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
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 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 1-4, 10, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tiffin (US 2021/0149206 A1).
Instant Claim 1: A head-mounted display, (“FIG. 2 illustrates wearable device 200 in an unfolded configuration, in which first arm 210 and second arm 220 are rotated such that wearable device 200 can be worn on a head of a user,” (Tiffin, paragraph 62)
“Wearable display 200 (fig 2) can include a set of electrically conductive current paths 244 coupled to the at least one camera 232.” (Tiffin, paragraph 70) The wearable device/display 200 of Tiffin corresponds to the head-mounted display of the claim.)
comprising: a first housing portion in which a display unit which displays an image is arranged; (“Front frame 130 (fig 1) optionally carries an optical combiner 131 in a field of view of the user which receives light output from the light engine assembly 111 and redirects this light to form a display to be viewed by the user.” (Tiffin, paragraph 54) The front frame 130 of Tiffin corresponds to the first housing portion of the claim.)
a second housing portion in which a substrate is arranged; (“First arm 110 (fig 1) optionally carries a light engine assembly 111 which outputs light representative of display content to be viewed by a user.” (Tiffin, paragraph 54)
“All of the components in the light engine assembly … could be affixed to a substrate of the light engine assembly such as a printed circuit board or similar,” (Tiffin, paragraph 59) The first arm 110 of Tiffin corresponds to the second housing portion of the claim.)
a band which includes a hinge and connects the first housing portion and the second housing portion such that the first housing portion and the second housing portion become rotatable while using the hinge as a rotation center; (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62) The housing of Tiffin on which the hinge 219 is located, corresponds to the band of the claim.)
and an electrical connection portion arranged in the band, wherein the display unit and the substrate are electrically connected via the electrical connection portion. (“First arm 110 (fig 1) optionally carries a light engine assembly 111 which outputs light representative of display content to be viewed by a user.” (Tiffin, paragraph 54)
“All of the components in the light engine assembly can be included in a housing of the light engine assembly, could be affixed to a substrate of the light engine assembly such as a printed circuit board or similar, or could be separately mounted components of a wearable device.” (Tiffin, paragraph 59) The substrate of the light engine assembly of Tiffin is electrically connected to the display. This electrical connection is located in the same housing as the hinge.)
Instant Claim 2: The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the head-mounted display is capable of accommodating the second housing portion on an inner side of the first housing portion by the rotation of the first housing portion and the second housing portion that uses the hinge as the rotation center. (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62))
Instant Claim 3: The head-mounted display according to claim 2, wherein an accommodation position of the second housing portion is a position that does not inhibit an area where a user watches the display unit. (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62) The location of the hinge 219 of Tiffin corresponds to the accommodation position of the claim.)
Instant Claim 4: The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the band includes a first connection member which is connected to the first housing portion and a second connection member which is connected to the second housing portion, and the first connection member and the second connection member are connected to become rotatable while using the hinge as the rotation center. (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62) Referring to fig 2 of Tiffin, the housing of the front frame 230 of Tiffin on which the hinge 219 is located and the housing of the first arm 210 on which the hinge 219 is located, correspond to the first connection member and the second connection member of the claim, respectively.)
Instant Claim 10: The head-mounted display according to claim 4, wherein the first connection member includes a restriction portion which restricts detachment of the first connection member from the first housing portion. (Referring to fig 2 of Tiffin, the housing of the front frame 230 of Tiffin on which the hinge 219 is located corresponds to the restriction portion of the claim, as the housing of the front frame 230 can not be detached into smaller pieces.)
Instant Claim 16: The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the hinge includes a fixing mechanism which fixes a relative rotation angle of the first housing portion and the second housing portion about the hinge at a predetermined angle. (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62) Referring to fig 2 of Tiffin, first arm 210 and front frame 230 are fixed about hinge 219 at a predetermined angle.)
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.
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.
Claims 5-8 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tiffin.
Instant Claim 5: The head-mounted display according to claim 4, wherein the first connection member includes a first end portion and a second end portion on an opposite side of the first end portion, the second connection member includes a third end portion and a fourth end portion on an opposite side of the third end portion, and the hinge includes a first hinge portion which rotatably connects the first end portion and the third end portion and a second hinge portion which rotatably connects the second end portion and the fourth end portion. (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62) Although Tiffin does not explicitly teach the micro details of the mechanical connections of hinge 219, obviously hinge 219 may use any known arrangement and configuration for rotating first arm 210 relative to front frame 230.)
