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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claims 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 12, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shirota (US 7,147,333).
Regarding Claim 1, Shirota discloses a combining module (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3, Col. 3-5, and Col. 6, lines 1-28), comprising:
a positioning component (Fig. 2, upper bracket 20 and frame body structures 18b and Fig. 3, base plate 24, lower bracket 21, upper bracket 20 and frame body structures), comprising a base (Fig. 3, base plate 24), and a cover body connected to the base (Fig. 3, upper bracket 20 is connected to the base plate 24 by way of frame body structures 18b and the lower bracket 21);
a light combining prism (Fig. 3, cross dichroic prism 16), sandwiched between the base and the cover body (Fig. 3, cross dichroic prism 16 as shown); and
a light source component, attached to the positioning component and comprising a panel frame and a light source panel (Fig. 2, liquid crystal elements 18a are the light sources and the frames around 18a are the panel frames, as shown), the panel frame comprising a first surface facing the positioning component (Fig. 2, the surface of the frames around 18a which is facing he frame body 18b, as shown), and the light source panel comprising a light-emitting surface facing the positioning component (Fig. 2, the surface of 18a which is facing he frame body 18b, as shown), wherein the first surface and the light-emitting surface are substantially coplanar (Fig. 2, the surface of 18a which is facing he frame body 18b, and the frame around 18a are substantially coplanar, as shown).
Regarding Claim 2, Shirota discloses as is set forth above and further discloses wherein at least three surfaces of the light combining prism abut against and are positioned at the base (Fig. 3, as shown).
Regarding Claims 3 and 12, Shirota discloses as is set forth above and further discloses wherein six inner supporting surfaces and four openings are defined by the base and the cover body, the six inner supporting surfaces abut against four side surfaces, an upper surface, and a lower surface of the light combining prism (Fig. 3, as shown).
Regarding Claims 6 and 15, Shirota discloses as is set forth above and further discloses wherein the light source panel is a self-illuminating panel (Fig. 2, liquid crystal elements 18a are the light sources and are self-illuminating).
Regarding Claim 10, Shirota discloses a combining module (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3, Col. 3-5, and Col. 6, lines 1-28), comprising:
a positioning component (Fig. 2, upper bracket 20 and frame body structures 18b and Fig. 3, base plate 24, lower bracket 21, upper bracket 20 and frame body structures), comprising a base (Fig. 3, base plate 24/lower bracket 21), and a cover body connected to the base (Fig. 3, upper bracket 20 is connected to the base plate 24/ lower bracket 21 by way of frame body structures 18b and the lower bracket 21); and a placement space defined between the base and the cover body (Fig. 3, as shown);
a light combining prism (Fig. 3, cross dichroic prism 16), disposed on the placement space and abutting against and positioned at the base (Fig. 3, cross dichroic prism 16 as shown); and
a light source component, attached to the positioning component and comprising a panel frame and a light source panel (Fig. 2, liquid crystal elements 18a are the light sources and the frames around 18a are the panel frames, as shown), the panel frame comprising a first surface facing the positioning component (Fig. 2, the surface of the frames around 18a which is facing he frame body 18b, as shown), and the light source panel comprising a light-emitting surface facing the positioning component (Fig. 2, the surface of 18a which is facing he frame body 18b, as shown), wherein the first surface and the light-emitting surface are substantially coplanar (Fig. 2, the surface of 18a which is facing he frame body 18b, and the frame around 18a are substantially coplanar, as shown).
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 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.
Claims 5, 7, 14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shirota (US 7,147,333) in view of Nishihara et al. (US 6,834,964).
Regarding Claims 5 and 14, Shirota discloses as is set forth above but doesn’t specifically disclose wherein the light source component comprises: a heat dissipation layer, attached to the light source panel of the light source component; and a heat sink, attached to the heat dissipation layer and locked on the panel frame.
