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 .
DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having Application No. 18894545 filed on 09/24/2024 is presented for examination by the examiner.
Election/Restriction
Applicant’s election of invention group I and Species A in the reply filed on 08/11/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention group II and Species B, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/11/2024.
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Priority
As required by e M.P.E.P. 210, 214.03, acknowledgement is made of applicant’s claim for priority based on applications KR 10-2023-0143001, filed 10/24/2023, and to KR 10-2023-0152503, filed 11/07/2023 (Korea).
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
However, to overcome a prior art rejection, applicant(s) must submit a translation of the foreign priority papers in order to perfect the claimed foreign priority because said papers has not been made of record in accordance with 37 CFR 1.55. See MPEP § 213.04
Drawings
The applicant’s drawings submitted are acceptable for examination purposes.
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 (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 1-6 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kang KR 20220150019 A, where attached English language translation is referenced.
In regard to independent claim a, Kang teaches (see Figs. 1-6) a head-up display (i.e. head-up display apparatus, device, see abstract, paragraphs [01,04-10,18-27,31-39,41-48]) comprising:
a lower case (100, lower case, paragraphs [18-27,31-39,41-48], e.g. Figs. 1-2,6);
an aspherical mirror including at first and second ends thereof (aspherical mirror 110 with first and second ends, where the spherical mounts 115 are formed at two mount supports 112, paragraphs [18-27,31-39], e.g. Figs. 1-3), a first spherical mount and a second spherical mount (spherical mounts 115 are formed at both ends of the aspherical mirror 110, paragraphs [18-27,31-39], e.g. Figs. 1-3), which are mounted in mounting grooves formed at first and second ends of the lower case (as 115 are mounted in mounting blocks 105 at 1st, 2nd ends of lover case 100, where 105 each with side wall 200 and fastening groove 250, paragraphs [18-27,31-39], e.g. Figs. 1-3);
an upper module disposed at an upper portion of the aspherical mirror and coupled to the lower case (upper screen module 140 at upper portion of 110, coupled to 100, paragraphs [18, 39, 45-48], Fig. 1),
wherein the aspherical mirror includes a rigidity reinforcement portion located between the first spherical mount and the second spherical mount (i.e. as guide grooves 300 with fixing pin 125, actuator 120, which are between spherical mounts 115 of 110, paragraphs [18, 23-28], Figs. 1,3,4).
Regarding claim 2, Kang teaches (see Figs. 1-6) that the rigidity reinforcement portion is formed to protrude from a central area of the aspherical mirror (i.e. as 300,1125,120 protrudes from central area of 110, as depicted in Figs. 3-4, paragraphs [18, 23-28]).
Regarding claim 3, Kang teaches (see Figs. 1-6) that the rigidity reinforcement part (300,125,120) includes an accommodation groove in which an elastomer having a predetermined elastic force and a guide protrusion disposed at an end of the elastomer are accommodated (i.e. as 300 has a guide groove in which top pin part of 125 having finite elastic force with bottom part of 125 are disposed, as depicted in Figs. 1, 3-4, paragraphs [18, 25-28]).
Regarding claim 4, Kang teaches (see Figs. 1-6) that the rigidity reinforcement part includes a plurality of ribs on an outer surface of the rigidity reinforcement part (i.e. as 300 has ribs on left and right portion of 300 outer surface, as depicted in Fig. 3, paragraphs [18, 23-28]).
Regarding claim 5, Kang teaches (see Figs. 1-6) that the lower case includes, on an inner surface of the lower case, a receiving portion for receiving a rotation radius of the rigidity reinforcement part, and as the aspherical mirror rotates (i.e. as 100 has on inner surface portion for receiving 120 of 300,125,120, as depicted in Figs. 1,4, paragraphs [29-31,25-27]), the guide protrusion moves in contact with an inner surface of the receiving portion (i.e. as 120 part of 300,125,120 moves with the 110, while in contact with 100, Figs. 1,4, paragraphs [29-31,25-27]).
Regarding claim 6, Kang teaches (see Figs. 1-6) that the receiving portion includes a V-shaped groove on an inner surface of the receiving portion (as 100 inner surface portion for receiving includes a V-shaped groove for receiving 120, as depicted in Figs. 4,1, see paragraphs [29-31,25-27]), and includes a guide groove formed by bending the inner surface of the receiving portion one or more times (i.e. as guide groove as depicted in Fig. 1 for receiving 120, see paragraphs [29-31,25-27]).
Regarding claim 9, Kang teaches (see Figs. 1-6) that at least one of the mounting grooves include a stopper portion that restricts movement of the aspherical mirror due to an elastic force applied from the rigidity reinforcement part (as the blocks 105 with seating portions shape including side wall 200 and fastening groove 250 shape restricting movement of 110 due to force exerted by 120,125, paragraphs [18-27,31-39, 41-48], e.g. Figs. 1-3);
Regarding claim 10, Kang teaches (see Figs. 1-6) that the stopper portion is formed or disposed on an inner surface of the at least one mounting groove at a position corresponding to a direction of the elastic force applied from the rigidity reinforcement part (as the blocks 105 have seating portions shape including side wall 200 and fastening groove 250 on inner surface of 105, corresponding to direction of force applied from 120, 125, shape restricting movement of 110 due to force exerted by 120,125, paragraphs [31-39], e.g. Figs. 1-3)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 8 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 taken either singly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the independent claims, in such a manner that a rejection under 35 USC 102 or 103 would be improper. Regarding claim 7, the prior art of kang teaches the guide groove includes (see receiving grooves on inner surface of 100, Figs. 1,4), but Kang taken either singly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest such a head-up display including the specific arrangement where the guide groove includes: a first rotation section in which the aspherical mirror rotates within a first angle range; and a second rotation section in which the aspherical mirror rotates within a second angle range from the first rotation section, and in combination with all other claimed limitations of claim 1 and intervening claims 3, 5 and 6..
Claim 8 depends on claim 7 and therefore is objected for the same reasons.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Takahashi et al. US 20190278053 A1 also discloses features of instant invention (see Figs. 3-8, 10 and their descriptions).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIN PICHLER whose telephone number is (571)272-4015. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am -5:00pm.
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 K Pham can be reached at (571)272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARIN PICHLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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