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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 10, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi (US 20200041795 A1) in view of Khan (US 20180039052 A1)
Re Claim 1, Yamaguchi, discloses, a virtual image display device (See display device 100 on Fig. 1, 2, and 11), comprising: in an order from an external world, a display (Fig. 1-2: panel unit 11 and display device 10) [Par 22] including a pixel region (Fig. 11: region of display 10 on) that emits circularly polarized image light (Fig. 1-2: panel 11 can emit circularly polarized light) [Par 86], and configured to partially transmit external light (The image display device 10 can also be a “see-through” type, “enabling an observer to visually recognize or observe an external world image in a see-through manner”, See Fig. 11 for region of enlargement device 20 that is not overlapped by display 10) [Par 89]; a first optical member (L2) having a flat surface on the display side (S1 is a flat surface) [Par 30],
and including a semi-transmissive reflective optical surface (FV2, lens surfaces are inherently semi-transmissive because lens imperfects reflect and scatter light, thus Fresnel lens surface FV2 is inherently semi-transmissive and semi-reflective, even more so in a serrated Fresnel surface with an applied adhesive layer like FV2) [Par 30 and 35] and having power inside thereof (Fresnel lens surface FV2 would inherently have power)[Par 30 and 48];
a wave plate (plate member 22) configured to convert a polarization state of the image light passing through the first optical member (L2) to be linearly polarized or circularly polarized (“… a state of circular polarization of light to the linearly polarized light, or, conversely, converts the image light GL being in a state of linear polarization of light to the circularly polarized light.”)[Par 37].
and a second optical member (L1) including a polarization reflective layer (polarizing plate 23) that reflects the image light passing through the wave plate (reflection type polarizing plate 23) [Par 28],
wherein an imaging optical system in which the first optical member (L2), the wave plate (plate member 22), and the second optical member (L1) are combined (see Fig. 1) does not substantially have power for a polarized component of the external light passing through a light transmission region of the display (“…the techniques of the present disclosure may also be employed in a device enabling an observer to visually recognize or observe an external world image in a see-through manner”, thus the display image and external world image are both “visually recognized” by the observer, if the total focus of the real world image was non-zero this would not be the case ) [Par 89].
But Yamaguchi does not explicitly disclose wherein, a wave plate configured to convert a polarization state of the image light passing through the first optical member to be linearly polarized is in order after the first optical member.
However, within the same field of endeavor, Khan teaches, on Fig. 2, that it is desirable in virtual reality systems to include wherein, a wave plate (waveplate 28) configured to convert a polarization state of the image light passing through the first optical member to be linearly polarized (“…Quarter wave plate 28 may, for example, convert circularly polarized ray R2 into a ray R3 with a linear polarization”)[Par 31] is in order after the first optical member (lens element 26).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify the system of, Yamaguchi with Khan, in order to control distortion and which light does or does not transmit, as taught by Khan [Par 48 and 28].
Re Claim 2, Yamaguchi in view of Khan teaches, the virtual image display device according to claim 1, and Yamaguchi further teaches on Fig. 1, wherein a thickness of the imaging optical system from the first optical member (L2) to the second optical member (L1) is equal to or less than 7 mm (See Fig. 1 where only the distances T1, T2, and T3 are considered significant, and see Fig. 3 which demonstrates that when the conforming shapes of L2 and L1, FV2 and FV1, are bonded to not provide an airspace, and thus the distance is approaching ~0 mm) [Par 40].
Re Claim 3, Yamaguchi in view of Khan further teaches, the virtual image display device according to claim 1, and Khan further teaches on Fig. 2 and 7, wherein the reflective optical surface (Surfaces S1, S2, and S3 in Fig. 2, are analogous to surfaces S4-S7 in Fig. 7,[Par 44] and Khan teaches, “Optical structures such as partially reflective coatings, wave plates, reflective polarizers, linear polarizers, antireflection coatings, and/or other optical components may be incorporated… These optical structures may allow light rays from display system 40 to pass through and/or reflect from surfaces in optical system 20 such as surfaces S1, S2, and S3…”) [Par 28] is a continuous curved surface (Fig. 7: S7 is a continuous curved surface), and the first optical member (in this embodiment lenses 26 and 32) includes a first lens element (lens 26) and a second lens element (32) that are joined to each other with the reflective optical surface interposed therebetween (surface S7 can be a reflective optical surface) [Par 28].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine this embodiment with the current combination of Yamaguchi in view of Khan, in order to provide a mating surface with the curved wave plate to avoid undesired stress [Par 44].
