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 required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Owada et al. (U.S. Patent 9,316,374 B2).
With regards to Claim 1, Owada discloses a projection assembly [Figures 2-10], including a plurality of optical units (10), wherein each optical unit includes:
A reflecting mirror (12) having a light reflecting surface; and
A lens (14) having a light incident surface, and the light incident surface arranged corresponding to the light reflecting surface;
Wherein each optical unit has an optical axis [e.g., (AX1)] extending along an X direction, the light reflecting surface and the corresponding light incident surface are arranged along the X direction, part of the plurality of optical units is an asymmetric unit satisfies that the optical axis and a geometric centerline [e.g., (AX2)] of the light reflecting surface are spaced apart along a Y direction in a same asymmetric unit [note Figure 10].
With regards to Claim 2, Owada discloses in the asymmetric unit [note Figure 10], a first low beam cut-off line capable of forming a first light and a dark cut-off line is provided on a side of the light reflecting surface [note (18, 26)], the first low-beam cut-off line has a first inflection point capable of forming an elbow of the first light and dark cut-off line [note Figures 2-10], and the first inflection point is provided on the optical axis of the asymmetric unit [note Figures 2-10].
With regards to Claim 3, Owada discloses a plurality of asymmetric units are provided, the plurality of asymmetric units are arranged along the Y direction [note Figure 10], two asymmetric units of the plurality of asymmetric units form an asymmetric group [arbitrary; e.g., two middle (10)], and the asymmetric unit group satisfies that the optical axis of each asymmetric unit (AX1) is located between the geometric centerlines (AX--2) of two light reflecting surfaces in the Y direction [note Figure 10].
With regards to Claim 4, Owada discloses in the asymmetric unit group [note Figure 10], one of the two asymmetric units is a first asymmetric unit [e.g., left middle (10)], another of the two asymmetric units is a second asymmetric unit [e.g., right middle (10)], a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the first asymmetric unit is L1, a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the second asymmetric unit is L2, and L1 is equal to L2 or L1 is greater than L2 [note Figure 10].
With regards to Claim 5, Owada discloses a size of the light reflecting surface of the first asymmetric unit in the Y direction is L01, and a size of the light reflecting surface of the second asymmetric unit in the Y direction is L02; at least one of a ratio of L1 to L01 or a ratio of L2 to L02 is 0.05-0.49 [note Figure 10: L1 and L2 vary with respect to the X axis].
With regards to Claim 6, Owada discloses a plurality of light asymmetric unit groups are provided, and the plurality of asymmetric unit groups are arranged along the Y direction [note Figure 10].
With regards to Claim 7, Owada discloses at least one of the plurality of asymmetric unit groups is a first asymmetric unit group [e.g., Figure 10: left two (10)], and at least one of the plurality of asymmetric unit groups is a second asymmetric unit group [e.g., Figure 10: right two (10)], in the first asymmetric unit group, one of the two asymmetric units is a first asymmetric unit [leftmost (10)], the other another of the two asymmetric units is a second asymmetric unit [middle left (10)], a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the first asymmetric unit is L1 [note Figure 10: arbitrary based on where on X axis], a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the second asymmetric unit is L2 [note Figure 10: arbitrary based on where X axis], in the second asymmetric unit group, one of the two asymmetric units is a third asymmetric unit [rightmost (10)], and the other another of the two asymmetric units is a fourth asymmetric unit [middle right (10)], a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the third asymmetric unit is L3 [note Figure 10: arbitrary based on where on X axis], a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the fourth asymmetric unit is L4 [note Figure 10: arbitrary based on where on X axis]], and L1 is equal to L2, L3 is equal to L4, and L3 is greater than L1 [note Figure 10].
With regards to Claim 8, Owada discloses a size of a light reflecting surface of the first asymmetric unit in the Y direction is L01, a size of the light reflecting surface of the second asymmetric unit in the Y direction is L02, a size of the light reflecting surface of the third asymmetric unit in the Y direction is L03, a size of the light reflecting surface of the fourth asymmetric unit in the Y direction is L04; a ratio of L1 to L01 is 0.5-0.35, a ratio of L2 to L02 is 0.5-0.35, ratio of L3 to L03 is 0.1-0.49, ratio of L4 to L04 is 0.1-0.49,
[note Figure 10: L1, L2, L3, L4 vary with respect to the X axis].
With regards to Claim 9, Owada discloses the two asymmetric units in the asymmetric group unit are arranged adjacent to each other [note Figure 10].
With regards to Claim 10, Owada discloses in the asymmetric unit group, light incident surfaces of the two asymmetric units are symmetrically arranged in the Y direction [note Figure 10].
