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, 6-8 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ouderkirk et al (US 2013/0063701; hereinafter referred to as Ouderkirk).
Regarding Claims 1 and 8, Ouderkirk teaches a projection device (Figure 1; Image Projector 100), comprising:
an illumination system (Figure 1; Color Combiner Module 110, Polarization Converter Module 130 and Image Generator Module 150), comprising:
a light source (Figure 1; Light Sources 112, 114 and 116), configured to generate a light beam (see Paragraphs [0027]-[0028]);
a first turning prism (Figure 1; Color Combiner 120), disposed on a travel path of the light beam (see Figure 1);
a second turning prism (Figure 1; Polarization Converter 140), disposed on a travel path of the light beam from the first turning prism (Figure 1; Color Combiner 120) and guiding the light beam with the first turning prism (see Figure 1); and
a light homogenizing element (Figure 1; Lenses 101) disposed between the first turning prism (Figure 1; Color Combiner 120) and the second turning prism (Figure 1; Polarization Converter 140) and diffusing the light beam (see Paragraph [0030]; wherein it is disclosed that the plurality of lenses 101 can homogenize and improve the uniformity of the combined light output 124 that exits the homogenizing polarization converter module 130 as homogenized polarized light 145);
a TIR prism (Figure 1; Beam Splitter 156), disposed on a travel path of the light beam from the second turning prism (Figure 1; Polarization Converter 140) and forming an illumination light beam (see Figure 1);
a light valve (Figure 1; Spatial Light Modulator 158), disposed on a travel path of the illumination light beam and converting the illumination light beam into an image light beam (see Paragraph [0031]; wherein it is disclosed that the spatial light modulator 158 converts the homogenized polarized light 145 into an imaged light 165); and
a projection lens (Figure 1; Projection Module 170), disposed on a travel path of the image light beam (see Figure 1 and Paragraph [0026]).
Regarding Claims 6 and 13, Ouderkirk teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 8 as detailed above.
Ouderkirk further teaches the light source (Figure 1; Light Sources 112, 114 and 116) comprises a first light emission unit (Figure 1; Light Source 112), a second light emission unit (Figure 1; Light Sources 114) and a third light emission unit (Figure 1; Light Source 116), and the first light emission unit (Figure 1; Light Source 112), the second light emission unit (Figure 1; Light Sources 114) and the third light emission unit (Figure 1; Light Source 116) separately emit light according to their corresponding clock frequencies to form the light beam (see Paragraph [0028]).
Regarding Claims 7 and 14, Ouderkirk teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 8 as detailed above.
Ouderkirk further teaches the light homogenizing element (Figure 1; Lenses 101) is an optical integrator rod or a lens array (see Figure 1 and Paragraph [0030]).
Regarding Claim 15, Ouderkirk teaches the limitations of claim 8 as detailed above.
Ouderkirk further teaches the second turning prism (Figure 1; Polarization Converter 140) is attached to the TIR prism (see Figure 1; wherein all elements of the image projector 100 are attached).
Regarding Claim 16, Ouderkirk teaches the limitations of claim 8 as detailed above.
Ouderkirk further teaches the TIR prism (Figure 1; Beam Splitter 156) comprises a first work surface (see Figure 1), a second work surface and a third work surface (see Figure 1), and the second work surface and the third work surface are disposed on one side of the first work surface facing away from the second turning prism (see Figure 1; wherein the surface of beam splitter 156 which faces away from polarization converter 140), and the first work surface faces the second turning prism (see Figure 1; wherein the first work surface faces the polarization converter 140), and the third work surface faces the light valve (see Figure 1; wherein the third work surface corresponds to the surface facing SLM 158).
Regarding Claim 17, Ouderkirk teaches the limitations of claim 8 as detailed above.