Re Claim 4, Yamaguchi in view of Khan teaches, the virtual image display (panel unit 11) [Par 22] device according to claim 1, and Yamaguchi further teaches on Fig. 3, wherein the reflective optical surface is a Fresnel optical surface (FV2 is a Fresnel optical surface)[Par 30] , and the first optical member (Fig. 7: in this embodiment lenses 26 and 32) includes a first lens element (lens 26) and a second lens element (32) that are joined to each other with the reflective optical surface interposed therebetween (Khan teaches, “Optical structures such as partially reflective coatings, wave plates, reflective polarizers, linear polarizers, antireflection coatings, and/or other optical components may be incorporated… These optical structures may allow light rays from display system 40 to pass through and/or reflect from surfaces in optical system 20 such as surfaces S1, S2, and S3…”), thus surface S7 can be a reflective optical surface) [Par 28].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine this embodiment with Yamaguchi in view of Khan, in order to provide a mating surface with the curved wave plate to avoid undesired stress [Par 44].
Re Claim 5, Yamaguchi in view of Khan teaches, the virtual image display (panel unit 11) [Par 22] device according to claim 1, and Khan further teaches on Fig. 6, wherein the polarization reflective layer (reflective polarizer 30) [Par 32] is a continuous curved surface (Fig. 6: surfaces S4 and S5 are continuous and curved)[Par 43], and the first optical member (doublet of lenses 54 and 32) includes a third lens element (lens 332) and a fourth lens element (lens 54) that are bonded to each other with the polarization reflective layer (polarizer 30) interposed therebetween (See Fig. 6 where polarizer 20 is between lenses 54 and 32).
Re Claim 6, Yamaguchi in view of Khan teaches, the virtual image display device according to claim 1, and Yamaguchi further teaches on fig. 2, wherein the wave plate (waveplate 22) is a quarter-wave plate] (Waveplate 22 is quarter wave plate)[Par 37, and the polarization reflective layer is a reflective polarizer (semi transmissive reflection type polarizing plate 23) [Par 28].
Re Claim 10, Yamaguchi in view of Khan teaches, the virtual image display device according to claim 1, and Yamaguchi further teaches on Fig. 1-2, wherein the display (panel unit 11) [Par 22] individually includes the pixel region that blocks transmission of the external light (use of a cholesteric liquid crystal as the image display device 10 provides a circularly polarized selective optical element, i.e. only circularly polarized light passes through the region, thus excluding external light from this region; see Fig. 11 where image display device 10 is a small surface area of enlargement device 20), and the light transmission region having optical transparency for the external light (“see-through” video device, allows the light transmission of external light, see Fig. 11: the outer region of enlargement device 10 not overlapping display device 20)[Par 89].
Re Claim 11, Yamaguchi, discloses, an optical unit (See display device 100 on Fig. 1, 2, and 11), comprising: in an order from an external world, a display (Fig. 1-2: panel unit 11 and display device 10) [Par 22] including a pixel region (Fig. 11: region of display 10 on) that emits circularly polarized image light (Fig. 1-2: panel 11 can emit circularly polarized light) [Par 86], and configured to partially transmit external light (The image display device 10 can also be a “see-through” type, “enabling an observer to visually recognize or observe an external world image in a see-through manner”, See Fig. 11 for region of enlargement device 20 that is not overlapped by display 10) [Par 89]; a first optical member (L2) having a flat surface on the display side (S1 is a flat surface) [Par 30],
and including a semi-transmissive reflective optical surface (FV2, lens surfaces are inherently semi-transmissive because lens imperfects reflect and scatter light, thus Fresnel lens surface FV2 is inherently semi-transmissive and semi-reflective, even more so in a serrated Fresnel surface with an applied adhesive layer like FV2) [Par 30 and 35] and having power inside thereof (Fresnel lens surface FV2 would inherently have power)[Par 30 and 48];
a wave plate (plate member 22) configured to convert a polarization state of the image light passing through the first optical member (L2) to be linearly polarized or circularly polarized (“… a state of circular polarization of light to the linearly polarized light, or, conversely, converts the image light GL being in a state of linear polarization of light to the circularly polarized light.”)[Par 37].