With regards to Claim 11, Owada discloses the first low-beam cut-off line includes a first segment (arbitrary), a second segment (arbitrary), and a third segment (arbitrary) sequentially coupled along the Y direction, the first segment and the third segment are spaced apart in a Z direction [note Figures 2-10], the second segment is inclined [note Figures 2-10], a joint between the third segment and the second segment forms the first inflection point [note Figures 2-10], a joint between the first segment and the second segment forms a second inflection point [note Figures 2-10], and the second inflection point is capable of forming a shoulder of the first light and dark cut-off line; an inclination angle of the second segment is 45 degrees [note Figures 2-10].
With regards to Claim 12, Owada discloses the first low-beam cut-off line further includes a fourth segment (arbitrary) and a fifth segment (arbitrary), the third segment, the fourth segment, and the fifth segment are coupled sequentially along the Y direction [note Figure 10], the third segment and the fifth segment are spaced apart in the Z direction [note Figure 10], the fourth segment is located between the first segment and the third segment in the Z direction [note Figure 10].
With regards to Claim 13, Owada discloses at least one of the fourth segment and the fifth segment is a straight line [note Figures 2-10].
With regards to Claim 14, Owada discloses the lens (14, 20) having a light-exiting surface corresponding to the light incident surface, the incident surface is collimated in the Y direction, the light-exiting surface is collimated in a Z direction [note Figures 2-10: Y and Z directions could be the same].
With regards to Claim 15, Owada discloses the light reflecting surface (12) being a parabolic surface [note Figures 2-10].
With regards to Claim 16, Owada discloses another part of the plurality of optical units being a symmetrical unit [note Figures 2-10, particularly Figures 7, 9], and the symmetrical unit satisfies that the optical axis intersects with the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the same symmetrical unit [e.g., Figures 7, 9].
With regards to Claim 17, Owada discloses a plurality of symmetrical units are provided [note Figures 2-10], in at least one of the plurality of symmetrical units, a second low-beam cut-off line capable of forming a second light and dark cut-off line is provided at one end of the light reflecting surface away from the light incident surface [note (18, 26)], the second low-beam cut-off line has a third inflection point capable of forming an elbow of the second light and dark cut-off line, and the third inflection point is provided on the optical axis of the symmetrical unit [note Figures 2-10].
With regards to Claim 20, Owada discloses at least one of the plurality of asymmetric unit groups is a first asymmetric unit group [e.g., Figure 10: left two (10)], and at least one of the plurality of asymmetric unit groups is a second asymmetric unit group [e.g., Figure 10: right two (10)], in the first asymmetric unit group, one of the two asymmetric units is a first asymmetric unit [leftmost (10)], another of the two asymmetric units is a second asymmetric unit [middle left (10)], a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the first asymmetric unit is L1 [note Figure 10: arbitrary based on where on X axis], a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the second asymmetric unit is L2 [note Figure 10: arbitrary based on where X axis], in the second asymmetric unit group, one of the two asymmetric units is a third asymmetric unit [rightmost (10)], and another of the two asymmetric units is a fourth asymmetric unit [middle right (10)], a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the third asymmetric unit is L3 [note Figure 10: arbitrary based on where on X axis], a distance between the optical axis and the geometric centerline of the light reflecting surface in the fourth asymmetric unit is L4 [note Figure 10: arbitrary based on where on X axis]], and L1 is equal to L2, and L3 is greater than L4 [note Figure 10].
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Owada et al. (U.S. Patent 9,316,374 B2).
With regards to Claim 18, Owada discloses a vehicle lamp, including a projection assembly [Figures 2-10], including a plurality of optical units (10), wherein each optical unit includes:
A reflecting mirror (12) having a light reflecting surface; and
A lens (14) having a light incident surface, and the light incident surface arranged corresponding to the light reflecting surface;
Wherein each optical unit has an optical axis [e.g., (AX1)] extending along an X direction, the light reflecting surface and the corresponding light incident surface are arranged along the X direction, part of the plurality of optical units is an asymmetric unit satisfies that the optical axis and a geometric centerline [e.g., (AX2)] of the light reflecting surface are spaced apart along a Y direction in a same asymmetric unit [note Figure 10].
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Owada et al. (U.S. Patent 9,316,374 B2).
With regards to Claim 18, Owada discloses a vehicle, including a vehicle lamp including: a projection assembly [Figures 2-10], including a plurality of optical units (10), wherein each optical unit includes:
A reflecting mirror (12) having a light reflecting surface; and
A lens (14) having a light incident surface, and the light incident surface arranged corresponding to the light reflecting surface;
Wherein each optical unit has an optical axis [e.g., (AX1)] extending along an X direction, the light reflecting surface and the corresponding light incident surface are arranged along the X direction, part of the plurality of optical units is an asymmetric unit satisfies that the optical axis and a geometric centerline [e.g., (AX2)] of the light reflecting surface are spaced apart along a Y direction in a same asymmetric unit [note Figure 10].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, but is not considered exhaustive: U.S. Patent 12,405,480 B2 to Zhang et al. teaches a vehicle lamp with asymmetrical optical units [Figures 1-53].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON M HAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2207. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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Friday, November 7, 2025
/Jason M Han/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875