DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is a response to Applicant's Amendment filed on 5/14/26. By virtue of this amendment, claims 1-22 are currently presented in the instant application.
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.
Claims 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Song (US Pub. No: 2024/0032171) in view of Kitano et al (US Pub. No 2023/0262362).
With respect to claim 1, Song discloses a lighting circuit configured to control an N-by-M of micro-light emitting diodes (micro-LEDs)(figures 1-2,paragraph [45]) , the lighting circuit comprising: and N X M micro-LED driver circuits (figures 2, 3-4, switching circuit (340a or 440a) which includes PWM signal (380))configured to receive the reference voltage(set voltage from the Op-amp 434) and generate regulated currents for each of N X M micro-LEDs(paragraphs [55-57]), wherein M and N represent positive integers(figure 2 for 5X5) and Song also discloses a head-lamp (130) comprise micro-LED assembly (155) (figures 1-2) which includes pixel assembly (1) and pixel assembly (2) as shown in figures 3 or 4. Paragraphs [22-24 and 35] for corresponding to each cluster.
Song does not explicitly disclose a current-to-voltage converter circuit configured to receive a reference current from a single line shared by the N-by-M cluster and generate a shared reference voltage based on the reference current.
Kitano et al, in the same field of endeavor, disclose in figures 2-6 that, a current-to-voltage converter circuit (331) configured to receive a reference current from a single line shared by the N-by-M cluster (pixel)and generate a shared reference voltage based on the reference current. Paragraphs [105-113].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the headlight which includes converter into the micro-LED headlamp of Song to converting a reference current to reference voltage to drive unit.
With respect to claim 2, Song discloses wherein the lighting circuit comprises a vehicle headlamp lighting circuit (130) and the N X M (5X5) micro-LEDs comprises a portion of a matrix of micro-LEDs that form a larger vehicle headlamp. Figures 1-2.
With respect to claim 3, Song discloses wherein N X M(5X5) is less than 50.
With respect to claim 4, Song as modified claim 1 above, discloses wherein the reference current and the shared reference voltage define a regulation loop for the N-by-M cluster, and wherein each of the N X M micro-LED driver circuits defines a separate pixel cell regulator loop for each of one of the NxM micro-LEDs.
With respect to claim 5, Song as modified as claim 1 above, wherein each of the N X M micro-LED driver circuits is configured to generate a regulated output current based on the reference voltage.
With respect to claim 6, Song as modified as claims 5 above, wherein some or all of the regulated output currents associated with each of the N x M micro-LED driver circuits are different. Paragraph [45] for the current levels of the micro-LEDs in the pixel assemblies 235 at different locations on an array are adjusted individually according to a specific image.
With respect to claim 7, Song discloses wherein each of the N X M micro-LED driver circuits includes an output resistor that defines a gain as a function of the output resistor and the reference voltage. Figures 4-5.
With respect to claim 8, Song as modified as claim 1 above disclose wherein the current-to-voltage converter circuit (NM0) includes a switch (SS2), paragraphs [193-194]) configured to enable or disable the current-to-voltage converter circuit (NM0)) based on whether some or all of the N X M micro-LEDs are active.
With respect to claim 9, Song as modified as claim 8 above wherein the switch, the switching circuit is controlled to enable or disable the current-to-voltage converter circuit based on pulse modulation (PM) signals for the N X M micro-LEDs.
With respect to claim 10, Song discloses wherein each of the N X M micro-LED driver circuits (figure 3, switching circuits(340a-340b), paragraph [51]) are directly connected to a particular micro-LED of the N X M micro-LEDs.
With respect to claim 11, Song discloses figures 2-5, a method comprising receiving the reference current at N X M (5X5) micro-LED driver circuits (switching circuits(440a,440b)) and generating regulated currents for each of N X M micro-LEDs (420a or 420b), wherein M(5) and N (5) represent positive integers. Paragraphs [21-24 or 45-58].
Song does not explicitly disclose a current-to-voltage converter circuit configured to receive a reference current from a single line shared by the N-by-M cluster and generate a shared reference voltage based on the reference current.
Kitano et al, in the same field of endeavor, disclose in figures 2-6 that, a current-to-voltage converter circuit (331) configured to receive a reference current from a single line shared by the N-by-M cluster (pixel)and generate a shared reference voltage based on the reference current. Paragraphs [105-113].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the headlight which includes converter into the micro-LED headlamp of Song to converting a reference current to reference voltage to drive unit.
With respect to claim 12, Song discloses in figures 1-2, wherein the N X M micro-LEDs comprises a portion of a matrix of micro-LEDs that form a larger vehicle headlamp (130).
With respect to claim 13, Song discloses wherein N(5) X M(5) is less than 50.Figure 2.
With respect to claim 14, Song as modified claim 11 above, discloses wherein the reference current and the shared reference voltage define a regulation loop for the N-by-M cluster and wherein each of the N X M micro-LED driver circuits defines a separate pixel cell regulator loop for one of the micro-LEDs, the method further comprising regulating an output current for each of the N M micro-LEDs.
With respect to claim 15, Song as modified claim discloses wherein some or all of the regulated output currents associated with each of the N X M micro-LED driver circuits are different. Paragraph [45] for an array are adjusted individually according to a specific image.
With respect to claim 16, Song discloses wherein each of the N X M micro-LED driver circuits includes an output resistor that defines a gain as a function of the output resistor and the reference voltage. Figure 4, two resistors(436a,438a) and set output of OP-amp(434a).
With respect to claim 17, Song as modified claim 11 above that, discloses wherein the current-to-voltage converter circuit includes a switches of Kitano et al as shown in figure 6), the method further comprising controlling the switch to enable or disable the current-to-voltage converter circuit based on whether some or all of the N X M micro-LEDs are active.
With respect to claim 18, Song as modified as claim 17 above, discloses wherein controlling the switch is based on pulse modulation (PM) signals for the N x M micro-LEDs.
With respect to claim 19, Song discloses wherein each of the N X M micro-LED driver circuits are directly connected to a particular micro-LED of the NxM of micro-LEDs. Figures 2-4.
With respect to claim 20, Song discloses a system comprising: a matrix of micro-light emitting diodes (figures 1-2, micro-LEDs(155)); a plurality of lighting circuits(figures 3 (pixel assembly (1) and (2)) or figure 4, 410a-410b), where each of the lighting circuits(410a or 410b)) is configured to control an N-by-M of the micro-LEDs(155), and N X M micro-LED driver circuits(switching circuit(340a and 340b) which includes PWM signal (380) as shown in figures 3-4) configured to receive the reference voltage and generate regulated currents for each of N X M micro-LEDs, wherein M and N represent positive integers. Paragraphs [21-24 or 45-58].
Song does not explicitly disclose a current-to-voltage converter circuit configured to receive a reference current from a single line shared by the N-by-M cluster and generate a shared reference voltage based on the reference current.
Kitano et al, in the same field of endeavor, disclose in figures 2-6 that, a current-to-voltage converter circuit (331) configured to receive a reference current from a single line shared by the N-by-M cluster (pixel)and generate a shared reference voltage based on the reference current. Paragraphs [105-113].
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Citation of pertinent prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants' disclosure. See prior arts/references listed on the PTO-892 form attached.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1817. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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/Minh Tran/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2844
Prosecution Insights