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.
Claim(s) 1-18 and 20-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fournier et al. (US 2016/0337564 A1).
Re claim 1, Fournier et al. discloses a device comprising: a light emitter (204, 404); a diffuser (210); one or more lenses (420) located between the light emitter and the diffuser; and a control unit (1102); wherein the control unit is capable of adjusting the properties of the diffuser (paragraph 0069).
Re claim 2, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the lenses (420) are arranged to narrow the beam of the light emitter (paragraph 0048).
Re claim 3, Fournier et al. discloses the device further comprising a texturing material (416) located between the light emitter and the lenses (416) (paragraph 0048).
Re claim 4, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the light emitter comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), preferably surface mounted LEDs (paragraph 0006).
Re claim 5, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the control unit is capable of adjusting the properties of the light emitter (paragraph 0068).
Re claim 6, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the control unit is capable of adjusting the properties of the light emitter to maintain at least one of: a hue; a color temperature; an intensity; and a luminance (paragraph 0069-0073).
Re claim 7, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the control unit is an integral part of the lighting device (paragraph 0069).
Re claim 8, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the lighting device further comprises a storage means for storing information relating to the light, preferably information relating to the properties of the diffuser and/or light emitter (paragraph 0067).
Re claim 9, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the control unit is arranged to adjust the properties of the diffuser and/or the light emitter based on predetermined calibration information (paragraph 0067-0073).
Re claim 10, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the calibration information comprises a lookup table; a diffuser transparency characteristic and/or a diffuser chromaticity characteristic (paragraph 0067-0073).
Re claim 11, Fournier et al. discloses the device further comprising a measurement sensor arranged to measure a property relating to the output of the light device, preferably wherein the measurement sensor is arranged to measure at least one of: the diffusivity; the luminance; the hue; and the color temperature of an environment and/or an output of the light device (paragraphs 0071-0073).
Re claim 12, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the control unit is arranged to adjust the properties of the diffuser and/or the light emitter based on an output of the measurement sensor (paragraph 0073).
Re claim 13, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the control unit is arranged to compare the measured property value to a desired property value and adjust the diffuser and/or the light emitter accordingly (paragraph 0071-0073).
Re claim 14, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the diffuser (210) is an integral component of the light device (200). The claim limitation “preferably wherein the diffuser is mounted to the rear of a transparent front cover of the light” is a conditional limitation based on preference.
Re claim 15, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the diffuser comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) (paragraph 0056).
Re claim 16, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the light emitter comprises a plurality of LEDs, wherein at least two of the plurality of LEDs are oriented differently (Figs. 5, 7A-7C). The claim limitations “preferably wherein two LEDs of the plurality of LEDs are oriented at greater than 20 degrees, more preferably greater than 80 degrees, yet more preferably greater than 150 degrees, even more preferably approximately 180 degrees” are conditional limitations based on preference.
Re claim 17, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein each pair of adjacent LEDs in the plurality of LEDs is oriented differently (Figs. 5, 7A-7C).
Re claim 18, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the control unit is arranged to adjust the properties of the diffuser using an electric signal (paragraph 0069). The claim limitations, “preferably wherein the control unit is arranged to provide to the adjustable diffuser an electric signal that is substantially a square wave and/or an electric that signal has a frequency that is a multiple of 50Hz” is a conditional limitation based on preference.
Re claim 20, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the light device is capable of storing settings related to the adjustment of the diffuser (paragraphs 0058; 0068), The claim limitations “preferably wherein the light device is arranged to store a selected setting in dependence on a user input” is a conditional claim limitation, based on preference.
Re claim 21, Fournier et al. discloses the device wherein the control unit is capable of adjusting the diffuser and/or the light emitter to provide special effects (paragraph 0070).
Re claim 22, Fournier et al. discloses the device comprising a computer program product for operating the lighting (paragraph 0086, 0149; fig. 15, paragraph 00156-0157).
Re claim 23, Fournier et al. discloses the device comprising one mor more light devices (Fig. 2). The claim limitations, “preferably wherein each of the lighting devices is arranged to be controlled using a single master control unit” is a conditional claim limitation based on preference.
Re claim 24, Fournier et al discloses the device wherein the control unit is capable of adjusting the properties of the light emitter of the first lighting device and the light emitter of the second lighting device (Fig. 5; paragraph 0051).
Re claim 25, Fournier et al. discloses the device comprising computer program product for operating the lighting system (paragraph 0067).
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.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fournier et al.
Fournier et al. does not disclose the device wherein the frequency and/or shape of the electrical signal is controlled in dependence on a property of a camera, preferably wherein the frequency and/or shape of the electrical signal is controlled in dependence on a shutter angle and/or frame rate.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device wherein the frequency and/or shape of the electrical signal is controlled in dependence on a property of a camera since doing so is well known in the art to control the lighting device to cooperate with various properties of the camera. Additionally, the claim limitation “preferably wherein the frequency and/or shape of the electrical signal is controlled in dependence on a shutter angle and/or frame rate”, is a conditional claim limitation based on preference.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD H KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-2294. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 10 am-6:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Caley can be reached at 571-272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICHARD H KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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