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 05 March 2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe (US 20160134848) in view of Funabiki (US 10921604).
Regarding claim 1, Watanabe teaches a display device that forms a virtual image of an image visible to a user in a predetermined region in an outside world by projecting the image within a predetermined angle of view of a display medium through which the outside world is viewable, the predetermined region corresponding to the predetermined angle of view, the display device comprising:
A controller that, when an original projection position of the image is outside the predetermined angle of view, changes the original projection position of the image by an amount of change corresponding to the superimposition distance and causes the projector to project the image (Paragraph 39, As a result, the position (specifically, the generation distance L2 which is the distance from the passenger 7 to the second virtual image 8B) at which the second virtual image 8B which is a virtual image of the visual image projected to the second screen 21 is generated can be changed. The generation distance L2 depends on the distance from the mirror 11 to the second screen 21. That is, the generation distance L2 is changed to be longer or shorter in accordance with the distance from the mirror 11 to the second screen 21).
While Watanabe fails to disclose the following, Funabiki teaches:
A projector that projects light showing the image onto the display medium (Column 21, Lines 16-18, the projector may also be a scanning projector for producing an image on a screen by scanning the object with light);
An obtainer that obtains a superimposition distance that is a distance from the user to a position at which the virtual image of the image is formed (Column 2, Lines 7-9, projection distance is a distance from a viewpoint of a user, who is viewing the virtual image, to the virtual image projected onto the target space);
Funabiki and Watanabe are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention
because they are in the same field of navigation using heads up displays. Therefore, 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 modified Watanabe to incorporate the teachings of Funabiki and use a projector to display the image and to retrieve a distance from the user to a virtual image. Doing so would allow for displaying navigation information to the driver.
Method claim 9 and CRM claim 10 correspond to system claim 1. Therefore, claims 9 and 10 are rejected for the same reasons as used above.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe in view of Funabiki as applied to claims 1 and 9-10 above and further in view of Iguchi (US 20160121794).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki teaches the display device according to claim 1, the controller changes, by an amount of change corresponding to the partial superimposition distance of each of the plurality of partial images, a projection position of each of the plurality of partial images whose original projection positions are outside the predetermined angle of view, and causes the projector to project the partial images (Watanabe, Paragraph 39, As a result, the position (specifically, the generation distance L2 which is the distance from the passenger 7 to the second virtual image 8B) at which the second virtual image 8B which is a virtual image of the visual image projected to the second screen 21 is generated can be changed. The generation distance L2 depends on the distance from the mirror 11 to the second screen 21. That is, the generation distance L2 is changed to be longer or shorter in accordance with the distance from the mirror 11 to the second screen 21). Note: Iguchi teaches the partial images and Watanabe teaches changing the image based on a distance.
While the combination fails to disclose the following, Iguchi teaches:
Wherein the image includes a plurality of partial images (Paragraph 17, That is, when a plurality of obstacle images are displayed in the displayable range located in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle, the display images reproduce a relative positional relationship or appearances of actual obstacles).
The superimposition distance includes a partial superimposition distance of each of the plurality of partial images (Paragraph 17, The driver can therefore obtain the correspondence between each display image and each obstacle, and consequently, receive the information without delay).
Iguchi and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of navigation using heads up displays. Therefore, 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 modified and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki to incorporate the teachings of Iguchi and display partial images as well as determine distances to each partial image. Doing so would allow for displaying navigation information to the driver when there are multiple obstacles.
Claims 3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe in view of Funabiki as applied to claims 1 and 9-10 above and further in view of Tsuda (US 20240131989).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki teaches the display device according to claim 1. While the combination fails to disclose the following, Tsuda teaches:
Wherein the controller further changes a display angle of the image by an angle corresponding to the superimposition distance and causes the projector to project the image changed (Paragraph 18, the control section makes a minor angle of the bent portion smaller the longer a distance is between the vehicle and the moving body).
Tsuda and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of navigation using heads up displays. Therefore, 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 modified and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki to incorporate the teachings of Tsuda and change a display angle by an angle corresponding to the distance and project the changed image. Doing so would allow for making the driver feel less unsettled (Tsuda, Paragraph 19).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki teaches the display device according to claim 1. While the combination fails to disclose the following, Tsuda teaches:
Wherein the controller further changes a luminance of the image by the amount of change corresponding to the superimposition distance and causes the projector to project the image changed (Paragraph 13, the brightness of the specific image being reduced the longer the distance is between the moving body and the vehicle, enabling the driver to feel less unsettled).
