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Claims 18-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on October 27, 2025.
Remarks
The Office has cited particular columns, line numbers, paragraph numbers, references, or figures in the references applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses to fully consider the reference in entirety, as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2141.02 and § 2123.
Claim Objections
Claims 3, 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3, lines 2-3, the recitation, “LD 90 lumens per watt, more LEDs.” appears to be a typographical error. It should be deleted.
Claim 16, line 2, “inlcudes” appears to be “includes”.
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) 1-4, 8, 10-13, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by VAN DE VEN et al. (US 2012/0229032 A1, hereinafter referred to as VAN DE VEN).
Regarding claim 10, VAN DE VEN discloses an advanced LED lighting system (Figs. 1, 3, 4) comprising:
a controller (“controllers”, para 0171) programmed to emit light at a specific wavelength (solid state light emitters that emit light that is not BSY light (e.g., red or reddish or reddish orange or orangish, or orange light), para 0198), primarily focusing on amber LED light (“the red [or orange/amber] current may be adjusted to maintain the appropriate ratio”, para 0268; the wavelength of orange/amber light is 570-620nm);
a photodetector (RO Light Sense 22, Fig. 1) for detecting the wavelength of the emitted light; and
a processor (“microprocessor”, para 0171) connected to the photodetector for analyzing the detected wavelength (paragraphs 0169, 0198, 0251, 0257); and
adjustable power supply (paragraphs 0212, 0213) connected to the LED, where voltage and current can be adjusted by the processor to achieve the specific wavelength (“if the summed sensed light levels is above the lumen reference voltage… the red [or orange/amber] current could be adjusted to maintain the ratio of BSY light and red [or orange/amber] light. Thus, the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 comprises a limit controller 39 that limits current supplied to at least one light emitter (e.g., to at least a second light emitter) …. during dimming, the lumen reference voltage could be disabled or adjusted as the device dims or it could be used to dim the lighting device.”, para 0268).
Regarding claim 11, VAN DE VEN discloses the system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to continuously adjust the current and voltage supplied to the LED based on the specific wavelength (“if the summed sensed light levels is above the lumen reference voltage… the red [or orange/amber] current could be adjusted to maintain the ratio of BSY light and red [or orange/amber] light. Thus, the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 comprises a limit controller 39 that limits current supplied to at least one light emitter (e.g., to at least a second light emitter) …. during dimming, the lumen reference voltage could be disabled or adjusted as the device dims or it could be used to dim the lighting device.”, para 0268).
Regarding claim 12, VAN DE VEN discloses the system of claim 10, further comprising temperature monitoring means to counteract wavelength shifts due to temperature variations (“a detected change in an ambient characteristic such as temperature”, para 0213, 0214).
Regarding claim 13, VAN DE VEN discloses the system of claim 10, further comprising a memory for storing optimal voltage and current settings for the LED to achieve the specified wavelength (a memory is an intended component for a microprocessor, para 0171).
Regarding claim 17, VAN DE VEN discloses the system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to adapt light output based on real-time temperature data and preset values for consistent performance under varying environmental conditions (“one or more electronic components employed in driving one or more light emitter, e.g., running one or more light emitter intermittently and/or adjusting the current supplied to one or more light emitters in response to a user command, a detected change in intensity or color of light output, a detected change in an ambient characteristic such as temperature or background light, etc., and/or a signal contained in the input power (e.g., a dimming signal in AC power supplied to the lighting device), etc.”, para 0213).
Method claims 1-4 and 8 are essentially the same in scope as apparatus claims 10-13 and 17 and are rejected similarly as discussed above.
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) 5, 6, 14 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over VAN DE VEN in view of Dowling et al. (US 2006/0002110 A1, hereinafter referred to as Dowling).
Regarding claim 14, VAN DE VEN discloses all the features and limitations as discussed above but does not disclose wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a mesh network for coordinating light distribution among multiple units.
Dowling discloses a controller adapted to determine an identifier for at least one of the plurality of lighting devices by delivering a plurality of signals to the plurality of lighting devices, observing a condition of the network in response to each one of the plurality of signals… the identifier may be mapped to the at least one of the plurality of lighting devices (paragraphs 0010, 0014, 0015).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Dowling into the device of VAN DE VEN for the controller to communicate with a mesh network for coordinating light distribution among multiple units as taught by Dowling (paragraph 0560).
Regarding claim 15, VAN DE VEN discloses all the features and limitations as discussed above but does not disclose wherein light distribution patterns are adjustable through interchangeable lenses.
Dowling discloses the arrays 2208 can be provided with snap-in interchangeable lenses 7802, such as to change the light coming from the light sources 300 (Fig. 78).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Dowling into the device of VAN DE VEN to change the light coming from the light sources as taught by Dowling (paragraphs 0560, 0021).
Method claims 5 and 6 are essentially the same in scope as apparatus claims 14 and 15 and are rejected similarly as discussed above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9, and 16 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. Dias et al. (US 2016/0066383 A1) discloses LED illumination device and calibration method for accurately characterizing the emission LEDS and photodetector(s) included within the LED illumination device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL D CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-1801. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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/DANIEL D CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844