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 Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: the recitation of “w wherein” in line 1 is suggested to change to - - wherein - -. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 11, 16, 17, 19-21, 23 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin et al. (US 20210286248, cited by applicant).
Regarding claim 1, Lin teaches an illumination system (fig 8A) wherein the illumination system provides an illumination beam (L1-L5) and comprises a first light source module (162), a second light source module (combination of 112 and 111), a third light source module (115), a first optical element (120, [0046]), a second optical element (130, [0028]), and a third optical element (140, [0028]), wherein: the first light source module provides only a first color beam (green, [0045]); the second light source module provides only a second color beam and a third color beam (blue and red, [0029]); the third light source module provides the third color beam (red, [0029]); the first optical element, the second optical element, and the third optical element are all disposed on the transmission paths of the first color beam, the second color beam, and the third color beam (fig. 8A), and the first light source module (162) and the second light source module (112 and 111) are respectively located on opposite sides of the first optical element (120) and the second optical element (130), and the second optical element (130) is disposed between the first optical element (120) and the third optical element (140).
Regarding claim 2, Lin further teaches, wherein an extending direction of a substrate of the first light source module (162) is perpendicular to an extending direction of a substrate of the second light source module (112 and 111), and the extending direction of the substrate of the second light source module (112 and 111) is parallel to an extending direction of a substrate of the third light source module (115) (fig. 8A).
Regarding claim 4, Lin further teaches wherein the first optical element (120), the second optical element (130), and the third optical element (140) are configured to allow the first color beam (L5) to passthrough (fig. 8A).
Regarding claim 5, Lin further teaches wherein the first optical element (120) is configured to allow the first color beam (L5) to pass through and to reflect the second color beam (L1 and L2) (fig. 8A, [0046] and [0047]).
Regarding claim 6, Lin further teaches wherein the first optical element (120) is further configured to reflect the third color beam (LA1, fig. 8A and [0046]).
Regarding claim 8, Lin further teaches wherein the second optical element (130 and 132) is configured to allow the first color beam (L5) to pass through, to reflect a portion of the second color beam (L2) and allow another portion of the second color beam (L1) to pass through, and to allow the third color beam to pass through (LA1) (fig. 8A).
Regarding claim 11, Lin further teaches wherein the illumination system further comprises a condensing element (150) disposed on the transmission paths of the first color beam, the second color beam, and the third color beam, and the third optical element is located between the condensing element and the second optical element; wherein the first color beam, the second color beam, and the third color beam form a plurality of light spots on the condensing element, and the plurality of light spots are symmetrical about a center of the condensing element ([0028], [0034] and [0035]).
Regarding claim 16, Lin teaches a projection device (fig. 1), comprising an illumination system (100), a light valve (60), and a projection lens (70), wherein the illumination system provides an illumination beam (LB), and the illumination system illumination system (fig 8A) comprises a first light source module (162), a second light source module (combination of 112 and 111), a third light source module (115), a first optical element (120, [0046]), a second optical element (130, [0028]), and a third optical element (140, [0028]), wherein: the first light source module provides only a first color beam (green, [0045]); the second light source module provides only a second color beam and a third color beam (blue and red, [0029]); the third light source module provides the third color beam (red, [0029]); the first optical element, the second optical element, and the third optical element are all disposed on the transmission paths of the first color beam, the second color beam, and the third color beam (fig. 8A), and the first light source module (162) and the second light source module (112 and 111) are respectively located on opposite sides of the first optical element (120) and the second optical element (130), and the second optical element (130) is disposed between the first optical element (120) and the third optical element (140); the light valve is disposed on a transmission path of the illumination beam to convert the illumination beam into an image beam ([0025]); and the projection lens is disposed on a transmission path of the image beam to project the image beam out of the projection device ([0026]).
Regarding claim 17, Lin further teaches, wherein an extending direction of a substrate of the first light source module (162) is perpendicular to an extending direction of a substrate of the second light source module (112 and 111), and the extending direction of the substrate of the second light source module (112 and 111) is parallel to an extending direction of a substrate of the third light source module (115) (fig. 8A).
Regarding claim 19, Lin further teaches wherein the first optical element, the second optical element, and the third optical element are configured to allow the first color beam to pass through (fig. 8A).
Regarding claim 20, Lin further teaches wherein the first optical element (120) is configured to allow the first color beam (L5) to pass through and to reflect the second color beam (L1 and L2) (fig. 8A, [0046] and [0047]).
Regarding claim 21, Lin further teaches wherein the first optical element (120) is further configured to reflect the third color beam (LA1, fig. 8A and [0046]).
Regarding claim 23, Lin further teaches wherein the second optical element (130 and 132) is configured to allow the first color beam (L5) to pass through, to reflect a portion of the second color beam (L2) and allow another portion of the second color beam (L1) to pass through, and to allow the third color beam to pass through (LA1) (fig. 8A).
Regarding claim 26, Lin further teaches wherein the illumination system further comprises a condensing element (150) disposed on the transmission paths of the first color beam, the second color beam, and the third color beam, and the third optical element is located between the condensing element and the second optical element; wherein the first color beam, the second color beam, and the third color beam form a plurality of light spots on the condensing element, and the plurality of light spots are symmetrical about a center of the condensing element ([0028], [0034] and [0035]).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 3 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of Wang et al. (US 2025/0088612).
Regarding claims 3 and 18, Lin teaches all subject matter claimed as applied above except for the arrangement of each of the light source module having diodes as claimed.
However, Wang teaches illumination system and projection device having arrangement of each of the light source module having diodes as claimed (figs. 2A-3, 6 and [0021]-[0024]).
In view of Wang’s teaching, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Lin by incorporating the teaching as taught by Wang since it is just a matter of design option to select particular color for each of the light source modules.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9, 10, 12-15, 22, 24, 25 and 27-30 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:
The prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to further teach or fairly suggest wherein the second optical element is configured to allow the first color beam to pass through, to reflect a portion of the second color beam and allow another portion of the second color beam to pass through, and to reflect the third color beam as recited in claims 7 and 22; wherein the third optical element comprises an optical region configured to allow the first color beam and the second color beam to pass through, and to reflect the third color beam as recited in claims 9 and 24 and further limitations of the dependent claims 10 and 25; and wherein the first color beam provided by the first light source module comprises a first red beam, a second red beam, a third red beam, and a fourth red beam, the first red beam is transmitted to the first optical element and the condensing element along a first path, the second red beam is transmitted to the first optical element, the third optical element, and the condensing element along a second path, the third red beam is transmitted to the first optical element, the second optical element, and the condensing element along a third path, and the fourth red beam is transmitted to the first optical element, the second optical element, and the condensing element along a fourth path as recited in claims 12 and 27 and further limitations of the dependent claims 13-15 and 28-30.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
References: Chang et al. (US 2023/0140825); Kitahama et al. (US 11,588,413); Pan (US 2021/0294200); Hsu et al. (US 2021/0286247) and Liu et al. (US 2020/0174355) are cited because they are related to illumination system and projector apparatus.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tuyen Kim Vo whose telephone number is (571)270-1657. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs: 8AM-6:30PM.
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/TUYEN K VO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876