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.
Claim(s) 1 and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shoemake et al. (US 2015/0276187 A1)in view of Lemmy (US 4,755,838) and Chun (US 2014/0130334 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Shoemake et al. teaches a light assembly, comprising:
a housing (150; see figures 9-13);
a U-shaped light frame (see u-shaped frame 65 in at least figure 13) connected at a front of the housing (150), the U-shaped light frame including a base (110) and two legs (75) that extend up from opposite ends of the base that define an opening at a top of the U-shaped light frame (65) between the two legs (75);
a printed circuit board (PCB) (see paragraph [0069] and at least figure 13) located in the U-shaped light frame (see figure 13) and having a corresponding U-shape (see at least figures 9-13);
a plurality of light sources (10) mounted to the PCB (see paragraph [0069] and at least figure 13);
a filter or diffuser (see paragraph [0084] where diffuser is disclosed) mounted to a front of the U-shaped light frame in front of the light sources (10; see at least figure 13);
a power source (see power source 30 in at least figure 1 and paragraph [0067]) located in the housing and connected to a driver circuit for the light sources (10; see paragraph [0068]-[0069]), and the driver circuit being electrically connected to the PCB to power the light sources (10).
Shoemake does not explicitly teach an open path defined though a space between the two legs that extends between a front and a back of the U-shaped light frame.
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Lemmy teaches an open path defined though a space between the two legs (see figure 1where there is defined a space (19) between the legs of frame) that extends between a front and a back of the U-shaped light frame two support arms (see arms of bracket 21 in at least figure 1) connected between the housing (see at least figure 1) and the base (19; see at least figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include a camera attachment as taught by Lemmy as an alternative design choice and alternative way of mounting a camera to the device and to convert the camera for close up photography (see abstract of Lemmy).
Shoemake modified by Lemmy does not explicitly teach
and two support arms connected between the housing and the base, the two support arms are length adjustable to allow adjustment of a distance between the housing and the U-shaped light frame; and
at least one of:
a) a camera attachment on the housing to which a camera is adapted to be fastened in a position such that a camera lens of the camera is aligned between the two legs and above the base and is adjustable toward and away from the U-shaped light frame via the two length-adjustable support arms such that a lens of the camera is adapted to be aligned with or extends through the open path between the two legs, or
b) a smart phone bracket that is connectable to the light assembly to which a smart phone is adapted to be fastened to retain the smart phone in a position with a lens of the smart phone aligned between the two legs and above the base.
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Chun teaches two adjustable support arms (104,107) to allow adjustment of a distance between a housing and U-shaped frame (see figure 20) and at least b) a smart phone bracket that is connectable to the light assembly to which a smart phone (200; figure 20) is adapted to be fastened to retain the smart phone (200) in a position with a lens of the smart phone (200) aligned between the two legs (104 and 107).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include adjustable support arms and a cellphone bracket as taught by Lemmy as an alternative design choice and alternative way of mounting an electronic device of different sizes to the assembly (see paragraph [0059] of Chun)
Regarding claim 8, Shoemake further teaches the light assembly wherein the front of the U-shaped light frame (see figure 8-15) includes a receiving channel along outer edges of each of the legs (75; see figures 8-15) and a stop along a lower edge of the base, and the filter or diffuser (see paragraph [0083], [0084]) is slidable from above the U-shaped light frame into the receiving channels and is retained by a bottom edge of the filter or diffuser contacting the stop (see at least figures 8-15).
Regarding claim 9, Shoemake further teaches the light assembly wherein the two support arms each comprise:
an inner arm connected to one of the U-shaped light frame at the base or the housing (see at least figures 14 and 15);
an outer arm connected to an other of the U-shaped light frame at the base or the housing (see at least figures 8-15);
the outer arm includes a receiving space for the inner arm and the inner arm is slidably engaged in the receiving space of the outer arm with a friction fit in order to allow adjustment of the length of the support arm (see at least figure 8-15).
Regarding claim 10, Shoemake further teaches the light assembly wherein the power source (30) is a battery (see paragraph [0066]) located in the housing, and a charging connection is provided in the housing (see para. [0103]).
Regarding claim 11, Shoemake further teaches the light assembly wherein the light sources are LEDs (10; paragraph [0065] discloses LEDs) and the driver circuit for the LEDs includes a controller for adjustment of a temperature and an intensity of the LEDs (see paragraph [0065]), and a user control interface is located on the housing that is adapted to signal the controller to adjust the temperature and the intensity (see paragraph [0065]).
Regarding claim 12, Shoemake further teaches the light assembly wherein the user control interface comprises a central button that toggles control between the temperature and the intensity of the LEDs (10), a rotatable ring that surrounds the central button and rotates to adjust a selected one of the temperature or the intensity of the LEDs (10; see paragraph [0065]), and a display screen that displays the selected one of the temperature or the intensity and a setting for the temperature and the intensity (see at least figures 8-15).
