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 .
Detailed Action
Restriction/Election
Applicant’s election of Group I (Claims 1-14), without traverse, in the reply filed on 6/2/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claims 1 and 8 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Harada (JP 2020188184, machine-translation provided)
Regarding Claim 1
FIG. 6 of Harada discloses a wavelength converter (40) for a shaped surface luminance light-emitting diode (LED) die (20) that produces a peak luminance in a region of the LED die when powered on, the wavelength converter comprising: a body of a wavelength converting material having a width, a length, and a height, wherein a cross-section of the body in the length direction has a shape such that, when the wavelength converter is installed over the LED die, the height of the body is larger adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance.
Regarding Claim 8
FIG. 6 of Harada discloses a shaped surface luminance light-emitting diode (LED) comprising: an LED die (20) that produces a peak luminance in a region of the LED die when powered on; and a wavelength converter (40), over the LED die, wherein the wavelength converter comprises a body of a wavelength converting material having a width, a length, and a height, wherein a cross-section of the body in the length direction has a shape such that, when the wavelength converter is installed over the LED die, the height of the body is larger adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance.
Claims 1-4 and 8-11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ando (JP 7267836, machine-translation provided)
Regarding Claim 1
FIG. 6 of Ando discloses a wavelength converter (40) for a shaped surface luminance light-emitting diode (LED) die (20) that produces a peak luminance in a region of the LED die when powered on, the wavelength converter comprising: a body of a wavelength converting material having a width, a length, and a height, wherein a cross-section of the body in the length direction has a shape such that, when the wavelength converter is installed over the LED die, the height of the body is larger adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance.
Regarding Claim 2
FIG. 6 of Ando discloses the shape of the cross-section of the body in the length direction is an asymmetric truncated pyramid.
Regarding Claim 3
FIG. 6 of Ando discloses the body has four side surfaces and a top surface, wherein each of the four sides surfaces is separated from two adjacent ones of the four side surfaces by one of four edges, wherein each of the four edges has a curved shape, and wherein two of the four edges that are adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance, when the wavelength converter is installed over the LED die, have a smaller slope than two of the four edges that are not adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance.
Regarding Claim 4
FIG. 6 of Ando discloses the body has two side surfaces separated from one another by a top surface, and wherein the shape of the cross-section of the body in the length direction is such that one of the two side surfaces that is adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance when the wavelength converter is installed over the LED die has a smaller slope than the other one of the two sides surfaces that is not adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance.
Regarding Claim 8
FIG. 6 of Ando discloses a shaped surface luminance light-emitting diode (LED) comprising: an LED die (20) that produces a peak luminance in a region of the LED die when powered on; and a wavelength converter (40) , over the LED die, wherein the wavelength converter comprises a body of a wavelength converting material having a width, a length, and a height, wherein a cross-section of the body in the length direction has a shape such that, when the wavelength converter is installed over the LED die, the height of the body is larger adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance.
Regarding Claim 9
FIG. 6 of Ando discloses the shape of the cross-section of the body in the length direction is an asymmetric truncated pyramid.
Regarding Claim 10
FIG. 6 of Ando discloses the body has four side surfaces and a top surface, wherein each of the four sides surfaces is separated from two adjacent ones of the four side surfaces by one of four edges, wherein each of the four edges has a curved shape, and wherein two of the four edges that are adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance, when the wavelength converter is installed over the LED die, have a smaller slope than two of the four edges that are not adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance.
Regarding Claim 11
FIG. 6 of Ando discloses the body has two side surfaces separated from one another by a top surface, and wherein the shape of the cross-section of the body in the length direction is such that one of the two side surfaces that is adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance when the wavelength converter is installed over the LED die has a smaller slope than the other one of the two sides surfaces that is not adjacent the region of the LED die that produces the peak luminance.
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 2 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harada, in view of Son (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2012/0193670).
Regarding Claim 2
Harada discloses Claim 1.
Harada is silent with respect to “the shape of the cross-section of the body in the length direction is an asymmetric truncated pyramid”.
FIG. 2 of Son discloses a similar wavelength converter, wherein the shape of the cross-section of the body in the length direction is an asymmetric truncated pyramid [0036].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Harada, as taught by Son. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Harada in the above manner for purpose of reducing color variation according to the viewing angle ([0012] of Son).
Claims 5 and 12 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harada, in view of Butler (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2011/0205619).
Regarding Claim 5
Harada discloses Claim 1.
Harada is silent with respect to “the body has a wedge shape”.
FIG. 2 of Butler discloses a similar wavelength converter, wherein the body has a wedge shape [0019].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Harada, as taught by Butler. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Harada in the above manner for purpose of increasing overall package volume and operational complexity ([0003] of Butler).
Regarding Claim 12
FIG. 2 of Butler discloses the body has a wedge shape [0019].
Claims 6, 7, 13 and 14 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ando, in view of Byrnes (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2017/0082263).
Regarding Claim 6
Ando discloses Claim 1, wherein the wavelength converting material is phosphor.
Ando is silent with respect to “the wavelength converting material is one of a ceramic phosphor, phosphor in silicone, or phosphor in glass”.
FIG. 4 of Byrnes discloses a similar wavelength converter (409), wherein the wavelength converting material is one of a ceramic phosphor, phosphor in silicone, or phosphor in glass [0084].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Ando, as taught by Byrnes. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Ando in the above manner for purpose of enable to production of lighting devices that can generate high luminance at relatively high power levels ([0003] of Byrnes).
Regarding Claim 7
Byrnes discloses the body is a platelet [0084].
Regarding Claim 13
Byrnes discloses the wavelength converting material is one of a ceramic phosphor, phosphor in silicone, or phosphor in glass [0084].
Regarding Claim 14
Byrnes discloses the body is a platelet [0084].
Pertinent Art
US 20110018016 discloses a wavelength converting element has an asymmetric shape relative to LED. 20050146879 discloses a wavelength converting element having a shape of truncated pyramid.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHENG-BAI ZHU whose telephone number is (571)270-3904. The examiner can normally be reached on 11am – 7pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chad Dicke can be reached on (571)270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHENG-BAI ZHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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