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 discloses and claims only subject matter disclosed in prior application, and names the inventor or at least one joint inventor named in the prior application. Accordingly, this application may constitute a continuation or divisional. Should applicant desire to claim the benefit of the filing date of the prior application, attention is directed to 35 U.S.C. 120, 37 CFR 1.78, and MPEP § 211 et seq. The presentation of a benefit claim may result in an additional fee under 37 CFR 1.17(w)(1) or (2) being required, if the earliest filing date for which benefit is claimed under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) and 1.78(d) in the application is more than six years before the actual filing date of the application.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS)s submitted on 07/21/2025 and 01/22/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of invention I, corresponding to claims 1-12 and 14, drawn to an optical display in the reply filed on 05/22/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-4, 8-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maniatopoulos et al. (US20060156350) (hereinafter Man) in view of Hicks et al. (US20090085383) (hereinafter Hicks).
Regarding claim 1, Man discloses an optical display, comprising: a display body, comprising:
a back part disposed in a first direction of the display body [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; display housing with gears and arms for display adjustments].
a pitch mechanism, comprising a driving piece that comprises: an output shaft fixedly coupled to the connecting side part [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; display housing with gears and arms for display adjustments].
a driving body rotatively coupled to the output shaft and configured to drive the output shaft to rotate to cause the display body to rotate around a first rotation axis in a second direction of the display body [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; display housing with gears and arms for display adjustments].
Man discloses the limitations of the claim. However, Man does not explicitly disclose a light outlet part disposed opposite to the back part are in the first direction and a connecting side part is coupled between the light outlet part and the back part.
Hicks discloses a light outlet part disposed opposite to the back part are in the first direction and a connecting side part is coupled between the light outlet part and the back part [Figs. 1-5, 0009-0019; varying configurations including lights, pockets and other compartments to facilitate display operations].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Man with the teachings of Hicks as stated above. By incorporating the teachings as such, dynamically adjustable assembly that prevents user injuries is achieved (see Hicks 0001-0003).
Regarding claim 2, Man discloses wherein the pitch mechanism further comprises:[Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; display housing with gears and arms for display adjustments].
Regarding claim 3, Man discloses wherein the driving piece is coupled to the first transmission structure and configured to drive the first transmission structure to move [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; display housing with gears and arms for display adjustments].
Regarding claim 4, Man discloses wherein the second transmission structure is fixedly coupled to the connecting side part and configured to rotate around a second rotation axis, and wherein the first transmission structure is further configured to rotate and drive the second transmission structure and to rotate the display body [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; display housing with gears and arms for display adjustments in a plurality of directions].
Regarding claim 8, Man discloses wherein the first transmission structure comprises a first gear, coupled to the driving piece wherein the second transmission structure comprises a sector gear fixedly connected coupled to the connecting side part and engaged with the first gear, and wherein the driving piece is further configured to drive the first gear to rotate to drive the sector gear to rotate [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; plurality of gears for rotations of display in a plurality of directions].
Regarding claim 9, Man discloses wherein the first transmission structure comprises a first gear fixedly coupled to the driving piece, wherein the second transmission structure comprises an arc tooth part disposed on the connecting side part and engaged with the first gear and wherein the driving piece is configured to drive the first gear to rotate to drive the display body to rotate [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; plurality of gears (and respective tooth) for rotations of display in a plurality of directions].
Regarding claim 10, Man discloses wherein the first transmission structure comprises a first belt wheel coupled to the driving piece, wherein the second transmission structure comprises a second belt wheel fixedly coupled to the connecting side part, wherein the pitch mechanism further comprises a transmission belt sleeved on the first belt wheel and the second belt wheel, and wherein the driving piece is further configured to drive the first belt wheel to rotate to make the transmission belt drive the second belt wheel to rotate [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; plurality of gears and belt strands/belt drives for rotations of display in a plurality of directions].
Regarding claim 11, Man discloses wherein the driving piece comprises an outer surface, and wherein the pitch mechanism further comprises a noise reduction piece[Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; display housing with gears and arms for display adjustments].
Regarding claim 12, Man discloses wherein the connecting side part comprises a first side part, a second side part, a third side part, and a fourth side part that are disposed in a second connected manner, wherein the first side part and the second side part are disposed opposite to each other in the second direction, wherein the third side part and the fourth side part are disposed opposite to each other in a third direction of the display body, and wherein the driving piece is located on a side on which the first side part, the second side part, the third side part, and the fourth side part is located [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; display housing with gears and arms for display adjustments].
Regarding claim 14, Man discloses wherein the pitch mechanism is accommodated in the package housing [Figs. 1-4, 0017-0024; display housing with gears and arms for display adjustments].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7 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 prior arts of record individually nor in combination do not explicitly disclose wherein the first transmission structure comprises a worm, and wherein the second transmission structure comprises a worm gear, fixedly coupled to the connecting side part, and configured to engage with the worm and rod body fixedly coupled to the worm head and comprising a first end and wherein the pitch mechanism further comprises: a first tapered steering gear, when taken in the environment of the independent claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See references Dilaver et al. (US20240411130), Hayashida et al. (US11198364), and Shigefuji et al. (US11027664).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TALHA M NAWAZ whose telephone number is (571)270-5439. The examiner can normally be reached Flex, M-R 6:30am-3:30pm; F 8:30am-12:30pm.
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, Joe G Ustaris can be reached at 571-272-7383. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TALHA M NAWAZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2483
Prosecution Insights