Notice of Non-Final Rejection
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
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.
Claims 1-4, 7 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by US20180070424 A1 by Lark JR et al (Lark JR).
Referring to claim 1 Lark JR reference Fig 1A to 10 teaches: A lighting control apparatus (Fig 8 item 800 paragraph [0051]) connectable to at least a line conductor (item 826) of an alternating current (AC) power source and a line conductor (item 822) of a lamp driver (item 840) of a lighting fixture (item 824), the lighting control apparatus (item 800) comprising:
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a power metering circuit (item 853 power module) that includes a current transformer (item 818) arranged to detect AC current passing through the line conductor (item 826) of the lamp driver, the power metering circuit being operable to output a sensing signal corresponding to the AC current detected by the current transformer (See paragraphs [0051] [0052]);
a processor (item 850) operable to provide lighting control signals to the lamp driver (item 840), acquire the sensing signal from the power metering circuit (item 853), and process the sensing signal into a format for communication to produce a formatted sensing signal (item 851 communication module and processor 850 work via 840 to control the lighting fixture 824 paragraphs [0051] [0052]); and
a communication circuit (item 851 communication module) operable to communicate the formatted sensing signal to a remote computing apparatus (See Fig 5, 6 Paragraphs [0048, [0049] ).
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Referring to claim 2 Lark JR reference teaches the lighting control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lamp driver is a driver of at least one LED module. (See Fig 9A and the drivers associated with light and motion are controlled via controlling device/driver 904 are associated with each lighting device 904 a to 904 d respectively paragraphs [0053]).
Referring to claim 3 Lark JR reference teaches the lighting control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lighting control apparatus is further connectable to a neutral conductor of the AC power source (Fig 8 item 828 neutral conductor) and a neutral conductor of the lamp driver (See Fig 8 and item GUI module 852 and paragraph [0051]).
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Referring to claim 4 Lark JR reference teaches the lighting control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit includes a cellular modem (See paragraph [0042]) .
Referring to claim 7 Lark JR reference teaches the lighting control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first housing member (Fig 1B item 133 and paragraph [0040]) having a first side and an opposing second side (See Fig 1A -2B and paragraphs [0038]-[0041]); at least one printed circuit board (Fig 1B item 128/129/138/150 paragraph [0040]) positioned upon at least a portion of the first side of the first housing member (see Fig 1B) , the at least one printed circuit board including the power metering circuit, the processor, and the communication circuit; and a second housing member positioned over at least the at least one printed circuit board (See Fig 1B and paragraph [0040])..
Referring to claim 12 Lark JR reference teaches the lighting control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lighting control signals are signals compliant with one or more Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) protocols. (See paragraphs [0018] [0051] [0077] and [079] where Lark JR teaches using graphical display of the lighting modules and controlling through a computer).
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 5-6, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US20180070424 A1 by Lark JR et al (Lark JR).
Referring to claim 5 Lark JR reference teaches the lighting control apparatus of claim 1, but silent on wherein the AC power source has a root mean square (rms) voltage in a range of approximately 120V to approximately 480V. However, the art teaches AC line voltage is typically from 120V -480 V depending on the application and appliance. Hence, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to adapt the line voltage of an AC depending on the users application. It is within the scope of the electrical appliances art.
Referring to claim 6 Lark JR reference teaches the lighting control apparatus of claim 1, but silent on wherein the power metering circuit has a metering accuracy of about +/- 0.5%. However, it is within the scope of the user to adapt an metering accuracy depending on their application.
