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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding independent claim 1 on line, 16, the equation in the claims filed on 04/01/2025 is
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. On line 16 of claim 1 filed on 10/28/2025, the equation is recited as
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which is different from the equation recited in claim 1 filed on 04/01/2025. Clarification is necessary to properly examine the claim. Claim 15 is similar to claim 1.
Claims 2-14 and 16-18 are rejected based on dependency on a rejected base claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Regarding claim 1, prior art of record, Kakimi et al., teaches a lighting system for illuminating a target surface in an agricultural environment for a flock of birds (6; figure 1), wherein the lighting system comprises a plurality of lighting devices (1; see figure 1) spaced apart on an elongated axis (see figure 1) , wherein each lighting device comprises:
- a connector for electrically connecting the lighting device to a power line (see paragraph [0062] where power line connecting light bulb-shaped LED lamp 1 is disclosed);
- a housing (11; figure 4) comprising a light exit window (see figure 4);
- at least one solid-state light source arranged within the housing (see paragraph [0039]), wherein the at least one solid-state light source is configured to emit light source light (see figures 1-4 and at least paragraph [0040] where illumination from the light source is disclosed);
wherein each lighting device is configured to shape the light source light into a light beam (see figure 1 and 4 where the light source is shaped into a light beam), and configured to emit the light beam along a main optical axis via the light exit window (4; see figure 4) onto the target surface (6 and 7 are the target surfaces; see figures 1-4);
wherein adjacent lighting devices (1) of the plurality of lighting devices are spaced apart with a spacing (S) (see at least figure 1 where the light sources 1 are spaced apart; and wherein the light exit windows (4; see figure 4) of the adjacent lighting devices are arranged at a distance (H) from the target surface (see figure 1 where the distance from the target surface 6 and 7 is shown by height (H)).
Prior art, Kim et al., teaches wherein each respective light beam of the adjacent lighting devices has an angular light distribution with a Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM).
However, prior art, Kakimi et al. modified by Kim et al., taken alone or in combination does not explicitly teach wherein each respective light beam of the adjacent lighting devices has an angular light distribution with a Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM), wherein FWHM < F * 2 * tan-1(S/2H); wherein FWHM is said Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM); wherein S is said spacing (S); wherein H is said distance (H); and wherein F is a factor in the range between 0.1 and 1.
Regarding claim 15, prior art of record, Kakimi et al., teaches a method of illuminating a target surface in an agricultural environment for a flock of birds (6; see figures 1 and 4), performed by a lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting devices (1), wherein each lighting device comprises:
- a connector for electrically connecting the lighting device to a power line (see at least paragraph [0062]);
- a housing comprising a light exit window (see 4 in figure 4);
- at least one solid-state light source (LED lamp; paragraph [0062]) arranged within the housing, wherein the at least one solid-state light source is configured to emit light source light (see at least figures 1 and 4);
wherein the method comprises:
- electrically connecting the plurality of lighting devices (1) to a power line (paragraph [0062]);
- mechanically connecting the plurality of lighting devices to a support line (see paragraph [0067]);
- spacing apart adjacent lighting devices (1) of the plurality of lighting devices on an elongated axis with a spacing (S) (see spacing of 1 in at least figure 1);
- arranging the light exit windows of the adjacent lighting devices at a distance (H) from the target surface (see at least figure 1);
- each one of the adjacent lighting devices (see arrangement of light sources in at least figures 1 and 4) shaping the light source light into a light beam and emitting the light beam along a main optical axis via the light exit window (see 4 in at least figure 4) onto the target surface (see at least figure 1 where the shape of the light beam is shown);
wherein the method further comprises:
- generating a light intensity profile on the target surface along a line parallel to the elongated axis ((see figure 1 and 4 where the light is emitting from light sources 1), wherein the light intensity of the two local minima is at most 10% of the light intensity of the local maximum (see paragraph [0112]).
Prior art, Kim et al., teaches wherein each respective light beam of the adjacent lighting devices has an angular light distribution with a Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) (see paragraph [0107]).
Prior art of record, You et al. (US 2012/0327645 A1), teaches a light intensity profile comprises a repetitive distribution of a local maximum in light intensity between two local minima in light intensity (see paragraph [0044] where the distribution is formed by multiple local maxima with are interlaced with local minima. The local minima can be much greater than half of the local maximum luminous intensity.)
However, prior art, Kakimi et al. modified by Kim et al. and You et al. (US 2012/0327645 A1) , taken alone or in combination, does not explicitly teach wherein each respective light beam of the adjacent lighting devices (1) has an angular light distribution with a Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) and wherein FWHM < F * 2 * tan-1(S/2H); wherein FWHM is said Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM); wherein S is said spacing (S); wherein H is said distance (H); and wherein F is a factor in the range between 0.1 and 1.
Claims 2-14 and 16-18 would be allowable based on dependency on an allowable base claim.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-15 have been considered and are persuasive. However, the pending claims, 1-18, are now rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) and would be allowable if written to overcome the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA MCMILLAN APENTENG whose telephone number is (571)272-5510. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ABDULMAJEED AZIZ can be reached at 571-270-5046. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JESSICA M APENTENG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/ABDULMAJEED AZIZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875