DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/6/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 12/23/2025 is acknowledged. Accordingly, claims 2 and 8 have been cancelled, claims 1, 17 and 20 have been amended, thus currently claims 1, 3-7 and 9-20 are pending.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3, 7, 12-13 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hsu et al. (US 20100033985 A1, hereinafter, “Hsu”, newly cited by the Examiner).
Regarding claim 1, Hsu teaches an illumination device (vehicle lamp, see figures 1-4) for a vehicle (vehicle, see abstract), the illumination device (vehicle lamp) comprising:
at least one light module (LED luminescent device (10) for producing a light distribution (see light distribution D in annotated figure below), the at least one light module (10) including:
at least one light emission unit (support 11 and LED light source 12, see fig 2) with at least one light source module (at least one LED element 122, see fig 1),
at least one reflector unit (reflector 13, see fig 2) with at least one reflector element (first and second reflection surfaces 131-132, see fig 2), and
at least one projection unit (projection lens 14 and base 15, see fig 2) with at least one lens element (14),
wherein light emitted from the at least one light emission unit (11-12) is at least partially coupled into the at least one projection unit (14-15) via the at least one reflector unit (13),
wherein a main radiation direction (see M1, in annotated figure below) of the at least one light emission unit (11-12) is inclined (as seen in fig 4) with respect to a main radiation direction (see M2, in annotated figure below) of the at least one projection unit (14-15),
wherein the at least one reflector element (131-132) is an at least partially dome-shaped (as seen in fig 4) reflector element (131-132) having a light exit opening (see opening of 131-132), the at least one reflector element (131-132) defining an inner surface (inner surface of 131-132) having a first surface section (131) and a second surface section (132), the at least one reflector element (131-132) positioned such that the at least one light source module (122) is at least partially enclosed by the first surface section (131),
wherein the first surface section (131) has a different curvature (see ¶ 9 and 26) and/or a different inclination from the second surface section (132), and
wherein the light exit opening (opening of 13) is oriented essentially perpendicular (evident from fig 4) to the main radiation direction (M2) of the at least one projection unit (14-15).
Annotated figure 4 of Hsu has been reproduced below:
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Regarding claim 3, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one light source module (122) includes at least two light sources (two trapezoidal LED elements, see ¶ 25 and fig 1), wherein at least the at least two light sources (each LED of 122) are arranged in a plane (upper plane of fastening pedestal 121), wherein the plane (plane of 121) is oriented essentially parallel (better seen in fig 3) to the main radiation direction (M2) of the at least one projection unit (14-15).
Regarding claim 7, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one light source module (122) includes at least two light sources (two trapezoidal LED elements, see ¶ 25 and fig 1), and light emitted by each light source (each LED of 122) of the at least one light source module (122) is projected into an individual projection sector (see sections A and B in annotated figure above) by the at least one projection unit (14-15), wherein the projection sector (A) is a partial sector (as seen in fig 4 above) of the light distribution (D) produced by the at least one light module (10).
Regarding claim 12, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one lens element (14) of the at least one projection unit (14-15) is a rotationally symmetrical collimator lens element (note shape of 14 in fig 1, and collimating action of the lens, as seen in fig 4).
Regarding claim 13, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one lens element (14) of the at least one projection unit (14-15) is a plano-convex lens element (as clearly seen from figures 1 and 4).
Regarding claim 15, Hsu teaches vehicle (vehicle, see abstract) comprising at least one illumination device (10) according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 16, Hsu teaches wherein the main radiation direction (M1) of the at least one light emission unit (11-12 and 122) is aligned essentially perpendicular to the main radiation direction (M2) of the at least one projection unit (14, 15).
Regarding claim 17, Hsu teaches wherein the inner surface of the at least one reflector element (131-132) is shaped such that light impinging on the inner surface (inner surface of 13) is reflected from essentially any position (as seen in fig 4) of the inner surface into the light exit opening (opening of 13).
Regarding claim 18, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one lens element (14) of the at least one projection unit (14-15) is a spherical or aspherical (as clearly seen in fig 4) collimator lens element (14).
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.
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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu in view of Tutsumi et al. (US 20130329440 A1, hereinafter, “Tutsumi”, newly cited by the Examiner).
Regarding claim 4, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one light source module (122) includes at least two light sources (two trapezoidal LED elements, see ¶ 25 and fig 1),
Hsu does not explicitly teach wherein at least one the following functionalities may be controlled independently for each of the at least two light sources; switching on the light source, switching off the light source, or regulating a brightness of the light source.
