DETAILED ACTION
1. This Office Action is responsive to claims filed for No. 19/077,731 on March 12, 2025. Please note Claims 1-20 are pending.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
5. Claims 1-4, 8 and 10-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi et al. ( US 2023/0194925 A1 ) in view of Peng et al. ( US 2021/0349326 A1 ).
Shi teaches in Claim 1:
A device ( [0002] discloses a display with a backlight device and photonic integrated circuits ) comprising:
a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) configured to emit light at a plurality of locations ( Figures 2 and 3, [0046] disclose the backlight device 300 (see 240 in Figure 2 as well) has a novel architecture based on a photonic integrated circuit );
a spatial light modulator (SLM) comprising a plurality of pixels ( Figure 2, [0044] disclose a display panel 250 which is a spatial light modulator and [0035] discloses pixels of the spatial light modulator ), wherein the plurality of pixels of the SLM are arranged to receive the light from the PIC ( Figure 2 shows the backlight 240 (with the PIC) outputs light onto the display panel 250 (with the SLMs) ) and to modulate the [amplitude and/or phase] of the light from the PIC according to a display image ( [0044] discloses the display panel may spatially modulate the light received from the backlight device to generate image content. As for it being based on the amplitude and/or phase, please note the combination below ); and
a display region arranged to receive modulated light emitted by the SLM ( Figures 2 and 7], [0039] disclose generating image light to present optical media to an eye of the user (read as a display region) ); but
Shi does not explicitly teach to modulate the “amplitude and/or phase of the light from the PIC according to the display image”.
However, in the same field of endeavor, spatial light modulators, Peng teaches of an akin display 808, ( Peng, Figure 8, [0105] ). Notably, the display may include a spatial light modulator, such as a pixelized LC layer and the display may modulate the phase and/or amplitude of incident light. The phase and polarization of the light exiting the display 808 may be spatially modulated owing to the electrically set LC orientation in each pixel. As combined with Shi, who teaches of a backlight with PIC aspects, the spatial light modulator teaches of a display which can modulate the amplitude and/or phase.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the effective filed date of the invention, to implement the amplitude and/or phase modulation, as taught by Peng, with the motivation that by controlling these aspects, image information perceived by the user’s eye can be improved and dispersion can be compensated for, ( Peng, [0105] ).
Shi and Peng teach in Claim 2:
The device of claim 1, wherein the SLM comprises a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) panel. ( Peng, Figure 9, [0108] disclose an LCoS display )
Shi and Peng teach in Claim 3:
The device of claim 1, wherein the SLM is configured to reflect the light from the PIC toward the display region, and wherein the PIC is at least partially arranged between the SLM and the display region. ( Respectfully, Shi in particular teaches of a particular layout of the elements. However, it is a design choice issue as to the layout of these elements and one of ordinary skill in the art would realize the PIC, SLM, etc, could be arranged in a plurality of locations with the goal of outputting image content to the user )
Shi and Peng teach in Claim 4:
The device of claim 3, further comprising a polarizer layer arranged between the PIC and the display region. ( Peng, Figures 6 and 8, [0093] disclose a DT-PBS 502 functioning as a polarizer )
Shi teaches in Claim 8:
The device of claim 1, further comprising a laser arranged to emit light into a waveguide of the PIC. ( [0088] discloses light source using lasers to direct into a waveguide of the backlight device )
Shi teaches in Claim 10:
The device of claim 8, further comprising at least one processor configured to:
in first time windows, operate the PIC to emit light of a first color at the plurality of locations; in second time windows, distinct from the first time windows, operate a second PIC to emit light of a second color at a plurality of locations, the plurality of pixels of the SLM being arranged to receive both the light of the first color from the PIC and the light of the second color from the second PIC. ( Figures 5A-5C, [0058]+ disclose a plurality of light sources which emit a light beam of a respective color channel. Using a light combiner may combine the light to direct the combined light to the display panel )
Shi teaches in Claim 11:
The device of claim 8, wherein the laser is edge coupled to the waveguide, or is coupled to the waveguide via an optical grating. ( [0053] disclose a grating for the waveguide. [0062] also disclose a grating element or in general, some diffraction element attached to the waveguide )
Shi teaches in Claim 12:
The device of claim 1, wherein the PIC includes at least one of:
a Mach-Zehnder interferometer; a microring resonator; a photonic switch; or a phase shifter. ( [0051] discloses photonic structures in general within the light source assembly. [0049] discloses examples of light source assembly components, such as a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) coupler, etc )
Shi teaches in Claim 13:
The device of claim 1, wherein the SLM is configured to transmit the light from the PIC toward the display region, and wherein the SLM is at least partially arranged between the PIC and the display region. ( Figure 2 shows the display panel 250 (with the SLM) arranged between the backlight device 240 (with the PIC) and the display region to the user’s eye )
Shi teaches in Claim 14:
The device of claim 13, further comprising one or more lenses configured to converge the light from the PIC onto the SLM. ( [0044] disclose examples various types of lens to arrange/direct the image light from the backlight )
Shi teaches in Claim 15:
The device of claim 1, wherein the PIC comprises a waveguides that includes a plurality of optical gratings and/or beamsplitters configured to emit the light at least some of the plurality of locations. ( [0047] discloses the light source has one or more beams splitters and [0053]+ disclose optical coupling elements, e.g. a grating on the waveguide )
Shi teaches in Claim 16:
The device of claim 1, wherein the PIC is further configured to receive input light from a light source and to modulate the amplitude and/or phase of the input light, and wherein the light emitted at the plurality of locations includes the amplitude and/or phase-modulated input light. ( [0045] disclose varying the voltage level to adjust the amplitude levels generated by the controller provided to the backlight device )
Shi and Peng teach in Claim 17:
The device of claim 1, wherein the SLM comprises a plurality of pixels each arranged beneath respective one or more locations of the plurality of locations from which the PIC emits light. ( Shi, [0044] discloses the display panel may spatially modulate the light received from the backlight device to generate image content. Please note the combination with Peng, [0105] to teach of pixels being individually (each) controlled (read as at a plurality of locations) )
Shi teaches in Claim 18:
The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a head-mounted display configured to be worn by a user, and the display region is an eyebox of the user. ( Figure 1A/1B, [0036] disclose a head-mounted display and Figure 2 shows the eyebox being shown image content )
Shi teaches in Claim 19:
A method ( [0002] discloses a display with a backlight device and photonic integrated circuits ) comprising:
operating a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) to emit light at a plurality of locations ( Figures 2 and 3, [0046] disclose the backlight device 300 (see 240 in Figure 2 as well) has a novel architecture based on a photonic integrated circuit );
receiving the light from the PIC and modulating the amplitude and/or phase of the light from the PIC according to a display image using a spatial light modulator (SLM) comprising a plurality of pixels ( Figure 2, [0044] disclose a display panel 250 which is a spatial light modulator and [0035] discloses pixels of the spatial light modulator. Figure 2 shows the backlight 240 (with the PIC) outputs light onto the display panel 250 (with the SLMs). [0044] discloses the display panel may spatially modulate the light received from the backlight device to generate image content. As for it being based on the amplitude and/or phase, please note the combination below ); and
directing modulated light from the SLM into a display region ( Figures 2 and 7], [0039] disclose generating image light to present optical media to an eye of the user (read as a display region) ); but
Shi does not explicitly teach to modulate the “amplitude and/or phase of the light from the PIC according to the display image”.
However, in the same field of endeavor, spatial light modulators, Peng teaches of an akin display 808, ( Peng, Figure 8, [0105] ). Notably, the display may include a spatial light modulator, such as a pixelized LC layer and the display may modulate the phase and/or amplitude of incident light. The phase and polarization of the light exiting the display 808 may be spatially modulated owing to the electrically set LC orientation in each pixel. As combined with Shi, who teaches of a backlight with PIC aspects, the spatial light modulator teaches of a display which can modulate the amplitude and/or phase.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the effective filed date of the invention, to implement the amplitude and/or phase modulation, as taught by Peng, with the motivation that by controlling these aspects, image information perceived by the user’s eye can be improved and dispersion can be compensated for, ( Peng, [0105] ).
Shi teaches in Claim 20:
The method of claim 19, wherein PIC and SLM are arranged within a head-mounted display worn by a user, and the display region is an eyebox of the user. ( Figure 1A/1B, [0036] disclose a head-mounted display and Figure 2 shows the eyebox being shown image content )
6. Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi et al.
( US 2023/0194925 A1 ) in view of Peng et al. ( US 2021/0349326 A1 ), as applied to Claim 3, further in view of Danziger ( US 12,320,983 B1 ).
As per Claim 5:
Shi and Peng do not explicitly teach “wherein the SLM comprises a quarter wave plate arranged over a plurality of electrodes.”
However, in the same field of endeavor, image projection, Danziger teaches of an SLM with a PBS surface (similar to Shi and Peng). Furthermore, a quarter-wave plate is also provided, which is a well known element, ( Danziger, Column 8, Lines 46-63 ).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the effective filed date of the invention, to implement the quarter-wave plate, as taught by Danziger, with the motivation that this is as well known element and can be optimize efficiency of the optics, ( Danziger, Column 8, Lines 46-63 ).
Shi teaches in Claim 6:
The device of claim 5, wherein the quarter wave plate comprises a metasurface. ( Shi, [0077] discloses of meta-scatters 1116. However, quarter wave plates with a metasurface is well known in the art and Examiner asserts Official Notice to this )
Shi and Peng teach in Claim 7:
The device of claim 5, wherein the quarter wave plate comprises a liquid crystal layer. ( Peng teaches of LCos, which is liquid crystal on silicon )
7. Claim 9 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi et al.
( US 2023/0194925 A1 ) in view of Peng et al. ( US 2021/0349326 A1 ), as applied to Claim 8, further in view of Poon et al. ( US 2024/0402493 A1 ).
As per Claim 9:
Shi and Peng do not explicitly teach “wherein the waveguide comprises silicon arranged in contact with silicon dioxide.”
However, in the same field of endeavor, head mounted devices, Poon teaches of a waveguide combiner in which the dielectric materials comprise silicon dioxide, ( Poon, Column 12, Claim 5). Poon also teaches in Figure 24, [0089] of the surface which use this silicon dioxide. Respectfully, silicon dioxide is well known in the art and is commonly used in waveguides.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the effective filed date of the invention, to implement the silicon dioxide, as taught by Poon, with the motivation that this is well known and used in LCoS systems.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DENNIS P JOSEPH whose telephone number is (571)270-1459. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 5:30 - 3:30 EST.
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/DENNIS P JOSEPH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621
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