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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/15/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). 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, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 05/15/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-12 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "an active electrical element within the LED package" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Because is the LED package referring to single or (first) LED package of the plurality of LED packages or the plurality of LED packages.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-20 are allowed.
Claims 1-12 would be allowable if 112 rejection is overcome.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
In regards to claims 1-12, recites “the active electrical element configured to receive the at least one data packet, the at least one data packet comprising a command code that at least partially identifies at least one action to take and a data section comprising at least one of color select data and brightness data for operating the at least one LED, the active electrical element further configured to replace the at least one data packet with different data in the data stream exiting the LED package, the different data being provided in a same position that was previously occupied by the data section.” as shown in claim 1.
In regards to claim 13-20, recites “wherein the active electrical element is configured to receive data from a data stream that is an output from an external control element, and replace the data with different data in the data stream provided back to the external control element, wherein the data comprises at least one of color select data and brightness data for operating the at least one LED and the different data is provided in a same position that was previously occupied by at least one of the color select data and the brightness data.” as shown in claim 13.
The claim in the application are deemed to be directed to nonobvious improvement over Peting et al(US 2012/0299480 A1] who teaches individually controlled LED units are arranged in a series configuration that is driven by a control unit located at the head of the series. Each of the individually controlled LED units may comprise more than one LED that is also individually controllable. The head- end control unit provides both electrical power and control signals down a single wire to drive all of the LED units in the series in a manner that allows each LED unit to be controlled individually or in assigned groups.
The primary reason of allowance is improvement with (1) the active electrical element configured to receive the at least one data packet, the at least one data packet comprising a command code that at least partially identifies at least one action to take and a data section comprising at least one of color select data and brightness data for operating the at least one LED, the active electrical element further configured to replace the at least one data packet with different data in the data stream exiting the LED package, the different data being provided in a same position that was previously occupied by the data section and (2) wherein the active electrical element is configured to receive data from a data stream that is an output from an external control element, and replace the data with different data in the data stream provided back to the external control element, wherein the data comprises at least one of color select data and brightness data for operating the at least one LED and the different data is provided in a same position that was previously occupied by at least one of the color select data and the brightness data.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WEI (VICTOR) CHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5177. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am to 6:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexander H Taningco can be reached at 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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WEI (VICTOR) CHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2844
/WEI (VICTOR) Y CHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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