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 .
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 final rejection. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/20/2026 has been entered.
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 1-3 and 6-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over UENO et al. (US 2019/0217772 hereinafter refer as “UENO”) in view of BREMER et al. (US 2021/0348736 hereinafter refer as “BREMER”).
Regarding claim 1. UENO discloses an illuminator (illumination unit 20, see Figs. 1, -2, 3, and 5) comprising: a plurality of light sources (first light source LEDs 28a and 28b; and second light source LEDs 29a and 29b, see Fig. 4, Para. 0045); and an exterior cover (first lenses 32a and 32b; second lenses 33a and 33b, see Figs. 4 and 5, Para. 0044) that covers at least a part of a light emission space by the plurality of light sources, wherein the exterior cover includes the first light radiation wall and the second light radiation wall are continuous with each other (e.g. lens 33a includes a plurality of walls, see Fig. 5) that allow light emitted from the plurality of light sources to pass therethrough to radiate the light to the outside, the radiation wall is colorless transparent or milky flat plates (milky-white, see Para. 0046), and at least one light source of the plurality of light sources emits light of variable colors (see Para. 0045).
UENO is silent with respect to the first light radiation wall and the second light radiation wall are continuous with each other with a linear ridge therebetween.
BREMER teaches an exterior cover (34, Fig. 3, Para. 0063) includes a first light radiation wall (50, Fig. 3) and a second light radiation wall (52, Fig. 3) allowing light emitted from a plurality of light sources (26, Fig. 3) to pass therethrough to radiate the light to the outside, and the first light radiation wall and the second light radiation wall are continuous with each other with a linear ridge therebetween (as seen in Fig.3, since the exterior cover 34 has a triangular shape, a linear ridge [or an apex] is between the first and second radiation wall of the exterior cover 34) to provide a first light cone (54, see Fig. 2. Para. 0063) and a separate second light cone (56, Para. 0063).
Therefore, in view of BREMER, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify UENO’s cover to include a first and second light radiation wall, as taught by BREMER in order to direct light to different areas to provide illumination. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification thereby the first and second light cones can be provided separately, which increases flexibility in the application of the projection system (see BREMER Para. 0016).
Regarding claim 2. UENO further discloses at least one light source of the plurality of light sources (28a and 29b) other than the at least one light source that emits the light of variable colors emits monochromatic illumination light (e.g. red, yellow, blue, green. Etc.).
Regarding claim 3. UENO further discloses comprising: a substrate (27, see Fig. 4, Para. 0045) on which the plurality of light sources are mounted, wherein a first direction is a direction toward the ridge from a first substrate surface of the substrate on which the plurality of light sources are arranged.
UENO is silent with respect to an inclination angle of an outer surface of each of the first light radiation wall and the second light radiation wall relative to a hypothetical plane orthogonal to the first direction is an acute angle.
BREMER further discloses a direction toward the ridge from a plurality of light sources (26, Fig. 3) are arranged is defined as a first direction (as seen in Fig.3, in this view, the "first direction" was considered to be a horizontal direction from the light source 26 to the exterior cover 34), and an inclination angle of an outer surface of each of the first light radiation wall (50, Fig,3) and the second light radiation wall (52, Fig.3) relative to a hypothetical plane (as seen in Fig.3, in this view, the "hypothetical plane" was considered to be a vertical plane [orthogonal to the horizontal direction]) orthogonal to the first direction is an acute angle (as seen in Fig.3, in this view, the outer surface of the first and second light radiation wall 50, 52 was considered to have an acute angle with respect to the hypothetical plane [vertical plane]).
Therefore, in view of BREMER, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate an acute angle as taught by BREMER to the first and second light radiation walls of UENO modified BREMER in order to provide a slope for the first and second light radiation walls to direct light to different areas to provide illumination.
Regarding claim 6. UENO further discloses the exterior cover is attached to an illuminator attaching hole that constitutes a part of a charging inlet (power supply ports 11 and 12, see Fig. 1, Para. 0040) such that the first light radiation wall and the second light radiation wall are exposed outward from the illuminator attaching hole, and the light radiated from the first light radiation wall is directed toward a charging opening in the charging inlet (see Para. 0041).
Regarding claim 7. UENO further discloses the at least one light source (e.g. LEDs 29a and 29b) that emits the light of variable colors emits the light based on a radiation pattern corresponding to an operation status at the time of charging using the charging inlet (light emitting portions 22a and 22b are flashed on and off with their color varied to inform the user that the vehicle is being charged, see Para. 0057).
Regarding claim 8. UENO in view of BREMER further as discussed above for claim 1 discloses wherein the illuminator (illumination unit 20) is attached to a charging inlet of a vehicle (power supply ports 11 and 12, see Figs. 1 and 6(a)), and a first one of the first light radiation wall and second light radiation wall is facing the charging inlet and a second one of the first light radiation wall and second light radiation wall is facing away from the charging inlet.
UENO further discloses the first light emitting portions (21a/21a) emitting direction is different from the second light emitting portions (22a and 22b, see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 9. UENO in view of BREMER further as discussed above for claim 1 discloses wherein the plurality of light sources (first light source LEDs 28a and 28b; and second light source LEDs 29a and 29b, see Fig. 4, Para. 0045) are each arranged on a same plane which is perpendicular to a second plane in which the charging inlet (power supply ports 11 and 12, see Figs. 1 and 6(a)) is configured to receive a charger there through.
Regarding claim 10. The teachings of UENO in view of BREMER have been discussed above.
