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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 06/16/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5-8 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 5 and 15, the limitation recites “wherein the dimming function includes a first function and a second function” and the limitation recites “wherein the controller increases the brightness of each of the plurality of light sources through the first function, and decreases the brightness of each of the plurality of light sources through the second function” are unclear and leaves the reader in doubt as to the meaning of the technical feature to which it refers. It is unclear that what is a first function and a second function? And how does the controller increases the brightness of each of the plurality of light sources through the first function, and decreases the brightness of each of the plurality of light sources through the second function?
Regarding claims 8 and 18, the limitation recites “wherein the controller determines parameters of the dimming function based on a dimming time to control increasing and reducing speeds of the brightness of each of the plurality of light sources” is unclear and leaves the reader in doubt as to the meaning of the technical feature to which it refers. It is unclear that what is a diming time? And where does a dimming timing coming from?
The claim fails to recite sufficiently definite structure, material or acts for achieving the functional result recited in the claim to reasonably apprise one of ordinary skill in the art of the scope of the claim.
Claims 6-7 and 16-17 are depending on claims 1 and 11, and are rejected the same reasons under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph.
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.
Claims 1-5, 9-15 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (CN 115009149 A, with English translation attached) in view of Holland et al. (U.S Publication No. 20120286673 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Zhang discloses an adaptive illumination system and a dimming method for an adaptive illumination system (which is a vehicle lamp system control method, a vehicle and a storage medium, see fig. 1-5), comprising:
a plurality of light sources (which is a vehicle lighting system 2 formed by a combination of low beam headlights, high beam headlights, running lights and front fog lights)) configured to emit a plurality of illumination beams (see fig. 1, paragraph [0058] and [0059]);
a sensing module configured to sense environmental information (which is a sensor group (e.g., a photosensitive sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a vehicle height sensor, a steering wheel angle sensor, a rain sensor, a fog sensor, a wind speed sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a vehicle position sensor, etc.). The sensor group can be used to detect the detection data required for the operation of the vehicle lighting system 2, and the control device 1 can control the operation of the headlight module and the rotating module according to the data detected by the sensor group, see paragraph [0059], [0066], and [0077]-[0082]); and
a controller (which is a control device 1) electrically connected to the plurality of light sources (via lighting system 2) and the sensing module (via sensor group), (see fig. 1, paragraph [0040]-[0041] and [0059]).
Zhang does not explicitly discloses wherein the controller controls a brightness of each of the plurality of light sources through a dimming function based on a plurality of changes in the environmental information.
Holland, on the other hand, discloses luminaires that include a light source to illuminate an environment in which a condition may be detected, which may include a controller 20, an interface 30 with inputs 32, a light source 40, and sensors 50 (see fig. 1, paragraph [0050]); wherein the controller controls a brightness of each of the plurality of light sources through a dimming function based on a plurality of changes in the environmental information (which is the controller may include a processor and memory to analyze data relating to conditions in the environment and to control the light source emitting light. The sensors may be in communication with the controller to detect conditions in the environment and generate data relating to same. The data may be receivable by the controller, see abstract, paragraph [0056]-[0057], [0089], [0095], and [0150]-[0152]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the illumination as taught by Zhang with the luminaire as taught by Holland which may advantageously combine illumination, motion detection, and ambient light detection in one device. Moreover, the luminaire may communicate with additional luminaires in the environment to create a network and share data, such as sensory data. By providing a luminaire that advantageously combines these features, the present invention may beneficially possess characteristics of higher operational efficiency, increased product life, and reduced complexity, size, and manufacturing expense (see paragraph [0010] by Holland).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Zhang in view of Holland discloses all the limitations of the adaptive illumination system according to claim 1 and the dimming method for the adaptive illumination system according to claim 11, except for specifying that wherein the dimming function is a nonlinear function.
