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 Objections
Claims 3 and 8 objected to because of the following informalities: a period is missing from the end of each of claims 3 and 8. Appropriate correction is required.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claims 1 and 6-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by “Griffoni” (WO 2017/153856).
Regarding claim 1, Griffoni anticipates 1. A flexible foil printed circuit board substrate comprising: at least first and second lands, each of the first and second lands being configured to receive a placement of one or more surface mounting technology components (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the leftmost and rightmost islands 120 are first and second lands are configured to receive a placement of LED components);
and a flex foil area between pairs of the at least first and second lands, the flex foil area comprising at least one layer including at least one conductive portion connecting the at least first and second lands (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 is a flex foil area between pairs of the at least first and second lands, the flex foil area comprising at least one layer including conductive portions 16a, 16b and 16c connecting the at least first and second lands),
wherein the flex foil area comprises one or more curved shapes (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 comprises one or more curved shapes),
and wherein outermost ends of the flex foil area are integrated into the at least first and second lands (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; outermost ends of the ribbon-like substrate 12 are integrated into the first and second lands).
Regarding claim 6, Griffoni anticipates 6. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second lands comprise irregular geometries that include protruding sections that match the outermost ends of the flex foil area (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the leftmost and rightmost islands 120 comprise irregular geometries that include protruding sections that match the outermost ends of the flex foil area).
Regarding claim 7, Griffoni anticipates 7. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the flexible foil printed circuit board substrate comprises a plurality of bays between the at least first and second lands and the flex foil area (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 comprises a plurality of bays between the at least first and second lands and the flex foil area).
Regarding claim 8, Griffoni anticipates 8. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 7, wherein at least one bay of the plurality of bays comprise a square, circle, egg, crescent, ellipse, or circular triangle geometry (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; one bay of the plurality of bays comprise a circular triangle geometry)
Regarding claim 9, Griffoni anticipates 9. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the flex foil area comprises three (3) parabolic formed bends (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 comprises 3 parabolic formed bends).
Regarding claim 10, Griffoni anticipates 10. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the flex foil area comprises five (5) semi-circular formed or semi-elliptical formed bends (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 comprises 5 semi-circular formed bends).
Regarding claim 11, Griffoni anticipates 11. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the flex foil area comprises an amplitude that is less than or equal to a height of the at least first and second lands (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the amplitude or height of the ribbon-like substrate 12 is equal to a height of the leftmost and rightmost islands 120).
Regarding claim 12, Griffoni anticipates 12. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second lands comprise rectangular shapes (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the leftmost and rightmost islands 120 comprise rectangular shapes).
Regarding claim 13, Griffoni anticipates 13. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second lands comprise irregular shapes with at least one peninsula extending from a central body (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the leftmost and rightmost islands 120 comprise irregular shapes with at least one peninsula extending from a central body).
Regarding claim 14, Griffoni anticipates 14. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the flex foil comprises one or more non-conductive borders that partitions conductive portions of the flex foil (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 comprises non-conductive borders that partitions conductive portions 16a, 16b and 16c).
Regarding claim 15, Griffoni anticipates 15. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 14, wherein the one or more non-conductive borders comprise outer borders and an inner border that extend to the outer borders to partition the conductive portions of the flex foil area (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the non-conductive borders comprise outer borders and an inner border that extend to the outer borders to partition the conductive portions 16a, 16b and 16c).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffoni in view of “Radermacher” (US 2013/0313983).
Regarding claim 2, Griffoni discloses the claimed invention as applied to claim 1, above.
Griffoni discloses 2. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface mounting technology components comprise one or more light emitting diodes placed on a first side of the two or more lands (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the LED light radiation sources 14, 14a and 14b are placed on a first side of the first and second lands).
Griffoni does not disclose the at least one conductive portion electrically connects the one or more light emitting diodes in series.
Radermacher discloses the at least one conductive portion electrically connects the one or more light emitting diodes in series (Fig. 1, [0004]; the individual LEDs may be electrically connected in series).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have constructed Griffoni’s substrate with Radermacher’s LEDs in order to provide a lighting unit having an easily adaptable electrical design, i. e. wherein different lighting units with a different number of LEDs may be provided with a minimum of changes in the electrical circuitry, as suggested by Radermacher at [0006].
Regarding claim 3, Griffoni discloses the claimed invention as applied to claim 1, above.
Griffoni discloses 3. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface mounting technology components comprise at least two groups of at least two light emitting diodes (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the LED light radiation sources 14, 14a and 14b are at least two groups of at least two light emitting diodes).
Griffoni does not disclose two light emitting diodes connected in series, whereby the at least two groups are electrically connected to an electrical power source or driver each
Radermacher discloses two light emitting diodes connected in series, whereby the at least two groups are electrically connected to an electrical power source or driver each (Fig. 1, [0004]; the individual LEDs may be electrically connected in series and electrically connected to the AC power converted to DC power by bridge rectifiers)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have constructed Griffoni’s substrate with Radermacher’s LEDs in order to provide a lighting unit having an easily adaptable electrical design, i. e. wherein different lighting units with a different number of LEDs may be provided with a minimum of changes in the electrical circuitry, as suggested by Radermacher at [0006].
Regarding claim 4, Griffoni discloses 4. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface mounting technology components comprise at least two groups of at least two light emitting diodes (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the LED light radiation sources 14, 14a and 14b are at least two groups of at least two light emitting diodes).
Griffoni does not disclose two light emitting diodes connected in parallel to an electrical power source or driver, and wherein each group of the at least two groups comprises at least one resistor connected in series to at least one of the light emitting diodes of that group.
Radermacher discloses two light emitting diodes connected in parallel to an electrical power source or driver, and wherein each group of the at least two groups comprises at least one resistor connected in series to at least one of the light emitting diodes of that group (Fig. 1, [0004]; the individual LEDs may be electrically connected in a combination of series and parallel configurations and electrically connected to the AC power converted to DC power by bridge rectifiers, two LEDs are connected in series with a current limiting resistor).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have constructed Griffoni’s substrate with Radermacher’s LEDs in order to provide a lighting unit having an easily adaptable electrical design, i. e. wherein different lighting units with a different number of LEDs may be provided with a minimum of changes in the electrical circuitry, as suggested by Radermacher at [0006].
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffoni in view of “Preuschl” (US 2011/0299292).
Regarding claim 5, Griffoni discloses the claimed invention as applied to claim 1, above.
Griffoni does not disclose the limitations of claim 5.
Preuschl discloses 5. The flexible foil printed circuit board substrate of claim 1, wherein the at least one connecting structure comprises a rigid printed circuit board mounted on a backside of at least one of the two or more lands of the flexible foil ([0002]; a plurality of rigid circuit boards which are each connected by one of their main surfaces to a flexible circuit board at a distance from one another, and a plurality of LEDs which are mounted on the flexible circuit board in the region of the rigid circuit boards).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have constructed Griffoni’s substrate with Preuschl’s rigid board in order to provide a particularly inexpensive rigid-flex mounting board and a lamp device having such a rigid-flex mounting board, as suggested by Preuschl at [0003].
Claims 16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffoni in view of “Deppe” (US 2021/0076504).
Regarding claim 16, Griffoni discloses 16. A flexible automotive grade light source comprising a flexible foil printed circuit board substrate comprising: at least first and second lands, each of the first and second lands being configured to receive a placement of one or more surface mounting technology components (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the leftmost and rightmost islands 120 are first and second lands are configured to receive a placement of LED components);
and a flex foil area between pairs of the at least first and second lands, the flex foil area comprising conductive portions connecting the at least first and second lands (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 is a flex foil area between pairs of the at least first and second lands, the flex foil area comprising conductive portions 16a, 16b and 16c connecting the at least first and second lands),
wherein the flex foil area comprises one or more curved shapes (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 comprises one or more curved shapes),
and wherein outermost ends of the flex foil area are integrated into the at least first and second lands (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; outermost ends of the ribbon-like substrate 12 are integrated into the first and second lands).
Griffoni does not disclose the flex foil area comprising at least two layers.
Deppe discloses a flex foil area comprising at least two layers (Fig. 2, [0026]; the flexible PCB 210 comprises two layers).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have constructed Griffoni’s substrate with Deppe’s two layers in order to allow for the ability to attach the LEDs on both sides of the flexible substrate enables the generated light to shine forth from both sides, as suggested by Deppe at [0014].
Regarding claim 18, Griffoni in view of Deppe discloses the claimed invention as applied to claim 16, above.
Griffoni discloses 18. The flexible automotive grade light source of claim 16, wherein the flex foil area comprises five bent sections comprising first and second outer sections and three inner sections (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 comprises five bent sections comprising first and second outer sections and three inner sections).
Regarding claim 19, Griffoni in view of Deppe discloses the claimed invention as applied to claim 16, above.
Griffoni discloses 19. The flexible automotive grade light source of claim 16, wherein adjacent segments of the at least three bent sections are horizontally flipped relative to the previous or next section (Fig. 1 – embodiment “l”, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the ribbon-like substrate 12 of embodiment “l” comprises adjacent segments of the at least three bent sections are horizontally flipped, e.g., a shifted mirror of an adjacent section, relative to the previous or next section.
Regarding claim 20, Griffoni in view of Deppe discloses the claimed invention as applied to claim 16, above.
Griffoni discloses 20. The flexible automotive grade light source of claim 16, wherein a shape or path of the flex foil area comprises a winding river, serpentine, parabolic, ellipsoidal, or sinusoidal geometry (Fig. 1, Abstract, page 6, lines 1-14; the shape of the ribbon-like substrate 12 comprises a serpentine geometry).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffoni in view of Deppe and “Da Silva” (US 2025/0231336).
Regarding claim 17, Griffoni in view of Deppe discloses the claimed invention as applied to claim 16, above.
Griffoni does not disclose the limitations of claim 17.
Da Silva discloses the flexible foil printed circuit board substrate is embedded in a silicone matrix of the flexible automotive grade light source. (Fig. 2, [0060]-[0062], [0070]-[0071]; the flexible substrate 32 is embedded in the light-guiding layer 24 which is a silicone encapsulate).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have constructed Griffoni’s substrate, as modified by Deppe, with Da Silva’s silicone encapsulate in order to effectively blend the areas of different densities of light emitting diodes together, as suggested by Da Silva at [0063].
Conclusion
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/STANLEY TSO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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