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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-8, 10-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2017/0235142 (“WALL”).
Regarding claim 1, WALL teaches a device (202; FIG. 2), comprising: a first waveguide (100B), the first waveguide comprising: a first input coupler (112B) operable to receive a first color light (blue) and in-couple the first color light into the first waveguide; and a coating area adjacent to a grating (114B; FIG. 1; par. [0023]) of the first input coupler, the coating area operable to receive a second color light (green), the coating area having an anti-reflective coating (par. [0052]) with a transmission refractive index such that in operation the second color light is transmitted through the first waveguide to a second waveguide (100G); and the second waveguide below the first waveguide, the second waveguide having a second input coupler (112G) disposed below and aligned with the coating area, the second input coupler operable to receive the second color light and in-couple the second color light into the second waveguide (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 2, WALL teaches that the first waveguide has an output coupler (116B, 116G) to out-couple a blue field of view (FOV) and a green FOV from the first color light that is in-coupled (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 3, WALL teaches that the device further comprises an output coupler (116R) to out-couple a red field of view (FOV) from the second color light that is in-coupled.
Regarding claim 4, WALL teaches a light engine (204) disposed above the first waveguide with a pupil above the first input coupler (par. [0088]).
Regarding claim 5, WALL teaches that the anti-reflective coating is disposed over a first surface of the first waveguide opposing a second surface, under the second surface, or both over and under the second surface (par. [0052]).
Regarding claim 6, WALL teaches that the first input coupler is operable to in-couple the first color light into the first waveguide (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 7, WALL teaches that the second input coupler is operable to in-couple the second color light into the first waveguide (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 8, WALL teaches that the anti-reflective coating has a thickness, the thickness being equal to a quarter-wavelength thickness value associated with a material
(par. [0075]).
Regarding claim 10, WALL teaches a device (202; FIG. 2), comprising: a first waveguide (100B), the first waveguide having: a first input coupler (112B) operable to receive a first color (blue) light and in-couple the first color light into the first waveguide; and a first coating area adjacent to a first grating (114B; FIG. 1; par. [0023]) of the first input coupler, the first coating area operable to receive a second color light (green) and a third color light (red), the first coating area having a first anti-reflective coating (par. [0052]) with a first transmission refractive index such that in operation the second color light is transmitted through the first waveguide to a second waveguide (100G), and the first coating area having a second anti-reflective coating with a second transmission refractive index such that in operation the third color light is transmitted through the first waveguide to the second waveguide (par. [0052]; FIG. 2); the second waveguide having: a second input coupler (112G) operable to receive the second color light and in-couple the second color light into the second waveguide (FIG. 2); and a second coating area adjacent to a second grating of the second input coupler (114G; FIG. 1; par. [0023]), the second coating area operable to receive the third color light (FIG. 2), the second coating area having a third anti-reflective coating (par. [0052]) with a third transmission refractive index such that in operation the third color light is transmitted through the second waveguide to a third waveguide (!00R); and the third waveguide below the second waveguide, the third waveguide having a third input coupler (112R) disposed below and aligned with the second coating area, the third input coupler operable to receive the third color light and in-couple the third color light into the third waveguide (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 11, WALL teaches that the device further comprises an output coupler (116B) to out-couple a blue field of view (FOV) (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 12, WALL teaches that the device further comprises an output coupler (116G) to out-couple a green field of view (FOV) (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 13, WALL teaches that the device further comprises an output coupler (116R) to out-couple a red field of view (FOV) (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 14, WALL teaches that a light engine (204) disposed above the first waveguide with a pupil above the first input coupler (par. [0088]).
Regarding claim 15, WALL teaches that the first anti-reflective coating is disposed over a first surface of the first waveguide opposing a second surface of the first waveguide, under the second surface, or both over and under the second surface, and the second anti-reflective coating is disposed over a third surface of the second waveguide opposing a fourth surface of the second waveguide, under the third surface, or both over and under the third surface (FIG. 2; par. [0052]).
Regarding claim 16, WALL teaches that the first input coupler is operable to in-couple the first color light into the first waveguide (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 17, WALL teaches that the second input coupler is operable to in-couple only the second color light into the first waveguide (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 18, WALL teaches that the first anti-reflective coating, the second anti-reflective coating, and the third anti-reflective coating have a thickness, the thickness being equal to a quarter-wavelength thickness value associated with a material (par. [0075]).
Regarding claim 20, WALL teaches a method for using a device (202; FIG. 2), comprising: in-coupling a first color light (blue) into a first waveguide (100B), the first waveguide having a first input coupler (112B) operable to receive the first color light; and receiving a second color light (green) at a coating area adjacent to a grating (114B; FIG. 1;
par. [0023]) of the first input coupler, the coating area having an anti-reflective coating (par. [0052]) with a transmission refractive index such that in operation the second color light is transmitted through the first waveguide to a second waveguide (100G), the second waveguide below the first waveguide, the second waveguide having a second input coupler (112G) disposed below and aligned with the coating area, the second input coupler operable to receive the second color light and in-couple the second color light into the second waveguide (FIG. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 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: the prior art of record, whether taken individually or in combination, when considered in light of the claimed subject matter as a whole as interpreted in light of the Specification as originally filed, fails to disclose or render obvious that the transmission refractive index is a mean of a refractive index of a first material of the first waveguide and a second material between the coating area and the first input coupler.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US 2018/0011324 (“POPOVICH”); US 2018/0335629 (“CHENG”);
US 2019/0056591 (“TERVO”); US 2020/0116997 (“LEE”); US 2021/0294103 (“KLUG”);
US 2022/0065407 (“WEI”); and US 2022/0299711 (“BODIYA”).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERRY M BLEVINS whose telephone number is (571)272-8581. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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, Thomas Hollweg can be reached at 571-270-1739. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JERRY M BLEVINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
