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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. CN 112987473A in view of Uhlendorf et al. US 2024/0333890.
Regarding claim 1, Xu teaches a projecting system (see at least Figs. 1-2), comprising: a light source assembly, a polarization element, a light beam adjusting module, and a reflection (see at least para 0024 and Fig. 1: discloses projection display device including light source 1, PBS prism 2, lens module 3 and LCOS imaging chip) component:
wherein, the light beam adjusting module has an optical axis (Fig. 1 and paras. 0023-0024: lens module 2 is arranged along the optical axis), and
the light source assembly is configured to emit light to be transmitted through the polarization element to the light beam adjusting module for being shaped (Fig. 1 and paras. 0024-0025 and 0031: teaches light source 1 emits first polarized light i.e., P-polarized light, which PBS prism 2 transmits to lens module 3, and lens module 3 focuses the transmitted light onto LCOS imaging chip 4, thereby shaping the incident illumination)
the reflection component is configured to reflect back light incident into the light beam adjusting module to the light beam adjusting module (Fig. 1 and paras. 0024-0025 and 0031: LCOS imaging chip 4 receives the P-polarized light focused by projection lens module 3, and modulated P-polarized into S-polarized light containing image light and reflect/return S-polarized back to the lens module 3), and the reflected light form an image and is then reflected by the polarization element and output (see Figs.1-2 and paras. 0024-0025 and 0031: PBS prism 2 reflects the S-polarized image light toward a human eye or optical waveguide).
Xu fails to teach: that the light source assembly is located on a first side of the optical axis, the central portion of the emitted light is incident from the first side of the optical axis, and the central portion of the reflected light is emergent from a second side of the optical axis.
Uhlendorf as shown in Fig. 11A teaches, light source 1110 direct light through one lateral portion through lens 1130 to reflective SLM 1140, and the light reflected from SLM 1140 passed back through another lateral portion of optics 1130 toward the waveguide in-coupling element 1160. As shown in Fig. 11A, 11C, 13B and para 0164: the light source 1110 and in-coupling element are laterally displaced from the center of the optical axis of optics 1130. Therefore, Uhlendorf teaches using different first side and second side portions of the same optical assembly for the illumination and the projection paths. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to laterally offset Xu’s light source and reflected image path relative to the optical axis of projection lens module 3 as taught by Uhlendorf, because such arrangement would spatially separate the illumination and projection paths while allowing the same lens module to perform both illumination shaping and image projection, thereby providing compact optical arrangement as discussed in para 0151 of Uhlendorf.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Xu teaches the projecting system according to claim 1, and Xu further teaches wherein the light beam adjusting module comprises a lens assembly, configured to shapes light incident into the light beam adjusting module and images light reflected to the light beam adjusting module (Fig. 1 and paras. 0024-0025 and 0031: LCOS imaging chip 4 receives the P-polarized light focused by projection lens module 3, and modulated P-polarized into S-polarized light containing image light and reflect/return S-polarized back to the lens module 3).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Xu teaches the projecting system according to claim 1, and Xu further teaches wherein the light beam adjusting module further comprises a first phase retardation plate, located between the polarization element and the reflection component (as shown in Fig. 1: ¼ waveplate 5 is disposed between PBS prism 2 and LCOS 4).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Xu teaches the projecting system according to claim 1, and Xu teaches further comprises an optical waveguide sheet, which comprises a coupling-in area and a coupling-out area; such that the light reflected by the polarization element is transmitted to the coupling-in area, then is transmitted through the optical waveguide sheet to the coupling-out area, and is finally output from the coupling-out area (Fig. 2 and paras. 0015, 0024 and 0031: teaches PBS prism 2 directly reflects the S-polarized image light toward optical waveguide 7, and the reflected light enters and propagates through optical waveguide 7 and finally exits from the other side of the optical waveguide 7 toward human eye).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Xu teaches a head mounted device, comprising a projecting system according to claim 1 (see para. N0001: projection display device and an AR display system i.e., augmented reality (AR) device is head mounted device).