Referring to claim 13 Lark JR reference Fig 1A-Fig 10 teaches: A lighting control apparatus ( Fig 8 item 800 paragraph [0051])) connectable to at least a line conductor (item 826) of an alternating current (AC) power source (paragraph [0051]) and a line conductor ( item 822) of a driver (micro controller 840 via processor 850 drives) for a light emitting diode (LED) module (item load 822) of the lighting control apparatus comprising:
a power metering circuit (item 853 power module) that includes a current transformer (item 818) arranged to detect AC current passing through the line conductor (item 826) of the driver (micro controller 840) for the LED module, the power metering circuit being operable to output a sensing signal corresponding to the AC current detected by the current transformer (See paragraphs [0051] [0052]);
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a processor (item 850) operable to provide lighting control signals to the driver (item 840 or micro-controller) for the LED module (item 824 LEDs) , acquire the sensing signal from the power metering circuit (paragraph [0051]), and process the sensing signal into a format for wireless communication (item 851 of 802) to produce a formatted sensing signal (paragraph [0052]) ; and
In another embodiment a communication circuit (Fig 9A item 904 a-d) paragraph [0060]) operable to wirelessly communicate the formatted sensing signal to a remote computing apparatus (See paragraphs [0060] – [0062]).
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But Lark is silent on street light power circuit. However, it is within the scope of the ordinary skill depending on the application of lighting source as a streetlight.
Hence, it is within the scope of art and hence obvious to a person with ordinary skill to incorporate the Lark teachings for a street light application.
Referring to claim 14 Lark JR reference teaches the lighting control apparatus of claim 13, wherein Lark further teaches, the power metering circuit ( Fig 8 item 862 via 816 paragraph [0051]) is configured for coupling to at least the line conductor (item 826) and a neutral conductor of the AC power source (item 828) and at least the line conductor (item 826) and a neutral conductor (item 826) of the driver for the LED module. (See paragraph [0052]).
Referring to claim 15 Lark JR reference teaches the lighting control apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a first housing member having a first side and an opposing second side (See Fig 1B and paragraph [0040]); at least one printed circuit board (See Fig 1B item 138) positioned upon at least a portion of the first side of the first housing member (paragraph [0040]), the at least one printed circuit board including the power metering circuit (See Fig 8 item 816 Current voltage sensors power module 853 and paragraph [0051]), the processor (item 850 processor), and the communication circuit (communication module 851 paragraphs [0051] and [0052]); and a second housing member positioned over at least the at least one printed circuit board (See Fig 1B and paragraph [0040]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-11, 16-18 are objected.
Claim 8, 16 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. Since claims 9-11 and 17, 18 are depending on claims 8 and 16 respectively, they are also objected.
Claims 19, 20 are allowed.
Referring to claim 19 the closest prior art of record fails to teach or reasonably suggest that A lighting control apparatus connectable to at least a line conductor of an alternating current (AC) power source and a line conductor of a lamp driver of a lighting fixture, the lighting control apparatus comprising: a first housing member having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the second side of the first housing member includes at least one sidewall section along a periphery thereof and a plurality of spaced apart tab members extending from the at least one sidewall section toward a center of the first housing member; at least one printed circuit board positioned upon at least a portion of the first side of the first housing member, the at least one printed circuit board including the power metering circuit, the processor, and the communication circuit; and a second housing member positioned over at least the at least one printed circuit board; and a mounting bracket securable to a structure, the mounting bracket defining a plurality of gaps and including a plurality of notches along a periphery thereof, wherein each notch is adjacent to a respective gap, wherein a width of each gap permits passage of a tab member of the first housing member of the lighting control device, and wherein each notch rests upon a respective tab member after the tab member has passed through the respective gap adjacent to the notch and the lighting control device has been rotated so as to position the notch over the tab member. Hence, claim 19 and depending claim 20 are allowed.
Conclusion
Claims 19, 20 are allowed over prior art.
Claims 1-7, 12-15 are rejected.
Claims 8-11, 16-18 are objected.
The prior of art made of record and not relied upon is considered to pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior art included on the notice of references cited PTOL 892 attached here with. The examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicants. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim other passages and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner. See the examiner recorded prior art : US20160028320, US20140009084, US20120189298, WO2019027580, US2019013828.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SRINIVAS SATHIRAJU whose telephone number is (571)272-4250. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-3:30PM, 5PM -8:30PM.
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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 5712728048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SRINIVAS SATHIRAJU/ 07/17/2026
SRINIVAS . SATHIRAJU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights