–––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 .
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/06/24 was filed in a timely manner; thus, the submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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(s) #1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable by BECHTEL (U.S. Pub. No, 2025/0233384), hereinafter referred to as "Bechtel".
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #1, a device comprising: a converter layer comprising a light emitting surface (fig. #1, item 102) and an opposite side of the light emitting surface (paragraph 0004, 0023); and a filter (fig. #1, item 106) deposited on the opposite side and configured to influence a radiation profile to increase a coupling efficiency of a pump radiation into the converter layer (paragraph 0026, 0037).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #2, wherein the filter is configured to influence the radiation profile by controlling one or more radiation characteristics of light received from a light emitting diode (paragraph 0026, 0037).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #3, wherein the one or more radiation characteristics comprises a bandwidth from 400 nm to 600 nm and a transmission greater than 95% (paragraph 0026, 0034-0037).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #4, wherein the filter comprises an interferometric photonic bandgap filter (fig. #8, item 840) (paragraph 0043).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #5, wherein the filter comprises an interferometric layer stack (fig. #7, item 700) (paragraph 0037).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #6, wherein the filter comprises a dichroic filter (fig. #8, item 895) (paragraph 0046).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #7, wherein the device further comprises a second (garnet phosphors; fig. #8, item 850) filter deposited on the light emitting surface (paragraph 0045-0046).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #8, wherein the second filter comprises an interferometric photonic bandgap filter (paragraph 0045-0046).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #9, wherein the second filter is configured to reflect one or more portions of light back into the converter (paragraph 0005, 0034, 0037).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #10, wherein the one or more portions of light comprise light having wavelengths in a range between 380 nanometers (nm) to 550 nanometers (nm) (paragraph 0034, 0037).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #11, wherein the filter is configured to influence the radiation profile by controlling variable transmission characteristics over different regions of a visible spectrum (paragraph 0045).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #12, wherein the filter is configured to influence the radiation profile by controlling variable transmission characteristics over different angular regions of emission (paragraph 0037, 0046).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #13, wherein the converter layer comprises a phosphor converted amber converter (paragraph 0024, 0037).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #14, wherein the device comprises a light emitting diode (LED) die providing the pump radiation into the filter and towards the converter layer (paragraph 0024, 0037, 0037, 0046).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #15, wherein the device comprises an anti-reflective coating on the filter (paragraph 0046).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #16, wherein the device comprises a light emitting diode emitting blue light, red light, or infrared light (paragraph 0024, 0037, 0037, 0046).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #17, an apparatus comprising: a light emitting diode (LED) die (fig. #1, item 100) configured to emit a pump light when powered on (paragraph 0023, 0029); a converter layer (fig. #7, item 700) comprising a light emitting surface (LED) and an opposite side surface opposite the LED (paragraph 0037, 0041), the converter layer (fig. #1, item 106) disposed over the LED die (fig. #1, item 102) with the opposite side surface adjacent the LED die (paragraph 0023); a first filter between the opposite side surface of the converter layer and the LED die (fig. #1 ) (paragraph 0023), the first filter being configured to influence a radiation profile of the pump light; and a second filter on the LES of the converter layer and configured to reflect one or more portions of the pump light into the converter (paragraph 0026, 0037)
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #18, wherein the first filter influences a radiation profile of light emitted out of the apparatus by transmitting 95% of the light within a bandwidth from 400 nm to 600 nm (paragraph 0026, 0034-0037).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #19, wherein the first filter comprises an interferometric photonic bandgap filter, an interferometric layer stack, or a dichroic filter (fig. #8, item 895) (paragraph 0046), and the second filter comprises an interferometric photonic bandgap filter (paragraph 0045-0046).
Bechtel shows, with respect to claim #20, wherein the one or more portions of the pump light comprise light having wavelengths in a range between 380 nm to 550 nm (paragraph 0034, 0037).
EXAMINATION NOTE
The rejections above rely on the references for all the teachings expressed in the text of the references and/or one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood or implied from the texts of the references. To emphasize certain aspects of the prior art, only specific portions of the texts have been pointed out. Each reference as a whole should be reviewed in responding to the rejection, since other sections of the same reference and/or various combinations of the cited references may be relied on in future rejections in view of amendments.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Andre’ Stevenson whose telephone number is (571) 272 1683 (Email Address, Andre.Stevenson@USPTO.GOV). The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Zandra Smith can be reached on 571-272 2429. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Andre’ Stevenson Sr./
Art Unit 2899
06/22/2026
/ZANDRA V SMITH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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