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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the second packages" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1-3, 5, and 7-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oshio et al (U.S. Pub #2023/0343905), in view of Lee et al (U.S. Pub #2010/0096977).
With respect to claim 1, Oshio teaches a light emitting device comprising:
first LEDs (Fig. 6, LEDs 5) configured to emit first light of a first wavelength, the first light being visible light (Fig. 6, 1A and Paragraph 64);
second LEDs (Fig. 6, LEDs 6) disposed adjacent to the first LEDs and configured to emit second light of a second wavelength (Fig. 6, 2A and Paragraph 64);
a first phosphor structure (Fig. 6, 7A and Paragraph 73) disposed in a light path of the first LEDs, the first phosphor structure configured to absorb the first light and emit third light of a third wavelength, the third light being visible light (Fig. 6, 3A and Paragraph 45);
a second phosphor structure (Fig. 6, 8A and Paragraph 73) disposed in a light path of the second LEDs, the second phosphor structure configured to absorb light of the second wavelength and emit fourth light of the fourth wavelength, the fourth wavelength having a wavelength from 900-1700 nm (Fig. 5, 4a and Paragraph 28).
Oshio does not teach
a housing having a first surface; and the LEDs are disposed on the surface.
Lee teaches a housing having a first surface (Fig. 1, 19), and LEDs (Fig. 1, 13) disposed on the surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the LEDs of Oshio in a housing and on a first surface of the housing as taught by Lee in order to implement an LED lamp having reflective surfaces (Paragraph 37 and 51).
With respect to claim 2, Oshio teaches that the second phosphor structure comprises ceramic phosphor (Paragraph 88).
With respect to claim 3, Oshio does not teaches that the second phosphor structure is spaced apart from the second LEDs.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to position the second phosphor of Oshio to be spaced apart from the second LEDs as taught by Lee in order to prevent the yellowing phenomenon (Paragraph 65)
With respect to claim 5, Oshio teaches that the second phosphor structure (Fig. 6, 8A) overlaps all the second LEDs (fig. 6, 6) in a vertical direction and does not overlap any of the first LEDs (Fig. 6, 5) in the vertical direction.
With respect to claim 7, Oshio teaches that the second phosphor structure is spaced apart from the first phosphor structure (Paragraph 81).
With respect to claim 8, Oshio teaches that the second phosphor structure has a spectral power distribution with a wavelength emission maximum of from 1120-1380 nm (Fig. 6, 4a ; Paragraph 28 and 79).
With respect to claim 9, Oshio teaches that the first phosphor structure comprises powder phosphor dispersed in a binder (Paragraph 89 and 221).
With respect to claim 10, Oshio does not teach that the first phosphor structure is in direct contact with the first LEDs.
Lee teaches that a phosphor (Fig. 8, 45) is in direct contact with LEDs (Fig. 8, 13a and 13b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the first phosphor of Oshio to be in direct contact with the first LEDs as taught by Lee in order to alleviate a flicker effect (Paragraph 69).
With respect to claim 11, Oshio does not teach that the first LEDs and second LEDs are enclosed within the housing.
Lee teaches LEDs (Fig. 1, 13a and 13b) that are enclosed within a housing (Fig. 1, 10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to enclose the LEDs of Oshio with a housing as taught by Lee in order to protect the LEDs (Paragraph 82).
With respect to claim 12, Oshio does not teach that the first LEDs are comprised in a first package.
Lee teaches that first LEDs can be comprised in multiple packages (Figs. 11-14, 50a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the first LEDs of Oshio to be comprised in a first packages as taught by Lee in order to provide the LEDs with a heat sink incorporated in the package (Paragraph 80).
With respect to claim 13, Oshio does not teach that the first package is a lead frame package comprising an anode pad and a cathode pad.
Lee teaches that the package is a lead frame package (Fig. 11, and Paragraph 80) comprising an anode pad and a cathode pad (Figs. 12-14, depict anodes and cathodes).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the first LEDs of Oshio to be comprised in a package comprising a lead frame and anode/cathode pads as taught by Lee in order to provide the LEDs with a heat sink incorporated in the package (Paragraph 80).