Claim(s) 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu and Uhlendorf as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sharp et al. US Patent No. 6,704,065.
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Xu teaches the projecting system according to claim 1, but fails to teach wherein the light beam adjusting module further comprises a brightness regulator, located between the polarization element and the reflection component.
Sharp teaches a reflective LCOS projection system including polarizing beam splitter 110, reflective light modulator 150 and light doubler 115 positioned directly between polarizing beam splitter 110 and reflective SLM 150 (see Fig. 15), and that light passes through light double 115 is spatially modulated and reflected by reflective modulator 150, and then pass back through light doubler 115, and doubler 115 increase the intensity of the light (see col. 14 lines 35-55). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to positing Sharp’s light doubler in Xu’s optical path between PBS 2 and reflective LCOS to increase the intensity and brightness of the projected image.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Xu teaches the projecting system according to claim 1, and Xu further teaches wherein the light beam adjusting module comprises a lens assembly (Fig. 1 and paras. 0024-0025 and 0031: LCOS imaging chip 4 receives the P-polarized light focused by projection lens module 3, and modulated P-polarized into S-polarized light containing image light and reflect/return S-polarized back to the lens module 3), a first phase retardation plate (as shown in Fig. 1: ¼ waveplate 5 is disposed between PBS prism 2 and LCOS 4), but fails to teach a brightness regulator, which are provided between the polarization element and the reflection component. Sharp teaches a reflective LCOS projection system including polarizing beam splitter 110, reflective light modulator 150 and light doubler 115 positioned directly between polarizing beam splitter 110 and reflective SLM 150 (see Fig. 15), and that light passes through light double 115 is spatially modulated and reflected by reflective modulator 150, and then pass back through light doubler 115, and doubler 115 increase the intensity of the light (see col. 14 lines 35-55). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to positing Sharp’s light doubler in Xu’s optical path between PBS 2 and reflective LCOS to increase the intensity and brightness of the projected image.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu, Uhlendorf and Sharp as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Jackson et al. (NPL Titled: Light splitting with imperfect wave plates (2017).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Xu teaches the projecting system according to claim 5, except for wherein the brightness regulator comprises a fixed second phase retardation plate and a movable third phase retardation plate; the second phase retardation plate has a first fast axis, the third phase retardation plate has a second fast axis, and the third phase retardation plate is configured to rotate relative to the second phase retardation plate to adjust an angle between the first fast axis and the second fast axis.
Jackson teaches using two wave plates with a polarization selective element to adjust the splitting fraction of incident light and adjusting the power in an output beam by rotating one wave plate while keeping the other waveplate fixed. The fast and slow axis of each wave plate rotates with the plate, rotating the movable waveplate relative to the fixed waveplate changes the angle between their respective fast axes (see Fig. 2 and page 1062-1064). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to use Jackson’s two waveplates optical power adjustment arrangement as the brightness regulator of Xu as modified by Sharp to provide adjustable range of output brightness.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu and Uhlendorf as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Seo et al. US 2002/0154273
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Xu teaches the projecting system according to claim 1, and Xu further teaches wherein the light source assembly comprises a light source (Figs. 1-2: projection light source 1), but fails to teach a reflector bowl, and the reflector bowl is configured to reflect the emitted light, that the reflected light travels parallel to the optical axis and then is transmitted through the polarization element to the light beam adjusting module.
Seo teaches a projection display light source 10 comprising lamp 10a and parabolic reflector 10b, and light emitted by lamp 10a is reflected by parabolic reflector 10b so that parallel light is directed toward light converting unit 20 (see Fig. 1 and paras. 0033-0034 of Seo). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Xu’s projection light source to include Seo’s parabolic reflector around the light source because such modification represents the predictable use of a known reflector based collimating arrangement and would improve light collection efficiency and brightness.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20150316782: para 0023: teaches: Light emitted from a light source (a light emitting section of a lamp) 1 in all directions is turned into an approximately parallel light beam by a parabolic reflector 2.
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/EPHREM Z MEBRAHTU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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