Ouderkirk further teaches the light beam from the second turning prism (Figure 1; Polarization Converter 140) is incident on the second work surface from the first work surface to form the illumination light beam (see Figure 1), and the illumination light beam passes through the third work surface to travel to the light valve (see Figure 1), and the light valve (Figure 1; Spatial Light Modulator 158) converts the illumination light beam into the image light beam (see Figure 1 and Paragraph [0031]), and the image light beam passes through the TIR prism to travel to the projection lens (see Figure 1 and Paragraph [0031]).
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.
Claims 2-5 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ouderkirk et al (US 2013/0063701; hereinafter referred to as Ouderkirk) as applied to claims 1 and 8, in view of Gao et al (US 2016/0269698; hereinafter referred to as Gao).
Regarding Claims 2 and 9, Ouderkirk teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 8 as detailed above.
Ouderkirk discloses the first turning prism (Figure 1; Color Combiner 120) comprises a first light incident surface (see Figure 1), a first light output surface and a first light reflective surface (see Figure 1), and the first light output surface and the first light reflective surface are located on one side of the first light incident surface facing away from the light source (see Figure 1), and the first light incident surface faces the light source (Figure 1; Light Sources 112, 114 and 116) and is a spherical surface (see Figure 1), and the first light output surface faces the light homogenizing element (Figure 1; Lenses 101) and is a plane, a spherical surface or a freeform surface (see Figure 1).
Ouderkirk does not expressly disclose that the first light incident surface faces the light source and is a spherical surface.
Gao discloses a prism (Figure 2; Prism 111) which comprises a first light incident surface which faces a light source and is a spherical surface (see Figure 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the first turning prism of Ouderkirk such that the first light incident surface faces the light source and is a spherical surface, based upon the teachings of Gao, because doing so would greatly compensate the lighting source of DMD, solve the contradiction of minimizing the projector and improving the properties of the projector. Thereby, the resulting projector has a compact structure and low production cost, and is light and easy to carry (see Gao Paragraph [0019]).
Regarding Claims 3 and 10, Ouderkirk as modified by Gao discloses the limitations of claims 2 and 9 as detailed above.
Ouderkirk further discloses the light beam is incident on the first light output surface from the first light incident surface (see Figure 1), and the first light output surface guides the light beam to travel to the first light reflective surface (see Figure 1), and the first light reflective surface guides the light beam to pass through the first light output surface and be incident on the light homogenizing element (see Figure 1; wherein the beam passes through the output surface of color combiner 120 and is incident on lenses 101).
Regarding Claims 4 and 11, Ouderkirk teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 8 as detailed above.
Ouderkirk further discloses the second turning prism (Figure 1; Polarization Converter 140) comprises a second light incident surface (see Figure 1), a second light output surface and a second light reflective surface (see Figure 1), and the second light output surface and the second light reflective surface are located on one side of the second light incident surface facing away from the light homogenizing element (see Figure 1; wherein the output surface and reflective surface of polarizatrion converter 140 face away from lenses 101), and the second light incident surface faces the light homogenizing element (see Figure 1).
Ouderkirk does not expressly disclose that the second light incident surface is a freeform surface.
Gao discloses a prism (Figure 2; Prism 111) which comprises a light incident surface which is a freeform surface (see Figure 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the second turning prism of Ouderkirk such that the second light incident surface is a freeform surface, based upon the teachings of Gao, because doing so would greatly compensate the lighting source of DMD, solve the contradiction of minimizing the projector and improving the properties of the projector. Thereby, the resulting projector has a compact structure and low production cost, and is light and easy to carry (see Gao Paragraph [0019]).
Regarding Claims 5 and 12, Ouderkirk teaches the limitations of claims 4 and 11 as detailed above.
Ouderkirk further discloses the light beam from the light homogenizing element (Figure 1; Lenses 101) is incident on the second light output surface from the second light incident surface (see Figure 1), and the second light output surface guides the light beam to travel to the second light reflective surface (see Figure 1), and the second light reflective surface guides the light beam to pass through the second light output surface (see Figure 1).
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER A LAMB II whose telephone number is (571)270-0648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am - 5pm EST.
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/CHRISTOPHER A LAMB II/Examiner, Art Unit 2882
