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 .
The present Office Action is in response to Applicants’ filing of October 3, 2024. Claims 1-17 are presented for examination, with Claims 1 and 17 being in independent form.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on October 3, 204 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Publication No. 2023/0311744 (“Yamamoto”).
Regarding Claim 1, Yamamoto discloses a headlight controller (8 in Fig. 1; [0021]-[0022]; [0041]) configured to control a headlight unit (1), the headlight unit being configured to send out illumination light frontward of a vehicle ([0007]), the headlight controller comprising:
an inter-vehicle distance obtainer configured to acquire an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to a vehicle in front traveling in front of the vehicle (using vehicle detection device 6; [0039]-[0040]);
a light distribution controller (part of 8 in Fig. 1; [0021]-[0022]; [0041]) configured to partially dim or shade a range corresponding to a position of the vehicle in front ([0041]; [0053]; [0058]); and
an illumination controller (part of 8 in Fig. 1; [0021]-[0022]; [0041]) configured to reduce an amount of illumination light of a low beam by the headlight unit when the inter-vehicle distance is less than a first distance ([0041]; [0053]; [0058]), wherein
when the illumination controller is configured to, the inter-vehicle distance is less than the first distance, reduce at least the amount of illumination light in an illumination range of the low beam out of the illumination range of the low beam and an illumination range of a high beam by the headlight unit, regardless of operation of the light distribution controller (Fig. 3; [0047]; [0051]; [0058]).
Regarding Claim 2, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the illumination controller is configured to dim or shade a specific region corresponding to the vehicle in front, within the illumination range of the low beam (46 in Fig. 3; [0051]).
Regarding Claim 3, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the headlight unit comprises an array light source in which light emitting elements are arranged in matrix (16; [0029]; 28), and
the illumination controller (8) is configured to dim or shade the specific region by controlling lighted states of the light emitting elements ([0041]; [0053]; [0058]).
Regarding Claim 4, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the headlight unit (1) comprises a light source unit including multiple segments each configured to be independently subject to a lighting control (Figs. 2A-B; [0042]), and
the illumination controller is configured to dim or shade the specific region by controlling lighted states of the multiple segments ([0041]; [0053]; [0058]).
Regarding Claim 5, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the illumination controller is configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance is less than the first distance, reduce gradually or stepwise the amount of illumination light in accordance with the inter-vehicle distance (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 6, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the illumination controller is configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance is less than the first distance, reduce gradually or stepwise the amount of illumination light in accordance with the inter-vehicle distance (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 7, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the illumination controller is configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance is less than the first distance, reduce gradually or stepwise the amount of illumination light in accordance with the inter-vehicle distance (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 8, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the illumination controller is configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance is less than the first distance, reduce gradually or stepwise the amount of illumination light in accordance with the inter-vehicle distance (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 9, Yamamoto further discloses wherein in a case where the vehicle in front is a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in a same direction of advance as the vehicle, the illumination controller is configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle to the vehicle is larger than a second distance, restore the reduced amount of illumination light to a pre-reduction amount of illumination light (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 10, Yamamoto further discloses wherein in a case where the vehicle in front is a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in a same direction of advance as the vehicle, the illumination controller is configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle to the vehicle is larger than a second distance, restore the reduced amount of illumination light to a pre-reduction amount of illumination light (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 11, Yamamoto further discloses wherein in a case where the vehicle in front is a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in a same direction of advance as the vehicle, the illumination controller is configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle to the vehicle is larger than a second distance, restore the reduced amount of illumination light to a pre-reduction amount of illumination light (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 12, Yamamoto further discloses wherein in a case where the vehicle in front is a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in a same direction of advance as the vehicle, the illumination controller is configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle to the vehicle is larger than a second distance, restore the reduced amount of illumination light to a pre-reduction amount of illumination light (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 13, Yamamoto further discloses wherein in a case where the vehicle in front is an on-coming vehicle with respect to the vehicle, the illumination controller is configured to, after the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle pass each other, restore the reduced amount of illumination light to a pre-reduction amount of illumination light (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 14, Yamamoto further discloses wherein in a case where the vehicle in front is an on-coming vehicle with respect to the vehicle, the illumination controller is configured to, after the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle pass each other, restore the reduced amount of illumination light to a pre-reduction amount of illumination light (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 15, Yamamoto further discloses wherein in a case where the vehicle in front is an on-coming vehicle with respect to the vehicle, the illumination controller is configured to, after the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle pass each other, restore the reduced amount of illumination light to a pre-reduction amount of illumination light (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 16, Yamamoto further discloses wherein in a case where the vehicle in front is an on-coming vehicle with respect to the vehicle, the illumination controller is configured to, after the vehicle and the on-coming vehicle pass each other, restore the reduced amount of illumination light to a pre-reduction amount of illumination light (Fig. 4; [0053]-[0056]; [0039]; Fig. 5; [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding Claim 17, Yamamoto discloses a headlight controller (8 in Fig. 1; [0021]-[0022]; [0041]) configured to control a headlight unit (1) including a light source, the headlight unit being configured to send out illumination light frontward of a vehicle ([0007]), the headlight controller comprising circuitry configured to:
acquire an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to a vehicle in front traveling in front of the vehicle (using vehicle detection device 6; [0039]-[0040]);
partially dim or shade a range corresponding to a position of the vehicle in front ([0041]; [0053]; [0058]); and
reduce an amount of illumination light of a low beam by the headlight unit when the inter-vehicle distance is less than a first distance ([0041]; [0053]; [0058]), wherein
the circuitry is configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance is less than the first distance, reduce at least the amount of illumination light in an illumination range of the low beam out of the illumination range of the low beam and an illumination range of a high beam by the headlight unit, regardless of whether to partially dim or shade the range corresponding to the position of the vehicle in front (Fig. 3; [0047]; [0051]; [0058]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0002015 (“Hayakawa”) relates to a headlight control device.
U.S. Patent No. 9,738,214 (“Nakatani”) relates to a headlight controller and vehicle headlight system.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2025/0033556 (“Yamasaki”) relates to a headlight controller.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PEDRO C FERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7050. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 EST.
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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 1-(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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/PEDRO C FERNANDEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2844
/ALEXANDER H TANINGCO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2844