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 Objection
Claims 2 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 2 and 16, the limitation of “the first projector unit and the second projector unit each have identical constructions” is unclear language. Claim 2 is dependent on claim 1 that recites “wherein the second projector unit is angled”, and therefore it is not clear how the two projectors can be identical while one being angled.
Appropriate correction is needed.
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
before the effective filing date.
Claims 1-4, 6-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Rayer (DE 102017206956 A1/US 20180306398 A1) in view of Park (CN 115218157 A)
Regarding claim 1, Rayer teaches a headlight assembly for a vehicle (at least Fig.1), comprising:
a first projector unit having a first light source 3 and a first imaging lens (lens 8,9 tilted in a certain position) assembly overlying the first light source and configured to focus and direct light from the first light source to produce a first far-field illumination pattern.
and a second projector unit having a second light source 6 and a second imaging lens assembly (lens 8,9 tilted in the opposite position than 3) overlying the second light source and configured to focus and direct light from the second light source to produce a second far-field illumination pattern,
wherein each of the first light source and the second light source includes a plurality of controllable light sources (the individually controlled LEDs are considered as pixels: The semiconductor light sources of the clusters can be controlled individually or in groups)
wherein the second projector unit is angled (since each of the 12 are differently angled) relative to the first projector unit to cause the second far-field illumination pattern to partially overlap the first far-field illumination pattern to define an overlapping region (see in Rayer:
It is an embodiment that the at least one Lichteinstrahlbereich has a roundish outer contour and is tilted against the basic shape of the Lichteinstrahlfläche. This has the advantage that the partial light emission patterns of the individual clusters can overlap particularly effectively, at least in the far field. In addition, such a light irradiation surface can be produced easily. The tilted Lichteinstrahlbereich causes in particular that the incident on him light beam of the associated cluster at a different angle in the first Lens is broken in as if the light irradiation surface would have there its basic shape);
with the first projector unit and the second projector unit being operable together to produce region of higher intensity within the overlapping region (since Rayer already teaches the overlapping, thereby resulting in higher intensity),
and wherein each of the first far-field illumination pattern and the second far-field illumination pattern are controllable to define a combined illumination pattern having a smooth transition across each of a first boundary where the first far-field illumination pattern extends beyond the overlapping region, and across a second boundary where the second far-field illumination pattern extends beyond the overlapping region, and causing the combined illumination pattern to appear to originate from a single source (since Rayer teaches: he LED chips 4 . 7 are individually controllable. The semiconductor light sources of the clusters can be controlled individually or in groups, in particular switched on and off, in particular dimmable be).
Rayer does not teach each of the first light source and the second light source includes a plurality of pixel light sources.
Park teaches a headlamp wherein Park discloses: Note that the various projection patterns 561, 562, 563, 58HB, 58LB1 58LB1 58RP shown in FIG. 15, are used only for illustrative purposes, and can be changed in shape and size and can be overlapped (561 is the far light) with each other and Fig.10 and 14 shows tilted lenses.
Further regarding the pixels, Park teaches:
Note that the first subset 341, the second subset 342 and the third subset 343 or the first array 361 shown in FIG. 16 to FIG. 18. each of the second array 362 and the third array 363 is a 8 * 4 matrix of micro-LED 32, wherein each matrix of black (closed) or white (open) of each small square represents a single micro-LED 32 or " pixel ". However, this is only for illustrative purposes; In the implementation of the real world, each of 341, 342, 343 or array 361, 362, 363 may include hundreds or thousands of individual micro-LED 32.
And it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the pixels as disclosed in Park in the device of Rayer, in order to individually control the projection pattern.
Regarding claim 15, Rayer in view of Park teaches headlight system for a vehicle, comprising: a first projector unit having a first light source and a first imaging lens assembly overlying the first light source and configured to focus and direct light from the first light source to produce a first far-field illumination pattern; a second projector unit having a second light source and a second imaging lens assembly overlying the second light source and configured to focus and direct light from the second light source to produce a second far-field illumination pattern, wherein each of the first light source and the second light source includes a plurality of pixel light sources, wherein the second projector unit is angled relative to the first projector unit to cause the second far-field illumination pattern to partially overlap the first far-field illumination pattern to define an overlapping region, with the first projector unit and the second projector unit being operable together to produce region of higher intensity within the overlapping region; and a controller configured to command the first light source to cause the first projector unit to produce the first far-field illumination pattern and to command the second projector unit to produce the second far-field illumination pattern (see rejection of claim 1 above, wherein the same citations apply).
Regarding the first far-field illumination pattern and the second far-field illumination pattern together defining a combined illumination pattern having a smooth transition across each of a first boundary where the first far-field illumination pattern extends beyond the overlapping region, and across a second boundary where the second far-field illumination pattern extends beyond the overlapping region; since Rayer in view of Park already teach the far field overlapping feature as well as controllers to tweak the overlapping;
it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the controllers to achieve the level of overlapping as claimed, wherein the overlapping features is already taught in Rayer in view of Park ,based on desired design and level of far field illumination that is desired.
Regarding claims 2 and 16, Rayer in view of Park teaches a headlight assembly for a vehicle, wherein the first projector unit and the second projector unit each have identical constructions (from Fig.1 of Rayer, also see claim objection).
Regarding claim 3, Rayer in view of Park teaches a headlight assembly for a vehicle, further including a controller in communication with the first light source to cause the first projector unit to produce the first far-field illumination pattern in accordance with the combined illumination pattern having the smooth transitions across each of the first boundary and the second boundary (To generate the ADB high beam, a headlamp can be used with a light source having a group or a cluster of individually adjustable in their radiation intensity LEDs (LEDs); The semiconductor light sources of the clusters can be controlled individually or in groups, in particular switched on and off, in particular dimmable be; he LED chips 4 . 7 are individually controllable; therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the controllers to achieve the desired overlapping that is already taught in Rayer).
