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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KITO (US 2022/0236631 A1) in view of ITO et al. (US 2020/0392401 A1; ITO) and further in view of MATSUKURA et al. (US 2022/0384681 A1; MATSUKURA) and further in view of MURAI et al. (US 2020/0386386 A1; MURAI).
As of claim 1, KITO teaches a phosphor 20 [fig 3] comprising: a phosphor phase 25 [fig 3] [0047] made of A3B5O12: Ce having a garnet structure (yttrium aluminum garnet ((YAG (Y.sub.3Al.sub.5O.sub.12): Ce)) [0047]; and a matrix phase 26 [fig 3] [0047] and the phosphor phase, A is at least one selected from the group consisting of Lu, Gd, Tb, Ga, and Y, and B is Al.
KITO does not teach a content of the phosphor phase is 56 vol% or more and 70 vol% or less in terms of a volume ratio with respect to a total including the matrix phase.
ITO teaches a light-emitting device 21 [fig 3] having a content of the phosphor phase is 56 vol% or more and 70 vol% or less in terms of a volume ratio with respect to a total including the matrix phase ((the amount of YAG (Y.sub.3Al.sub.5O.sub.12) was 1 to 60 vol. % in a ceramic sintered body)) [0112].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a content of the phosphor phase is 56 vol% or more and 70 vol% or less in terms of a volume ratio with respect to a total including the matrix phase as taught by ITO to the phosphor as disclosed by KITO to produce a wavelength conversion layer of a fluorescent body for increasing the efficiency of light extraction from the wavelength conversion layer (ITO; [0007]).
KITO in view of ITO teaches the invention except for matrix phase having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the phosphor phase.
MURAI teaches a wavelength converter 14 [fig 3(a)] having a refractive index of the phosphor phase (yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG: Ce) phosphor) is 1.82. MURAI does not specifically teach a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the phosphor phase. However, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the matrix phase having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the phosphor phase in order to have the matrix phase having a refractive index (refractive index of AlN is over 2.0) higher than a refractive index of the phosphor phase (1.82) as a routine optimization (MPEP 2144.05 (II)) to facilitate cooling of the luminescent concentrator.
As of claim 2, KITO teaches A is Y ((YAG (Y.sub.3Al.sub.5O.sub.12): Ce)) [0047].
As of claim 3, KITO teaches the matrix phase is AlN [0058].
As of claim 5, KITO teaches wavelength conversion device 20 [fig 3] comprising: a substrate 21 [fig 3] [0045]; the phosphor 22 [fig 3] provided on the substrate 21 [fig 3] and configured to convert an incident excitation light E [fig 3] [0031] into fluorescence 22 [fig 3]; and a reflective layer (phosphor 22 and serves as a reflective layer that reflects light having a specific wavelength) [0056] provided at an opposite side of a light incident side (of excitation light E) [fig 3] of the phosphor 22 [fig 3].
As of claim 6, KITO teaches wavelength conversion device 20 [fig 3] comprising: a substrate 21 [fig 3] [0045]; the phosphor 22 [fig 3] provided on the substrate 21 [fig 3] and configured to convert an incident excitation light E [fig 3] [0031] into fluorescence 22 [fig 3]; and an optical layer 23 ((dichroic layer (optical layer)) [fig 3] [0044] provided on a light incident side of the phosphor 22 [fig 3] and configured to transmit the excitation light E [fig 3] and reflect the fluorescence (phosphor 22 and serves as a reflective layer that reflects light having a specific wavelength) [0056].
As of claim 7, KITO teaches an illumination device 2 [fig 2] comprising: a light source 10 [fig 2] configured to emit the excitation light [0031]; and the wavelength conversion device 20 [fig 2] on which the excitation light is incident (from the excitation light source 10 is incident) [fig 2].
As of claim 8, KITO teaches an illumination device 2 [fig 2] comprising: a light source 10 [fig 2] configured to emit the excitation light [0031]; and the wavelength conversion device 20 [fig 2] on which the excitation light is incident (from the excitation light source 10 is incident) [fig 2].
As of claim 9, KITO teaches a projector 1 [fig 1] comprising: the illumination device 2 [fig 2]; a light modulation device 4 R, G, B [fig 1] configured to modulate a light emitted from the illumination device [0024]; and a projection optical device 6 [fig 1] configured to project the light modulated by the light modulation device 4 R, G, B [fig 1].
As of claim 10, KITO teaches a projector 1 [fig 1] comprising: the illumination device 2 [fig 2]; a light modulation device 4 R, G, B [fig 1] configured to modulate a light emitted from the illumination device [0024]; and a projection optical device 6 [fig 1] configured to project the light modulated by the light modulation device 4 R, G, B [fig 1].
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KITO (US 2022/0236631 A1) in view of ITO et al. (US 2020/0392401 A1; ITO) and further in view of MATSUKURA et al. (US 2022/0384681 A1; MATSUKURA) and MURAI et al. (US 2020/0386386 A1; MURAI) and further in view of Irie et al. (US 2012/0045634 A1; Irie).
KITO in view of ITO and MATSUKURA and MURAI teaches the invention as cited above except for an average particle diameter of the phosphor phase is 3 μm or more.
Irie teaches a phosphor phase 5 [fig 2] having an average particle diameter of the phosphor phase is 3 μm or more (the particle size of YAG particles containing Ce constituting the phosphor phase is 0.5 μm to 10.0 μm) [0041].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have an average particle diameter of the phosphor phase is 3 μm or more as taught by Irie to the phosphor as disclosed by KITO in view of ITO and MATSUKURA and MURAI to improve the emission intensity and heat conductivity as a ceramics composite (Irie; [0011]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
- Prior Art YASUMATSU et al. (US 20210286245 A1) teaches a wavelength conversion layer; a first substrate; a second substrate; a first intermediate layer; and a second intermediate layer. A linear expansion coefficient of the first substrate is smaller than a linear expansion coefficient of the wavelength conversion layer. The linear expansion coefficient of the wavelength conversion layer is smaller than a linear expansion coefficient of the second substrate. The linear expansion coefficient of the first substrate is smaller than the linear expansion coefficient of the second substrate. A thermal conductivity of the first substrate is larger than a thermal conductivity of the wavelength conversion layer. A thermal conductivity of the second substrate is larger than the thermal conductivity of the wavelength conversion layer;
- Prior Art HASHIZUME (US 20190075276 A1) teaches a wavelength conversion element includes a wavelength conversion layer having a first surface on which excitation light is incident, a second surface located on the side opposite the first surface, a plurality of phosphor particles that convert the excitation light in terms of wavelength to produce fluorescence, and a binder that holds the plurality of phosphor particles. The plurality of phosphor particles has a particle diameter distribution, and the minimum particle diameter in the particle diameter distribution of a plurality of the phosphor particles contained in a first region located on the side facing the first surface is greater than the minimum particle diameter in the particle diameter distribution of a plurality of the phosphor particles contained in a second region located on the side facing the second surface.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SULTAN U. CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-3336. The examiner can normally be reached on 5:30 AM-5:30 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached on 571-272-2303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SULTAN CHOWDHURY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882