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 04/27/2026 has been 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 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 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheung et al. (US PUB 20230266607; herein after “Cheung”) in view of HIRANO et al. (US PUB 20200400962; herein after “SU”).
Cheung and HIRANO disclose smart glasses with smart hinges thereof. Therefore, they are analogous art.
Regarding claim 1, Cheung teaches modularized smart glasses with camera (a smart glasses, FIG. 12), comprising: a front frame (30), two hinges (10a & 10b) and two temples (20a & 20b) (para. [0042], FIG. 1-2), wherein, two ends of the front frame are respectively provided with first connection portions (a mounting shaft 3), front ends of the two hinges are respectively provided with second connection portions (a Pogopin connector b), and the second connection portions of the two hinges are respectively pivotally connected with the two first connection portions of the front frame, and front ends of the two temples are respectively detachably installed on rear ends of the two hinges (i.e., The two smart hinges are hinged to the front by the mounting shaft in an alternative way. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, which show that the smart hinge 10b with the PogoPin connector b is hinged to the front 30 by the mounting shaft 3. The two temples are connected to the smart hinges by plugging in an alternative way, [0056], FIGS. 8-11, also see para. [0040], [0042] and [0042]); a front end of at least one hinge is integrated with a camera (MCU, sensor 21) (para. [0059], FIG. 14), wherein when the hinge is in an unfolded state (rotate) relative to the front frame (para. [0044], FIG. 8), the front end of the hinge faces the front frame, and a light-transmissive area (an insulating shell 1) is provided at a position corresponding to the front end of the hinge on the front frame (i.e., a material of the insulating shell 1 of this embodiment is a light-transmitting material, para. [0043], FIG. 3); driving circuits configured for driving the camera to work are integrated inside the hinge or the temple (i.e., the electronic circuits in the front 30 are soldered to the circuit board 2 in the smart hinge 10b through electric wires, para. [0058], FIG. 13); and the two hinges are electrically connected through a cable (wire 301), a cable groove is provided in the front frame, the cable is laid in the cable groove, and two ends of the cable are respectively embedded within the two hinges (i.e., as shown in FIG. 14, there is an electric wire 301 embedded in the front 30. The electric wire 301 connects the left side to right side electrically, and may be a FPC (flexible printed circuit), para. [0059], also see para. [0023]).
Cheung teaches all limitations except for explicit teaching of a front end of at least one hinge is integrated with a camera, and driving circuits configured for driving the camera to work are integrated inside the hinge or the temple.
However, in a related field of endeavor HIRANO teaches the near-infrared LED 337 and the near-infrared camera 338 constitute what is called an eye tracker. First, the near-infrared LED 337 emits near-infrared light toward eyes of a wearer. Subsequently, the near-infrared camera 338 captures an image of the eyes of the wearer, so that the positions of the pupils of the eyes of the wearer and the positions of points of reflection of the near-infrared light, which is emitted by the near-infrared LED 337, on the corneas are identified (para. [0403], FIG. 42).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Cheung such that a near-infrared camera constitutes what is called an eye tracker (e.g., a driving circuits for driving the camera for eye tracking), and the near-infrared camera captures an image of the eyes of the wearer as taught by HIRANO, for the purpose of contributing to improvement of image quality, and to improve the sense of unity of the frame housing.
Regarding claim 2, Cheung according to claim 1 further teaches the second connection portions (b) are positioned on inner surfaces (202) of the front ends of the two hinges (10b) (as shown at least in FIGS. 2-3 & 5, para. [0043] and [0047]).
Regarding claim 3, Cheung according to claim 1 further teaches the first connection portions and the second connection portions are provided with connecting holes (11), and each hinge is pivotally (rotationally) connected to the front frame by inserting pins or screws through the connection holes of the first connection portions and the second connection portions (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, para. [0044]).
Regarding claim 4, Cheung according to claim 1 further teaches the first connection portions and the front frame are designed separately, with the first connection parts being detachably arranged at the ends of the front frame (para. [0022] and [0057], as shown in FIG. 12).
Regarding claim 5, Cheung fails to teach a Light-emitting Diode (LED) or light is integrated inside a front end of one hinge, and the driving circuits are configured for controlling the LED or light to realize functions of indicating and/or flashing through a preset driving manner; and wherein the camera is integrated inside a front end of another hinge.
However, in a related field of endeavor HIRANO teaches the near-infrared LED 337 and the near-infrared camera 338 constitute what is called an eye tracker. First, the near-infrared LED 337 emits near-infrared light toward eyes of a wearer. Subsequently, the near-infrared camera 338 captures an image of the eyes of the wearer, so that the positions of the pupils of the eyes of the wearer and the positions of points of reflection of the near-infrared light, which is emitted by the near-infrared LED 337, on the corneas are identified (para. [0403], FIG. 42).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Cheung such that the near-infrared LED 337 emits near-infrared light toward eyes of a wearer, and so that the positions of the pupils of the eyes of the wearer and the positions of points of reflection of the near-infrared light, which is emitted by the near-infrared LED as taught by HIRANO, for the purpose of contributing to improvement of image quality.
Regarding claim 6, Cheung according to claim 1 further teaches cameras are integrated inside the front ends of the two hinges (as shown in FIG. 14, para. [0059]).
Regarding claim 7, Cheung according to claim 1 further teaches both a LED or light and the camera are integrated inside one of the two hinges (as shown in FIG. 14, para. [0059]).
Regarding claim 8, Cheung according to claim 1 further teaches the two ends of the front frame respectively extend outward to form limit walls (an external locking portion 14), and when the hinge rotates to a position contacting with the limit wall, the limit wall blocks the hinge from continuing to rotate; and wherein the light-transmissive area is positioned in the limit wall (as shown in FIGS. 2 & 5, para. [0047]).
Regarding claim 9. Cheung according to claim 1 further teaches the light-transmissive area is a gap, a through hole, or an open-area with light transmitting material (i.e., In order to facilitate the sensor 21 to receive or transmit signals, a material of the insulating shell 1 of this embodiment is a light-transmitting material, para. [0043], and as shown in FIG. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Cheung according to claim 1 further teaches the front ends of the two temples are respectively plugged with the rear ends of the two hinges through USB Type-C interfaces (para. [0042], FIG. 1-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11 and 12 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:
Regarding claim 11, the closest prior art Cheung et al. (US PUB 20230266607) does not teach, or renders obvious, regarding a sensor for detecting relative position states of the hinge and the front frame, a controller is integrated inside the hinge or the temple, the sensor is electrically connected with the controller, and when the sensor detects that the hinge is in the unfolded state (rotated) relative to the front frame, the controller controls the camera to turn on.
Regarding claim 12, the closest prior art Cheung et al. (US PUB 20230266607) does not teach, or renders obvious, regarding the hinge is waterproof as a whole; one end of each of the metal grooves is connected to the cable groove in the front frame, and other end of each of the metal grooves is connected to the second connection portion; and the cable is led out from the cable groove and reaches the second connection portions through the metal grooves, the two ends of the cable are respectively embedded within the two hinges.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. SU et al. (US PUB 2023/0194899) teaches “An integrated binocular augmented reality smart glass, which comprises an integrated structure of glass temples, an imaging system, a nose pad, a battery module and a glass frame, and a circuit board processor module and a control system are integrated therein”, see Abstract.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUSTAK CHOUDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-5247. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8AM-5PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Mack can be reached on (571)272-2333. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MUSTAK CHOUDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
August 13, 2026
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