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 1-4, 7-8, 10-13, and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Singh et al. US 20220355730 (“Singh”).
Re 1: Singh teaches:
an outer lens (Fig. 1A: outer lens shown as outer most portion of headlights 105a/b), disposed on a vehicle body 100 (Fig. 1A; ¶33);
a projector 202, configured to project an image onto the outer lens (Fig. 1A; ¶33, 41); and
a lamp (¶33, 41; Fig. 1A: the high- and low-beams are arranged between the exterior part of the lens and the projector which is part of ) arranged between the outer lens and the projector and configured to emit light toward the outer lens.
Re 2: wherein the outer lens is disposed on a front part of the vehicle body (Fig. 1A; ¶33).
Re 3: wherein the projector is arranged behind the outer lens in an optical projecting direction (Fig. 1A, 2-3B: projector 202 is at rearmost portion of 120).
Re 4: wherein the outer lens comprises: a lens (Fig. 1A); and a film 204 (Figs. 2-3B; ¶36), coupled to the lens, onto which the image is projected (¶41).
Re 7: wherein the film 204 is arranged on a surface of the lens that faces an inner side of the vehicle body (Fig. 1A, ¶33, 41).
Re 8: wherein the image projected onto the film is varied at a boundary between the lens and the film (Figs. 4-5B; ¶40-41: teaching additives may be incorporated that vary the light as it goes from the film to the lens).
Re 10: further comprising a controller electrically connected to the projector, the controller being configured to control an operation of the projector by receiving an operating signal from a vehicle electronic component (¶¶7-10, 57).
Re 11: wherein the lamp comprises: a first lamp 105a arranged at a first position on the vehicle body (Fig. 1A); and a second lamp 115b arranged at a second position on the vehicle body, spaced apart from the first position (Fig. 1A).
Re 12: wherein the first lamp and the second lamp are arranged in a vertical arrangement relative to each other (Fig. 1A).
Re 13: wherein the first lamp and the second lamp are arranged on opposite sides of the vehicle body, respectively (Fig. 1A).
Re 15: wherein a rim of the outer lens is fixedly installed to the vehicle body (Fig. 1A).
Re 16: wherein the outer lens comprises: a lens (Fig. 1A: headlight lens); and a film 204, integrally formed with the lens, onto which the image is projected (Fig. 1A; ¶¶40-41).
Re 17: wherein the image projected onto the outer lens is recognizable from outside through the outer lens (Figs. 4-5B; ¶40-41).
Re 18: wherein the image projected onto the outer lens is formed by a combination of light emitted from the projector and light emitted from the lamp (Figs. 4-5B; ¶40-41).
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 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Singh in view of Aizawa US 2020/0386381 (“Aizawa”).
Re 5: Singh does not explicitly teach wherein the lens is made of a transparent material.
Aizawa teaches wherein the lens 21 is made of a transparent material (¶34, 41).
Making a car lens transparent is exceedingly obvious: the entire point of a headlight is to project light so that the driver can see what is in front of them; transparent lenses transmit the most light. Thus, they are the safest.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the time of effective filing of the invention, to modify Singh in view of Aizawa in order to project a maximum amount of light from the device thereby increasing driver safety.
Re 6: Singh discloses wherein the film is made of a translucent material (abstract; ¶36).
Claims 9 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by Singh or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Singh in view of Smits US 8282222 (“Smits”).
Re 9 and 14: Singh teaches (¶¶36-41; Figs. 4-5B):
Claim 9: wherein the image is displayed as a three- dimensional, light-emitting image by synthesizing light emitted from the lamp and light projected by the projector.
Claim 14: wherein the light emitted from the lamp and the light projected by the projector interact to create a three-dimensional image on or through the outer lens.
Specifically, the headlamp light source emits a forward beam that passes through the PDLC panel when in transparent mode, providing a diffuse, volumetric background flow, while the rear-mounted projector casts sharp visual representations (images, symbols, or patterns) onto 204’s scattering surface in opaque or semi-transparent states. This overlay combines the projector’s focused, high-contrast content with the lamp’s broader depth-creating beam light. In turn, it gives a layered perceptual effect.
In the alternative, Smits teaches (Fig. 1; col. 7 ll 8-28, col. 8 ll 29-59):
Claim 9: wherein the image is displayed as a three- dimensional, light-emitting image by synthesizing light emitted from the lamp and light projected by the projector.
Claim 14: wherein the light emitted from the lamp and the light projected by the projector interact to create a three-dimensional image on or through the outer lens.
In the event it is needed, using Smits teachings allows for immersive, perspective-correct displays (e.g., 3D warnings and logos), enhancing driver awareness and aesthetics by simulating real-world depth.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the time of effective filing of the invention, to modify Singh with Smits’s teachings in order to enhance driver awareness and aesthetics.
Conclusion
Relevant prior art considered: US 20180090039 teaching a system to exhibit subjective messages on a vehicle including a memory, controller, transceiver, external display, camera, image recognition module, and technology platform. The camera is configured to capture an image of the vehicle environment. The executable instructions enable the controller to: receive an image of the vehicle environment comprising a selected object; perform the image recognition module to identify the selected object; receive the results of the image recognition module; communicate the results to the technology platform; receive subjective message information from the technology platform; and operate the external display to exhibit the subjective message information to the vehicle environment.
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GERALD J. SUFLETA II
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/GERALD J SUFLETA II/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875