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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Large et al (US Publication No.: US 2012/0127084 A1, “Large”) in view of Border et al (US Publication No.: US 2009/0102763 A1, “Border”) and Wu (US Publication No.: US 2016/0377911 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Large discloses an apparatus (Figure 1) comprising:
A camera (Figure 1, camera 104); and
A display device (Figure 1, display device 100), the display device comprising:
A cover glass (Figure 6, cover glass 604; Paragraph 0049);
An LCD panel (Figure 6, LCD panel 612; Paragraph 0052); and
A backlight unit (Figure 6, backlight unit 602/608/621), wherein
The LCD Panel is arranged behind the cover glass (Figure 6, LCD panel 612 is arranged behind the cover glass 604),
The backlight unit is arranged behind the LCD Panel (Figure 6, backlight unit 602/608/621 is arranged behind and in front of the LCD panel 612) and
The camera is arranged behind the backlight unit with its field of view directed to the backlight unit (Figure 6, camera 614 is arranged behind the backlight unit 602/608/621; Paragraph 0050),
The field of view of the camera defining an active area of the camera (Paragraph 0050), wherein
The backlight unit comprises an edge light source (Figure 6, edge light source 610),
A light enhancement layer (Figure 6, light enhancement layer 602; Paragraph 0051) and
A light guide arranged behind the light enhancement layer (Figure 6, light guide 608), wherein
The camera is operating in the infrared wavelength spectrum (Paragraph 0014).
Large fails to disclose that the light enhancement layer comprises a cut-out window in the active area of the camera, and wherein the light guide is a light guide with nanostructures.
However, Border discloses a similar apparatus where the light enhancement layer comprises a cut-out window in the active area of the camera, and wherein the light guide is a light guide with nanostructure (Border, Figure 4a, light enhancement layer 310/300, window 330; Paragraph 0051).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the light enhancement layer as disclosed by Large to include a window as disclosed by Border. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of reducing the effects of the scattering elements on image quality (Border, Paragraph 0051).
Further, Wu discloses a similar apparatus where the light guide is a light guide with nanostructures (Wu, Paragraph 0007; Paragraph 0027).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the light guide as disclosed by Large to be a light guide with nanostructures as disclosed by Wu. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of enhancing light guide quality (Wu, Paragraph 0040).
Regarding Claim 2, Large in view of Border and Wu discloses the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover glass is optically bonded to the LCD panel (Large, Figure 6; Paragraphs 0049-0050).
Regarding Claim 4, Large in view of Border and Wu discloses the apparatus according to claim 1.
Large fails to disclose that the apparatus comprises a processor, the processor being provided to apply a post-processing algorithm on a captured image taken by the camera.
However, Border discloses a similar apparatus where the apparatus comprises a processor, the processor being provided to apply a post-processing algorithm on a captured image taken by the camera (Border, Paragraphs 0053-0055).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Large to include a processor as disclosed by Border. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of reducing brightness non-uniformities and correct color of images (Border, Paragraphs 0053-0055).
Regarding Claim 6, Large in view of Border and Wu discloses the apparatus according to claim 1.
Large fails to disclose that the LCD Panel comprises two polarizers at least one of which does not influence or only weakly influence Infrared light passing the respective polarizer.
However, Border discloses a similar apparatus where the LCD Panel comprises two polarizers at least one of which does not influence or only weakly influence Infrared light passing the respective polarizer (Border, Figure 3a; Paragraph 0050 discloses two polarizers).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the LCD panel as disclosed by Large to include polarizers as disclosed by Border. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of optimizing light transmission (Border, Paragraph 0050).
Regarding Claim 7, Large in view of Border and Wu discloses the apparatus according to claim 1.
Large fails to disclose that the LCD Panel comprises two polarizers, both of the polarizers do not influence or only weakly influence Infrared light passing the respective polarizer.
