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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/20/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 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 (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 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.
Claims 1, 9, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato et al. (2023/0022744, of record) in view of Seo (2025/0138766).
Regarding claim 1, Sato discloses an optical system (at least Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5), comprising: a half mirror (18, partially reflecting mirror) having a first surface (left hand side surface of 18, partially reflecting mirror) and a second surface on mutually opposite sides (right hand side surface of 18, partially reflecting mirror); a first at least one optical element (at least 14, first reflective linearly polarizing plate, and 16, first retardation plate) which has a third surface (right hand side surface of 16, first retardation plate) and a fourth surface on mutually opposite sides (left hand side surface of 14, first reflective linearly polarizing plate), the third surface facing the first surface (right hand side surface of 16, first retardation plate, faces left hand side surface of 18, partially reflecting mirror), first circularly-polarized light having a first rotation direction being emitted from the third surface in a case where first linearly-polarized light having a first polarization direction is incident on the fourth surface ([0100] teaches converting left-right linearly polarized light into right circularly polarized light), third circularly-polarized light having a second rotation direction being emitted from the third surface in a case where second circularly-polarized light having the second rotation direction different from the first rotation direction is incident on the third surface (at least [0112] teaches light transmitted through 16, first retardation plate, which is incident on 14, first reflective linearly polarizing plate, is left circularly polarized light; the left circularly polarized light incident on 16, first retardation plate, is emitted as left circularly polarized light towards 14, first reflective linearly polarizing plate); a second at least one optical element (20, second retardation plate, and 22, second linearly polarizing plate) that is disposed at a symmetric position to a position at which the first at least one optical element is disposed with respect to the half mirror (Figures 4 and 5), has a symmetric shape to a shape of the first at least one optical element with respect to the half mirror (Figures 4 and 5; [0115]), and has a fifth surface (left hand side surface of 20, second retardation plate) and a sixth surface on mutually opposite sides (right hand side surface of 22, second linearly polarizing plate), the fifth surface facing the second surface (left hand side surface of 20, second retardation plate, faces right hand side surface of 18, partially reflecting mirror), fifth circularly-polarized light having the first polarization direction being emitted from the fifth surface in a case where fourth circularly-polarized light having the first rotation direction is incident on the fifth surface ([0101] teaches 20, second retardation plate, converts right circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light in the left-right direction), second linearly-polarized light having a second polarization direction perpendicular to the first polarization direction being emitted from the sixth surface in a case where sixth circularly-polarized light having the second rotation direction is incident on the fifth surface ([0105] teaches left circularly polarized light which is incident on 20, second retardation plate, is converted into linearly polarized light in the up-down direction; this u-down direction linearly polarized light is transmitted as is through 22, second reflective linearly polarizing plate); and a convex lens configured to transmit the second linearly-polarized light (Figure 5, 29, positive lens; [0173]).
Sato fails to teach wherein the first at least one optical element includes a first film-shaped optical element to be attached to a first plane and wherein the second at least one optical element includes a second film-shaped optical element to be attached to a second plane. Sato and Seo are related because both teach an optical system.
Seo teaches an optical system wherein a first at least one optical element includes a first film-shaped optical element to be attached to a first plane ([0095] teaches F2, second film section, may be bonded to one surface of a lens, and the attached surface may be a substantially flat surface) and wherein a second at least one optical element includes a second film-shaped optical element to be attached to a second plane ([0088] teaches F1, first film section, is attached to a surface of a first lens, wherein the attached surface may be a substantially flat surface).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified Sato to incorporate the teachings of Seo and provide wherein the first at least one optical element includes a first film-shaped optical element to be attached to a first plane, and wherein the second at least one optical element includes a second film-shaped optical element to be attached to a second plane. Doing so would allow for improved focus of image light while retaining a compact design.
Regarding claim 9, the modified Sato discloses the optical system according to claim 1, wherein the first film-shaped optical element is a first reflective polarizer (14, first reflective linearly polarizing plate) having the fourth surface (left hand side surface of 14, first reflective linearly polarizing plate) and having a first transmission axis and a first reflection axis (at least [0106] teaches transmission of left-right direction and reflection of up-down direction), the first at least one optical element includes a first quarter wavelength plate (16, first retardation plate; [0100]) that is disposed between the half mirror and the first reflective polarizer (Figure 2), has the third surface (right hand side surface of 16, first retardation plate), and has a first fast axis and a first slow axis (at least [0100]), the second film-shaped optical element is a second reflective polarizer (22, second reflective linearly polarizing plate) having the sixth surface (right hand side surface of 22, second reflective linearly polarizing plate), and having a second transmission axis and a second reflection axis (at least [0102] teaches transmission of up-down direction and reflection of left-right direction), the second transmission axis being perpendicular to the first transmission axis and the second reflection axis being perpendicular to the first reflection axis (at least [0102] teaches transmission of up-down direction and reflection of left-right direction; at least [0106] teaches transmission of left-right direction and reflection of up-down direction), and the second at least one optical element includes a second quarter wavelength plate (20, second retardation plate; [0101]) disposed between the half mirror and the second reflective polarizer (Figure 2), having the fifth surface (left hand side surface of 20, second retardation plate), and having a second fast axis and a second slow axis (at least [0105]), the second fast axis being perpendicular to the first fast axis and the second slow axis being perpendicular to the first slow axis (at least [0100, 0105]).
Regarding claim 19, the modified Sato discloses a display device (at least Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5), comprising: the optical system according to claim 1 (at least Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5); and a display configured to emits the first linearly-polarized light (52, image display apparatus, and 12, first absorptive linearly polarizing plate; [0098]).
Regarding claim 20, the modified Sato discloses a head-mounted device, comprising: the display device according to claim 19 (at least Abstract; [0002]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8 and 10-18 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 fails to teach the limitations of claims 2 and 10-18, along with the structural limitations positively recited in the claims from which they respectively depend, in a manner that would be appropriate under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103. Claims 3-8 are directly or indirectly dependent on claim 2, and are therefore objected to for at least the same reason.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kim (12,724,268), Liang (2026/0227639), Kim (2024/0004202), Liang (2022/0099988), Lee (2018/0180889), and Khan (2018/0039052) disclose relevant optical systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BALRAM T PARBADIA whose telephone number is (571)270-0602. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at (571) 272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BALRAM T PARBADIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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