Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/902,307

SEE-THROUGH COMPUTER DISPLAY SYSTEMS

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Sep 30, 2024
Priority
Feb 17, 2015 — CIP of 14/623,932 +3 more
Examiner
DEMETER, HILINA K
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Mentor Acquisition One LLC
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
72%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 4m
Est. Remaining
91%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 72% — above average
72%
Career Allowance Rate
483 granted / 672 resolved
+11.9% vs TC avg
Strong +19% interview lift
Without
With
+19.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 1m
Avg Prosecution
17 currently pending
Career history
694
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.6%
-38.4% vs TC avg
§103
87.5%
+47.5% vs TC avg
§102
6.8%
-33.2% vs TC avg
§112
1.6%
-38.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 672 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 This application is a continuation of US Application No. 18/332,649, filed on June 9, 2023, which is a continuation of US Application No. 17/098,204, filed on November 13, 2020, which is a continuation of US Application No. 15/058,835, filed on March 02, 2016, which is a continuation-in-part of US Application No. 14/632,932, filed on February 17, 2015. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is considered by the examiner. 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haddick et al. (US Publication Number 2013/0127980 A1, hereinafter “Haddick”). (1) regarding claim 1: As explained in the fig. 1, Haddick disclosed a system (para. [0285], note that the present disclosure relates to eyepiece electro-optics. The eyepiece may include projection optics suitable to project an image onto a see-through or translucent lens, enabling the wearer of the eyepiece to view the surrounding environment as well as the displayed image) comprising: a wearable head device comprising a see-through display adapted to present content, the content comprising a first portion and a second portion (para. [0509], note that in FIG. 7, an embodiment of the eyepiece 700 is depicted with a translucent lens 702 i.e. second portion on which is being displayed streaming media (an e-mail application) and an incoming call notification 704 i.e. first portion. In this embodiment, the media obscures a portion of the viewing area, however, it should be understood that the displayed image may be positioned anywhere in the field of view); a sensor adapted to detect a visual property of a surrounding environment visible through the see-through display (para. [0366], note that partially transmitting optical element that reflects respective portions of image light from the image source and transmits scene light from a see-through view of the surrounding environment); and one or more processors configured to perform a method (para. [0285], note that a processor, which may include a memory and an operating system, may control the LED light source and the optical display) comprising: comparing the detected visual property of a portion of the surrounding environment to a visual property of the first portion of the content (para. [0663], note that the contrast of the system may be automatically calibrated between the two displays as well as in comparison to the outside world), the portion of the surrounding environment overlapping with the first portion of the content on the see-through display and visible through the see-through display (para. [1257], note that vergence compensation becomes important in situations where a virtual image, i.e., an AR image, such as a label or other information, is to be placed near to or overlap a real image or when a virtual image of an object is to be superimposed upon a real image of the object in order to make the placement of the virtual image correct with respect to the real image); determining, based on the comparison, a relationship between a color of the first portion of the content and a color of the portion of the surrounding environment (para. [0663], note that the contrast may be adjusted as necessary to compensate for a sight and or perception deficit of the user. In embodiments, the contrast ratio may be a function of how the optics module is assembled. Reducing stray light, as described herein, may address techniques for assembling to provide a high contrast ratio. In embodiments, various types of single pixel brightness and or multi pixel color detectors may be inserted into the optical train to sample some or all of the light that is not making it all the way to the eye box of the display); based on the determined relationship, changing a color parameter with respect to the first portion of the content (para. [0663], note that depending on where the detector is placed in the optical path, the system may be provided with real time feedback to compensate for assembly tolerances, LED and LCoS panel yield, binning tolerances, Hot and Cold panel compensation and or maintain individual user calibrations). Haddick disclosed most of the subject matter as described as above except for specifically teaching forgoing changing the color parameter with respect to the second portion of the content. However, it would be obvious for Haddick to teach forgoing changing the color parameter with respect to the second portion of the content (para. [0664], note that wherein the eyepiece includes an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment and displayed content, and an integrated image source for introducing the content to the optical assembly wherein the optical assembly comprises two or more displays, and wherein the contrast is regulated for at least one of the displays such that the contrast of the two or more displays is balanced relative to one another within a predetermined range. Also see para. [0663], note that sensor feedback may cause an automatic and or manual adjustment in at least one of brightness, color saturation, color balance, hue, contrast, and the like). At the time of filing for the invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art to teach forgoing changing the color parameter with respect to the second portion of the