Instant Claim 6: The head-mounted display according to claim 5, wherein the first connection member includes a first adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a length from the first end portion to the second end portion. (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62) Although Tiffin does not explicitly teach the micro details of the mechanical connections of hinge 219, obviously hinge 219 may use any known arrangement and configuration for rotating first arm 210 relative to front frame 230.)
Instant Claim 7: The head-mounted display according to claim 6, wherein the first connection member includes a first division member including the first end portion and a second division member including the second end portion, and the first adjustment mechanism includes a coupling member which connects the first division member and the second division member such that the first division member and the second division member are capable of moving relatively. (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62) Although Tiffin does not explicitly teach the micro details of the mechanical connections of hinge 219, obviously hinge 219 may use any known arrangement and configuration for rotating first arm 210 relative to front frame 230.)
Instant Claim 8: The head-mounted display according to claim 7, wherein the coupling member connects the first division member and the second division member such that a movement of the first division member and a movement of the second division member are synchronized. (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62) Although Tiffin does not explicitly teach the micro details of the mechanical connections of hinge 219, obviously hinge 219 may use any known arrangement and configuration for rotating first arm 210 relative to front frame 230.)
Instant Claim 17: The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein a battery is arranged in the second housing portion. (“FIG. 20 shows a first set of electrically conductive pathways 240 which are electrically coupled a battery 221 to electrical components in a first arm 210 of wearable device 2000.” (Tiffin, paragraph 156) Although the battery of Tiffin is not located in the first arm 210, according to section 2144.04 of the MPEP, under the heading Rearrangement of Parts, in the case of In re Kuhle the courts ruled “the particular placement of a contact in a conductivity measuring device was held to be an obvious matter of design choice”. Similarly in the wearable display 200 of Tiffin, the exact location of battery 221 is an obvious matter of design choice.)
Instant Claim 18: The head-mounted display according to claim 2, wherein the first housing portion includes a first protrusion portion, the second housing portion includes a second protrusion portion, and the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion come into contact with each other in a state where the second housing portion is accommodated. (Although Tiffin does not explicitly teach the mechanical connection between front frame 130 and first arm 110, it would be obvious that each element includes a protrusion at the connection point – such as a ball and socket connection.)
Instant Claim 19: The head-mounted display according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first protrusion portion or the second protrusion portion includes a spring mechanism, and the second housing portion is fixed by pressing by the spring mechanism in the state where the second housing portion is accommodated. (Although Tiffin does not explicitly teach the mechanical connection between front frame 130 and first arm 110, by official notice springs are commonly used to connect elements of devices.)
Instant Claim 20: The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the hinge includes a limitation mechanism which limits the rotation of the first housing portion and the second housing portion so that a relative rotation angle of the first housing portion and the second housing portion about the hinge does not become equal to or larger than a predetermined angle. (“First arm 210 (fig 2) is coupled to front frame 230 by hinge 219, which allows first arm 210 to rotate relative to front frame 230.” (Tiffin, paragraph 62) Although Tiffin does not explicitly teach the details of the mechanical connections of hinge 219, by official notice glasses of the type of wearable display 200 often do limit the amount of rotation of the arms.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 11-15 are 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: With respect to claim 9, the prior art fails to teach or fairly suggest “the first connection member includes a reference point which becomes a reference for a distance of the first end portion of the first division member and a distance of the second end portion of the second division member, and the coupling member connects the first division member and the second division member such that a distance from the reference point to the first end portion and a distance from the reference point to the second end portion are synchronized”.
With respect to claim 11, the prior art fails to teach or fairly suggest “the first connection member includes a first end portion and a reference point which becomes a reference for a distance of the first end portion, and the restriction portion restricts a change of a distance from the reference point to the first end portion so that the distance from the reference point to the first end portion does not become larger than a predetermined length”.
With respect to claim 12, the prior art fails to teach or fairly suggest “the second connection member includes a second adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a length from the third end portion to the fourth end portion”.
Claims 13-15 depend on and further limit claim 4, and thus, are allowable over the prior art as well.
Conclusion
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/YARON COHEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2626