With respect to claim 14, Oshio does not teach that the second LEDs are comprised in a plurality of second packages.
Lee teaches that second LEDs can be comprised in multiple packages (Figs. 11-14, 50b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the second LEDs of Oshio to be comprised in multiple packages as taught by Lee in order to provide the LEDs with a heat sink incorporated in the package (Paragraph 80).
With respect to claim 15, Oshio does not teach that the second packages are each a lead frame package comprising an anode pad and a cathode pad.
Lee teaches that the package is a lead frame package (Fig. 11, and Paragraph 80) comprising an anode pad and a cathode pad (Figs. 12-14, depict anodes and cathodes).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the second LEDs of Oshio to be comprised in packages comprising lead frames and anode/cathode pads as taught by Lee in order to provide the LEDs with a heat sink incorporated in the package (Paragraph 80).
With respect to claim 16, Oshio teaches the housing includes transparent light emitting surface disposed in the light path of the first LEDs and the light path of the second LEDs (Paragraph 87; Fig. 6, 9).
With respect to claim 17, Oshio teaches a light emitting device comprising:
first LEDs (Fig. 5, LEDs 5 and/or 6) configured to emit first light of a first wavelength, the first light being visible light (Paragraph 64);
a first phosphor structure (Fig. 5, 7a and Paragraph 73) disposed in a light path of the first LEDs, the first phosphor structure configured to absorb the first light and emit third light of a third wavelength (Fig. 5, 2a and Paragraph 44-45), the third light being visible light that forms white light when mixed with the first light not absorbed by the first phosphor structure (Paragraph 52);
a second phosphor structure (Fig. 5, 8A and Paragraph 73) disposed in a light path of the first LEDs, the second phosphor structure configured to absorb light of the second wavelength and emit fourth light of the fourth wavelength, the fourth wavelength having a wavelength from 900-1700 nm (Fig. 5, 4a and Paragraph 28).
Oshio does not teach
a housing having a first surface; and the LEDs are disposed on the surface.
Lee teaches a housing having a first surface (Fig. 1, 19), and LEDs (Fig. 1, 13) disposed on the surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the LEDs of Oshio in a housing and on a first surface of the housing as taught by Lee in order to implement an LED lamp having reflective surfaces (Paragraph 37 and 51).
With respect to claim 18, Oshio teaches that the first light is blue (Paragraph 43) and the third light is yellow (Fig. 5, 2a and Paragraph 44).
With respect to claim 19, Oshio teaches that the first phosphor structure (Fig. 5, 7A) and the second phosphor structure (Fig. 5, 7B) overlap all of the first LEDs (Fig. 5, 5 and 6).
With respect to claim 20, Oshio teaches an exit window comprising the second phosphor structure and one of plastic or glass (Fig. 5, 10 and Paragraph 87, sealing material).
Claim 4 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oshio and Lee, in view of Schmidt et al (U.S. Pub #2021/0098660).
With respect to claim 4, Oshio does not teach that the second phosphor structure comprises an inverse spinel phosphor codoped with Cr(III) and Ni(II) of composition LiGas-xMxOs:Cr,Ni (M = Al, Sc; 0 < x < 0.25).
Schmidt teaches a phosphor comprising an inverse spinel phosphor codoped with Cr(III) and Ni(II) of composition LiGas-xMxOs:Cr,Ni (M = Al, Sc; 0 < x < 0.25). (Paragraph 35, 37, and 40, etc.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the phosphor of Oshio to be an inverse spinel phosphor codoped with Cr(III) and Ni(II) of composition LiGas-xMxOs:Cr,Ni (M = Al, Sc; 0 < x < 0.25) as taught by Schmidt in order to achieve the predictable result of providing a phosphor that can emit in the infrared range.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN P SANDVIK whose telephone number is (571)272-8446. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10-6.
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, Davienne Monbleau can be reached at (571)-272-1945. 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.
/BENJAMIN P SANDVIK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812