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.
Claim(s) 32, 33, 36, 54-56, 59 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated LEUENBERGER (US 20200393678).
Regarding claim 32 LEUENBERGER teaches an optical system for a near-eye projection of an image into an eye of a user, the optical system ([0029]) comprising:
a projection portion configured to project light encoding the image ([0118]-[0121]), and
a foveation portion comprising at least one switchable optical element controllable to switch between a foveal mode and a peripheral mode ([0122]-[0128] Activating the central emitter i.e. foveal mode and/or side-emitters i.e. peripheral mode, activated emitters, un-activated emitters are particularly constantly in the off-state i.e. controllable to switch),
wherein in the foveal mode, the foveation portion is configured to project the light from the projection portion on a central region of a retina of the eye ([0126]), and in the peripheral mode, the foveation portion is configured to project the light from the projection portion on a peripheral region of the retina ([0122]-[0128]), the peripheral region (fig. 9, cornea 105 larger) being larger than and comprising the central region (fig. 9, pupil 103).
Regarding claim 33 LEUENBERGER teaches wherein the projection portion is configured to project the light as substantially collimated light ([0171]).
Regarding claim 36 LEUENBERGER teaches wherein the foveation portion is configured to increase a focal length of the light incident on the eye in the foveal mode ([0172] As the light beams 200, 201 have a small diameter compared to the pupil 103 diameter, the pupil 103 is not completely filled by the light beam 200, 201 of a single optical element 3 (i.e. it is a large F-number situation). This in turn leads to a large depth of focus).
Regarding claim 54 LEUENBERGER teaches wherein the projection portion comprises a display configured to emit the image to be displayed in substantially collimated light rays, and a focusing element for converging the light rays towards the foveation portion (fig. 4), wherein the projection portion comprises a spatial filter for receiving the converged light rays ([0216]).
Regarding claim 55 LEUENBERGER teaches wherein the projection portion comprises a coherent light source or a laser configured to emit substantially coherent light, wherein, the projection portion comprises at least one of:
a collimating element configured to collimate the substantially coherent light ([0159] fig. 4),
a phase modulator configured to encode the image by modulating the substantially coherent light, and
a laser beam scanning system comprising at least one steerable mirror.
Regarding claim 56 LEUENBERGER teaches wherein the projection portion comprises a light-field display configured to project the light encoding a plurality of elemental images in a three-dimensional light field, each elemental image forming a part of the image ([0210]).
Regarding claim 59 LEUENBERGER teaches a method for a near-eye projection of an image into an eye of a user, the optical system ([0029]) comprising:
projecting light encoding the image ([0118]-[0121]), and
controlling at least one switchable optical element to switch between a foveal mode and a peripheral mode ([0118]-[0121]),
wherein in the foveal mode, the light encoding the image is projected by the at least one switchable optical element on a central region of a retina of the eye ([0126]), and
in the peripheral mode, the light encoding the image is projected by the at least one switchable optical element on a peripheral region of the retina ([0122]-[0128]), the peripheral region being larger (fig. 9, cornea 105 larger) than and comprising the central region (fig. 9, cornea 103).
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.
Claim(s) 37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LEUENBERGER (US 20200393678) in view of Palacios (US 20180045960).
Regarding claim 37 LEUENBERGER is silent on the foveation portion comprises at least one focusing element having a controllable focal length.
However, Palacios teaches foveation portion comprises at least one focusing element having a controllable focal length ([0342] [0345]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art to combine LEUENBERGER in light of Palacios teaching so that it may include the foveation portion comprises at least one focusing element having a controllable focal length.
The motivation is to provide a foveated optical system includes a liquid crystal wave front corrector to correct image errors.
Claim(s) 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LEUENBERGER (US 20200393678) in view of Held (US 20230103091).
Regarding claim 38 LEUENBERGER teaches switchable optical element comprises a first switchable element and a second switchable element ([0122]-[0128] and fig.4).
LEUENBERGER is silent on first switchable element having a first focal length and a second switchable element having a second focal length, the second focal length being different from the first focal length ([0117]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art to combine LEUENBERGER in light of Held teaching so that it may include first switchable element having a first focal length and a second switchable element having a second focal length, the second focal length being different from the first focal length.
The motivation is to provide HMD system that facilitates image stabilization to help correct for blur in images.
Claim(s) 57 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LEUENBERGER (US 20200393678) in view of Liao (US 20230018763).
Regarding claim 57 LEUENBERGER is silent on wherein the projection portion comprises a phase modulator configured to project the light encoding a holographic image.
However, Liao teaches wherein the projection portion comprises a phase modulator configured to project the light encoding a holographic image ([0062]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art to combine LEUENBERGER in light of Liao teaching so that it may include wherein the projection portion comprises a phase modulator configured to project the light encoding a holographic image.
The motivation is to display images without the fringe field effects thereby improving the image quality.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 34, 35, 39-53, 58 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-US 20170262020
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TOWFIQ ELAHI whose telephone number is (571)270-1687. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10AM-3PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Boddie can be reached at (571)272-0666. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TOWFIQ ELAHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625
Prosecution Insights