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 .
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.
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 non-obviousness.
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.
Claims 1, 11, 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TAKAHASHI (US 2016/0103306 A1) in view of Spitzer et al. (US 2016/0018639 A1; Spitzer).
As of claim 1, TAKAHASHI teaches a folded-optical arrangement to use in a display [fig 1], the display to transmit an image from an image plane to a user’s eye E [fig 1], the folded-optical arrangement providing a folded-optical-transmission path [fig 1] and comprising: a prism element 10 (first optical element) [fig 1] [0063] having at least a first optical element 10 [fig 1] comprising a first plurality of optically-powered surfaces (the three optical surfaces forming part of the first optical element 10 has preferably a rotationally asymmetric configuration because it can impart optical power to light beams and works more in favor of correction of decentration aberrations) [0063], the prism element 10 [fig 1] configured to receive light forming the image from the image plane 50 [fig 1] [0065].
TAKAHASHI does not teach a collimating element to collimate and output the light; the collimating element being arranged such that, in use, the user’s eye can view the image plane and does not look through the collimating element to view an exterior environment.
Spitzer teaches a heads-up display [fig 1A] having a collimating element 126 (optical element) [fig 1A] [0028] to collimate and output the light [0028]; the collimating element 126 [fig 1A] being arranged such that, in use, the user’s eye 120 [fig 1] can view the image plane 107 [fig 1A] and does not look through the collimating element to view an exterior environment 118 [fig 1A].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a collimating element to collimate and output the light; the collimating element being arranged such that, in use, the user’s eye can view the image plane and does not look through the collimating element to view an exterior environment as taught by Spitzer to the light module as disclosed by TAKAHASHI to produce integrated display and an imaging system for ocular measurement (Spitzer; [0001]).
As of claim 11, TAKAHASHI teaches a folded-optical arrangement to use in a display [fig 1], the display to transmit an image from an image plane to a user’s eye E [fig 1], the folded-optical arrangement providing a folded-optical-transmission path [fig 1] and comprising: a prism element 10 (first optical element) [fig 1] [0063] having a first optical element 10 [fig 1] and a second optical element 20 [fig 1], the first optical element 10 [fig 1] comprising a first plurality of surfaces 12, 13 [fig 1] including two or more optically-powered surfaces [0063], and the second optical element 20 [fig 1] comprising a second plurality of surfaces 21, 22 [fig 1] including at least one optically-powered surface [0066], the prism element 10 configured to receive light forming the image from an image source in the image plane 50 [fig 1] [0065].
TAKAHASHI does not teach a collimating element to collimate and output the light; the collimating element being arranged such that, in use, the user’s eye can view the image plane and does not look through the collimating element to view an exterior environment.
Spitzer teaches a heads-up display [fig 1A] having a collimating element 126 (optical element) [fig 1A] [0028] to collimate and output the light [0028]; the collimating element 126 [fig 1A] being arranged such that, in use, the user’s eye 120 [fig 1] can view the image plane 107 [fig 1A] and does not look through the collimating element to view an exterior environment 118 [fig 1A].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a collimating element to collimate and output the light; the collimating element being arranged such that, in use, the user’s eye can view the image plane and does not look through the collimating element to view an exterior environment as taught by Spitzer to the light module as disclosed by TAKAHASHI to produce integrated display and an imaging system for ocular measurement (Spitzer; [0001]).
As of claim 16, TAKAHASHI teaches a folded-optical arrangement to use in a display [fig 1], the display to transmit an image from an image plane to a user’s eye E [fig 1], the folded-optical arrangement providing a folded-optical-transmission path [fig 1] and comprising: a prism element 10 (first optical element) [fig 1] [0063] having a first optical element 10 [fig 1] and a second optical element 20 [fig 1], the prism element 10 [fig 1] configured to receive light forming the image from an image source 50 [fig 1], and a third optical element 30 [fig 1] comprising at least one optically-powered surface [0097] that is located between the image plane 50 [fig 1] and the first optical element 10 [fig 1].
TAKAHASHI does not teach a collimating element to collimate and output the light; the collimating element being arranged such that, in use, the user’s eye can view the image plane and does not look through the collimating element to view an exterior environment.
Spitzer teaches a heads-up display [fig 1A] having a collimating element 126 (optical element) [fig 1A] [0028] to collimate and output the light [0028]; the collimating element 126 [fig 1A] being arranged such that, in use, the user’s eye 120 [fig 1] can view the image plane 107 [fig 1A] and does not look through the collimating element to view an exterior environment 118 [fig 1A].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a collimating element to collimate and output the light; the collimating element being arranged such that, in use, the user’s eye can view the image plane and does not look through the collimating element to view an exterior environment as taught by Spitzer to the light module as disclosed by TAKAHASHI to produce integrated display and an imaging system for ocular measurement (Spitzer; [0001]).
Claims 6-7, 10, 13, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TAKAHASHI (US 2016/0103306 A1) in view of Spitzer et al. (US 2016/0018639 A1; Spitzer) and further in view of Peng et al. (US 10,495,798 B1; Peng).
