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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 15-16 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected specie, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 06/09/2026.
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, 3-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Yan (US Patent US-20240332889-A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yan teaches a light-emitting module (Figs. 10, 14A-B) comprising:
a support base (Fig. 10 base 100) having a plurality of placement surfaces arranged in a first direction (Fig. 10 heat sinks 102 is more than one arranged in first direction, see annotated figure below);
a plurality of semiconductor laser elements (Fig. 10 laser chips 103) disposed on respective ones of the plurality of placement surfaces (Fig. 10 laser chips 103 disposed on plurality of heat sinks 102), each semiconductor laser element configured to emit laser beams (Fig. 10 laser chips emits laser beam as marked by the arrow);
a plurality of first mirror members (Fig. 10 reflecting prisms 104, [0050]), each having a first reflective surface configured to reflect and change a traveling direction of the laser beams from a respective one of the semiconductor laser elements (Fig. 10 reflecting prisms 104 configure to reflect and change the direction of the laser beam as marked by the laser beam arrow); and
a plurality of second mirror members (Fig. 14b prism 203 and mirror 206), each having a second reflective surface (Fig. 14a surface of 203 and 206 where the beam is reflected),
at least a portion of the second reflective surface being positioned above at least a portion of a respective one of the first reflective surfaces (Fig. 14b prism 203 and mirror 206 are positioned above of prisms 104), and
the second reflective surface (Fig. 14b surface 203 & surface 206) being configured to reflect (surface 203 & surface 206 reflect the beams lasers), in a second direction intersecting the first direction (annotated Fig. 14b shows the second direction where the laser beam is reflected by surface 203 & surface 206 which intersects the “first direction”),
the laser beams reflected by the respective first reflective surface (Fig. 14b surface 203 and 206 reflects the respective laser beam), wherein:
positions of the second reflective surfaces of the plurality of second mirror members in the second direction are different from each other (Fig. 14b position 1&2 corresponding to 203 and 206 are different from each other in the second direction, see annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 3, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 1, wherein the positions of the second reflective surfaces of the plurality of second mirror members in the second direction are different from each other along the first direction in a stepwise manner in the second direction (Fig. 14b position 1&2 corresponding to 203 and 206 in the second direction are different from each along in the first direction in a stepwise manner in the second direction, see annotated figure in claim 1).
Regarding claim 4, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 2, wherein the positions of the second reflective surfaces of the plurality of second mirror members in the second direction are different from each other along the first direction in a stepwise manner in the second direction (Fig. 14b position 1&2 corresponding to 203 and 206 in the second direction are different from each other along the first direction in a stepwise manner in the second direction, see annotated figure in claim 1).
Regarding claim 5, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 1, wherein the first reflective surface (Fig. 10 surface of 104) is configured to reflect the laser beams to change the traveling direction of the laser beams to a direction away from each of the placement surfaces (Fig. 10 prims 104 reflects laser beam generated by 103 to a direction away from heat sink 103).
Regarding claim 6, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 2, wherein the first reflective surface (Fig. 10 surface of 104) is configured to reflect the laser beams to change the traveling direction of the laser beams to a direction away from each of the placement surfaces (Fig. 10 prims 104 reflects laser beam generated by 103 to a direction away from heat sink 103).
Regarding claim 7, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of placement surfaces are positioned on a same plane (Fig. 10 heat sinks 104 are positioned in the same plane formed by the x-z axis).
Regarding claim 8, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of placement surfaces are positioned on a same plane (Fig. 10 heat sinks 104 are positioned in the same plane formed by the x-z axis).
Regarding claim 9, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 7, wherein the second direction is parallel to said plane (annotated Fig. 10 in claim 1 “second direction” is parallel to the plane formed by x-z axis).
Regarding claim 10, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 8, wherein the second direction is parallel to said plane (annotated Fig. 10 in claim 1 “second direction” is parallel to the plane formed by x-z axis).