Regarding claim 13, Shoemake modified by Lemmy teaches the light assembly of claim 10, and Shoemake teaches light sources 10 but is silent about wherein the temperature is adjustable from 2000k — 7000k, and the intensity is adjustable from 0% to 100%. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to adjust the temperature to between 2000k and 7000k and adjust an intensity from 0% to 100% in the device of Shoemaker et al., since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 223.
Claim(s) 2-7 and 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shoemake et al. (US 2015/0276187 A1)in view of Lemmy (US 4,755,838) and Chun (US 2014/0130334 A1) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of MacNeil et al. (US 2020/0130605 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Shoemake modified by Lemmy and Chun teaches the light assembly of claim 1, but Shoemake modified by Lemmy does not explicitly teach wherein the camera attachment is provided and includes an adjustable clamp located on an upper surface of the housing, the adjustable clamp including two opposing jaws that are configured to engage and retain a mounting plate, which is adapted to be fastened to a camera, in a position such that a camera lens of the camera is aligned between the two legs and above the base and is adjustable toward and away from the U-shaped light frame via the two length-adjustable support arms.
MacNeil further teaches wherein the camera attachment is provided and includes an adjustable clamp (see figure 3 where 102 is adjustable) located on an upper surface of the housing (see figure 3), the adjustable clamp including two opposing jaws that are configured to engage and retain a mounting plate (see figures 1-4), which is adapted to be fastened to a camera, in a position such that a camera lens of the camera is aligned between the two legs (see at least figures 1-4) and above the base and is adjustable toward and away from the U-shaped light frame via the two length-adjustable support arms (see at least figures 1-4).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include a camera attachment as taught by MacNeil et al. as an alternative design choice and alternative way of mounting a camera.
Regarding claim 3, Shoemaker modified by Lemmy, Chun and MacNeil teaches the light assembly of claim 2, but Shoemaker does not explicitly teach wherein the two opposing jaws on the upper surface of the housing are mounted for linear movement toward and away from one another, and a lead screw having first and second threaded sections is rotatably mounted in the housing, with the first threaded section engaging a complementary threaded section in a first one of the jaws and the second threaded section engaging a complementary threaded section in a second one of the jaws, and the first threaded section has an opposite-handed thread to the second threaded section.
MacNeil further teaches wherein the two opposing jaws on the upper surface of the housing are mounted for linear movement toward and away from one another (see at least figures 1-6), and a lead screw having first and second threaded sections is rotatably mounted in the housing (see at least figure 1-6), with the first threaded section engaging a complementary threaded section in a first one of the jaws and the second threaded section engaging a complementary threaded section in a second one of the jaws (see at least figures 1-6), and the first threaded section has an opposite-handed thread to the second threaded section (see at least figures 1-6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include a camera attachment as taught by MacNeil et al. as an alternative design choice and alternative way of securing and mounting a camera.
Regarding claim 4, Shoemake modified by Lemmy and Chun teaches the light assembly of claim 1, but Shoemake modified by Lemmy does not explicitly teach wherein the smart phone bracket is provided and includes a mounting post that is connectable to the base at a first end, and a smart phone clamp connected to a second end of the mounting post, the smart phone clamp including a moveable jaw and an opposite jaw, with the moveable jaw being moveable toward the opposite jaw to retain the smart phone on the smart phone bracket.
MacNeil further teaches wherein the smart phone bracket (see at least figure 1-6) is provided and includes a mounting post (110) that is connectable to the base at a first end (see figure 6), and a smart phone clamp connected to a second end of the mounting post (see at least figures 1-6), the smart phone clamp including a moveable jaw and an opposite jaw (see at least figures 1-6), with the moveable jaw being moveable toward the opposite jaw to retain the smart phone on the smart phone bracket (see at least figures 1-6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include a bracket as taught by MacNeil et al. as an alternative design choice and alternative way of securing and mounting a phone or mobile device.
Regarding claim 5, Shoemake modified by Lemmy, Chun and MacNeil teaches the light assembly of claim 4, but Shoemake does not explicitly teach further comprising a pivotable cradle located between the smart phone clamp and the second end of the mounting post, the pivotable cradle being adapted to allow an angle adjustment of the pivotable cradle toward and away from the U-shaped light frame such that an inclination of the smart phone lens is adjustable.
MacNeil teaches further comprising a pivotable cradle (see at least figure 6) located between the smart phone clamp (see figure 3 and 6) and the second end of the mounting post (see at least figure 6), the pivotable cradle being adapted to allow an angle adjustment of the pivotable cradle toward and away from the U-shaped light frame such that an inclination of the smart phone lens is adjustable (see at least figure 6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include a pivotable cradle as taught by MacNeil et al. as an alternative design choice and alternative way of securing and mounting a phone or mobile device.