and a second optical member (L1) including a polarization reflective layer (polarizing plate 23) that reflects the image light passing through the wave plate (reflection type polarizing plate 23) [Par 28],
wherein an imaging optical system in which the first optical member (L2), the wave plate (plate member 22), and the second optical member (L1) are combined (see Fig. 1) does not substantially have power for a polarized component of the external light passing through a light transmission region of the display (“…the techniques of the present disclosure may also be employed in a device enabling an observer to visually recognize or observe an external world image in a see-through manner”, thus the display image and external world image are both “visually recognized” by the observer, if the total focus of the real world image was non-zero this would not be the case ) [Par 89].
But Yamaguchi does not explicitly disclose wherein, a wave plate configured to convert a polarization state of the image light passing through the first optical member to be linearly polarized is in order after the first optical member.
However, within the same field of endeavor, Khan teaches, on Fig. 2, that it is desirable in virtual reality systems to include wherein, a wave plate (waveplate 28) configured to convert a polarization state of the image light passing through the first optical member to be linearly polarized (“…Quarter wave plate 28 may, for example, convert circularly polarized ray R2 into a ray R3 with a linear polarization”)[Par 31] is in order after the first optical member (lens element 26).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify the system of, Yamaguchi with Khan, in order to control distortion and which light does or does not transmit, as taught by Khan [Par 48 and 28].
Claim(s) 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi in view of Khan as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Martinez (US 20200249480 A1)
Re Claim 7, Yamaguchi in view of Khan teaches, the virtual image device according to claim 1, and Yamaguchi further teaches wherein polarization reflective can be a cholesteric liquid crystal layer (cholesteric liquid crystals can be use as polarized selective optical elements)[Par 86-87]. Yamaguchi teaches that the general usage of cholesteric liquid crystal layers as polarization selective and reflective optical elements [Par 86-87]. Yamaguchi also teaches the usage of a polarization reflective layer (reflection type polarizing plate 23), is known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Therefore, would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to, make the polarization reflective layer a cholesteric liquid crystal, in order to provide further control of the polarization direction of image light (which would allow POSITA to control components of image light are transmitted or reflected) [Par 86-87]
But Yamaguchi in view of Khan does not explicitly teach, wherein the wave plate is a half-wave plate.
However, within the same field of endeavor, Martinez teaches, on Fig. 3, that it is desirable in head mounted displays to include, wherein the wave plate (LC switch 307) is a half-wave plate (LC switch 307 is a half wave retarder)[Par 31].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify the system of Yamaguchi in view of Khan with Martinez, in order to multiplex and display content as taught by Martinez [Par 23].
Re Claim 8, Yamaguchi in view of Khan and Martinez teaches, the virtual image display device according to claim 7, and Yamaguchi further teaches, wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal layer (polarizer 23 can be cholesteric liquid crystal) [Par 86-87] is formed above a flat surface (See Fig. 1: When optical system 20 is combined as in Fig. 1, polarizer 23 is flat and on a flat surface of polarizer 22).
Re Claim 9, Yamaguchi in view of Khan and Martinez teaches, the virtual image display device according to claim 7, and Yamaguchi further teaches, wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal layer (cholesteric liquid crystals used as polarizing selective optical elements, such as reflective polarizer 23) [Par 86-87 is formed by stabilizing a liquid crystal material (the formation of cholesteric liquid crystals inherently involves the alignment of liquid crystal molecules to create a periodic nanostructure, and thus “stabilization”) .
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Grover (US 20190384136 A1) also teaches a display device with a display pixel region and an external light region.
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/RAY ALEXANDER DEAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/BUMSUK WON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