Tutsumi teaches an illumination device (automotive lamp 10, see figure 1) having at least one light module (light-emitting module 22);
wherein at least one the following functionalities (turned-on or turned-off, see ¶ 190) may be controlled independently for each of the at least two light sources (22): switching on the light source, switching off the light source (see ¶ 190), or regulating a brightness of the light source.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filled date of the claimed invention to incorporate controlling the light modules as taught by Tutsumi into the teachings of Hsu in order to turned-off the light-emitting module when entering a vehicle stop mode. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification to allow for power saving of an automotive lamp without requiring an operation by a driver.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu in view of Chou, as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Feldmeier David. (US 20080055896 A1, hereinafter, “Feldmeier”, newly cited by the Examiner).
Regarding claims 5-6, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one light source module (10) includes at least two light sources (two trapezoidal LED elements, see ¶ 25 and fig 1) arranged in a matrix structure (in at least a one-dimensional matrix, as seen in fig 1),
Hsu does not explicitly teach wherein the matrix structure has at least two rows and at least two columns, and wherein each light source is located essentially in the center of an individual cell of said matrix structure; and
wherein light emitted from the light sources of at least a first row are projected by the at least one projection unit (14-15) to form a low-beam light distribution and light emitted from the light sources of at least a second row are projected by the at least one projection unit (14-15) to form a high-beam light distribution.
Feldmeier teaches an illumination device (LED light source, see figures 1-5f) for a vehicle (automotive, see ¶ 2), including at least one light emission unit (matrix of LEDs 535) emitting light to a projection unit (lenses 610);
wherein the matrix structure (see structure shown in figures 5a-5f) has at least two rows (see rows 535s) and at least two columns (see columns of 535), and wherein each light source (each 535) is located essentially in the center (center of each col/row, as seen in fig 5a) of an individual cell of said matrix structure (matrix structure of 535s); and
wherein light emitted from the light sources (535) of at least a first row (see lowest row of fig 5c) are projected by the at least one projection unit (610) to form a low-beam light distribution (low beam, see ¶ 128) and light emitted from the light sources (535) of at least a second row (see upper row of figure 5b) are projected by the at least one projection unit (610) to form a high-beam light distribution (high beam, see ¶ 128).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filled date of the claimed invention to incorporate the light emission unit as taught by Feldmeier into the teachings of Hsu in order to provide clearly defined low and high beams. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification because low and high beams are required for better driving visibility.
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu in view of Chou Der Jeou (US 8018139 B2, hereinafter, “Chou”, newly cited by the Examiner).
Regarding claim 9, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one light emission unit (11-12 and 122) includes a board (121), wherein the at least one light source module (122) is arranged on the board (121) and wherein at least one edge (see lower edge of 122) of the at least one light source module (122) is at least partially aligned (evident from fig 4) with an edge (upper edge of 121) of the board (121).
Hsu does not explicitly teach wherein the board is a printed circuit board.
Chou teaches an illumination device (LED light engine 10, see figure 6a) having at least one light module (LED 18, see fig 6a) on a board (board 12);
wherein the board (12) is a printed circuit board (as seen in fig 6a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filled date of the claimed invention to incorporate the printed circuit board as taught by Chou into the teachings of Hsu in order to provide a board where the light modules can be accurately positioned and wired. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification because printed circuits boards to provide solid electrical and mechanical support for the light modules.
Regarding claim 10, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one reflector element (131-132) is at least partially arranged on the same side of the printed circuit board (121) as the at least one light source module (122).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu in view of Chou, as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Ohashi et al. (US 20210231279 A1, hereinafter, “Ohashi”, newly cited by the Examiner).
Regarding claim 11, Hsu teaches wherein the at least one light emission unit (11-12 and 122) includes at least one body (support 11, see fig 2) which is at least partially arranged on the printed circuit board (121) opposite to the at least one light source module (122).
Hsu does not explicitly teach wherein the body is a heat-sink body.
Ohashi teaches an illumination device (vehicular lamp 10, see figure 1) having at least one light module (first light source 11) on a board (heat sink member 13);
wherein the body (13) is a heat-sink body (as 13 is a heat sink member).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filled date of the claimed invention to incorporate the heat sink as taught by Ohashi into the teachings of Hsu in order to enhance heat dissipation from the light modules. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make this modification because printed circuits boards to expand the service life of the device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14 and 19-20 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.
Regarding claims 14, although Hsu teaches the illumination device, as described in claim 1 above, the prior art the prior art of the record fails to teach wherein the at least one projection unit includes at least three lens elements, whereby the lens elements are arranged in a serial manner with regard to the main radiation direction of the at least one projection unit; and
wherein one of the at least three lens elements is a collimator lens element and two of the at least three lens elements are plano-convex lens elements; and
wherein planar sides of the two plano-convex lens elements are arranged opposite to each other.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OMAR ROJAS CADIMA whose telephone number is (571)272-8007. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am-6pm.
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/OMAR ROJAS CADIMA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875