TAKAHASHI in view of Spitzer teaches the invention as cited above except for a pupil-expanding element having a waveguide; a coupling element configured to couple light output from the collimating element into the waveguide; and a decoupling element configured to decouple light from the waveguide for output to the user’s eye; the decoupled light has a larger exit pupil than the coupled light and an in-coupling region comprises a diffraction grating and an outcoupling region comprises a diffraction grating.
Peng teaches a pupil-expanding element having a waveguide 415 (combiner) [fig 4] (col 15, line 29); a coupling element 430 (input coupler) [fig 4] (col 15, line 24) configured to couple light output from the collimating element 414 (projector optics) [fig 4] into the waveguide 415 [fig 4]; and a decoupling element 440 (output coupler) [fig 4] (col 15, line 24) configured to decouple light from the waveguide 415 [fig 4] for output to the user’s eye 490 [fig 4]; the decoupled light (from 440) [fig 4] has a larger exit pupil than the coupled light (from 430) [fig 4] and an in-coupling region 430 [fig 4] comprises a diffraction grating (col 14, lines 59-60) and an outcoupling region 440 [fig 4] comprises a diffraction grating (col 15, lines 26-27).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a pupil-expanding element having a waveguide; a coupling element configured to couple light output from the collimating element into the waveguide; and a decoupling element configured to decouple light from the waveguide for output to the user’s eye; the decoupled light has a larger exit pupil than the coupled light and an in-coupling region comprises a diffraction grating and an outcoupling region comprises a diffraction grating as taught by Peng to the folded-optical arrangement as disclosed by TAKAHASHI in view of Spitzer to relay the displayed images on different image planes (Peng; col 1, lines 55-56).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 8-9, 12, 14-15, 17-19 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.
As of claim 2, the closest prior art TAKAHASHI (US 2016/0103306 A1) teaches decentered optical system 1 according to one embodiment of the invention preferably comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, and a second optical element 20 located on a second surface 12 side of said first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein said second optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of said two optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, wherein said first optical element 10 and said second optical element 20 are spaced away from each other in an effective area through which a light beam passes, and satisfy the following condition (1):
0< D. sub. MAX u/f ≦0.3 (1)
where D. sub. MAX is the maximum value of a distance as measured in an effective area through which a light beam L passes on a section including a center chief ray Lc of the light beam L in a direction parallel with the center chief ray Lc between the second surface 12 of the first optical element 10 and the first surface 21 of the second optical element 20, and f is the focal length of the decentered optical system 1. It is also preferable that the decentered optical system 1 according to the embodiment described herein comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element 10 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration; a second optical element 20 located on the second surface 12 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein the second optical element 20 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1; and a third optical element 30 located on a third surface 13 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 31 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly convex configuration and a second surface 32 through which light can transmit, wherein the third optical element 30 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1. TAKAHASHI does not anticipate or render obvious, alone or in combination, the collimating element further comprises a second optical element having at least one optically-powered surface.
Claims 3-5, 8 would be allowed as being dependent on claim 2.
As of claim 9, the closest prior art TAKAHASHI (US 2016/0103306 A1) teaches decentered optical system 1 according to one embodiment of the invention preferably comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, and a second optical element 20 located on a second surface 12 side of said first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein said second optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of said two optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, wherein said first optical element 10 and said second optical element 20 are spaced away from each other in an effective area through which a light beam passes, and satisfy the following condition (1):
0< D. sub. MAX u/f ≦0.3 (1)
where D. sub. MAX is the maximum value of a distance as measured in an effective area through which a light beam L passes on a section including a center chief ray Lc of the light beam L in a direction parallel with the center chief ray Lc between the second surface 12 of the first optical element 10 and the first surface 21 of the second optical element 20, and f is the focal length of the decentered optical system 1. It is also preferable that the decentered optical system 1 according to the embodiment described herein comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element 10 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration; a second optical element 20 located on the second surface 12 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein the second optical element 20 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1; and a third optical element 30 located on a third surface 13 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 31 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly convex configuration and a second surface 32 through which light can transmit, wherein the third optical element 30 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1. TAKAHASHI does not anticipate or render obvious, alone or in combination, a third optical element comprising at least one optically-powered surface located between the image plane and the first optical element.
As of claim 12, the closest prior art TAKAHASHI (US 2016/0103306 A1) teaches decentered optical system 1 according to one embodiment of the invention preferably comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, and a second optical element 20 located on a second surface 12 side of said first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein said second optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of said two optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, wherein said first optical element 10 and said second optical element 20 are spaced away from each other in an effective area through which a light beam passes, and satisfy the following condition (1):
0< D. sub. MAX u/f ≦0.3 (1)
where D. sub. MAX is the maximum value of a distance as measured in an effective area through which a light beam L passes on a section including a center chief ray Lc of the light beam L in a direction parallel with the center chief ray Lc between the second surface 12 of the first optical element 10 and the first surface 21 of the second optical element 20, and f is the focal length of the decentered optical system 1. It is also preferable that the decentered optical system 1 according to the embodiment described herein comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element 10 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration; a second optical element 20 located on the second surface 12 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein the second optical element 20 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1; and a third optical element 30 located on a third surface 13 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 31 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly convex configuration and a second surface 32 through which light can transmit, wherein the third optical element 30 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1. TAKAHASHI does not anticipate or render obvious, alone or in combination, the first optical element comprising the first optically-powered surface is arranged to receive the light forming the image, and the second optically-powered surface is reflective and arranged to receive light from the first optically-powered surfaces.
