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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 -2, 9, 15-17 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Soffer (US Pub. No. 2013/0222609).
Regarding claims 1-2 and 9, Soffer teaches an indicator light module, comprising:
an ambient light sensor configured to measure an ambient light brightness (para. 71); and
a light source (14) configured to emit light, wherein a brightness of the light is configured to be adjusted based on the ambient light brightness (para. 94);
a module controller coupled to the ambient sensor and to the light source, wherein the module controller is configured to adjust the brightness of the light based on the ambient light brightness (implicit, para. 94) [claim 2];
wherein the ambient light sensor and the light source are formed from a common light emitting diodes (para. 57) [claim 9].
Regarding claims 15-17, Soffer teaches an electronic device, comprising:
a housing (2);
a camera (20) in the housing;
a microphone (8) in the housing;
control circuitry (22) in the housing and configured to adjust the camera and the microphone; and
an indicator light module (14), wherein the indicator light module comprises a light source and an ambient light sensor, the light source is configured to emit light when the camera or the microphone is on, and the indicator light module does not receive signals from the control circuitry (para. 55 & 57);
wherein the indicator light module comprises a module controller that is configured to adjust a brightness of the light source based on measurement from the ambient light sensor (para. 94) [claim 16]; and
wherein the indicator light module comprises an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the light source and the ambient light sensor are coupled to the ASIC (para. 97) [claim 17].
Regarding claim 19, Soffer teaches an indicator light module comprising:
a light-emitting diode (14) configured to emit light;
an ambient light sensor configured to measure a brightness of ambient light (para. 71); and
a module controller configured to adjust a brightness of the light emitter by the light-emitting diode based on the brightness of the ambient light (para. 94).
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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soffer in view of Deng et al. (CN 111954333).
Regarding claim 3, Soffer teaches all the claimed limitations except for an oscillator coupled to the module controller, wherein the module controller is configured to control the ambient light sensor and the light source based on signals received from the oscillator. Deng teaches an indicator light module comprises an oscillator coupled to the module controller, wherein the module controller is configured to control the ambient light sensor and the light source based on signals received from the oscillator (pg. 2, ll. 20-31). It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate an oscillator as taught by Deng within Soffer’s indicator light module in order to facilitate the driving of the light source in the indicator light module.
Claim(s) 4 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soffer in view of Deng, and further in view of Lau et al. (US Pub. No. 2021/0199479).
Regarding claims 4 and 20, Soffer, as modified by Deng, teaches all the claimed limitations except for the ambient light sensor is configured to measure the ambient light brightness during first time periods in which the light source is off and is configured to measure the ambient light brightness and the brightness of the light during second time periods in which the light source is on. Lau teaches a light module comprises an ambient light sensor is configured to measure the ambient light brightness during first time periods in which the light source is off and is configured to measure the ambient light brightness and the brightness of the light during second time periods in which the light source is on (para. 149). It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify said light sensor to operate in a similar manner as taught by Lau in order to test the effects of the light source on the ambient light level.
Claim(s) 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soffer in view of Deng and Lau, and further in view of Holenarsipur et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0080668).
Regarding claims 5-7, Soffer, as modified by Deng and Lau, teaches all the claimed limitations except for the ambient light sensor comprises a photodiode; an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), wherein the light emitting diode is mounted on the ASIC, and the photodiode is formed on the surface of the ASIC [claim 6]; a printed circuit board substrate, wherein the ASIC is mounted on the printed circuit board substrate; and a transparent cover layer that covers the light-emitting diode, the photodiode, the ASIC, and at least a portion of the printed circuit board substrate [claim 7]. Holenarsipur teaches a light module comprising the ambient light sensor comprises a photodiode; an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), wherein the light emitting diode is mounted on the ASIC, and the photodiode is formed on the surface of the ASIC (para. 63); a printed circuit board substrate (96), wherein the ASIC is mounted on the printed circuit board substrate; and a transparent cover layer (78) that covers the light-emitting diode, the photodiode, the ASIC, and at least a portion of the printed circuit board substrate [claim 7]. It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a circuit assembly as taught by Holenarsipur in order to obtain a smaller, compact indicator light module.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soffer in view of Deng, Lau and Holenarsipur, and further in view of Haiberger et al. (WO 2020/160973).
Regarding claim 8, Soffer, as modified by Deng, Lau and Holenarsipur, teaches all the claimed limitations except for the light emitting diode is stacked on the photodiode. Haiberger teaches an illumination module comprises a light emitting diode (3) is stacked on the photodiode (Fig. 1, item 4). It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the sensor arrangement as taught for Soffer’s sensor arrangement in order to obtain a smaller, compact indicator light module.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soffer in view of Haiberger et al. (WO 2020/160973).
Regarding claim 12, Soffer teaches all the claimed limitations except for the common light-emitting diode has a first portion that is configured to emit light and a second portion configured to measure the ambient light brightness. Haiberger teaches a light module comprises a common light-emitting diode has a first portion (3) that is configured to emit light and a second portion (4) configured to measure the ambient light brightness. It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute a common light emitting diode as taught for Soffer’s light-emitting arrangement in order to obtain a smaller, compact indicator light module.
Claim(s) 13-14 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Soffer in view of Li et al. (US Pub. No. 2023/0422369).
Regarding claims 13-14 and 18, Soffer teaches all the claimed limitations except for a sensor configured to measure a voltage of the light source [claims 13, 18]; and the sensor further configured to measure a temperature of the light source or a drive current of the light source [claim 14]. Li teaches a light module comprises for a sensor configured to measure a voltage of the light source; and the sensor further configured to measure a temperature of the light source or a drive current of the light source (para. 42-43). It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a sensor as taught by Li within Soffer’s indicator light module in order to facilitate the current temperature of the light source.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-11 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 10, applicant has sufficiently defined and claimed an indicator light module, whereby the prior art does not teach or suggest an LED driver coupled to the common LED, wherein the LED driver is configured to bias the common LED with a first voltage to emit the light and to bias the common LED with a second voltage that is opposite the first voltage to measure the ambient light brightness, in combination with all other limitations set forth in the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH Q PHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3898. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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.
MINH Q. PHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2852
/MINH Q PHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
Prosecution Insights