DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 18, 20 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1, 18, 20 recite “individual lenses”.
The limitation “individual” in “individual lenses” is unclear in light of the disclosure. The disclosure does not set forth “individual” or a definition of such. The Examiner would interpret the limitation to mean “separate” or “not joined” to the array of lenses, however the disclosure specifically sets forth that the lenses are integral with the array of lenses.
Figure 4 indicates a singular material, 200 that has each of the lenses formed as a part of. In view of Lee, the Examiner has interpreted the individual lenses as separated from the array by space. The Examiner has interpreted the central lenses as the array of lenses and the individual lenses as the outermost lenses, with lenses between being considered as a part of neither, see annotated figure 1 of Lee.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-10, 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (U.S. 11,578,849) in view of Tsai (U.S. 10,288,255) and Stefanov (U.S. 2018/0335191).
Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches a lamp for a vehicle comprising: a light source portion (light source 110); and
an inner lens portion (200) through which light from the plurality of light source elements passes,
wherein the inner lens portion includes a plurality of individual lenses (see annotated figure 1, outermost lenses of the array individual as they are distinct form the plurality of lens arrays) and a plurality of lens arrays (see fig. 7, 220 exit lenses) having a plurality of light-collecting lenses (220, collects diverging light into collimation), and wherein the plurality of light-collecting lenses includes at least one asymmetrical sub- lens (lens in G2, see col. 8 lines 43-58) having an asymmetrical shape.
Lee does not specifically teach that the light source portion includes a plurality of light source elements and that each of the plurality of individual lenses has a larger size than each of the plurality of light-collecting lenses.
Tsai teaches that the light source portion includes a plurality of light source elements (see fig. 1b).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used additional light sources as taught by Tsai to enable higher brightness and localized dimming in the structure of Lee, as is well known in the art.
Stefanov teaches that each of the plurality of individual lenses has a larger size than each of the plurality of light-collecting lenses (see abstract, see fig. 3, see fig. 15a).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used larger individual lenses as taught by Stefanov in the structure of Lee to provide different cross sections and therefore different light distribution curves and desired hot spots (see p. 0017-0019).
The Examiner notes that the limitation “larger size” has been interpreted to mean larger in volume or with respect to any dimension, i.e. height, width, or depth.
PNG
media_image1.png
822
678
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 2, Lee teaches that the plurality of light- collecting lenses comprises a symmetrical sub-lens portion (lenses in G1) including a plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses, and wherein the at least one asymmetrical sub-lens is disposed on a side of the symmetrical sub-lens portion (see fig. 7, asymmetrical surround central symmetrical lenses, see col. 8 lines 43-67).
Regarding claim 3, Lee teaches that each of the plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses has a shape symmetrical about a first virtual straight line connecting a vertex of an incident surface and a vertex of an exit surface, and has a center overlapping the first virtual straight line (see fig. 8, symmetry about C11).
Regarding claim 4, Tsai teaches that among the plurality of light source elements, a light source element corresponding to the plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses is disposed such that the first virtual straight line passes through a center of the light source element corresponding to the plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses (see fig. 1b, each lens aligned along the optical center).
Regarding claim 5, Lee teaches that the at least one asymmetrical sub-lens (see fig. 8) has a shape that is asymmetrical based on a second virtual straight line connecting a vertex of an incident surface and a vertex of an exit surface (C12), and has a center of the asymmetrical sub-lens offset from the second virtual straight line (offset center).
Regarding claim 6, Tsai and Lee teaches that among the plurality of light source elements, a light source element corresponding to the at least one asymmetrical sub-lens is disposed such that the second virtual straight line passes through a center of the light source element corresponding to the at least one asymmetrical sub-lens (see fig. 8 of Lee, light passes through center of lens to be superposed, see fig. 1b of Tsai).
Regarding claim 7, Lee teaches that each of the plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses is formed to have a same size (see fig. 7).
Lee does not teach that the at least one asymmetrical sub-lens is formed to have a size greater than a size of each of the plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses.
Tsai teaches that the at least one outer sub-lens is formed to have a size greater than a size of each of the plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses (see fig. 1b).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used different lengths as taught by Tsai for the outer lens of Lee to result in wider illumination zones as shown in figure 2b of Tsai for lower resolution or lower brightness areas, as is used in the prior art, see col. 6 lines 4-33 of Tsai.
