DETAILED ACTION
This correspondence is in response to the communications received November 8, 2023. Claims 1-20 are pending.
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 .
Applicant’s Claim to Figure Comparison
It is noted that this comparison is merely for the benefit of reviewers of this office action during prosecution, to allow for an understanding of the examiner’s interpretation of the Applicant’s independent claims as compared to disclosed embodiments in Applicant’s Figures. No response or comments are necessary from Applicant.
PNG
media_image1.png
630
518
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
362
574
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, the Applicant discloses in Figs. 2E, 3, 4 and 11, a light source module comprising a light emitting diode package, the light emitting diode package comprising:
a substrate (100);
a first upper electrode (210, pg. 10) and a second upper electrode (220, pg. 10) disposed on an upper surface of the substrate (on top surface of 100);
a light emitting structure (300) disposed on an upper surface of the first upper electrode (300 over 210) and electrically connected to the first upper electrode (vertically) and the second upper electrode (220 by way of bond wire W);
a wavelength conversion portion (400) disposed to correspond to a light emitting region on an upper surface of the light emitting structure (400 immediately on 300);
a first lower electrode (510) and a second lower electrode (520) disposed on a lower surface of the substrate (lower surface of 100) and electrically connected to the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode (see Fig. 11, where 510 connects to 210, and 520 connects to 220), respectively; and
a heat dissipation pad (700) disposed on the lower surface of the substrate (lower surface of 100) to be spaced apart from the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode (700 shown spaced apart from 510 and 520),
PNG
media_image3.png
560
450
media_image3.png
Greyscale
wherein the wavelength conversion portion has a smaller area than the upper surface of the light emitting structure in a plan view (as can be seen in Fig. 2E, where 400 has a smaller area than 300, as the dotted line portions are shown).
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 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 6,964,877) in view of Huang et al. (US 2021/0193892).
PNG
media_image4.png
356
678
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, the prior art of Chen discloses in Fig. 3, a light source module (see title, “LED Power Package”) comprising a light emitting diode package (the package purpose to support the “LED die 124”, col. 6, line 50), the light emitting diode package comprising:
a substrate (“sub-mount 110”, col. 6, line 56);
a first upper electrode (unlabeled left pad, “The LED package of FIG. 3 has smaller electrical contacting regions connecting with the vias sub-arrays 112.sub.1, 112.sub.2”, col. 6, lines 53-55, hereinafter referred to as ‘FUE’) and a second upper electrode (unlabeled right pad, “The LED package of FIG. 3 has smaller electrical contacting regions connecting with the vias sub-arrays 112.sub.1, 112.sub.2”, col. 6, lines 53-55, hereinafter referred to as ‘SUE’) disposed on an upper surface of the substrate (top surface 116 of 110);
a light emitting structure (“LED die 124”, col. 6, line 50) disposed on an upper surface of the first upper electrode and electrically connected to the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode (124 directly connected to FUE and SUE);
a first lower electrode (left most 146, “solderable contact pads 146”, col. 6, line 53) and a second lower electrode (right most 146, “solderable contact pads 146”, col. 6, line 53) disposed on a lower surface of the substrate (on lower surface 118 of 110) and electrically connected to the first upper electrode and the second upper electrode, respectively (FUE connects to left most 146 by way of 1121, FUE connects to right most 146 by way of 1122, col. 6, lines 45-59); and
a heat dissipation pad (“thermally conductive pad 162”, col. 7, line 6) disposed on the lower surface of the substrate (162 on lower surface 118 of 110) to be spaced apart from the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode (162 is ‘spaced apart from’ both of 146).
Chen does not disclose,
“a wavelength conversion portion disposed to correspond to a light emitting region on an upper surface of the light emitting structure;
…
wherein the wavelength conversion portion has a smaller area than the upper surface of the light emitting structure in a plan view.”
PNG
media_image5.png
468
692
media_image5.png
Greyscale
Huang discloses in Fig. 6, “the wavelength conversion layer 120 may at least cover the light emitting region in the upper surface of the light emitting element 118, and the area of the light emitting region may be slightly less than the area of the upper surface of the light emitting element 118”, ¶ 0053, which therefore satisfies,
“a wavelength conversion portion disposed to correspond to a light emitting region on an upper surface of the light emitting structure;
…
wherein the wavelength conversion portion has a smaller area than the upper surface of the light emitting structure in a plan view.”
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to use the limitations of, “a wavelength conversion portion disposed to correspond to a light emitting region on an upper surface of the light emitting structure;
…
wherein the wavelength conversion portion has a smaller area than the upper surface of the light emitting structure in a plan view.”, as disclosed by Huang in the system of Chen, for the purpose of allowing for the control of the emission output pattern, which could aid in preventing interference with neighboring emitters. (G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 2, Chen et al. disclose the light source module according to claim 1, and the combination rejection of claim 1 has shown that an area of the wavelength converter is smaller than the area of the light output area of the device, ,which then satisfies, “wherein the upper surface of the light emitting structure has a length (g) in a first direction and a length (h) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in plan view, and the wavelength conversion portion has a length (a) in the first direction and a length (b) of in the second direction in plan view.” Essentially, the definition of the area relationship is met by the Huang teaching.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-20 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. Claim 4 is objected to, for the reason that it depends upon claim 3. Claims 6, 7 and 15-18 are objected to, for the reason that they depend upon claim 5. Claims 9-14 are objected to, for the reason that they depend upon claim 8.
“3. (Currently Amended) The light source module according to claim 2, wherein the length (g) of the light emitting structure in the first direction is 1 to 1.1 times the length (a) of the wavelength conversion portion in the first direction, and the length (h) of the light emitting structure in the second direction is greater than the length (b) of the wavelength conversion portion in the second direction.”
“5. (Currently Amended) The light source module according to claim 1, wherein:
the heat dissipation pad has a length (c) in a first direction and a length (d) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in plan view;
the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode have a length (f) in the first direction and a length (e) in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction in plan view, and are disposed side by side to be spaced apart from each other by a preset first distance (D1) in the first direction; and
the heat dissipation pad is disposed at one side of the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode[[s]] to be spaced apart from the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode by a preset second distance (D2) in the second direction.”
“8. (Currently Amended) The light source module according to claim 1, wherein an air path (AP) is formed along side surfaces of the heat dissipation pad [[and]]ithe first lower electrode, and the second lower electrode[[s]] to allow air to flow along the side surfaces thereof.”
“19. (Currently Amended) The light source module according to claim 1, wherein an area of the heat dissipation pad vertically overlapping the substrate is larger than [[the]]a sum of areas of the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode[[s]] vertically overlapping the substrate.”
“20. (Currently Amended) The light source module according to claim 1, wherein an area of the heat dissipation pad vertically overlapping the wavelength conversion portion is larger than [[the]]a sum of areas of the first lower electrode and the second lower electrode[[s]] vertically overlapping the wavelength conversion portion.”
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Eduardo A Rodela whose telephone number is (571)272-8797. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30-5:00pm ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara B Green can be reached on (571) 270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/EDUARDO A RODELA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
Prosecution Insights