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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/24/2025, 1/6/2026 are 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shimizu et al (US 2019/0195466 A1 herein after Shimizu).
Regarding Claim 1, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: A light emitting device comprising: at least two semiconductor LEDs (13) arranged in an array, each semiconductor LED comprising a light emitting surface with boundaries defined by a perimeter [0054];
a continuous layer (phosphor 16) comprising a first surface through which light is emitted from the light emitting device during operation and an oppositely positioned second surface disposed on or adjacent to the array and extending over the light emitting surfaces of the semiconductor LEDs (See Fig 1G [0059]); and
a plurality of optical isolation structures (21) arranged in the continuous layer in a discontinuous manner along the perimeters of the light emitting surfaces between adjacent LEDs in the array [0055].
Regarding Claim 2, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor LEDs are microLEDs [0046].
Regarding Claim 3, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the array is monolithic (See Fig 1C).
Regarding Claim 4, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the continuous layer (phosphor) comprises wavelength converting material that absorbs primary light emitted by the semiconductor LEDs and in response emits secondary light [0054].
Regarding Claim 5, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 4, wherein the continuous layer is or comprises a ceramic phosphor layer [0055].
Regarding Claim 6, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 4, wherein the continuous layer comprises phosphor particles disposed in a matrix [0062].
Regarding Claim 7, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the continuous layer is or comprises a material transparent to light emitted by the semiconductor LEDs [0040].
Regarding Claim 9, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the optical isolation structures comprise reflective material [0056].
Regarding Claim 10, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the optical isolation structures comprise light scattering material [0056].
Regarding Claim 11, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the optical isolation structures comprise material having an index of refraction lower than that of the continuous layer for visible light [0032-0036, 0056-0057].
Regarding Claim 12, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the optical isolation structures are spaced uniformly along the perimeters of the light emitting surfaces (See Fig 1H) [0033-0035].
Regarding Claim 13, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the optical isolation structures are spaced nonuniformly along the perimeters of the light emitting surfaces [0033].
Regarding Claim 14, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1B: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the optical isolation structures penetrate entirely through the continuous layer [0036].
Regarding Claim 15, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1B: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the optical isolation structures penetrate from the first surface of the continuous layer into but not entirely through the continuous layer [0036].
Regarding Claim 16, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1B: The light emitting device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the optical isolation structures penetrate from the second surface of the continuous layer into but not entirely through the continuous layer [0036].
Regarding Claim 17, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1A-1C: An illumination system comprising: a light emitting device as in claim 1; and an optic or optical system arranged to image the array to form an output illumination beam [0036, 0041, 0078].
Regarding Claim 18, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The illumination system of claim 17 wherein at least some of the semiconductor LEDs are independently operable to steer a direction of the output illumination beam [0077].
Regarding Claim 19, Shimizu discloses in Fig 2A: A display system comprising: a light emitting device as in claim 1; a display; and
an optic or optical system arranged to couple light from the light source into the display [0031].
Regarding Claim 20, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: A mobile device comprising:
a camera;
a flash illumination system comprising the light emitting device of claim 1 and an optic or optical system arranged to at least partially collimate light emitted by the light source; and
a controller configured to operate the semiconductor LEDs in the light emitting device to match a field of view of the flash illumination system to a field of view of the camera [0031].
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) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimizu in view of Chiu et al (US 2015/0054012 A1 hereinafter Chiu).
Regarding Claim 8, Shimizu discloses in Fig 1G: The light emitting device of claim 7.
Shimizu does not disclose: wherein the continuous layer is or comprises GaN or sapphire.
However, Chiu in a similar device teach in Fig 10 that the continuous layer (120) is or comprises GaN or sapphire [0014].
References Shimizu and Chiu are analogous art because they both are directed to display devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Shimizu with the specified features of Chiu because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Shimizu and Chiu so that the continuous layer is or comprises GaN or sapphire as taught by Chiu in Shimizu’s device since, this provides a material with low weight, low cost and good energy efficiency.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NISHATH YASMEEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7564. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM.
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, Lynne Gurley can be reached at 571-272-1670. 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.
/NISHATH YASMEEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811
Prosecution Insights