Final Rejection Notice
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 12/01/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicants amendments or arguments do not place the application in a allowable state. Applicant argues that Barn fails to teach or suggest atleast a configuration module that is configured to for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices changeably group different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups as recited in independent claims. However, examiner respectfully disagrees to the applicants arguments. Examiner respectfully submits that examiner has met all claimed limitations with broadest reasonable interpretation. Hence, arguments are not persuasive. Claim limitations too broad and hence, examiner has appropriately met all the limitations. Moreover, applicant’s arguments/explanation are failed to reflect in the claimed limitations as applicant has claimed one or more communications units and configuration module (Fig 3 items 150 and 118 combination) communicates to microcontroller 154. However, applicant’s arguments with respect to did not reflect in claim language and hence applicant’s arguments are not persuasive.
Applicant's arguments fail to comply with 37 CFR 1.111(b) because they amount to a general allegation that the claims define a patentable invention without specifically pointing out how the language of the claims patentably distinguishes them from the reference(s). Hence, applicant’s arguments are not persuasive with respect to claims 1-15.
Applicant's arguments do not comply with 37 CFR 1.111(c) because they do not clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. Further, they do not show how the amendments avoid such references or objections. Applicant amendments also do not overcome the prior art rejections. Hence, applicant’s arguments are not persuasive.
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 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2019/0342982 A1 by Barna et al ( Barna).
Referring to claim 1 , Barna teaches A control system (Fig 1 item 100 and paragraph [0021]) for configuring a plurality of lighting devices (item 106) of a lighting system (item 104), each lighting device comprising:
a memory (Fig 3 item 146 paragraph [0041]) and a plurality of individually controllable segments (item 108), each segment one or more light sources (106), the control system (item 108) comprising :
one or more communication units (item 118 paragraph [0034]) configured to wirelessly communicate with the plurality of lighting devices (item 106) :
a configuration module (item 150 processor and item 118 communication module combination [0008]) configured to:
for each lighting device (item 106) of the plurality of lighting devices, changeably group different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups (paragraph [0022]), and
communicate, via the one or more communication units, grouping information to each respective lighting device to cause the respective lighting device to store the respective grouping information in its memory (See paragraph [0041]), the grouping information being indicative of the respective lighting control groups into which the different segments have been grouped (see paragraph [0022] –[0025])and
a control module configured to communicate, via the one or more communication units, a broadcast command to the plurality of lighting devices, the broadcast command defining respective light settings for the respective lighting control groups ( controller 108 controls the local devices 104 system 100 via local server 102)
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant application to incorporate several embodiments taught by Barna and control the signals to communicate the instructions to local control devices for controlling the lighting device as required by user.
Referring to claim 2, Barna teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein at least one first segment of a first lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices and at least one second segment of a second lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices are grouped in the same lighting control group. (See Fig 2 and paragraph [0033])
Referring to claim 3, Barna teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the number of groups is limited, and wherein the maximum number of lighting control groups is smaller than the number of segments of the plurality of lighting devices, and wherein the configuration module configured to group at least two segments in the same lighting control group. (See Fig 1-3 and paragraphs [0024] and [0041])
Referring to claim 4, Barna teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the configuration module is further configured to: for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices (See Fig 1-3), determine adjustment levels for one or more segments of the respective lighting device, the adjustment levels defining adjustments of the light output of one or more light sources of the respective segment, and communicate the adjustment levels to each respective lighting device to cause the respective lighting device to store the respective adjustment levels in its memory. (See paragraphs [0024] and [0041] where adjustment levels of the lighting sources controlling was disclosed). Hence it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art determining the adjustment levels as required for operation from memory.
Referring to claim 5, Barna teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the configuration module is further configured to : for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, determine an adjustment level for the respective lighting device, the adjustment level defining adjustments of the light output of light sources of the lighting device, and communicate the adjustment levels to each respective lighting device to cause the respective lighting device to store the respective adjustment levels in its memory. (See Fig 3 paragraph [0041] and claim 4).
Referring to claim 6 Barna teaches the control system of claim 4, wherein the adjustment levels define an adjustment of a color, brightness and/or saturation of the light output. (See Paragraph [0006] and claim 1).
Referring to claim 7, Barna teaches the control system of claim 4, wherein the configuration module is further configured to obtain information indicative of locations of the lighting devices relative to a surface to be illuminated by the respective lighting devices, and to determine the adjustment levels based on the locations of the lighting devices relative to the surface to be illuminated by the respective lighting devices. (See paragraph [0023] and claim 1).
Referring to claim 8, Barna teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the configuration module is configured to determine the grouping of the different segments into the different lighting control groups based on positions of the lighting devices and/or their segments. (See paragraphs [0021] – [0024]).
Referring to claim 9, Barna teaches the control system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to receive user input indicative of the grouping of the different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into the different lighting control groups. (See paragraphs [0021] – [0024]).
Referring to claim 10, Barna teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein a light setting defined by the broadcast command comprises an off-setting for a respective lighting control group.(See Fig 4 item 270 and paragraphs [0048] –[0040]).
Referring to claim 11, Barna Fig 1-5 teaches: A lighting system comprising:
a plurality of lighting devices, each comprising a memory and a plurality of individually controllable segments, each segment comprising one or more light sources , and
the control system of claim 1 (See claim 1 rejection above)
wherein each lighting device (Fig 1 item 106) is configured to:
receive the respective grouping information (See Fig 3 item 146 paragraph [0041]),
store the respective grouping information in its memory, receive the broadcast command, determine which segment to control according to which light setting based on the control command and based on the grouping information, and control one or more light sources of each segment according to the respective light setting. (See paragraphs [0021] –[0026] and claim 1)
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant application to incorporate several embodiments taught by Barna and control the signals to communicate the instructions to local control devices for controlling the lighting device as required by user.
Referring to claim 12, Barna teaches the lighting system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the plurality of lighting devices are light source arrays. (See Fig 1-3 and claim 1).
Referring to claim 13, Barna Fig 1-5 teaches: A method of configuring a plurality of lighting devices of a lighting system (Fig 1 and claim 18 abstract), each lighting device having a memory and a plurality of individually controllable segments (Fig 3 item 146 item 102 paragraph [0041]), each segment having one or more light sources (item 104), the method comprising:
for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, changeably grouping different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups communicating, via one or more communication units (See paragraphs [0021] –[0024]), grouping information to each respective lighting device to cause the respective lighting device to store the respective grouping information in its memory (paragraph [0041]), the grouping information being indicative of the respective lighting control groups into which the different segments have been grouped and communicating, via the one or more communication units, a broadcast command to the plurality of lighting devices, the broadcast command defining respective light settings for the respective lighting control groups (See paragraphs [0023] –[0025]).
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant application to incorporate several embodiments taught by Barna and control the signals to communicate the instructions to local control devices for controlling the lighting device as required by user.
Referring to claim 14, Barna Fig 1-5 teaches the method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: receiving, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, the respective group information, storing by each of the plurality of lighting devices, the respective grouping information in its memory, receiving by each of the plurality of lighting devices, the broadcast command determining, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, which segment to control according to which light setting based on the control command and based on the grouping information; and controlling, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, one or more light sources of each segment according to the respective light setting. (See Fig 1-4 and paragraphs [0021] –[0026])
Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant application to incorporate several embodiments taught by Barna and control the signals to communicate the instructions to local control devices for controlling the lighting device as required by user.
Referring to claim 15 Barna Fig 1-5 teaches: A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program code to perform the method of claim 13 when run on one or more processor. (See Fig 1-3 and paragraphs [0033] –[0034]). Hence, it is obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to introduce a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program code to perform the method steps.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Claims 1-15 are rejected.
The prior of art made of record and not relied upon is considered to pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior art included on the notice of references cited PTOL 892 attached here with. The examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicants. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim other passages and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SRINIVAS SATHIRAJU whose telephone number is (571)272-4250. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-5.30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Regis J Betsch can be reached at 571-270-7101. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SRINIVAS SATHIRAJU/Examiner, Art Unit 2844 02/18/2026