However, Nishihara, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the light source component comprises: a heat dissipation layer (Fig. 1, thermally conductive glass 7, Col. 4, lines 35-59), attached to the light source panel of the light source component (Fig. 1, thermally conductive glass 7 is attached to the liquid crystal panel 1, Col. 4, lines 35-59); and a heat sink (Fig. 1, radiation fins 8, Col. 4, lines 35-59), attached to the heat dissipation layer and locked on the panel frame (Fig. 1, radiation fins 8 and thermally conductive glass 7 are attached to liquid crystal panel 1 by way of screws 6, Col. 4, lines 35-59), for the purpose of keeping a light combining module at a proper operating temperature.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have the combining module of Shirota with the wherein the light source component comprises: a heat dissipation layer, attached to the light source panel of the light source component; and a heat sink, attached to the heat dissipation layer and locked on the panel frame, of Nishihara, for the purpose of keeping a light combining module at a proper operating temperature.
Regarding Claims 7 and 16, Shirota discloses as is set forth above but doesn’t specifically disclose further comprising: a first elastic element, disposed on the panel frame; and a light source component fixing cover, wherein the panel frame and the first elastic element are sandwiched between the light source component fixing cover and the positioning component.
However, Nishihara, in the same field of endeavor, teaches further comprising: a first elastic element (Fig. 7, plate spring 17, Col. 7, lines 1-23), disposed on the panel frame (Fig. 7, spring bracket 16, Col. 7, lines 1-23); and a light source component fixing cover (Fig. 7, glass sheet 7/radiation fins 8, Col. 4, lines 35-55), wherein the panel frame and the first elastic element are sandwiched between the light source component fixing cover and the positioning component (Fig. 7, as shown), for the purpose of keeping a light combining module at a proper operating temperature.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have the combining module of Shirota with further comprising: a first elastic element, disposed on the panel frame; and a light source component fixing cover, wherein the panel frame and the first elastic element are sandwiched between the light source component fixing cover and the positioning component, of Nishihara, for the purpose of keeping a light combining module at a proper operating temperature.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8, 9, 11, 13, 17, and 18 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: with respect to the allowable subject matter, none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose or teach of the claimed combination of limitations to warrant a rejection under 35 USC 102 or 103.
Specifically, with respect to claims 4 and 13, none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose or teach a combining module including, as the distinguishing feature(s) in combination with the other limitations, wherein the base comprises: three of the inner supporting surfaces, disposed adjacently and vertically to one another, and two of the three inner supporting surfaces respectively comprising an opening; the cover body comprises: other three of the inner supporting surfaces, disposed adjacently and vertically to one another, and two of the three inner supporting surfaces respectively comprising an opening; the four side surfaces, the upper surface, and the lower surface of the light combining prism are sandwiched between the three inner supporting surfaces of the base and the three inner supporting surfaces of the cover body; a plurality of openings of the two of the three inner supporting surfaces of the base are disposed corresponding to two of four side surfaces of the light combining prism; a plurality of openings of the two of the three inner supporting surfaces of the cover body are disposed corresponding to other two of the four side surfaces of the light combining prism.
Specifically, with respect to claims 8 and 17, none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose or teach a combining module including, as the distinguishing feature(s) in combination with the other limitations, wherein the light source component fixing cover comprises: a second elastic element, disposed on a first frame edge of the light source component fixing cover; a third elastic element, disposed on a second frame edge of the light source component fixing cover, wherein the second frame edge is adjacent to the first frame edge; a plurality of first screws, disposed on a third frame edge of the light source component fixing cover, wherein the third frame edge is located opposite to the first frame edge; and a plurality of second screws, disposed on a fourth frame edge of the light source component fixing cover, wherein the fourth frame edge is located opposite to the second frame edge.
Specifically, with respect to claim 11, none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose or teach a combining module including, as the distinguishing feature(s) in combination with the other limitations, wherein the base at least comprises: three sides, the sides define a positioning point, and the light combining prism is abutting against and positioned at the positioning point.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Domroese et al. (US 2006/0262275), Domroese et al. (US 7,387,391), Kang et al. (US 2005/0128438), Haraguchi et al. (US 2009/0109409), Matsumoto (US 2009/0303446), Huang (US 2022/0201257), and Huang (US 11,671,569) are cited to show similar combining modules but do not disclose the allowable subject matter as detailed above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM R ALEXANDER whose telephone number is (571)270-7656. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 AM- 4:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached on (571) 270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM R ALEXANDER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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