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 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Minami et al. (US 2011/0317261).
As to claim 11, Minami discloses in figure 1, a display grating 5, comprising a grating substrate 3, wherein the grating substrate comprises: a first outer surface 3B provided with a plurality of sequentially arranged reflective structures 51 (paragraph [0028], barrier sections 51 may be a thin film-shaped metal member reflecting light); a first inner surface 3B provided with a plurality of sequentially arranged scattering structures 31 (paragraph [0033]) with a plurality of light-exiting points; and a first side surface provided with a plurality of sequentially arranged light sources 2.
As to claim 12, Minami discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 11. Minami further discloses a control line connected to the light sources (light sources 2 are necessarily connected to the control circuit via a control line), wherein the light sources are controlled to turn on through the control line when the display grating is in a 2D working state (paragraph [0029]), and the light sources are controlled to turn off through the control line when the display grating is in a 3D working state (paragraph [0029]).
As to claim 13, Minami discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 12. Minami further discloses in figure 1, wherein the first outer surface 3B comprises a first transparent area 32 which is an area of the first outer surface 3B other than areas occupied by the reflective structures 51; the scattering structures 31 correspond to the reflective structures one-to-one, an occupied area of each scattering structure 31 is equal to an occupied area of a corresponding reflective structure 51, each scattering structure 31 is aligned with the corresponding reflective structure 51, and the reflective structures 51 are extended from the first outer surface 3B for a preset distance; the first inner surface 3B comprises a second transparent area 32 which is an area of the first inner surface 3B other than areas occupied by the scattering structures 31; and the second transparent area is equal to the first transparent area.
As to claim 14, Minami discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 13. Minami further discloses in figure 1, wherein the scattering structures are sequentially arranged recesses which are formed by etching the first outer surface, the recesses have a preset depth, and the plurality of light-exiting points are arranged in the recesses.
As to claim 15, Minami discloses in figure 1, a 3D display device, comprising: a backlight panel 4; a liquid crystal display panel 1 (paragraph [0027]); a display grating 5 located between the backlight panel 4 and the liquid crystal display panel 1 and comprising: a first outer surface 3B provided with a plurality of sequentially arranged reflective structures 51 (paragraph [0028], barrier sections 51 may be a thin film-shaped metal member reflecting light); a first inner surface 3B provided with a plurality of sequentially arranged scattering structures 31 with a plurality of light-exiting points; and a first side surface provided with a plurality of sequentially arranged light sources 2; and a controller (paragraph [0025]) connected with the light sources 2 through a control line (light sources 2 are necessarily connected to the control circuit via a control line), and configured to control the light sources to turn on through the control line when the display grating is in a 2D working state (paragraph [0029]), and control the light sources to turn off through the control line when the display grating is in a 3D working state (paragraph [0029]).
As to claim 16, Minami discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 15. Minami further discloses in figure 1, wherein the first outer surface comprises a first transparent area 32 which is an area of the first outer surface 3B other than areas occupied by the reflective structures 51; the scattering structures 31 correspond to the reflective structures one-to-one, an occupied area of each scattering structure 31 is equal to an occupied area of a corresponding reflective structure 51, a center line of each scattering structure 31 coincides with a center line of the corresponding reflective structure 51, and the reflective structures 51 are extended from the first outer surface 3B for a preset distance; the first inner surface 3B comprises a second transparent area 32 which is an area of the first inner surface 3B other than areas occupied by the scattering structures 31; and the second transparent area is equal to the first transparent area.
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 17-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minami et al. (US 2011/0317261).
As to claims 17-18, Minami discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 15-16. Minami further discloses in figure 1, wherein the first outer surface 3B faces toward the backlight panel 4, and the first inner surface 3B is an inner surface of the display grating 5 with a preset distance from the first outer surface 3B (because the first outer surface and the first inner surface are the same surface, the preset distance is 0). Minami does not disclose that a distance between the reflective structures and the liquid crystal display panel is calculated according to a formula: M=L*P/Q, wherein M is the distance between the reflective structures and the liquid crystal display panel, L is a distance between a user and the liquid crystal display panel, P is a pixel pitch of the liquid crystal display panel, and Q is an interpupillary distance of the user. However, it was well known to optimize the distance between the reflective structures and the liquid crystal display panel in this manner to provide a high-quality 3D image to the viewer. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Minami such that a distance between the reflective structures and the liquid crystal display panel is calculated according to a formula: M=L*P/Q, wherein M is the distance between the reflective structures and the liquid crystal display panel, L is a distance between a user and the liquid crystal display panel, P is a pixel pitch of the liquid crystal display panel, and Q is an interpupillary distance of the user, in order to provide a high-quality 3D image to the viewer.
As to claim 19, Minami discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 15. Minami does not disclose when to perform 3D display, determining, by the 3D display device, positions of eyes of a target user who is ready to watch a 3D image displayed by the 3D display device at a preset distance; determining, according to the positions, a left light beam group from the backlight panel to a left eye of the target user and a right light beam group from the backlight panel to a right eye of the target user, the backlight panel corresponding to the 3D display, and light beams of the left light beam group and the right light beam group corresponding to pixels of the liquid crystal display panel; dividing the pixels of the liquid crystal display panel into a left-view pixel group and a right-view pixel group according to the left light beam group and the right light beam group; displaying a left image and a right image on the liquid crystal display panel based on the left-view pixel group and the right-view pixel group correspondingly, wherein the left image and the right image correspond to the 3D image. However, this was a conventional method of performing a 3D display as evidenced by figure 9 and paragraphs [0004]-[0006] of Minami. For example, it was conventional to (1) determine the position of the left and right eye of the viewer, (2) separate the light from the backlight into a left light beam group directed to the left eye of the viewer and a right light beam group directed to the right eye of the viewer, (3) divide the pixels in the liquid crystal display panel into a left view pixel group for modulating the left light beam group and a right view pixel group for modulating the right light beam group, (4) display a left image based on the light modulated by the left view pixel group and a right image based on the light modulated by the right view pixel group. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Minami by performing a 3D display in the manner as claimed because conventional methods were known to be cost-effective and reliable.
As to claim 20, Minami discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 19. Minami does not disclose determining a first position group of the left-view pixel group on the liquid crystal display panel and a second position group of the right-view pixel group on the liquid crystal display panel; displaying pixels of the left image at positions of the first position group; and displaying pixels of the right image at positions of the second position group. However, this was also part of a conventional method of performing a 3D display. It was conventional to determine first pixel positions of the left view pixel group and second pixel positions of the right view pixel group and display the left image via pixels at the first pixel positions and the right image via pixels at the second pixel positions. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Minami by performing a 3D display in the manner as claimed because conventional methods were known to be cost-effective and reliable.
As to claims 21-22, Minami discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 19-20. Minami does not disclose determining an initial left light beam group from the backlight panel to the left eye of the target user and an initial right light beam group from the backlight panel to the right eye of the target user according to the positions; comparing the initial left light beam group with the initial right light beam group to obtain a resulted light beam group; determining light beams in the initial left light beam group but out of the resulted light beam group to form the left light beam group; determining light beams in the initial right light beam group but out of the resulted light beam group to form the right light beam group. However, this was a conventional method of displaying an initial 3D image. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Minami by forming an initial 3D image in the manner as claimed because conventional methods were known to be cost-effective and reliable.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David Chung whose telephone number is (571)272-2288. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/DAVID Y CHUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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