Regarding claim 11, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 7, wherein a height of an intersection point of the second reflective surface and an optical axis of the laser beams with respect to said plane differs depending on the position of the second reflective surface of each of the plurality of second mirror members in the second direction (Fig. 14b shows the height of the intersection point of surface 203 of axis “z” of the laser beams with respect to place formed by the plane formed by the x-z axis differs on the position of the surface of 206).
Regarding claim 12, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 8, wherein a height of an intersection point of the second reflective surface and an optical axis of the laser beams with respect to said plane differs depending on the position of the second reflective surface of each of the plurality of second mirror members in the second direction (Fig. 14b shows the height of the intersection point of surface 203 of axis “z” of the laser beams with respect to place formed by the plane formed by x-z axis differs on the position of the 206).
Regarding claim 13, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 1, wherein: each of the semiconductor laser elements is sealed (Fig. 10 each laser chip 103 is sealed, [0168]); each first mirror member is positioned inside a space in which a respective one of the semiconductor laser elements is sealed (Fig. 10 each heat sink 102 is inside the inner cavity 1014); and each second mirror member is positioned outside the space in which the respective one of the semiconductor laser elements is sealed (Fig. 14b prims 203 and mirror 206 are outside the inner cavity 1014, [0217]).
Regarding claim 14, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 2, wherein: each of the semiconductor laser elements is sealed; each first mirror member is positioned inside a space in which a respective one of the semiconductor laser elements is sealed (Fig. 10 each heat sink 102 is inside the inner cavity 1014); and each second mirror member is positioned outside the space in which the respective one of the semiconductor laser elements is sealed (Fig. 14a prims 203 and lens 205 are outside the inner cavity 1014, [0217]).
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) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan (US Patent US-20240332889-A1) in the view of Sato (US Patent US-9608397-B2), hereinafter Sato.
Regarding claim 2, Yan teaches the light-emitting module according to claim 1, further comprising: the laser beams reflected by a respective one of the second reflective surfaces (Fig. 14a laser beams being reflected by 204 & 206) and a condensing lens configured to converge, onto an optical component, a plurality of laser beams obtained from the laser beams reflected (Fig. 14a converging lens 30 & light homogenizing component 40; converging lens 30 to converge first, second & third color laser beams reflected onto light homogenizing component 40: Fig. 14b does not show converging lens 30 & component 40; however [0224] & [0227] states the only difference between 14a and 14b is that 14b omits omit the second reflecting lens 204 and the third reflecting lens 205 ).
Yan fails to teach a plurality of third mirror members, each having a third reflective surface configured to reflect, in the first direction; a plurality of laser beams reflected on the third reflective surface of each of the plurality of third mirror members; optical component to be an optical fiber.
However, Sato teaches a plurality of third mirror members, each having a third reflective surface configured to reflect, in the first direction (Fig. 3 reflection mirrors 45a-b reflects in the first direction, see figure below: note: 45b light is in an angle so reflects in the first direction as well ); a laser beam reflected on the third reflective surface of each of the plurality of third mirror members (Fig. 3 reflection mirrors 45a-b reflects a laser beam, see figure below); an optical fiber (Fig. 3 optical fiber OC).
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It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Yan’s device with a plurality of third mirror members (e.g. having lenses 45a & 45b positioned as shown below would reflect the plurality of laser beams 1st, 2nd & 3rd color) and an optical fiber (e.g. having an optical fiber from Sato as an optical component 40 from Yan) as taught by Sato because having a plurality of third mirror members would to control the direction of the laser beams to reach the optical fiber (from Sato 45a-b is use to control the direction of the beam to position it to the optical fiber) and the optical fiber would allow to guide the combine laser beam (from Sato column 3 lines 55-58).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Samonji (US Patent US-20220393428-A1) teaches a laser with a fiber optic.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FERNANDA ADRIANA CAMACHO ALANIS whose telephone number is (703)756-1545. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:30pm Friday off.
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/FERNANDA ADRIANA CAMACHO ALANIS/Examiner, Art Unit 2828 /MINSUN O HARVEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2828
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