Regarding claim 8, Lee teaches that at least one asymmetrical sub-lens comprises: first asymmetrical sub-lenses each connected to each of both sides of the symmetrical sub-lens portion; and second asymmetrical sub-lenses each connected to each of the first asymmetrical sub-lenses (see fig. 7, second row of g2).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Lee and Tsai teaches that each of the second asymmetrical sub-lenses is formed to have a size greater than a size of each of the first asymmetrical sub-lenses (see fig. 1b of Tsai).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Lee and Tsai teaches that the second asymmetrical sub-lenses of a greater size are connected on a respective outer side of the first asymmetrical sub-lenses of a smaller size (each outer ring of lens is larger, see fig. 1b of Tsai).
Regarding claim 18, Lee teaches a lamp for a vehicle comprising:
a light source portion including a plurality of light source elements spaced apart at equal intervals; and
an inner lens portion (200) through which light from the plurality of light source elements passes,
wherein the inner lens portion includes a plurality of individual lenses (see annotated figure 1) and a plurality of lens arrays (220),
each of the lens arrays includes a plurality of light-collecting lenses (see fig. 6, collecting diverging light), the plurality of light-collecting lenses includes a plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses (g1) having a symmetrical shape and
at least one asymmetrical sub-lens (g2) having an asymmetrical shape provided on a side portion of a symmetrical sub-lens portion including the plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses.
Lee does not specifically teach that the light source portion includes a plurality of light source elements.
Tsai teaches that the light source portion includes a plurality of light source elements (see fig. 1b).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used additional light sources as taught by Tsai to enable higher brightness and localized dimming in the structure of Lee, as is well known in the art.
The combination of Lee and Tsai teaches that an optical center of each of the plurality of light- collecting lenses is formed to be aligned with a center of each of the plurality of light source elements (see Tsai fig. 1b).
Lee and Tsai does not teach that each of the plurality of individual lenses has a larger size than each of the plurality of light-collecting lenses
Stefanov teaches that each of the plurality of individual lenses has a larger size than each of the plurality of light-collecting lenses (see abstract, see fig. 3, see fig. 15a).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used larger individual lenses as taught by Stefanov in the structure of Lee to provide different cross sections and therefore different light distribution curves and desired hot spots (see p. 0017-0019).
Regarding claim 19, Lee teaches that the optical center overlaps a virtual straight line connecting a vertex of an incident surface and a vertex of an exit surface of each of the plurality of light-collecting lenses, and the asymmetrical sub-lens has a shape asymmetrical at both sides, based on the virtual straight line(see fig. 8 of Lee).
Regarding claim 20, Lee teaches a vehicle comprising a lamp, wherein the lamp includes:
a light source portion; and
an inner lens portion (200) through which light from the plurality of light source elements passes,
wherein the inner lens portion includes a plurality of individual lenses (see annotated figure 1) and a plurality of lens arrays (220) having a structure in which a plurality of sub-lenses is connected,
each of the plurality of lens arrays includes a plurality of sub-lenses (see fig. 7, divisible into sub lenses), and
disposed to face at least a portion of the plurality of light source elements,
wherein at least one asymmetrical sub-lens (g2) having an asymmetrical shape is provided on a side portion of the lens array, wherein the plurality of sub-lenses comprises a symmetrical sub-lens portion (g1) including a plurality of symmetrical sub-lenses forming a center of the lens array, and
wherein the at least one asymmetrical sub-lens is disposed at both sides of the symmetrical sub-lens portion (see fig. 7), respectively.
Lee does not specifically teach that the light source portion includes a plurality of light source elements.
Tsai teaches that the light source portion includes a plurality of light source elements (see fig. 1b).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used additional light sources as taught by Tsai to enable higher brightness and localized dimming in the structure of Lee, as is well known in the art.
Lee and Tsai does not teach that each of the plurality of individual lenses has a larger size than each of the plurality of light-collecting lenses
Stefanov teaches that each of the plurality of individual lenses has a larger size than each of the plurality of light-collecting lenses (see abstract, see fig. 3, see fig. 15a).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used larger individual lenses as taught by Stefanov in the structure of Lee to provide different cross sections and therefore different light distribution curves and desired hot spots (see p. 0017-0019).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
The Examiner notes, in the interest of compact prosecution, that the claims are extremely broad and do not set forth structural or functional differences in the structures. E.g. the “plurality of individual lenses” has no function set forth, no differentiation from the light collecting lenses other than comparative size, and is unclear (in the claims) as to what relationship they have with the claimed invention. Such lenses may be interpreted as before or after the lens arrays, or entirely somewhere else within the scope of the “inner lens portion”.
The Examiner highly recommends including additional functional or structural details in the claims to prevent technical rejections. As written the claims are directed to a matrix of lenses with varying asymmetries.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J PEERCE whose telephone number is (571)272-6570. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4pm EST.
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, James Greece can be reached on (571) 272-3711. 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.
/Matthew J. Peerce/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights