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 § 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.
Claims 1-2 and 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shibuya et al. (US 20200132903).
Regarding claim 1, Shibuya discloses (Figs. 1-11) a polarizer, comprising: a transparent substrate (11, 21, 31, 51, 61); and lattice protrusions (combination of 12, 13A, 13B, 13C) that are arranged on one surface of the transparent substrate at a pitch shorter than a wavelength of light in an allocated band and that extend in a predetermined direction (section 0007), wherein the lattice protrusions each comprise, in order from the transparent substrate: a reflective layer (12); a dielectric layer (13A); and an absorption layer (13B); and wherein a water repellent film on which areas treated with a plurality of different water-repellent treatment agents (14, 15) exist non-uniformly is formed on surfaces of the lattice protrusions and a surface of the transparent substrate (11, 21, 31, 51, 61) on which the lattice protrusions are arranged.
Regarding claim 2, Shibuya discloses (Figs. 1-11) the plurality of different water-repellent treatment agents comprise a first water-repellent treatment agent (15) that comprises a perfluoroalkyl group (section 0042), and a second water-repellent treatment agent (14; cryolite, silicon are examples of material that is water repellent; section 0039) that does not comprise a perfluoroalkyl group.
Regarding claim 4, Shibuya discloses (Figs. 1-11) a method of manufacturing the polarizer according to claim 1, the method comprising: stacking, in order from the transparent substrate (11, 21, 31, 51, 61): a reflective layer (12); a dielectric layer (13A); and an absorption layer (13B), on one surface of the transparent substrate to form a stack; forming the lattice protrusions by selectively etching the stack (Fig. 3; sections 0051-0052); and treating surfaces of the lattice protrusions and a surface of the transparent substrate on which the lattice protrusions are formed, with a plurality of different water-repellent treatment agents (14, 15), to form the water repellent film (Fig. 3; sections 0053-0054).
Regarding claim 5, Shibuya discloses (Figs. 1-11; in particular Fig. 1) a part of the surfaces of the lattice protrusions and the surface of the transparent substrate (11, 21, 31, 51, 61) on which the lattice protrusions are formed are alternately treated with the plurality of different water-repellent treatment agents (14, 15) to form the water repellent film (central portion of Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Shibuya discloses (Figs. 1-11) an optical device, comprising the polarizer (section 0003; liquid crystal projectors).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art does not disclose or suggest the polarizer of claim 3, in particular the limitations of the first water-repellent treatment agent is trichloro(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoro-n-octyl)silane, and the second water-repellent treatment agent is dimethyldichlorosilane.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES S CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-5024. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 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, Michael Caley can be reached at (571) 272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHARLES S CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
Prosecution Insights