DETAILED ACTION
Amendment
Acknowledgment is made of Amendment filed December 13, 2025. Claims 1-16 are amended. Claims 1-16 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claims contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 1, in line 3, Applicant recites “a light source unit with a plurality of light sources; and an optical unit for generating a predefined light distribution”. Applicant is thus referring to light source unit 4 (designated more specifically as “second light module 4”, see Fig. 1 and para [0029]) which has a plurality of light sources and an optical unit 10 for generating a predefined light distribution. Applicant later recites in lines 10-13 that the control program, when executed, causes the control unit to: “operate the light source unit in a normal state in which a first set of light sources of the plurality of light sources is switched on to generate the predefined light distribution and a second set of light sources of the plurality of light sources is switched off; and operate the light source unit in an anti-condensation state, wherein, in the anti-condensation state, the first set of light sources is switched on to generate the predefined light distribution and the second set of light sources is switched on to lower a relative humidity (rH) within the housing in the anti-condensation state relative to the normal state”. Applicant thus appears to be reciting that in the normal state, a first set of the light sources within “a light source unit” (again, second light module 4) are switched on to generate the predefined light distribution, and in the anti-condensation state, a second set of light sources within the light source unit (again, second light module 4) are switched on with the first set of light sources to lower a relative humidity (rH). However, the description does not contain support for this structural and functional recitation. As set forth in paragraph [0030]: “To prevent condensation on optical surfaces of the housing 2, particularly the cover lens 5, the control unit 18 contains a program 19 with which supplementary light sources 14, which are not used to generate the predefined light distribution, are switched on, in addition to those light sources 7, 14 that are used to generate the predefined light distribution. By way of example, the predefined light distribution for daytime driving is the daytime running light distribution obtained by switching on the first light module 3. The control program 19 can be designed to switch on the first part 13 of the light sources 14 in the second light module 4 during the daytime, such that in comparison with the normal operation of the headlamp, in which only the first light module 3 is switched on, a greater thermal output is obtained within the housing 2 (housing interior)” (emphasis added). Thus, in the normal state, the predefined light distribution is formed by switching on first light module 3 (see Fig. 1, first light module 3 is the daytime running lights), and in the anti-condensation state, the first light module 3 is switched on along with the first part 13 (i.e. low beams) of the light sources in the second light module 4 (see Fig. 1). Accordingly, there is no support in the disclosure for light sources within “a light source unit” (i.e. the second light module 4 having optical unit 10) being turned on with other light sources within the same light source unit (i.e. second light module 4) to form the anti-condensation state. In other words, there is only support for the “anti-condensation state” being activated when the first light source module 3 is switched on to form the predefined light distribution (i.e., daytime running lights) and then additionally switching on the first part 13 of the light sources of the second light source module 4 (i.e. the low beams). Claims 2-16 are rejected under this provision at least based on their dependency on claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 10, Examiner notes that this claim appears to claim the proper operation of the “anti-condensation state” as set forth in the disclosure as originally filed. Specifically, the claim recites “a first light source unit generates a daytime running light distribution” (i.e. first light source module 3 generates daytime running light, see Fig. 1) and “a second light source unit generates a near field light distribution and a far field light distribution” (i.e. second light source module 4 with a first part 13 for generating near field (low beam) and a second part 15 for generating far field (high beam)), and “wherein during daylight, light sources in the second light source unit for generating the near field light distribution are added to light sources in the first light source unit”. Thus, the anti-condensation state is when the light sources for generating the near field light distribution (i.e. the light sources in the first part 13 of the second light module 4) are added to light sources in the first light source unit (i.e. the first light source module 3 for daytime running lights).
Regarding claim 11, Examiner notes that this recitation is similar to the recitation in claim 1 and additionally lacks support in the disclosure as originally filed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed December 13, 2025 with respect to the rejections in the previous Office Action have been considered but are moot based on the new grounds of rejection set forth above.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN P GRAMLING whose telephone number is (571)272-9082. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm EST.
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/SEAN P GRAMLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875