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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 November 18, 2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The declaration under 37 CFR 1.132 filed November 18, 2025 is insufficient to overcome the rejection of Claims 1-6, 8-17, and 18-20 based upon 35 USC 102(a)(1) as set forth in the last Office action because: Applicant’s arguments are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection based on the amendment. In response to the arguments to “chromatically accurate colored light,” the limitation is considered a broad and relative term that is not set to any standard or clarified in the claims themselves. The nature of what constitutes a chromatically accurate colored light is simply interpreted as the particular colors identified (e.g., red for red, green for green, amber for amber, etc.).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pederson et al. (U.S. Patent 7,468,677 B2).
With regards to Claim 1, Pederson discloses an emergency lighting system [Figures 1-18] including:
A lightbar [note Figure 5] including at least one light module [e.g., (1138, 1280)] having one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) [e.g., (1234, 1302)], wherein the at least one light module includes a common optical element [e.g., (1244, 1286) and/or circuit of Figures 1-3] configured to emit red, green, blue, amber, and white light, and wherein each individual LED of the one or more LEDs is configured to emit chromatically accurate colored light [Column 8, Lines 41-65], and wherein the one or more LEDs are configured for 360-degree illumination about the lightbar [note Figures 1-18].
With regards to Claim 2, Pederson discloses the at least one light module further configured to emit infrared (IR) light [Column 8, Lines 62-65].
With regards to Claim 3, Pederson discloses the common optical element including a five-color light-emitting diode (LED) circuit [Figures 1-3 and Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 4, Pederson discloses the common optical element including five independent light emitting diodes (LEDs) [Figures 1-18 and Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 5, Pederson discloses the common optical element including four pixels and a fifth primary color [as broadly interpreted, Figures 1-18 and Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 6, Pederson discloses the common optical element is further configured to emit combinations of red, green, blue, amber, and white light [Figures 1-3 and Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 7, Pederson discloses one or more optical sensors (1332) configure to measure ambient light and switch the lighting system to night mode when the ambient light falls below a predetermined threshold [Column 12, Lines 54-64].
With regards to Claim 8, Pederson discloses one or more additional lights, wherein the one or more additional lights are remote from the lightbar [e.g., Figures 1-18: multiple light bars (1138, 1280) that are remote to each other], wherein the one or more additional lights are controlled by the lighting system [e.g., (50)], and wherein the one or more additional lights are configured to emit red, green, blue, amber, and white light [Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 9, Pederson discloses each light module [e.g., (1138, 1280)] includes two or more light elements [e.g., (1234)], wherein each light element of the two or more light elements includes a first primary warning light; a secondary primary warning; and a secondary primary warning light [as broadly interpreted, Column 8, Lines 41-65 = different colors, patterns, etc.].
With regards to Claim 10, Pederson discloses the at least one light module [e.g., (1138, 1280)] is one of a plurality of light modules [note Figures 1-18], and the lighting system further including: an exoskeleton [e.g., (1142, 1278)], wherein the plurality of light modules coupled to the exoskeleton; a first corner light module, configured to couple to the exoskeleton [e.g., left end cap (1148)]; and a second corner light module configured to couple to the exoskeleton [e.g., right end cap (1148)], wherein when the first corner light module and the second corner light module are coupled to the exoskeleton, an opening is formed [note Figures 1-18, as broadly interpreted].
With regards to Claim 11, Pederson discloses each light module of the plurality of light modules being configured to be controlled independent of another light module of the plurality of light modules [Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 12, Pederson discloses the plurality of light modules being configured to emit a flash pattern [Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 13, Pederson discloses each light module of the plurality of light modules includes two or more light elements [e.g., (1234)], wherein each light element of the two or more light elements includes a first primary warning light and a secondary warning light [as broadly interpreted, Column 8, Lines 41-65 = different colors, patterns, etc.].
With regards to Claim 14, Pederson discloses the secondary warning light element being configured to emit red, green, blue, amber, white light, infrared light, or a combination thereof [Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 15, Pederson discloses the two or more lighting elements further including a secondary primary warning light [as broadly interpreted, Column 8, Lines 41-65 = different colors, patterns, etc.].
With regards to Claim 16, Pederson discloses the first primary warning light and the second primary warning light are configured to emit light independently [Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 17, Pederson discloses the first primary warning light, the secondary primary warning light, the secondary warning light, or a combination thereof are configured to emit a flash pattern [Column 8, Lines 41-65].
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pederson et al. (U.S. Patent 7,468,677 B2).
With regards to Claim 18, Pederson discloses an emergency lighting system [Figures 1-18] including:
A lightbar [e.g., Figure 5: (1138, 1280)]; and
One or more additional lights [e.g., as broadly interpreted, (1138, 1280)] having one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) [Column 8, Lines 41-65], wherein the one or more additional lights are controlled by the emergency lighting system [note Figures 1-18], and wherein the one or more additional lights include a common optical element [e.g., (1244, 1286) and/or circuit of Figures 1-3] configured to emit red, green, blue, amber, and white light, and wherein each individual LED of the one or more LEDs is configured to emit chromatically accurate colored light [Column 8, Lines 41-65].
With regards to Claim 19, Pederson discloses the one or more additional lights are selected from headlights, undercarriage lights, scene lights, standalone lights separate from the emergency lighting system, or a combination thereof [Figures 1-18, as broadly interpreted].
With regards to Claim 20, Pederson discloses the common optical element further configured to emit combinations of red, green, blue, amber, and white light [Column 8, Lines 41-65 and Column 10, Lines 61-63].
Conclusion
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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December 13, 2025
/Jason M Han/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875