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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/04/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Objection/s to the Specification
The title of the invention, “IMAGE PROJECTION APPARATUS,” is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 12, 13, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Toyoda (US 20190072838 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Toyoda teaches an image projection apparatus (Fig. 1-16) comprising: a light source (10); an image light generator (18R/B/G) to receive light emitted from the light source (10) and generate image light; a projection optical system (3) to project the image light generated by the image light generator (18R/B/G), onto a projection plane; and an optical component (LG11) in the projection optical system (3), wherein the projection optical system (3) projects: first image light (e.g., longer wavelength or wavelength with lower lumen) having a first light energy onto a first focal position; and second image light (e.g., shorter wavelength or wavelength with higher lumen) having a second light energy larger than the first light energy of the first image light (e.g., longer wavelength or wavelength with lower lumen) onto a second focal position, and the projection plane (at 0 on the horizontal axis; Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 16) is between the first focal position and the second focal position (Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 16).
Regarding claim 2, Toyoda further teaches circuitry (33, 34) configured to move the optical component (LG11) so that the projection plane is between the first focal position and the second focal position (Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 16).
Regarding claim 3, Toyoda further teaches the circuitry (33, 34) respectively adjusts the first focal position and the second focal position to a stabilized first focal position and a stabilized second focal position (Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 16), and the stabilized first focal position and the stabilized second focal position are positions where changes in the first focal position and the second focal position are stabilized after the projection optical system (3) starts projecting the first image light (e.g., longer wavelength or wavelength with lower lumen) and the second image light (e.g., shorter wavelength or wavelength with higher lumen) on the projection plane (Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 16).
Regarding claim 4, Toyoda further teaches the circuitry (33, 34) respectively adjusts the first focal position and the second focal position to a stabilized first focal position and a stabilized second focal position (Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 16), and the stabilized first focal position and the stabilized second focal position are positions where a temperature change in the projection optical system (3) is stabilized after the projection optical system (3) starts projecting the first image light (e.g., longer wavelength or wavelength with lower lumen) and the second image light (e.g., shorter wavelength or wavelength with higher lumen) on the projection plane (Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 16).
Regarding claim 5, Toyoda further teaches the circuitry (33, 34) respectively adjusts the first focal position and the second focal position to a maximized first focal position and a maximized second focal position where changes in the first focal position and the second focal position are maximized after the projection optical system (3) starts projecting the first image light (e.g., longer wavelength or wavelength with lower lumen) and the second image light (e.g., shorter wavelength or wavelength with higher lumen) on the projection plane (Fig. 6, 10, 11).
Regarding claim 12, Toyoda further teaches the projection optical system (3) projects third image light (of middle wavelength) having a third focal position between the first focal position and the second focal (Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 16).
Regarding claim 13, Toyoda further teaches the third focal position is on the projection plane (Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 16).
Regarding claim 15, Toyoda further teaches a focus adjuster (33, 34) to move a lens in the projection optical system (3) to project the third image light ([0011]).
Claim Rejections - AIA 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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 of this title, 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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toyoda.
Regarding claim 6, even though Toyoda does not explicitly teach that a relationship of L/3 ≤ La, Lb ≤ 2L/3 is satisfied, where L is a distance between the first focal position and the second focal position, La is a distance between the first focal position and the projection plane, and Lb is a distance between the second focal position and the projection plane; Fig. 5 before temperature change, after temperature change, and after correction charts of Longitudinal Spherical Aber. show at least a very close relationship to L/3 ≤ La, Lb ≤ 2L/3.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention that the relationship of L/3 ≤ La, Lb ≤ 2L/3 is satisfied; because it is a matter of common sense.
Claims 7, 9, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toyoda in view of Willett (US 20130044293 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Toyoda does not explicitly teach the first image light (wavelength with lower lumen) has an average picture level (lumen) smaller than an average picture level (lumen) of the second image light (wavelength with higher lumen).
Willett teaches a typical light source with a white point of D65 in a projection system outputs, in terms of lumen, 26.5% red, 68.1% green, and 5.4% blue.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to combine Toyoda with Willett; because it is a proven technology that eliminates undue experimentation.
Regarding claim 9, Toyoda does not explicitly teach wherein the first image light (e.g., longer wavelength or wavelength with lower lumen) has a light energy smaller than 50% of light having a maximum energy that the light source (10) emits, and the second image light (e.g., shorter wavelength or wavelength with higher lumen) has a light energy larger than 50% of the light having the maximum energy.
Willett teaches a typical light source with a white point of D65 in a projection system outputs, in terms of lumen, 26.5% red and 68.1% green.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to combine Toyoda with Willett; because it is a proven technology that eliminates undue experimentation.
Regarding claim 11, Toyoda does not explicitly teach the first light energy of the first image light (wavelength with lower lumen) is 1/10 or less of the second light energy of the second image light (wavelength with higher lumen).
Willett teaches a typical light source with a white point of D65 in a projection system outputs, in terms of lumen, 68.1% green, and 5.4% blue.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art at the time of the invention to combine Toyoda with Willett; because it is a proven technology that eliminates undue experimentation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 10, and 14 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.
Regarding claim 8, Toyoda further teaches the first image light (e.g., longer wavelength or wavelength with lower lumen) and second image light (e.g., shorter wavelength or wavelength with higher lumen) including monochrome images; but does not teach “the first image light includes monochrome image light having an area ratio of white image light smaller than an area ratio of white image light of the second image light.” Furthermore, there is no teaching, suggestion or motivation in the prior art references to modify the references in such manner that results in the above claimed limitation/s; hence the invention as claimed by claim 8 is not obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Regarding claim 10, Toyoda does not teach “the first image light includes image light in which an image of a black background includes an evaluation chart for evaluating image quality or a focal position in an emission mode of darkest light that the light source emits, and the second image light includes image light in which an image of a white background includes an evaluation chart for evaluating image quality or a focal position in an output mode of brightest light that the light source outputs.” Furthermore, there is no teaching, suggestion or motivation in the prior art references to modify the references in such manner that results in the above claimed limitation/s; hence the invention as claimed by claim 10 is not obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Regarding claim 10, Toyoda does not teach “the third image light includes image light including an evaluation chart for evaluating image quality or a focal position.” Furthermore, there is no teaching, suggestion or motivation in the prior art references to modify the references in such manner that results in the above claimed limitation/s; hence the invention as claimed by claim 14 is not obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Conclusion
The prior art references cited in PTO-892 are made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Patent documents, US 20240064276 A1, US 20210157218 A1, US 20200088977 A1, US 20210124244 A1, US 20190313066 A1, US 20180101086 A1, US 20170307966 A1, US 10705322 B2, US 20170227744 A1, US 20160216494 A1, US 20150234167 A1, US 20150205082 A1, US 20150346464 A1, US 20140340654 A1, US 20120262803 A1, US 20110304922 A1, US 20100214540 A1, and US 20090009878 A1, disclose projection lens having chromatic aberration correction mechanism.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BAO-LUAN Q LE whose telephone number is (571)270-5362. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday; 9:00AM-5:00PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached on (571) 272 230303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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