content. The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been in order to provide an optical contrast which regulates c at least one of the displays such that the contrast of the two or more displays is balanced relative to one another within a predetermined range (para. [0664]). Therefore, it would have been obvious for Haddick to obtain the invention as specified in claim 1. (2) regarding claim 2: Haddick further disclosed the system of claim 1, wherein the content comprises video content (para. [0464], note that the eyepiece may be used for a plurality of video applications, such as recording video taken through an integrated camera or as transmitted from an external video device, playing back video to the wearer through the eyepiece (by methods and systems as described herein), streaming live video either from an external source (e.g. a conference call, a live news feed, a video stream from another eyepiece)). (3) regarding claim 3: Haddick further disclosed the system of claim 1, wherein the color parameter comprises one or more of a hue, a saturation, a color value, a color intensity, and a color balance (para. [0663], note that sensor feedback may cause an automatic and or manual adjustment in at least one of brightness, color saturation, color balance, hue, contrast, and the like). (4) regarding claim 4: Haddick further disclosed the system of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the content is transparent on the see-through display (para. [0285], note that the eyepiece may include projection optics suitable to project an image onto a see-through or translucent lens, enabling the wearer of the eyepiece to view the surrounding environment as well as the displayed image). (5) regarding claim 5: Haddick further disclosed the system of claim 1, wherein the wearable head device comprises the sensor (para. [0364], note that the front lighting systems may be used as a component in any type of optical system as a source of direct or indirect illumination, and are particularly preferred for illumination of any type or types of optical element, optical surface, or optical sensor, most preferably those which have a selectively configurable optical path). (6) regarding claim 6: Haddick further disclosed the system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises identifying a visual target of the user in the surrounding environment (para. [0544], note that e augmented reality glasses may also include a rangefinder, and focus of the electrically-adjustable lenses may be controlled automatically by pointing the rangefinder, such as a laser rangefinder, to a target or object a desired distance away from the user). (7) regarding claim 7: Haddick further disclosed the system of claim 1, wherein the method comprises: in accordance with a determination that the portion of the surrounding environment visible through the see-through display comprises a first color and further in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the content comprises the first color, reducing a color intensity of the first portion of the content on the see-through display, the color intensity associated with the first color (para. [0571], note that the user may adjust illumination through a movement of the hand or other body movement such that the intensity or color of illumination changes based on the movement made by the user. Also, the user may adjust the illumination through a voice command such as by speaking a phrase requesting increased or decreased illumination or requesting other colors to be displayed). The proposed rejection of claims 1-7 renders obvious the steps of the method of claims 8-14 and the non-transitory computer-readable claims 15-20 because these steps occur in the operation of the proposed rejection as discussed above. Thus, the arguments similar to that presented above for claims 1-7 are equally applicable to claims 15-20. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Alton et al. (US Publication Number 2015/0370071 A1) disclosed a see-through, near-eye mixed reality head mounted display (HMD) device includes left and right see-through display regions within which virtual images are displayable. These left and right see-through display regions each having a transmittance that is less than one hundred percent. The see-through, near-eye mixed reality HMD device also includes a see-through transmittance compensation mask that includes a left window through which the left see-through display region is visible and a right window through which the right see-through display region is visible Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Hilina K Demeter whose telephone number is (571) 270-1676. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, King Y. Poon could be reached at (571) 270- 0728. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about PAIR system, see http://pari-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /HILINA K DEMETER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2617
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 30, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 30, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12681560
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING A VIRTUAL SESSION
3y 0m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
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IMAGE DISPLAY SYSTEM, TERMINAL, METHOD, AND PROGRAM FOR DETERMINING A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FIRST IMAGE AND A SECOND IMAGE
2y 9m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026
Patent 12651396
SKELETON CORRECTION METHOD OF AVATAR, VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM
2y 11m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026
Patent 12651547
Color Calibration of a Desktop Monitor Using a Mobile Device Camera
2y 0m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026
Patent 12646239
AUTOMATED THERAPY COMPLIANCE VIDEO WITH AVATAR EXPLAINING COMPLIANCE DATA
2y 9m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
72%
Grant Probability
91%
With Interview (+19.1%)
3y 1m (~1y 4m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 672 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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