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 § 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 1-4, 7, 11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jurik et al (US 2017/0074489).
Regarding claim 1, Jurik discloses an illuminator to generate a collimated beam of light, the illuminator comprising: a light source subsystem having a plurality of light modules 20, wherein each of the plurality of light source modules includes: a light source 42 configured to emit light; an optical lens 44 configured to collect and direct the light from the light source and output the light along a path; a color filter 62 disposed adjacent to the optical lens and in the path of the light, the color filter configured to produce a filtered light; and a collimator lens (36 and/or 38; see para [0024] which teaches that the light source module 20 “emits collimated and controlled light”; note also para [0028] which teaches lenses 36,38 can be any “other lenses as well known in the art” and can be an achromatic combination (i.e., single lens bonded together)) configured to collect and direct the associated filtered light; wherein the collimator lenses 36,38 of the plurality of light source modules are configured to direct and output each of associated filtered lights into a major collimated light beam along a major optical axis (see at least Figures 1-9 and paras [0024]-[0046]).
Regarding claim 2, the filtered light collected at the collimator lens 36,38 for each of the plurality of light source modules 20 is a diverging beam (see at least paras [0024]-[0028]; light exiting a color wheel having color images is a diverging beam converged/collimator lens 36,38).
Regarding claim 3, the plurality of light modules in Jurik can include a color wheel assembly (see para [0037]; gobo wheel) having a color wheel (the gobo wheel can have color images, see para [0037]), and wherein the color filter 62 is included in the color wheel as one of a plurality of color filters, wherein each of the color filters of the color wheel is selectably positionable within the path of the light to filter the light for each of the plurality of light source modules 20 (see at least Figures 8-9 and paras [0036]-[0037]).
Regarding claim 4, the color wheel assembly in Jurik includes the plurality of color filters disposed on a color wheel, wherein the color wheel is rotatable about an axis generally parallel to the path of the light for each of the plurality of light source modules (see at least Figures 8-9 and paras [0036]-[0037]).
Regarding claim 7, each of the collimator lenses 36,38 in Jurik are disposed to converge each of associated filtered lights (see at least Fig. 8 and paras [0024] and [0028]).
Regarding claim 11, Jurik discloses a method for providing a collimated beam of light, the method comprising: generating a plurality of filtered lights, wherein each filtered light of the plurality of filtered lights is generated with a light source module of a plurality of light source modules 20, each light source module 20 having an associated light source 42, wherein generating each filtered light includes, emitting light from the associated light source, collecting and directing the light from the light source along a path with an optical lens 44, and filtering the light from the optical lens with a color filter 62 disposed in the path to output the filtered light; and individually collecting and directing each of the filtered lights into a major collimated light beam along a major optical axis (see at least Figures 1-9 and paras [0024]-[0046]).
Regarding claim 15, individually collecting and directing each of the filtered lights in Jurik includes providing a collimator lens (36 and/or 38; see para [0024] which teaches that the light source module 20 “emits collimated and controlled light”; note also para [0028] which teaches lenses 36,38 can be any “other lenses as well known in the art” and can be an achromatic combination (i.e., single lens bonded together)) with each of the plurality of light source modules (see at least paras [0024] and [0028]).
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.
Claims 5-6, 8-10, 12-13 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jurik et al (US 2017/0074489).
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Jurik does not specifically teach that the plurality of color filters 62 in the color wheel assembly include a red, green, blue and transparent filter. However red, green, blue and transparent filters are well-known in the art (Official Notice), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to specify that the color wheel in Jurik have the recited filters in order to provide various colored light beams and/or images for producing the desired lighting effect.
Regarding claim 6, Jurik does not specifically teach that the color filter be a dichroic filter. However, dichoric filters are well-known in the art (Official Notice), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to specify that the color filters in Jurik be dichroic in order to selectively transmit and reflect the desired wavelength to achieve the desired color emission while preventing overheating of the filter.
Regarding claims 8 and 12, Jurik generally teaches that the light source 42 can be a light emitting diode and describes various types of LED’s (see para [0030]), but does not specifically teach that the diodes be super luminescent. However super-luminescent diodes are well-known in the art (Official Notice), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to specify that the light emitting diodes 42 in Jurik be super-luminescent in order to provide a high intensity light output for increased visibility and lighting effect.
Regarding claim 9, the light source 42 in Jurik can be blue or white LED and produce white light (see at least para [0030]) but Jurik does not specifically teach it be a blue laser diode stimulating a phosphor. However the use of blue laser diodes to stimulate a phosphor to produce white light is well-known in the art (Official Notice), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to specify that the light source 42 in Jurik be a blue laser diode with phosphor in order to provide a high intensity diode and achieve the stated objective of providing white light.
Regarding claims 10 and 16, Jurik teaches a collimated light beam (see para [0024] which teaches that the light source module 20 “emits collimated and controlled light”), but does not specifically teach that the beam diverge with less than two degrees of spread. However, collimated light beams with divergence less than two degrees are well-known in the art (Official Notice), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to specify that the collimated light beam in Jurik diverge with less than two degrees of spread in order to achieve the stated objective of providing a collimated and control light beam from the light source modules 20 for a more direct and focused light beam pattern, and since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art (MPEP 2144.05).
Regarding claim 17, Jurik discloses a lighting system for generating an output collimated beam of light, the lighting system comprising: a lighting subsystem having a plurality of light source modules 20, wherein each of the plurality of light source modules includes: a light source 42 having a diode configured to emit light; an optical lens 44 configured to collect and direct the light from the light source and output the light along a path; a color wheel assembly 62 (see para [0037]; gobo wheel) having a color wheel (the gobo wheel can have color images, see para [0037]) disposed adjacent to the optical lens and in the path of the light, the color filter configured to produce a filtered light; and a collimator lens (36 and/or 38; see para [0024] which teaches that the light source module 20 “emits collimated and controlled light”; note also para [0028] which teaches lenses 36,38 can be any “other lenses as well known in the art” and can be an achromatic combination (i.e., single lens bonded together)) configured to collect and direct the associated filtered light; wherein the collimator lenses 36,38 of the plurality of light source modules are configured to direct and output each of associated filtered lights into a major collimated light beam along a major optical axis (see at least Figures 1-9 and paras [0024]-[0046]).
Jurik generally teaches that the light source 42 can be a light emitting diode and describes various types of LED’s (see para [0030]), but does not specifically teach that the diodes be super luminescent. However super-luminescent diodes are well-known in the art (Official Notice), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to specify that the light emitting diodes 42 in Jurik be super-luminescent in order to provide a high intensity light output for increased visibility and lighting effect.
Regarding claim 18, each of the light sources 42 in Jurik is a surface mounted device, wherein the plurality of light source modules 20 are tiled together to form the illuminator (see at least Figures 1-3 and 8).
Regarding claim 19, Jurik does not specifically teach that the optical lens 44 be a bi-convex spherical lens. However the use of bi-convex spherical lenses is well-known in the art (Official Notice), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to specify that the optical lens 44 be a bi-convex spherical lens in order to tightly converge the light from light source 42 towards color filter 62 for a brighter and more efficient light beam pattern.
Regarding claim 20, the plurality of modules 20 in Jurik are coupled together to form a spot light or a search light (see at least Figures 1-3; can inherently be used as a spot or search light).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN P GRAMLING whose telephone number is (571)272-9082. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm EST.
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/SEAN P GRAMLING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875 a