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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 09/12/2024 and 09/12/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Objection/s to the Specification
The title of the invention, “LIGHT HOMOGENIZING MODULE AND PROJECTION DEVICE,” is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 102
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-4, 7, 8, 10, 12-15, 18, 19, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Oh (US 20060152689 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 12, Oh teaches a projection device (Fig. 1-13), comprising an illumination system (1-5), at least one light valve (7), and a projection lens (8; Fig. 1 and 2), wherein: the illumination system (1-5) is used to provide an illumination beam; the at least one light valve (7) is disposed on a transmission path of the illumination beam from the illumination system (1-5) and is used to convert the illumination beam into an image beam; and the projection lens (8) is disposed on a transmission path of the image beam and is used to project the image beam out of the projection device, wherein the illumination system (1-5) comprises a light source module (1) and a light homogenizing module (3), the light source module (1) is used to provide the illumination beam, the light homogenizing module (3) is disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam and is used to receive and homogenize the illumination beam, and the light homogenizing module (3) comprises a light homogenizing element (130) and a light shielding element (100; Fig. 3), wherein: the light homogenizing element (130) comprises a light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9) and an axis perpendicular to the light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9); and the light shielding element (100) is disposed on a side of the light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9), and the light shielding element (100) comprises a first reflection portion (101), at least one second reflection portion (102), and a light entrance (120), where: the first reflection portion (101) surrounds the light entrance (120); the at least one second reflection portion (102) has a first end portion (E1) and a second end portion (E2) opposite to each other, the first end portion (E1) of the at least one second reflection portion (102) is connected to the first reflection portion (101), and the second end portion (E2) of the at least one second reflection portion (102) is farther away from the light homogenizing element (130) than the first reflection portion (101); and the light entrance (120) exposes the light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9), wherein an extension direction of the first reflection portion (101) is parallel to the light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9), and in a direction parallel to the light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9), a distance between the second end portion (E2) of the at least one second reflection portion (102) and the axis is less than or equal to a distance between the first end portion (E1) of the at least one second reflection portion (102) and the axis.
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Regarding claims 2 and 13, Oh further teaches the light homogenizing element (130) further comprises a surrounding wall (132) and a cavity, the cavity is formed inside the surrounding wall (132), the light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9) is located at an end of the cavity, and on a virtual plane parallel to the light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9), an orthographic projection of the at least one second reflection portion (102) on the virtual plane at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the surrounding wall (132) on the virtual plane (Fig. 5-9).
Regarding claims 3 and 14, Oh further teaches the light homogenizing element (130) further comprises a surrounding wall (132) and a cavity, the cavity is formed inside the surrounding wall (132), the light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9) is located at an end of the cavity, and on a virtual plane parallel to the light incident surface (Fig. 7 and 9), an orthographic projection of the at least one second reflection portion (102) on the virtual plane does not overlap with an orthographic projection of the cavity on the virtual plane (Fig. 5-9).
Regarding claims 4 and 15, Oh further teaches the at least one second reflection portion (102) surrounds the light entrance (120), and the at least one second reflection portion (102) is located at at least one edge of the light entrance (120; Fig. 5-9).
Regarding claims 7 and 18, Oh further teaches at least part of a surface of the first reflection portion (101) away from the light homogenizing element (130) has a light absorbing layer or a diffuse reflection layer (Fig. 7 and 9).
Regarding claims 8 and 19, Oh further teaches at least part of a surface of the at least one second reflection portion (102) has a light absorbing layer or a diffuse reflection layer.
Regarding claims 10 and 21, Oh further teaches the light shielding element (100) further comprises an extension portion (110), the extension portion (110) extends from the first reflection portion (101) toward the light homogenizing element (130) in a direction parallel to the axis of the light homogenizing element (130).
Claim Rejections - AIA 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 5 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh in view of Iwane (US 20110292353 A1).
Regarding claims 5 and 16, Oh further teaches a number of the at least one second reflection portion (102) is plural, and the second reflection portions (102) are disposed at intervals on the first reflection portion (101; Fig. 5 and 6).
Oh does not teach the second reflection portions (102) are disposed at intervals on the first reflection portion (101) to form a fin structure.
Iwane teaches a fin structure formed on the light shield (110; [0078]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to combine Oh with Iwane; because it allows increasing “contact area with atmosphere with a fin structure.”
Regarding claims 6 and 17, Oh further teaches the first reflection portion (101) and each of the second reflection portions (102) are perpendicular to each other (Fig. 5-9).
Claims 9 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh in view of Kitai (US 6069677 A).
Regarding claims 9 and 20, Oh does not explicitly teach the light absorbing layer is a black coating, an anodized layer, or an anti-reflective coating, and the diffuse reflection layer is a coating with diffuse reflection particles or a structural layer with a rough surface.
Kitai teaches the light absorbing layer is a black coating, an anodized layer, or an anti-reflective coating, and the diffuse reflection layer is a coating with diffuse reflection particles or a structural layer with a rough surface (Fig. 4 and 5; col. 5 lines 9-25).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to combine Oh with Kitai; because it allows improved light shielding.
Claims 11 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oh in view of Sato (US 20110249205 A1).
Regarding claims 11 and 22, Oh does not explicitly teach the light shielding element (100) further comprises a plurality of heat dissipation fins, and the plurality of heat dissipation fins are disposed on the extension portion (110).
Sato teaches the light shielding element (130) further comprises a plurality of heat dissipation fins (132), and the plurality of heat dissipation fins are disposed on the extension portion (at 132; Fig. 4-6).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to combine Oh with Sato; because it allows greater heat dissipation.
Conclusion
The prior art references cited in PTO-892 are made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Patent documents, US 20220236632 A1, US 20210254799 A1, US 20190331996 A1, US 20190094674 A1, US 10108074 B1, US 20180143515 A1, US 20180067386 A1, US 20190011820 A1, US 20160131966 A1, US 20160124294 A1, US 20160085142 A1, US 20090296051 A1, US 20090262315 A1, US 20090009879 A1, US 20090015802 A1, US 20080055749 A1, US 20080080079 A1, US 20070263307 A1, US 20070216879 A1, US 20070216871 A1, US 20070109778 A1, US 20070024815 A1, US 20060092391 A1, US 20050111818 A1, US 20040156212 A1, US 20040090598 A1, US 20040062043 A1, US 20030098956 A1, US 20030053787 A1, US 20010008470 A1, US 6422719 B1, US 6394611 B1, US 6205271 B1, disclose a light shielding plate for light integrator.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BAO-LUAN Q LE whose telephone number is (571)270-5362. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday; 9:00AM-5:00PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached on (571) 272 230303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Any response to this action should be mailed to:
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/BAO-LUAN Q LE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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