Tsuda and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of navigation using heads up displays. Therefore, 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 modified and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki to incorporate the teachings of Tsuda and change a display brightness corresponding to the distance and project the changed image. Doing so would allow for making the driver feel less unsettled (Tsuda, Paragraph 13).
Claims 4 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe in view of Funabiki as applied to claims 1 and 9-10 above and further in view of Segawa (US 20170249923).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki teaches the display device according to claim 1. While the combination fails to disclose the following, Segawa teaches:
Wherein the controller further replicates the image by a total number of replications corresponding to the superimposition distance and causes the projector to project replicated images (Paragraph 62, Therefore, as the distance from the viewpoint position of the driver is longer, the display screens are recognized as if they exist farther than actual display screen positions, so that it is possible to reduce a feeling of oppression or fatigue due to many display screens or a large amount of information). Note: Segawa teaches changing the number of display screens as the distance of the viewpoint gets longer.
Segawa and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of navigation using heads up displays. Therefore, 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 modified and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki to incorporate the teachings of Segawa and change the number of replications of an image corresponding to a distance. Doing so would allow for reducing feelings of oppression or fatigue (Segawa, Paragraph 62).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki teaches the display device according to claim 1. While the combination fails to disclose the following, Segawa teaches:
Wherein the controller further changes a display color of the image by the amount of change corresponding to the superimposition distance and causes the projector the project the image changed (Paragraph 28, the color temperatures of images showing predetermined information displayed on the respective display screens are reduced, as the distance from the viewpoint position of the driver is longer).
Segawa and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of navigation using heads up displays. Therefore, 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 modified and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki to incorporate the teachings of Segawa and change the color of an image corresponding to a distance. Doing so would allow for reducing feelings of oppression or fatigue (Segawa, Paragraph 62).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe in view of Funabiki as applied to claims 1 and 9-10 above and further in view of Woo (US 20190187790) and Tsuda.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki teaches the display device according to claim 1. While the combination fails to disclose the following, Woo teaches:
Wherein the image fits within a range defined by a first direction and a second direction from a predetermined point, the second direction being different from the first direction (Paragraph 49, the processor 140 may determine an object positioned within a predetermined angle range based on the direction information of the line of sight of the driver);
Woo and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of navigation using heads up displays. Therefore, 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 modified and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki to incorporate the teachings of Woo and display an image that fits within a range defined by a first and second direction. Doing so would allow for reducing an amount of calculation by determining only an object within a predetermined angle range (Woo, Paragraph 49).
While the combination of Watanabe, Funabiki, and Woo fails to disclose the following, Tsuda teaches:
The controller further changes an angle formed by the first direction and the second direction by an angle corresponding to the superimposition distance and causes the projector to project the image changed (Paragraph 18, the control section makes a minor angle of the bent portion smaller the longer a distance is between the vehicle and the moving body).
Tsuda and the combination of Watanabe, Funabiki, and Woo are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of navigation using heads up displays. Therefore, 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 modified and the combination of Watanabe, Funabiki, and Woo to incorporate the teachings of Tsuda and change a display angle by an angle corresponding to the distance and project the changed image. Doing so would allow for making the driver feel less unsettled (Tsuda, Paragraph 19).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe in view of Funabiki as applied to claims 1 and 9-10 above and further in view of Trajkovic (US 20030112132).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki teaches the display device according to claim 1. While the combination fails to disclose the following, Trajkovic teaches:
Wherein the controller further rescales the image by a total number of scale factors corresponding to the superimposition distance and causes the projector to project the image rescaled (Paragraph 40, the image may be scaled using the distance between the driver P and the stop sign 28, the distance between the point I on the windshield and the stop sign 28, and the size of the actual stop sign. (The two distances may be readily calculated by control unit 20 based on the known coordinates of the stop sign 28, driver P and point I in the reference coordinate system).
Trajkovic and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of navigation using heads up displays. Therefore, 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 modified and the combination of Watanabe and Funabiki to incorporate the teachings of Trajkovic and scale an image by a number of scale factors corresponding to a distance and project the rescaled image. Doing so would allow for displaying the image to the driver at a size that would help them understand the distance to the obstacle.
Conclusion
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/SNIGDHA SINHA/Examiner, Art Unit 2619
/JASON CHAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2619
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