UENO further discloses a second embodiment that includes an illuminator (e.g. illumination unit 121, see Fig. 6(a), Para. 0075) that is cantilevered from and thereby overhangs the charging inlet (110, see Fig. 6(a), Para. 0077).
Therefore, in view of UENO’s second embodiment, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the illuminator on the lid thereby the illuminator is cantilevered from and thereby overhangs the charging inlet, as taught in UENO’s second embodiment. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification thereby the light emitting portion is attached to the lid emits light towards the charging inlet.
Regarding claim 11. UENO in view of BREMER further as discussed above for claim 1 discloses wherein the ridge faces a part of a light emission surface of each of the plurality of light sources in a first direction, and the first direction corresponds to a light emission direction from each light emission surface.
Regarding claim 12. UENO in view of BREMER further as discussed above for claim 1 discloses wherein light radiated from the first light radiation wall is illumination light directed toward a charging opening in a charging inlet (power supply ports 11 and 12, see Figs. 1 and 6(a)), and light radiated from the second light radiation wall is display light for indicator display directed toward a user.
Regarding claim 13. The teachings of UENO have been discussed above.
However, UENO is silent with respect to a cross-sectional shape of outer surfaces of a combination of the first light radiation wall and the second light radiation wall is a V-shape when cut by a plane perpendicular to the ridge.
BREMER teaches an exterior cover (34, Fig. 3, Para. 0063) includes a first light radiation wall (50, Fig. 3) and a second light radiation wall (52, Fig. 3) allowing light emitted from a plurality of light sources (26, Fig. 3) to pass therethrough to radiate the light to the outside, and the first light radiation wall and the second light radiation wall are V-shape when cut by a plane perpendicular to the ridge (as seen in Fig. 3, since the exterior cover 34 has a triangular shape, a linear ridge [or an apex] is between the first and second radiation wall of the exterior cover 34) to provide a first light cone (54, see Fig. 2. Para. 0063) and a separate second light cone (56, Para. 0063).
Therefore, in view of BREMER, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify UENO’s cover to include a first and second light radiation wall to be a V-shape when cut by a plane perpendicular to the ridge, as taught by BREMER in order to direct light to different areas to provide illumination. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification thereby the first and second light cones can be provided separately, which increases flexibility in the application of the projection system (see BREMER Para. 0016).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over UENO in view of BREMER and further in view of Lim et al. (US 2019/0186710 hereinafter refer as “Lim”).
Regarding claim 4.the teachings of UENO modified by BREMER have been discussed above.
However, UENO modified by BREMER fails to disclose wherein a first inclination angle is the inclination angle of the outer surface of the first light radiation wall relative to the hypothetical plane, and the inclination angle of the outer surface of the second light radiation wall relative to the hypothetical plane is a second inclination angle, values of the first inclination angle and the second inclination angle are the same.
LiM discloses an inclination angle of the outer surface of a first light radiation wall (as seen in Fig. 46, since the exterior cover 2 has a triangular shape, the "first light radiation wall" was considered to be one side of the exterior cover 2, Para. 0071) relative to a hypothetical plane (as seen in Fig. 46, in this view, the "hypothetical plane" was considered to be a vertical plane [orthogonal to the horizontal direction]) is a first inclination angle, an inclination angle of the outer surface of a second light radiation wall (as seen in Fig. 46, since the exterior cover 2 has a triangular shape, the "second light radiation wall" was considered to be the opposite side of the exterior cover 2) relative to the hypothetical plane is a second inclination angle, and values of the first and second inclination angle are the same (as seen in Fig. 46, the first and second light radiation walls of the exterior cover 2 were considered to be same such that the inclination angles were considered to be the same).
Therefore, in view of LiM, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate values of the first and second inclination angle are the same as taught by LiM to the inclination angle of the first and second light radiation walls of UENO modified by BREMER in order to provide an alternative exterior cover.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over UENO in view of BREMER and further in view of Chang (US 2007/0253211).
Regarding claim 5. UENO further discloses an annular frame (frame body portion 23, an inner case 34 and an outer case 35, see Figs. 3-5, Para. 0044) to which the packing is attached.
UENO is silent with respect to including an annular packing, wherein the exterior cover includes: and a plurality of side walls for integrating the frame with at least one of the first light radiation wall and the second light radiation wall.
Chang discloses an annular packing (2, see Fig. 5), an exterior cover (3, see Fig. 5) includes an annular frame (as seen in Figs. 5-6, the "annular frame" was considered to be the annular portion of the exterior cover 3 receiving the hooks 25, Para. 0025) to which the packing is attached (as seen in Figs. 5-6, the exterior cover 3 and the annular packing 2 are attached), a plurality of side walls for integrating the frame with a first and second light radiation wall (as seen in Fig. 5, since the exterior cover 3 has a triangular shape, the "first and second light radiation wall" was considered to be the sloped sides of the exterior cover 3; the "plurality of side walls" were considered to be general side walls of the exterior cover 3 integrating the frame and the first and second radiation walls).
Therefore, in view of Chang, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate an annular packing as taught by Chang to the exterior cover of UENO modified by BREMER in order to attach the exterior cover.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-13 have been considered but are moot because a new ground of rejection in view of UENO et al. (US 2019/0217772) is being applied.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tsion Tumebo whose telephone number is 571-270-1668. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday thru Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jong-Suk (James) Lee can be reached on (571)272-7044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TSION TUMEBO/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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