However, Zhang further discloses he connection point between the second and third curve segments is the derating cutoff point of the vehicle lighting system. Different preset derating curves correspond to different derating start points (point b in Figure 4) and derating cutoff points (point c in Figure 4); and the initial curve segment (the dashed line before bc in Figure 4) specifically represents the linear change of the operating parameters of the vehicle lighting system with ambient temperature (see paragraph [0072] and [0132] by Zhang).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the dimming function as taught by Zhang in view of Holland having a nonlinear function, which is considered as an obvious matter of design choice based upon an actual design requirement so that the various designs of circuit may be satisfied.
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Zhang in view of Holland discloses all the limitations of the adaptive illumination system according to claim 1 and the dimming method for the adaptive illumination system according to claim 11, except for specifying that wherein the dimming function is a smooth function.
However, Zhang further discloses the first curve segment indicates that the operating parameters of the vehicle lighting system remain unchanged at the rated operating parameters as the temperature of the environment where the vehicle lighting system is located increases. The second curve segment indicates that the operating parameters of the vehicle lighting system show a decreasing trend and are lower than the rated operating parameters as the temperature of the environment where the vehicle lighting system is located increases. The third curve segment indicates that the operating parameters of the vehicle lighting system remain unchanged at the minimum operating parameters as the temperature of the environment where the vehicle lighting system is located increases, and the minimum operating parameters are lower than the rated operating parameters, see paragraph [0032], [0072] and [0125] by Zhang).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the dimming function as taught by Zhang in view of Holland having a smooth function, which is considered as an obvious matter of design choice based upon an actual design requirement so that the various designs of circuit may be satisfied.
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Zhang in view of Holland discloses the adaptive illumination system according to claim 1 and the dimming method for the adaptive illumination system according to claim 11, wherein in response to the controller increasing or reducing the brightness of each of the plurality of light sources, an absolute value of a slope of the brightness changing over time gradually decreases, which is considered as an obvious matter of design choice based upon an actual design requirement so that the various designs of circuit may be satisfied.
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Zhang in view of Holland discloses all the limitations of the adaptive illumination system according to claim 1 and the dimming method for the adaptive illumination system according to claim 11, except for specifying that wherein the dimming function includes a first function and a second function, wherein the controller increases the brightness of each of the plurality of light sources through the first function, and decreases the brightness of each of the plurality of light sources through the second function.
However, Zhang further discloses in this embodiment, the preset parameter adjustment value is the first adjustment ratio. Specifically, the first adjustment ratio is greater than 50% and less than 100%. For example, the preset parameter adjustment values are 90%, 80%, and 70% respectively, and the target operating parameters are 90%, 80%, and 70% of the rated operating parameters respectively. In other embodiments, the preset parameter adjustment value may also be the first adjustment range. In this embodiment, the preset temperature adjustment value is the second adjustment ratio. Specifically, the second adjustment ratio is greater than 50% and less than 100%. For example, if there are more than one preset temperature adjustment value of 90%, 80%, and 70%, then the more than one target ambient temperature is 90%, 80%, and 70% of the cutoff temperature, respectively. In other embodiments, the preset temperature adjustment value may also be a second adjustment range (see paragraph [0134] and [0135] by Zhang), which is considered as an obvious matter of design choice based upon an actual design requirement so that the various designs of circuit may be satisfied.
Regarding claims 9 and 19, Zhang in view of Holland discloses the adaptive illumination system according to claim 1 and the dimming method for the adaptive illumination system according to claim 11, wherein the controller is a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a programmable controller, a programmable logic device, or a graphic processing unit (see paragraph [0041], [0062], and [0141] by Zhang, or paragraph [0054] by Holland).
Regarding claims 10 and 20, Zhang in view of Holland discloses the adaptive illumination system according to claim 1 and the dimming method for the adaptive illumination system according to claim 11, wherein the sensing module is a camera module, a millimeter wave radar module, an ultrasonic radar module, or a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) module (which is a camera, see paragraph [0069] by Holland).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 and 16-18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. And also the 112 issues above should be fixed in order to place application in allowance condition.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THAI N PHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5518. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
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/Thai Pham/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844 03/06/2026