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Claims 6, 11, 19 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/23/2026.
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) 1-4, 12-15, 17, 20is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown (U.S. 11,346,531) in view of Soderholm (U.S. 2016/0091185)
Regarding claim 1, Brown teaches a lighting system, comprising:
each lighting device of the electrically interconnected lighting devices comprising a flexible lighting panel (sheet 12) comprising a first side (inner surface 15) and a second side (outer surface 14),
the first side comprising one or more hook strips (hook fasteners 31, see col. 5 lines 18-34, can be attached to inner side 15) configured to be coupled to one or more loop strips integrated with at least one elongated strap configured to be coupled to a transportable shelter system (see col. 5 lines 46-50),
the second side (14) configured as a substrate facilitating light emission toward an area proximate the transportable shelter system (facilitates emission through 24, which is attached to the second side 14 via 40),
the flexible lighting panel comprising at least one light casing (light assembly 20) positioned proximate the second side and comprising one or more LEDs (LED strings 21) positioned between the at least one light casing and the second side (see fig. 1),
the at least one light casing comprising a light diffusing material (housing is formed of translucent material) configured to diffuse light emitted by the one or more LEDs;
at least one power supply (power supply 60) electrically connected via one or more electrical connectors (27) to one or more lighting devices of the plurality of electrically interconnected lighting devices;
In the first embodiment, Brown does not specifically teach a plurality of electrically interconnected lighting devices, a controller electrically connected via at least one electrical connector to the at least one power supply and the at least one elongated strap comprising the one or more loop strips and configured to be coupled to the transportable shelter system.
Solderholm teaches a plurality of electrically interconnected lighting devices (daisy chained together, see abstract) and the at least one elongated strap comprising the one or more loop strips (Velcro hook pads 42, arranged in corresponding strips) and configured to be coupled to the transportable shelter system (see fig. 32).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used corresponding Velcro strips as taught by Solderhold to enable a flat mounting of the Velcro structure of Brown, enabling additional manners of implementation and installation, thereby increasing the utility of the device and the overall luminance in a single direction.
In a second embodiment, Brown teaches a controller (160) electrically connected via at least one electrical connector (conductors, signals, or circuit board) to the at least one power supply (power unit 160 has integrated controller, see col. 6 lines 45-62).
Regarding claim 2, Brown teaches the transportable shelter system is configured to be assembled and disassembled multiple times throughout its useful life (see fig. 14).
Regarding claim 3, Brown and Solderholm teaches that each casing of the at least one light casing(30) comprises the one or more LEDs positioned between the at least one light casing and the first side (see fig. 1), wherein the one or more LEDs comprise a plurality of LEDs, and each LED of the plurality of LEDs is configured to emit a respective color (see Solderholm, p. 0046, different color temperatures).
Regarding claim 4, Brown teaches that the at least one power supply (integrated power unit 160) comprises at least one attachment mechanism (attachment mechanism 126) for temporarily hanging the at least one power supply to an anchor point of the transportable shelter system (in recess channel).
Soderholm teaches that hooks are a well known attachment mechanism used in the prior art (Dring hook 16).
The attachment mechanism of Brown and a hook are well known in the art as equivalents and it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time that the invention was made to have substituted one for the other. Evidence that these are equivalents known in the art presents strong evidence of obviousness in substituting one for the other. Smith v. Hayashi, 209 USPQ at 750. These are substantially equivalent as they are both well established in the prior art to be used for temporarily securing a structure to another structure and perform the same function.
Regarding claim 12, Brown teaches that each power supply of the at least one power supply is configured to power multiple lighting devices of the plurality of electrically interconnected lighting devices (160 powers all of the lighting devices).
Regarding claim 13, Brown teaches that the controller (160) comprises at least one attachment mechanism (126) for temporarily hanging the controller to an anchor point of the transportable shelter system.
Soderholm teaches that hooks are a well known attachment mechanism used in the prior art (Dring hook 16).
The attachment mechanism of Brown and a hook are well known in the art as equivalents and it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time that the invention was made to have substituted one for the other. Evidence that these are equivalents known in the art presents strong evidence of obviousness in substituting one for the other. Smith v. Hayashi, 209 USPQ at 750. These are substantially equivalent as they are both well established in the prior art to be used for temporarily securing a structure to another structure and perform the same
Regarding claim 14, Brown teaches a lighting device, comprising a flexible lighting panel (see fig. 1, 2) comprising a first side and a second side,
the first side comprising one or more hook strips (see fig. 2) configured to be coupled to one or more loop strips integrated with at least one elongated strap (see col. 5) configured to be coupled to a transportable shelter system (see fig. 14),
the second side configured as a substrate facilitating light emission toward an area proximate the transportable shelter system (14, facilitates emission through 24), the flexible lighting panel comprising at least one light casing (20) positioned proximate the second side and comprising one or more LEDs positioned between the at least one light casing and the second side, the at least one light casing comprising a light diffusing material configured to diffuse light emitted by the one or more LEDs (translucent material).
