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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baba et al (US 2019/0033522 A1) in view of Moebius et al (US 2019/0162908 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Baba discloses an optical device (Figs. 1A-18D) comprising:
an optical deflector (Figs. 2A-2D and para 97 “waveguide part 2”) that is configured to cause a direction of emission of an optical beam to change along a first direction (horizontal direction), the optical beam having a shape extending in a second direction (vertical direction) intersecting the first direction (see arrowed beams in Figs. 2B-2D); and
an optical element (Figs. 14A-15C and para 232 “cylindrical lens 9a is disposed at an appropriate distance on the emission side of the emission part 3”), placed on a path of the optical beam (see the optical beam shown in Figs. 14A-15C), that expands an extent of spread of the optical beam in the second direction (vertical direction).
However, Baba does not disclose the optical element causes the optical beam having a first spread angle when exiting the optical deflector to have a second spread angle greater than the first spread angle.
Moebius discloses an optical element (Figs. 2A-2D, para 34 “light shaping element 201”; Fig. 3, para 36 “light shaping element 301”; Fig. 4A, para 38 “light shaping element 401”; Fig. 4B, para 38 “light shaping element 402”) causes the optical beam (beams created from “Light in”) having a first spread angle (para 35 “light outputs 202”) when exiting the optical deflector (waveguide for “Light In” and grating 205 shown in Figs. 2A-4B) to have a second spread angle (para 35 “light beam 203”) greater than the first spread angle (spread angle 203 is greater than spread angle 202).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention before the effective filing date to have the optical element causing the optical beam having a first spread angle when exiting the optical deflector to have a second spread angle greater than the first spread angle as taught by Moebius, for the purpose achieving rapid beam expansion in ultra-short distances, extended spatial coverage and uniformity, and high efficiency coupling.
Regarding claim 2, in combination, the optical device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element includes at least one lens having a curvature in the second direction (Moebius Figs. 2A-2D, 3, 4B, light shaping elements 201, 301, 402).
Regarding claim 3, in combination, the optical device according to claim 2, wherein the lens is a concave lens (Moebius Figs. 2A-2D, 3, 4B, light shaping elements 201, 301, 402).
Regarding claim 4, in combination, the optical device according to claim 2, wherein the lens is a convex lens (Baba Figs. 14A-15C and para 232 “cylindrical lens 9a”).
Regarding claim 5, in combination, the optical device according to claim 2, wherein the optical element has a portion in which the curvature of the lens changes along the first direction (Moebius Fig. 4B, para 38 “hybrid prismatic lens 402”).
Regarding claim 6, in combination, the optical device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is in contact with a light exit surface of the optical deflector (Baba Fig. 14B, see 9b).
Regarding claim 7, in combination, the optical device according to claim 1, wherein, a change in the extent of the spread of the optical beam in the second direction (vertical direction) by the optical element is larger than the change in the extent of the spread of the optical beam in the first direction (horizontal direction) by the optical element (Moebius Fig. 2A-4B, see the extent of spread).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUNCHA P CHERRY whose telephone number is (571)272-2310. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 7am to 3:30pm.
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10/5/2026
/EUNCHA P CHERRY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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