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 .
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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-AIA 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-11, 13-15 and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (US 20220240356 A1).
With regards to claim 1. Lee disclose(s):
(Currently Amended) A driving system for a lighting apparatus (figs 1-20) comprising a plurality of light sources (105; fig 4), the driving system comprising a controller (120; fig 2) configured to:
provide a first digital control signal (CTR1; fig 4) to the lighting apparatus (106), the first digital control signal having a first duty cycle and a first frequency (see fig 8; [0070; 0072]);
and control the first frequency of the first digital control signal to increase or decrease the first frequency ([0072]; see [0042-0043] for multiple control signal).
With regards to claim 2. Lee disclose(s):
(Original) The driving system of claim 1, wherein the lighting apparatus comprises a power converter system (110; fig 2; [0025]) configured to provide a first voltage or a first current (ILED) to the plurality of light sources (105).
With regards to claim 3. Lee disclose(s):
(Currently Amended) The driving system of claim 2, wherein [[the]]a brightness of the lighting apparatus is dependent on the first voltage or the first current (see ILED powering 105 in fig 4; see [0043] for control of brightness in each of the channels in 105).
With regards to claim 5. Lee disclose(s):
(Original) The driving system of claim 1, wherein the lighting apparatus comprises a switching arrangement comprising a plurality of switches (SW1, SW2; fig 4), each of the plurality of switches being coupled to at least one of the plurality of light sources (106, 107; fig 4).
With regards to claim 6. Lee disclose(s):
(Original) The driving system of claim 5, wherein:
the controller is configured to provide the first digital control signal (CTR1; fig 4) to the switching arrangement (SW1); and an average current flow through each of the plurality of light sources is dependent on the first digital control signal [0070].
With regards to claim 7. Lee disclose(s):
(Currently Amended) The driving system of claim 6, wherein [[the]]a ratio of the average current flow through each of the plurality of light sources is dependent on the first digital control signal (see [0043]).
With regards to claim 8. Lee disclose(s):
(Currently Amended) The driving system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to:
provide a second digital control signal (CTR2; fig 4) to the lighting apparatus, the second digital control signal having a second duty cycle and a second frequency (see fig 8; [0070; 0072]);
and control the second frequency of the second digital control signal to increase or decrease the first frequency ([0072]; see [0042-0043] for multiple control signal).
With regards to claim 9. Lee disclose(s):
(Currently Amended) The driving system of claim 8, wherein:
the plurality of light sources comprises a first light source (106; fig 4) and a second light source (107);
[[and]] the plurality of switches comprises a first switch (sw1) and a second switch (sw2), the first switch being coupled to the first light source (106) and the second switch being coupled to the second light source (107);
and the controller is configured to:
provide the first digital control signal (CTR1) to the first switch (SW1), an average current flow through the first light source being dependent on the first digital control signal ([0070]; the examiner takes the position that current through LEDs involves an average value);
and provide the second digital control signal (CTR2) to the second switch (SW2), an average current flow through the second light source being dependent on the second digital control signal ([0070]; the examiner takes the position that current through LEDs involves an average value).
With regards to claim 10. Lee disclose(s):
(Original) The driving system of claim 5, wherein the lighting apparatus comprises a power converter system (110; fig 2; [0025]) configured to provide a first voltage or a first current (ILED) to the plurality of light sources (105).
With regards to claim 11. Lee disclose(s):
(Currently Amended) The driving system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to:
provide a second digital control signal (CTR2; fig 4) to the lighting apparatus, the second digital control signal having a second duty cycle and a second frequency (see fig 8; [0070; 0072]);
and control the second frequency of the second digital control signal ([0072]; see [0042-0043] for multiple control signal).
With regards to claim 13. Lee disclose(s):
(Original) The driving system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:
a frequency determination unit (220; [0056]) configured to determine a first frequency setting (see determination of flicker index and corresponding frequency [0056]) for the first frequency of the first digital control signal ([0056]);
and a digital signal generation unit configured to:
generate the first digital control signal (CTR);
and set the first frequency of the first digital control signal based on the first frequency setting, thereby controlling the first frequency of the first digital control signal (see [0043] for multiple control signals; see [0056] for generation of frequency of control signal CTR).
With regards to claim 14. Lee disclose(s):
(Original) The driving system of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises a detection unit configured to detect a property of the lighting apparatus and the frequency determination unit is configured to determine the first frequency setting based on the detected property of the lighting apparatus (see determination of flicker index; [0056]).
With regards to claim 15. Lee disclose(s):
(Original) The driving system of claim 14, wherein the digital signal generation unit is configured to:
set the first frequency setting as a first maximum frequency setting value when the property of the lighting apparatus exceeds a first maximum threshold value (see difference of sensing voltages being greater than a reference [0076]; see [0077] for increasing of frequency which involves a maximum value);
and/or set the first frequency setting as a first minimum frequency setting value when the property of the lighting apparatus is less than a first minimum threshold value.
With regards to claim 21. Lee disclose(s):
(Currently Amended) An apparatus comprising:
a lighting apparatus (figs 1-20) comprising a plurality of light sources (105; fig 4);
and a driving system comprising a controller (120; fig 2) configured to:
provide a first digital control signal (CTR1; fig 4) to the lighting apparatus, the first digital control signal (CTR1; fig 4) having a first duty cycle and a first frequency (see fig 8; [0070; 0072]);
and control the first frequency of the first digital control signal to increase or decrease the first frequency ([0072]; see [0042-0043] for multiple control signal).
With regards to claim 22. Lee disclose(s):
(Currently Amended) A method of controlling a lighting apparatus (figs 1-20) comprising a plurality of light sources (105; fig 4)using a driving system comprising a controller (120; fig 2), the method comprising:
providing a first digital control signal (CTR1; fig 4) to the lighting apparatus (106) using the controller, the first digital control signal having a first duty cycle and a first frequency (see fig 8; [0070; 0072]);
and controlling the first frequency of the first digital control signal, using the controller to increase or decrease the first frequency ([0072]; see [0042-0043] for multiple control signal).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 16-20 is/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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current rejection.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RENAN LUQUE whose telephone number is (571)270-1044. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9:00AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached on 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RENAN LUQUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896