-[0029], discloses the display device comprising relay optical system in which infrared light 122a will form an image on a photomultiplier tube 141 having a high gain through the display 175, a very weak infrared signal can be detected through the photomultiplier tube 141. Certainly, since a threshold is set to the infrared image, only the infrared target object having a temperature higher than the threshold (such as, human, animals, and vehicles) can be appeared in a clear starlight background. Since only the infrared targets having a temperature above a threshold (such as, vehicles, humans and animals having a temperature of 35-40° C.) can be embedded in the clear night vision background image, so that red (pseudo-color) humans or animals can be seen in the green fields and forests, which will be very helpful for night war and hunting).
Regarding claim 2 (Original), Zhang discloses: An aerial image display device (see Fig. 3-5), comprising:
a display including a display surface (Fig. 2, [0022], [0023], display 175); and
a reflective optical system configured to reflect image light of an image displayed on the display surface and form an aerial image as a real image (see Fig. 3, Fig. 4, [0021]-[0025], discloses the relay optical system for displaying the image of the object),
wherein the aerial image display device is configured to display, using light including infrared light, a high-temperature image portion representing a high-temperature object having a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature on the display surface in response to the image including the high-temperature image portion (Figs. 3-5, [0023]-[0029], discloses the display device comprising relay optical system in which infrared light 122a will form an image on a photomultiplier tube 141 having a high gain through the display 175, a very weak infrared signal can be detected through the photomultiplier tube 141. Certainly, since a threshold is set to the infrared image, only the infrared target object having a temperature higher than the threshold (such as, human, animals, and vehicles) can be appeared in a clear starlight background. Since only the infrared targets having a temperature above a threshold (such as, vehicles, humans and animals having a temperature of 35-40° C.) can be embedded in the clear night vision background image, so that red (pseudo-color) humans or animals can be seen in the green fields and forests, which will be very helpful for night war and hunting).
Regarding clam 13 (Currently Amended), Zhang teaches the limitations of parent claim 2. Zhang further teaches wherein the high-temperature object includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a person, an animal, a character, and a heat generating object ([0026], [0028], discloses the high temperature objects such as vehicles, humans and animals).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 3-12 and 14-19 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:
Kobayashi et al. (US 20150015460 A1) discloses general teachings of head mounted display system comprising specific-image control unit 165 identifies a region having temperature equal to or higher than the threshold on the basis of a temperature distribution image acquired by the thermography 62. The specific-image control unit 165 creates specific image data indicating a red image in a size same as the size of the identified region in order to cause the user to visually recognize that the temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold (Fig. 26, [0088]).
Mino et al. (US 20230019596 A1) discloses general teachings of relay optical system using concave/convex mirrors in projection type head mounted display device for projecting the image formed in display to user’s eye (see Fig. 6).
Uhlig (US 12007549 B1) discloses general teachings of a thermal sensor that detects infrared radiation emitted from the environment and generates an emission-based image (see abstract, Figs. 2-3).
However, the prior art, whether considered alone or in combination, fail to disclose the technical features of dependent claims 3-12 and 14-19, in the context of detailed structure/driving method of aerial image display device for displaying a high-temperature image portion representing a high-temperature object having a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature on the display surface in response to the image including the high- temperature image portion using light including infrared light, as a whole, in the manner claimed is not sufficiently taught or suggested in the prior art.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISHNA P. NEUPANE whose telephone number is (571)270-7291. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm.
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, BENJAMIN C. LEE can be reached on (571)272-2963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/KRISHNA P NEUPANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629