Brown does not clearly teach that the one or more loop strips are integrated with at least one elongated strap.
Soderholm teaches at least one elongated strap comprising the one or more loop strips (Velcro hook pads 42, arranged in corresponding strips) and configured to be coupled to the transportable shelter system (see fig. 32).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used corresponding Velcro strips as taught by Soderholm to enable a flat mounting of the Velcro structure of Brown, enabling additional manners of implementation and installation, thereby increasing the utility of the device and the overall luminance in a single direction.
Regarding claim 15 Brown teaches that the transportable shelter system is configured to be assembled and disassembled multiple times throughout its useful life.
Brown and Soderholm teaches each casing of the at least one light casing comprises the one or more LEDs positioned between the at least one light casing and the first side, wherein the one or more LEDs comprising a plurality of LEDs, and each LED of the plurality of LEDs is configured to emit a respective color (Soderholm p. 0046).
Regarding claim 17, Brown teaches that the lighting device is configured to be electrically connected to a first end of an electrical cable, the electrical cable comprising a length extending from the first end to a second end opposite the first end, and wherein the electrical cable is configured to electrically connect the lighting device to a power supply (power supply 160, see cable in figure 10).
Regarding claim 20, Soderholm teaches that the at least one elongated strap comprises at least two elongated fabric straps (four elongated straps per panel, see 42) positioned a distance apart along the length of the ceiling, each of the at least two elongated fabric straps being connected to the one or more hook strips of the flexible lighting panel.
Claim(s) 5, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown in view of Soderholm, further in view of Dorsey (U.S. 7,374,315).
Regarding claim 5, Brown does not specifically teaches that the one or more LEDs comprise a plurality of LEDs, and wherein the plurality of LEDs comprise RGBW LEDs.
Dorsey teaches that the one or more LEDs comprising a plurality of LEDs, wherein the plurality of LEDs comprise RGBW LEDs (RGB LEDs see col. 5 lines 62-col. 6 lines 4).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used the RGB LEDs of Dorsey to provide tunable and color controlled lights in Brown, resulting in more effect, see col. 6 of Dorsey.
Regarding claim 18, Brown does not teach that the one or more LEDs comprising a plurality of LEDs, wherein the plurality of LEDs comprise RGBW LEDs.
Dorsey teaches that the one or more LEDs comprising a plurality of LEDs, wherein the plurality of LEDs comprise RGBW LEDs (RGB LEDs see col. 5 lines 62-col. 6 lines 4).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used the RGB LEDs of Dorsey to provide tunable and color controlled lights in Brown, resulting in more effect, see col. 6 of Dorsey.
Claim(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown in view of Soderholm, further in view of Cherry (U.S. 8,491,155).
Regarding claim 7, Soderholm teaches the at least one elongated strap comprise at least two elongated fabric straps (4 elongated straps per panel, see 42) positioned a distance apart along the length of a ceiling of the transportable shelter system, each of the at least two elongated fabric straps being connected to the one or more hook strips of the flexible lighting panel (hook and loop connection).
Regarding claim 8, Brown does not teach that the at least one power supply comprises a plurality of power supplies electrically connected in series.
Cherry teaches that the at least one power supply comprises a plurality of power supplies electrically connected in series (see fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used individual power supplies as taught by Cherry to provide power to the panels of Brown and Soderholm to enable a modular connection and greater flexibility on the number of and connection of the panels (see col. 12 lines 9-16).
Regarding claim 9, Brown does not teach that the at least one power supply comprises a plurality of power supplies and the controller is configured to control each of the plurality of power supplies.
Cherry teaches that the at least one power supply comprises a plurality of power supplies and the controller is configured to control each of the plurality of power supplies (see fig. 1, see col. 4).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used individual power supplies as taught by Cherry to provide power to the panels of Brown and Soderholm to enable a modular connection and greater flexibility on the number of and connection of the panels (see col. 12 lines 9-16).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown in view of Soderholm, further in view of Chen (U.S. 2004/0233659).
Regarding claim 10, Brown teaches that the controller comprises a user interface.
Brown does not teach that the user interface includes plurality of illuminated input controls.
Chen teaches that the user interface includes a plurality of illuminated input controls (illuminated keys).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used illuminated controls as are well known in the art and evidenced by Chen to have illuminated input controls in Brown so that a user may find the proper inputs when dark, see p. 0005 of Chen.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J PEERCE whose telephone number is (571)272-6570. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4pm EST.
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/Matthew J. Peerce/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875