As of claim 14, the closest prior art TAKAHASHI (US 2016/0103306 A1) teaches decentered optical system 1 according to one embodiment of the invention preferably comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, and a second optical element 20 located on a second surface 12 side of said first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein said second optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of said two optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, wherein said first optical element 10 and said second optical element 20 are spaced away from each other in an effective area through which a light beam passes, and satisfy the following condition (1):
0< D. sub. MAX u/f ≦0.3 (1)
where D. sub. MAX is the maximum value of a distance as measured in an effective area through which a light beam L passes on a section including a center chief ray Lc of the light beam L in a direction parallel with the center chief ray Lc between the second surface 12 of the first optical element 10 and the first surface 21 of the second optical element 20, and f is the focal length of the decentered optical system 1. It is also preferable that the decentered optical system 1 according to the embodiment described herein comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element 10 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration; a second optical element 20 located on the second surface 12 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein the second optical element 20 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1; and a third optical element 30 located on a third surface 13 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 31 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly convex configuration and a second surface 32 through which light can transmit, wherein the third optical element 30 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1. TAKAHASHI does not anticipate or render obvious, alone or in combination, a refractive index change at each interface is predetermined to control a direction of light passing through each interface, with one surface of the first optical element and one surface of the second optical element being adjacent to one another, the adjacent surfaces have different shapes and each defining an angle with another surface of the respective optical element at an opposing end of the adjacent surfaces so as to provide opposing angles.
Claim 15 would be allowed as being dependent on claim 14.
As of claim 17, the closest prior art TAKAHASHI (US 2016/0103306 A1) teaches decentered optical system 1 according to one embodiment of the invention preferably comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, and a second optical element 20 located on a second surface 12 side of said first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein said second optical element is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of said two optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration, wherein said first optical element 10 and said second optical element 20 are spaced away from each other in an effective area through which a light beam passes, and satisfy the following condition (1):
0< D. sub. MAX u/f ≦0.3 (1)
where D. sub. MAX is the maximum value of a distance as measured in an effective area through which a light beam L passes on a section including a center chief ray Lc of the light beam L in a direction parallel with the center chief ray Lc between the second surface 12 of the first optical element 10 and the first surface 21 of the second optical element 20, and f is the focal length of the decentered optical system 1. It is also preferable that the decentered optical system 1 according to the embodiment described herein comprises a first optical element 10 comprising at least three, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 11 through which light can transmit, a second surface 12 through which light can transmit and which is capable of reflection, and a third surface 13 through which light can transmit and which is capable of internal reflection, wherein said first optical element 10 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1, and at least one of the three optical surfaces has a rotationally asymmetric configuration; a second optical element 20 located on the second surface 12 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 21 through which light can transmit and a second surface 22 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly concave configuration, wherein the second optical element 20 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1; and a third optical element 30 located on a third surface 13 side of the first optical element 10 and comprising at least two, mutually decentered optical surfaces including a first surface 31 through which light can transmit and which has an outwardly convex configuration and a second surface 32 through which light can transmit, wherein the third optical element 30 is filled inside with a medium having a refractive index greater than 1. TAKAHASHI does not anticipate or render obvious, alone or in combination, the first optical element comprises a first plurality of surfaces including three or more optically-powered surfaces and the second optical element comprises a second plurality of surfaces including at least two optically-powered surfaces.
Claims 18-19 would be allowed as being dependent on claim 17.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
- Prior Art Hadad et al. (US 20100067110 A1) teaches an optical device, including a light-transmitting substrate having an input aperture and first and second major surfaces parallel to each other and edges, one partially reflecting surface located in the substrate which is non-parallel to the major surfaces of the substrate and an optical arrangement having an output aperture for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection. The optical arrangement for coupling light is located outside of the substrate, the output aperture is optically attached to the input aperture of the substrate and the part of the substrate located next to the substrate input aperture, is substantially transparent;
- Prior Art Ouderkirk et al. (US 20170357100 A1) teaches light emitting systems and optical systems including a light emitting system and a lens system are described. The light emitting system includes a pixelated light source having a plurality of discrete spaced apart pixels, and includes a plurality of light redirecting elements, each light redirecting element corresponding to a different pixel in the plurality of pixels. The light redirecting elements may be adapted to alter one or both of a central ray direction and a divergence angle of light received from the corresponding pixel. A lens system disposed to receive light from the light emitting system may include a reflective polarizer and a partial reflector.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SULTAN U. CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-3336. The examiner can normally be reached on 5:30 AM-5:30 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached on 571-272-2303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SULTAN CHOWDHURY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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