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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hiratsuka (US 20160033102)
Hiratsuka discloses
1. A vehicular headlamp comprising:
a plurality of light emitting units (light source 40, spherical mirror 42, and reflection mirror array 44), each of the light emitting units emitting light to a front side of a host vehicle at a predetermined divergence angle to form a light distribution pattern of the light; and
a control unit 18 configured to receive a signal from a detection device (imager 14) that detects a predetermined object located (50) in front of the host vehicle, the control unit being configured to control the plurality of light emitting units,
wherein the control unit is configured, in a case where the predetermined object is located in front of the host vehicle, to attenuate, in comparison with a case where the predetermined object is not located in front of the host vehicle,
a light amount of the light emitted from one part of the light emitting units each irradiating a first region (peripheral region 66) with light having a higher light intensity than a light intensity of a region (62 or adjacent i.e. 66A) other than the first region, in which the first region overlaps at least a part of the predetermined object in the light distribution pattern (Hiratsuka is unclear whether the first region overlapping the object; however, it is well recognized that sizing is an obvious expedient; MPEP 2144.04; it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date the invention was made to make the first region partially overlapping the object as per design choice since the peripheral region 66 are shown in the Figures such as Fig. 6 to include also shaded pixels or squares), and
a light amount of the light emitted from an other part of the light emitting units each irradiating a second region (Figs. 6-12: region 64 outside the peripheral region and which does not overlap the object) with light having a higher light intensity than a light intensity of a region (62, 66) other than the second region, in which the second region is located adjacent to the first region and does not overlap the predetermined object;
wherein the control unit is configured, in a case where the predetermined object is located in front of the host vehicle,
to attenuate the light amount of the light emitted from the one part (assoc. with peripheral region 66) of the light emitting units earlier than the light amount of the light emitted from the other part of the light emitting units, and to attenuate the light amount of the light emitted from the other part of the light emitting units until the first region located adjacent to the second region no longer overlaps with the predetermined object. (Fig. 5, par. 51: shade pattern and blurring pattern being illuminated in steps 106 and 108 and continues until the object no longer being detected resulting in full light irradiation in step 110 which includes the other part of light emitting units each irradiating second region)
4.1, wherein a straight line passing therethrough a center of the host vehicle in a leftward-and-rightward direction of the host vehicle and extending in a forward-and-rearward direction of the host vehicle passes through the first region (Fig. 3 shows a projected pattern where the shaded object is on the right side and Fig. 6-9 show there is a 13x13 projected irradiation pattern; although not expressly stated, it would have been obvious that the shaded area would be at the center if the object is right in front of the host vehicle and there is at least a pixel from the center column that can be considered a point that is part of a straight from the center of host vehicle)
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that “In the illumination system 10 of Hiratsuka, the irradiation pattern setting unit 34 selects the irradiation patterns from among the shade pattern and the plurality of blur patterns, and sets the selected irradiation patterns. When the selected irradiation patterns are alternately irradiated, the boundary area is generated between the shaded area 62 and the irradiated area 64 due to the afterimage effect (see paragraphs [0040], [0045], [0054], [0056] and Figs. 6 and 7). In the boundary area, the brightness changes repeatedly from dark to bright. Therefore, the light amount in boundary area is attenuated intermittently, not always attenuated.”
It is respectfully submitted that Hiratsuka discloses that blurring pattern being irradiated in steps 106 and 108 and continues repeatedly until the object no longer being detected resulting in full light irradiation in step 110 which includes the other part of light emitting units each irradiating second region (Fig. 5, par. 51). The boundary blurring is executed repeatedly to reduce the feeling of strangeness (par. 34, 43). The afterimage effect in Hiratsuka means that the persistence of a picture or shape after exposure to the original picture or shape has been removed. Thus, with the aid of the afterimage effect while continuing repeatedly the irradiation of the boundary blurring, the feeling of strangeness is greatly minimized.
For these reasons, the previous rejection(s) is/are respectfully maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN T. MAI whose telephone number is (571)272-8283. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F, 8-5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner' s supervisor, Steve S. Paik can be reached at (571)272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Thien T Mai/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2887