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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the detection means (claim 2), the electrical contacts and the electrical conductive element (claims 3 and 15), the NFC tag, metal element and magnetic element (claim 4), and the second light source being located in the emergency sign unit (claim 11) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: On page 22, line 25, “control means 3” should be “control means 4”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: on line 3, “different to” should be “different from”. 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)(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.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sekiguchi et al. (JP 07240104 A).
Sekiguchi discloses an emergency sign unit (2, 21, Fig. 3) for an emergency luminaire, the emergency luminaire comprising a housing (1, Fig. 3) that accommodates a light source (26, Fig. 3) configured to emit light; wherein the emergency sign unit comprises an electrical conductive element (28, Fig. 3), and the emergency sign unit is configured to be attached to the housing (1, Fig. 3) of the emergency luminaire such that the light emitted by the light source (26, Fig. 3) of the emergency luminaire lights the emergency sign unit (2, 21, Fig. 3), and the electrical conductive element (28, Fig. 3) of the emergency sign unit (2, 21, Fig. 3) electrically connects two electrical contacts (25, Fig. 3) of detection means of the emergency luminaire when the emergency sign unit (2, 21, Fig. 3) is attached to the housing (1, Fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 1 and 14, as set forth above, Sekiguchi discloses an emergency luminaire with a housing (1, Fig. 3), the housing accommodating a light source (26, Fig. 3) configured to emit light, and wherein the housing (1, Fig. 3) is configured for attaching an emergency sign unit (2, 21, Fig. 3) to the housing (1, Fig. 3) such that the light emitted by the light source (26, Fig. 3) lights the emergency sign unit (2, 21, Fig. 35) when the emergency sign unit (2, 21, Fig. 3) is attached to the housing (1, Fig. 3).
However, Sekiguchi does not disclose a control means configured to control light emission of the light source, and being configured to determine whether the emergency sign unit is attached to the housing or not; and the control means being configured to control the light emission of the light source according to a first operation mode when no emergency sign unit is attached to the housing, and according to a second operation mode when the emergency sign unit is attached to the housing, wherein the second operation mode is different from the first operation mode. The prior art of record does not suggest modifying Sekiguchi to include a control means that operates in the recited manner.
The reference to Kasler et al. (9,589,487) discloses illuminating a set of LEDs under ordinary conditions, and then illuminating a second set of LEDs under emergency conditions. However, Kasler does not disclose removing the sign or detecting whether or not the sign is present.
Claims 2-13 are allowed based on their dependency, respectively.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The relevance of each reference is explained below, unless the relevance is deemed to be readily apparent.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY C HOGE whose telephone number is (571)272-6645. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday.
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/GARY C HOGE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631