Regarding claim 4, Rayer in view of Park teaches a headlight assembly for a vehicle, wherein the controller is also in communication with the second light source to cause the second projector unit to produce the second far-field illumination pattern in accordance with the combined illumination pattern having the smooth transitions across each of the first boundary and the second boundary (from the teachings of Rayer and Park wherein the LEDs are individually controlled. Park also discloses: A near-light projection model 58LB1 58LB1 or far light projection model 58HB one of the not expressly mentioned in the text of any one of the illumination level of each micro-LED 32 can be controlled by software).
Regarding claims 6 and 18, Rayer in view of Park teaches a headlight assembly for a vehicle, wherein each of the first light source and the second light source includes a diode matrix of light emitting diode (LED) elements defining the plurality of pixel light sources (see Park in rejection of claim 1 above).
Regarding claims 7 and 19, Rayer in view of Park teaches a headlight assembly, wherein the plurality of pixel light sources includes at least 3,000 of the pixel light sources (see Park in rejection of claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 8, Rayer in view of Park teaches a headlight assembly, wherein the plurality of pixel light sources includes at least 15,000 of the pixel light sources (see Park in the rejection of claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 10, Rayer in view of Park teaches a headlight assembly, wherein one of the first projector unit and the second projector unit is pointed in a direction of travel of the vehicle, and wherein the other one 35 (Park) of the first projector unit and the second projector unit is angled outwardly (Fig. 10 of Park).
Regarding claims 11, 12 and 20 ,Rayer in view of Park teaches the invention set forth in claim 1 above but does not explicitly teach: the second projector unit is angled at least about 7.5 degrees relative to the first projector unit (for claims 11 and 20) and the combined illumination pattern has a width of at least about 20-degrees (for claim 12).
However, since the structural features as claimed as already disclosed in Rayer in view of Park, therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to achieve the angle as claimed by routine experimentation/simulation, since where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the “optimum range” involves only routine skill in the art in order to achieve the desired far field intensity.
Regarding claim 13, Rayer in view of Park teaches a headlight assembly, wherein at least one of the first far-field illumination pattern or the second far-field illumination pattern includes a high-beam pattern that extends above a horizon (adaptive high beam in the US counter part of Rayer in [0046], [0015],[0016])).
Regarding claim 14, Rayer in view of Park (see rejection with Park for claim 13 above), teaches both of the first far-field illumination pattern and the second far-field illumination pattern that together define the high-beam pattern that extends above the horizon.
Claims 5 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Rayer (DE 102017206956 A1/US 20180306398 A1) in view of Park (CN 115218157 A) and further in view of Martin (AT 519462 B1)
Regarding claims 5 and 17, Rayer in view of Park teaches the invention set forth in claim 1 above but is silent regarding each of the first light source and the second light source includes a digital micromirror device (DMD) defining the plurality of pixel light sources.
Martin teaches vehicle headlights with a digital micromirror device (DMD) defining the plurality of pixel light sources:
A "Digital Micromirror Device" (DMD) microsystem is a spatial light modulator (SLM) which consists of matrix-shaped micromirror actuators, that is to say tiltable reflecting surfaces, for example with an edge length of approximately 16 μm or even below. The mirror surfaces are designed to be movable by the action of electrostatic fields. Each micromirror is individually adjustable in its tilt angle and usually has two stable end states, between which can be changed within a second up to 5000 times. The individual micromirrors can each be controlled, for example, by a pulse width modulation (PWM) in order to image in the main beam direction of the DMD arrangement further states of the micromirrors whose time-averaged reflectivity lies between the two stable states of the DMD.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the DMD in the vehicle headlight as disclosed in Martin, in the device of Rayer in view of Park in order for the digital image to be modulated on the light beam.
Other art
CA 3012691 C: teaches shapes of lenses.
PNG
media_image1.png
645
560
media_image1.png
Greyscale
CN 107614969 A: teaches shapes of lenses.
PNG
media_image2.png
704
390
media_image2.png
Greyscale
CN 102777844 B:
PNG
media_image3.png
593
620
media_image3.png
Greyscale
CN 216143678 U: The pre-collimator of the illumination unit is arranged such that the light spots of adjacent LED rows in the far field are overlapped with each other, wherein preferably, there is substantially no gap between the images of the LED row. In addition or alternatively, the pre-collimator of the illumination unit is arranged such that the illumination unit substantially has no gap between the images in the far field.
CN 116336411 A teaches limitations of claim 1.
CN 115151756 A
US 20090080210 A1
US 20240360991 A1 teaches million pixels:
[0003] The field of micro-light-emitting diode (micro-LED) arrays is an emerging technology in lighting and display industries. Micro-LED arrays often include thousands to millions of microscopic light-emitting diode (LED) pixels that can emit light and that can be individually controlled or controlled in groups of pixels (e.g., 5×5). Micro-LED arrays may provide higher brightness and better energy efficiency than other lighting technologies and display technologies, which can make the Micro-LED arrays desirable for multiple different applications, such as televisions, automotive headlamps, and mobile phones among others.
DE 102017216911 A1 teaches 4096 pixels in a motor vehicle light
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Fatima Farokhrooz whose telephone number is (571)-272-6043. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday- Friday, 9 am - 5 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s Supervisor, James Greece can be reached on (571) 272-3711.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Fatima N Farokhrooz/
Examiner, Art Unit 2875
