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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgement is made of receipt of Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO-1449) filed 12/17/2024, 01/17/2025, and 09/17/2025. An initialed copy is attached to this Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 9, 11 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mason (US 2014/0240834 A1), of record.
With respect to Claim 1, Mason discloses an image display device (Figure 3) for causing an optical image to be visible, the image display device (Figure 3) comprising: a display (display, ¶[0028]) configured to emit image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) visible as the optical image; and a light guide (10, Figure 1) configured to guide the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) from the display (display, ¶[0028]) to an outside thereof, wherein the light guide (10, Figure 1) has a pair of principal surfaces (14 and 16, Figure 1) facing each other, the light guide (10, Figure 1) includes: an incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) configured to diffract (diffraction regions around 11, 14 16, Figure 1) the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) to propagate inside (Figure 2; see also column 3, lines 7-19) the light guide (10, Figure 1) by reflection between (internal reflection, column 3, lines 15-19) the pair of principal surfaces (14 and 16, Figure 1), in response to incidence of the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) from the display (display, ¶[0028]); and an expansion region (¶[0006]) configured to diffract the propagated image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) to emit the diffracted image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) as a plurality of beams of image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) from a plurality of positions (see areas where the dotted arrows flow, Figure 1) each where the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) propagates in the light guide (10, Figure 1), and the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) propagated to the expansion region (¶[0006]) has a first polarization state (first angle of polarisation, ¶[0021]) by setting the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) incident on the incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) to have a second polarization state (second angle of polarization, ¶[0023]), the first polarization state (first angle of polarisation, ¶[0021]) being polarized along a direction (21, 27, 28 diffracted towards the output region 16, ¶[0023]) parallel or perpendicular to a plane including a normal direction of the principal surfaces (14 and 16, Figure 1) in the expansion region (¶[0006]) and a propagation direction of the propagated image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1), the second polarization state (second angle of polarization, ¶[0023]) being different (24, 29, 32 diffracted towards the output region 16, ¶[0023]) from the first polarization state (first angle of polarisation, ¶[0021]).
With respect to Claim 2, Mason further discloses wherein the incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) is provided for the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) to be incident at an inclination oblique (see Figure 1) to the normal direction of the principal surfaces (14 and 16, Figure 1) in the incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) and to propagate inside (Figure 2; see also column 3, lines 7-19) the light guide (10, Figure 1).
With respect to Claim 3, Mason further discloses wherein with respect to a reference plane including a first direction in which the plurality of positions (see areas where the dotted arrows flow, Figure 1) are arranged in the expansion region (¶[0006]) and the normal direction of the principal surfaces (14 and 16, Figure 1), the inclination at which the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) is incident on the incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) is inclined to a second direction intersecting the reference plane.
With respect to Claim 4, Mason further discloses wherein the expansion region (¶[0006]) includes first (x-dimension 15, ¶[0006] and [0024]) and second (second dimension 17, ¶[0006]) expansion regions having different diffraction pitches from each other (15 and 17 are different, Figure 1), the diffraction pitch of the first expansion region (x-dimension 15, ¶[0006] and [0024]) is narrower () than the diffraction pitch of the second expansion region (second dimension 17, ¶[0006]), and the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) incident on the incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) is set to the second polarization state (second angle of polarization, ¶[0023]) with the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) propagated to the first expansion region (x-dimension 15, ¶[0006] and [0024]) having the first polarization state (first angle of polarisation, ¶[0021]).
With respect to Claim 5, Mason further discloses wherein the first expansion region (x-dimension 15, ¶[0006] and [0024]) is provided in the light guide (10, Figure 1) to diffract the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) propagated from the incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) to emit the plurality of beams of image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) into the second expansion region (second dimension 17, ¶[0006]).
With respect to Claim 9, Mason further discloses a polarization adjuster (18, Figure 2) arranged between the display (display, ¶[0028]) and the light guide (10, Figure 1) and configured to set the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) incident on the incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) from the display (display, ¶[0028]) to have the second polarization state (second angle of polarization, ¶[0023]).
With respect to Claim 11, Mason further discloses wherein the display (display, ¶[0028]) is arranged to emit the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) to the light guide (10, Figure 1) with the second polarization state (second angle of polarization, ¶[0023]).
With respect to Claim 13, Mason discloses an optical system comprising: a light guide (10, Figure 1) configured to guide image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) from a display to an outside thereof, the display (display, ¶[0028]) configured to emit the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) visible as an optical image; and a polarization adjuster (18, Figure 2) arranged between the display (display, ¶[0028]) and the light guide (10, Figure 1), wherein the light guide (10, Figure 1) has a pair of principal surfaces (14 and 16, Figure 1) facing each other, the light guide (10, Figure 1) includes: an incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) configured to diffract (diffraction regions around 11, 14 16, Figure 1) the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) to propagate inside (Figure 2; see also column 3, lines 7-19) the light guide (10, Figure 1) by reflection between (internal reflection, column 3, lines 15-19) the pair of principal surfaces (14 and 16, Figure 1), in response to incidence of the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) from the display (display, ¶[0028]); and an expansion region (¶[0006]) configured to diffract the propagated image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) to emit the diffracted image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) as a plurality of beams of image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) from a plurality of positions (see areas where the dotted arrows flow, Figure 1) each where the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) propagates in the light guide (10, Figure 1), and the polarization adjuster (18, Figure 2) is configured to cause the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1)propagated to the expansion region (¶[0006]) to have a first polarization state (first angle of polarisation, ¶[0021]) by setting the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) incident on the incident region (area where light is incident on 18, Figure 2) to have a second polarization state (second angle of polarization, ¶[0023]), the first polarization state (first angle of polarisation, ¶[0021]) being polarized along a direction parallel or perpendicular to a plane including a normal direction of a principal surface (14 and 16, Figure 1) in the expansion region (¶[0006]) and a propagation direction of the propagated image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1), the second polarization state (second angle of polarization, ¶[0023]) being different from the first polarization state (first angle of polarisation, ¶[0021]).