Regarding claim 6, Shoemake modified by Lemmy, Chun and MacNeil teaches the light assembly of claim 4, but Shoemake does not teach wherein the moveable jaw is spring biased toward the opposite jaw which is fixed.
MacNeil further teaches wherein the moveable jaw is spring biased toward the opposite jaw which is fixed (see at least figures 1-6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include a movable jaw as taught by MacNeil et al. as an alternative design choice and alternative way of securing and mounting and moving a phone or mobile device.
Regarding claim 7, Shoemake modified by Lemmy, Chun and MacNeil teaches the light assembly of claim 4, but Shoemake does not explicitly teach wherein the base includes a connector for releasably attaching the mounting post to the base.
MacNeil further teaches wherein the base (104) includes a connector for releasably attaching the mounting post (110) to the base (see at least figures 1-6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include a connector form releasably attaching the mounting post as taught by MacNeil et al. as an alternative design choice and alternative way of releasing the phone or mobile device from the device.
Regarding claim 14, Shoemake modified by Lemmy, Chun and MacNeil teaches a method of illuminating a scene for photography or videography, comprising: and Shoemake teaches providing the light assembly (see at least figures 1-8) of claim 2, illuminating the scene with the light sources (10); and activating the camera to capture the scene (camera of mobile phone; see figures 1-8).
MacNeil teaches attaching a camera to a mounting plate (see at least figures 1-6);
inserting the mounting plate with the attached camera between the two opposing jaws of the adjustable clamp located on an upper surface of the housing (see at least figures 1-6), and clamping the two opposing jaws against the mounting plate to affix the camera to the light assembly (see at least figures 1-6);
adjusting a length of the two support arms such that a lens of the camera is positioned in proximity to or between the legs to avoid shadowing (see at least figures 1-6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include mounting plate as taught by MacNeil et al. as an alternative design choice and alternative way of securing and mounting a phone or mobile device.
Regarding claim 15, Shoemake modified by Lemmy, Chun and MacNeil teaches the method of claim 14, but Shoemake does not explicitly teach further comprising:
attaching a microphone to a top of the camera; and extending the microphone through the opening at the top of the U-shaped light frame.
MacNeil teaches further comprising: attaching a microphone to a top of the camera (see at least figure 1-6); and extending the microphone through the opening at the top of the U-shaped light frame (see at least figures 1-6).
. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include attaching a microphone as taught by MacNeil et al. as an alternative design choice.
Regarding claim 16, Shoemake modified by Lemmy, Chun and MacNeil teaches the method of claim 14, Shoemake teaches further comprising:
adjusting a temperature and an intensity of the light sources using a user control interface located on the housing (see paragraph [0065])
Regarding claim 17, Shoemake et al. modified by Lemmy, Chun and MacNeil et al. teaches the method of claim 16, and Shoe make et al. further teaches LEDs having color light with particular wavelengths in paragraph [0065] but does not teach further comprising:
adjusting the temperature to between 3300k and 5500k, and adjusting the intensity from 5% to 100%. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to adjust the temperature to between 3300k and 5500k and adjust an intensity from 5% to 100% in the device of Shoemaker et al., since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 223.
Regarding claim 18, Shoemake et al. modified by Lemmy, Chun and MacNeil et al. teaches a method of illuminating a scene for photography or videography, comprising:
providing the light assembly of claim 4; and Shoemake et al. teaches further illuminating the scene with the light sources (10) and activating the camera to capture the scene (camera of mobile phone; see figures 1-8), but does not explicitly teach attaching the first end of the mounting post of the smart phone bracket to the base; clamping a smart phone into the smart phone clamp with the lens of the smart phone aligned between the two legs and above the base.
MacNeil et al. teaches attaching the first end of a mounting post of the smart phone bracket to the base and clamping a smart phone into the smart phone clamp () with the lens of the smart phone aligned between the two legs and above the base (see figures 1-4).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify Shoemake to include a mounting post and clamping the smart phone in the recited manner as taught by MacNeil et al. as an alternative design choice and way of mounting the phone.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-18 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection necessitated by applicant’s amendment of independent claim 1. Applicant amended independent claim 1 to overcome the 112 rejection and 103 rejection in the previous office action. Applicant added the limitations, “and an open path defined through a space between the two leg that extends between a front and a back of the U-shaped light frame” and “such that a lens of the camera is adapted to be aligned with or extends through the open path between the two legs” in independent claim 1. After further consideration, a new reference, Lemmy (US 4,755,838) and Chun (US 2014/0130334 A1), teaches the newly recited limitation of claim 1. See rejection above.
Claims 2-18 are rejected based on dependence on a rejected base claim.
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
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/JESSICA M APENTENG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/ABDULMAJEED AZIZ/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875