However, Border discloses a similar apparatus where the LCD Panel comprises two polarizers, both of the polarizers do not influence or only weakly influence Infrared light passing the respective polarizer (Border, Figure 3a; Paragraph 0050 discloses two polarizers).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the LCD panel as disclosed by Large to include polarizers as disclosed by Border. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of optimizing light transmission (Border, Paragraph 0050).
Regarding Claim 8, Large in view of Border and Wu discloses the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal material of the LCD panel does not influence or only weakly influence Infrared light passing the LCD panel (Large, Paragraph 0041).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Large in view of Border and Wu in further view of Renaud-Goud (US Publication No.: US 2010/0033784 A1).
Regarding Claim 3, Large in view of Border and Wu discloses the apparatus according to claim 1.
Large fails to disclose that the light enhancement layer is formed by a stack of foils comprising at least one of a Louver foil, a reflective polarizing foil, and a diffusing foil at least one of which comprises the cut-out window.
However, Renee-Goud discloses a similar apparatus where the light enhancement layer is formed by a stack of foils comprising at least one of a Louver foil, a reflective polarizing foil, and a diffusing foil at least one of which comprises the cut-out window (Renee-Goud, Paragraph 0057).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the light enhancement layer as disclosed by Large to comprise a stack of foils as disclosed by Renee-Goud. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of enlarging an observer window to optimize display quality (Renee-Goud, Paragraph 0057).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Large in view of Border and Wu in further view of Yin et al (US Publication No.: US 2020/0117034 A1, “Yin”).
Regarding Claim 9, Large discloses an apparatus (Figure 1) comprising:
A camera (Figure 1, camera 104); and
A display device (Figure 1, display device 100), the display device comprising:
A cover glass (Figure 6, cover glass 604; Paragraph 0049);
An LCD panel (Figure 6, LCD panel 612; Paragraph 0052); and
A backlight unit (Figure 6, backlight unit 602/608/621), wherein
The LCD Panel is arranged behind the cover glass (Figure 6, LCD panel 612 is arranged behind the cover glass 604),
The backlight unit is arranged behind the LCD Panel (Figure 6, backlight unit 602/608/621 is arranged behind and in front of the LCD panel 612) and
The camera is arranged behind the backlight unit with its field of view directed to the backlight unit (Figure 6, camera 614 is arranged behind the backlight unit 602/608/621; Paragraph 0050),
The field of view of the camera defining an active area of the camera (Paragraph 0050), wherein
The backlight unit comprises an edge light source (Figure 6, edge light source 610),
A light enhancement layer (Figure 6, light enhancement layer 602; Paragraph 0051) and
A light guide arranged behind the light enhancement layer (Figure 6, light guide 608), wherein
The camera is operating in the infrared wavelength spectrum (Paragraph 0014).
Large fails to disclose a vehicle comprising the apparatus and that the light enhancement layer comprises a cut-out window in the active area of the camera, and wherein the light guide is a light guide with nanostructures.
However, Border discloses a similar apparatus where the light enhancement layer comprises a cut-out window in the active area of the camera, and wherein the light guide is a light guide with nanostructure (Border, Figure 4a, light enhancement layer 310/300, window 330; Paragraph 0051).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the light enhancement layer as disclosed by Large to include a window as disclosed by Border. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of reducing the effects of the scattering elements on image quality (Border, Paragraph 0051).
Further, Wu discloses a similar apparatus where the light guide is a light guide with nanostructures (Wu, Paragraph 0007; Paragraph 0027).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the light guide as disclosed by Large to be a light guide with nanostructures as disclosed by Wu. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of enhancing light guide quality (Wu, Paragraph 0040).
Further, Yin discloses a vehicle comprising the apparatus (Yin, Paragraph 0047).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Large to be place in a vehicle as disclosed by Yin. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of creating an in-vehicle computer (Yin, Paragraph 0047).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIAM QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-4434. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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/MARIAM QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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