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.
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.
Claim(s) 6-8, 10 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mason (US 2014/0240834 A1), of record, as applied to claims 1 and 9 above, and further in view of Kasegawa (US 2021/0026140 A1).
With respect to Claim 6, Mason teaches the image display device according to claim 4, the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1), the light guide (10, Figure 1), and the second expansion region (second dimension 17, ¶[0006]).
Mason fails to teach wherein based on a wavelength λ of the image light and a refractive index n in the light guide, the diffraction pitch in the region is 1.23 X λ/n or more and 10.0 X λ/n or less.
Mason teaches an optical device and Kasegawa teaches an optical device.
Kasegawa teaches wherein based on a wavelength λ (wavelength of light 530 nm, ¶[0111]) of the image light and a refractive index n in the light guide (1.51, ¶[0111]), the diffraction pitch in the region is 1.23 X λ/n or more and 10.0 X λ/n or less.
1.23 X 530/1.51 or more and 10.0 X 530/1.51 or less
1.23 X 351 = 431 or more and 10.0 X 351 = 3510 or less
530 is greater than 431 and less than 3510.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Mason having the image display device with the teachings of Kasegawa having a wavelength λ of the image light and a refractive index n in the light guide, the diffraction pitch in the region is 1.23 X λ/n or more and 10.0 X λ/n or less for the purpose of the miniaturization of the parallel light emitting optical system constituting the image forming device
With respect to Claim 7, Mason teaches the image display device according to claim 1 and the first polarization state (first angle of polarisation, ¶[0021]).
Mason fails to teach wherein the first polarization state includes one of P-polarization or S-polarization.
Kasegawa teaches wherein the first polarization state includes one of P-polarization (¶[0118]) or S-polarization (¶[0118]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Mason having the image display device with the teachings of Kasegawa having the first polarization state includes one of P-polarization or S-polarization for the purpose of maximum transmission or maximum reflection (well known in the art).
With respect to Claim 8, Mason teaches the image display device according to claim 1 and the second polarization state (second angle of polarization, ¶[0023]).
Mason fails to teach wherein the second polarization state is polarization different from P-polarization and S-polarization, with a polarization angle obtained by rotating a polarization direction from the P-polarization or the S-polarization.
Kasegawa teaches wherein the second polarization state includes one of P-polarization (¶[0118]) or S-polarization (¶[0118]), with a polarization angle obtained by rotating a polarization direction from the P-polarization or the S-polarization (inherent on how P-polarization and S-polarization function).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Mason having the image display device with the teachings of Kasegawa having the second polarization state is polarization different from P-polarization and S-polarization, with a polarization angle obtained by rotating a polarization direction from the P-polarization or the S-polarization for the purpose of maximum transmission or maximum reflection (well known in the art).
With respect to Claim 10, Mason teaches the image display device according to claim 9 and the polarization adjuster (18, Figure 2).
Mason fails to teach wherein the polarization adjuster includes at least one of a half-wave plate, a 1/4 wave plate, or a polarizing plate.
Kasegawa teaches the polarization adjuster (¶[0139]) includes at least one of a half-wave plate, a 1/4 wave plate, or a polarizing plate (polarizing plate, ¶[0139]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Mason having the image display device with the teachings of Kasegawa having the polarization adjuster include at least one of a half-wave plate, a 1/4 wave plate, or a polarizing plate for the purpose of having the ability to be used as a stereoscopic display apparatus (natural depth of perception), ¶[0139].
With respect to Claim 12, Mason teaches the image display device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide (10, Figure 1) is arranged to guide the image light (dotted arrows, Figure 1) from the display (display, ¶[0028]) to a light-transmitting member.
Mason fails to teach the image display device is a head-up display configured to display the optical image as a virtual image through the light-transmitting member.
Kasegawa teaches the image display device is a head-up display (heads up display (HUD) including a virtual image forming region, ¶[0090]) configured to display the optical image as a virtual image (heads up display (HUD) including a virtual image forming region, ¶[0090]) through the light-transmitting member (light emitted from the image forming device, ¶[0090]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Mason having the image display device with the teachings of Kasegawa having the image display device is a head-up display for the purpose of having the ability to view images without discomfort, ¶[0090].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAMARA Y WASHINGTON whose telephone number is (571)270-3887. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur 730-530 EST.
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/TYW/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/STEPHONE B ALLEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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