DETAILED ACTION
Notice of 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 .
Benefit & Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) with TW 113136779 and claim for domestic benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (e) with 63/540,936. The certified copy has been filed with the Office on 11/19/2024. Accordingly, the earliest effective filing date was recognized as 09/27/2023.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: LIGHT GUIDE MEMBER INCLUDING PLURALITY OF FINS AND BACKLIT MODULE INCLUDING THE SAME.
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)(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 1-4, 9-12, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Makita et al. (US 12248165 B2; “Makita”).
Re Claim 1:
Makita discloses a light guide member (at least light guide member 3 and scattering surface 4; shown in at least Figs 1-2; described in at least Col 4, line 64 – Col 5, line 8 as well as below), comprising:
a body (3) having a first side (side facing holder 5) and a second side (side facing permeable member 6) opposite to each other (Fig 1);
a light input surface disposed on the first side of the body (Fig 3A);
a light output surface disposed at an end of the body opposite to the light input surface (Fig 3B); and
a curved surface (curved surface part 12) disposed on the second side of the body (Fig 3A) and corresponding to the light input surface (Fig 3A),
wherein a vertical projection of the light input surface overlaps the curved surface (Fig 3A).
Re Claim 2:
The claim depends upon claim 1.
Makita further discloses wherein in a plane view (view in Fig 3A), the curved surface (12) extends toward the light output surface in a sector shape (at least sectors of curved surfaces 12a and 12b).
Re Claim 3:
The claim depends upon claim 1.
Makita further discloses a reflective layer disposed on the curved surface (layer reflecting light on 12 shown in Fig 3A).
Re Claim 4:
The claim depends upon claim 1.
Makita further discloses a groove (grooved between first and second curved surfaces, 12a and 12b) disposed in the body (Fig 3A) and adjacent to the curved surface (adjacent to 12a and 12b).
Re Claim 9:
Makita discloses a backlit module (at least illumination device 200; shown in at least Fig 1; described in at least Col 4, line 64 – Col 5, line 8 as well as below), comprising:
a light guide member (at least light guide member 3 and scattering surface 4), comprising:
a body (3) having a first side (side facing holder 5) and a second side (side facing permeable member 6) opposite to each other (Fig 1);
a light input surface disposed on the first side of the body (Fig 3A);
a light output surface disposed at an end of the body opposite to the light input surface (Fig 3A); and
a curved surface (curved surface part 12) disposed on the second side of the body (Fig 3A) and corresponding to the light input surface (Fig 3A); and
a light source (light source unit 1) disposed corresponding to the light input surface and the curved surface (Fig 3A),
wherein light emitted (represented as arrows in Fig 3A) from the light source (1) enters the light guide member (3, 4) from the light input surface (Fig 3A), and the curved surface (12) is configured to reflect the light entering the light guide member toward the light output surface (Fig 3A).
Re Claim 10:
The claim depends upon claim 9.
Makita further discloses wherein in a plane view (view in Fig 3A), the curved surface (12) extends toward the light output surface in a sector shape (at least sectors of curved surfaces 12a and 12b);
a vertical projection of the curved surface (12) does not overlap the light output surface (Fig 3A).
Re Claim 11:
The claim depends upon claim 9.
Makita further discloses a reflective layer disposed on the curved surface (layer reflecting light on 12 shown in Fig 3A).
Re Claim 12:
The claim depends upon claim 9.
Makita further discloses a groove (groove between first and second curved surfaces, 12a and 12b) disposed in the body (Fig 3A) and adjacent to the curved surface (adjacent to 12a and 12b).
Re Claim 18:
The claim depends upon claim 9.
Makita further discloses wherein the light input surface and the light output surface are respectively disposed at a light input end and a light output end of the light guide member (Fig 3A); a light emitting direction of the light source crosses a light propagation direction from the light input end to the light output end (Fig 3A).
Re Claim 19:
Makita further discloses a backlit module (at least illumination device 200; shown in at least Fig 1; described in at least Col 4, line 64 – Col 5, line 8 as well as below), comprising:
a light guide member (at least light guide member 3 and scattering surface 4), comprising:
a body (3) having a first side (side facing holder 5) and a second side (side facing permeable member 6) opposite to each other (Fig 1);
a light input surface disposed on the first side of the body (Fig 3A);
a light output surface disposed at an end of the body opposite to the light input surface (Fig 3A);
a plurality of curved surfaces (first and second curved surfaces, 12a and 12b) disposed on the second side of the body (Fig 3A) and corresponding to the light input surface (Fig 3A); and
a groove disposed between two adjacent curved surfaces of the plurality of curved surfaces (grooved between 12a and 12b); and
a plurality of light sources (first and second light sources 1a and 1b) disposed on the light input surface (Fig 3A) and corresponding to the plurality of curved surfaces, respectively (respective correspondence shown in at least Figs 2 and 3A; described in at least Col 6, lines 38-48).
Re Claim 20:
The claim depends upon claim 19.
Makita further discloses wherein two adjacent light sources of the plurality of light sources (1a and 1b) disposed corresponding to two adjacent curved surfaces (12a and 12b) of the plurality of curved surfaces (of 12a and 12b) provide complementary colors of light (described in at least Col 6, lines 19-23 as (in) cases of acquiring images in three colors of RGB in order to acquire a color image, line images in each of the RGB colors are acquired by lighting up the LEDs for emitting light of each of the RGB colors in sync with the exposure time of each color).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 and 13-17 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.
Below is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Re Claims 5 and 13:
The closest prior art of record (Makita) neither discloses nor suggests the combined structure and functionality of the plurality of fins as set forth in the claims.
Re Claims 6-7 and 14-15:
The claims contain allowable subject matter due to their dependence on intervening claims 5 and 13, respectively.
Re Claims 8 and 16:
The closest prior art of record (Makita) neither discloses nor suggests the combined structure and functionality of the tangent plane as set forth in the claims.
Re Claim 17:
The claim contains allowable subject matter due to its dependence on intervening claim 16.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record on the PTO-892 but not relied upon, above are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure because they disclose light guide members including curved surfaces.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEITH G DELAHOUSSAYE whose telephone number is (469)295-9088. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm CST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached at (571) 272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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KEITH G. DELAHOUSSAYE JR.
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/KEITH G. DELAHOUSSAYE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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