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 .
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendments filed 3/3/2025 and 4/3/2025 have been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 3/3/2025 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
In this case, while machine translations of the CN 206449528 and JP 2010009886 were provided, no copies of these foreign references themselves in their originally published languages have been provided. Additionally, while the front page of the CN 201496910 reference was provided (specifically, attached to the copy of the cited CN 202253465 reference), the rest of the publication of the CN 201496910 reference has not been provided.
The information disclosure statement filed 3/3/2025 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(3)(i) because it does not include a concise explanation of the relevance, as it is presently understood by the individual designated in 37 CFR 1.56(c) most knowledgeable about the content of the information, of each reference listed that is not in the English language. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
In this case, no English language Abstract, translation, or other explanation of relevance has been provided for the cited CN 202253465, CN 201496910, and CN 215831769 references.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 2, the limitations “a first set of one/two or more coupling elements” and “a second set of one/two or more coupling elements” in lines 1-3 of the claim render the claim indefinite since it is unclear if the first and second sets of coupling elements are intended to be treated as alternative broader and narrower sets of one or more coupling elements or sets of two or more coupling elements, rendering the scope of the claim unascertainable.
A broad range or limitation together with a narrow range or limitation that falls within the broad range or limitation (in the same claim) may be considered indefinite if the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). In the present instance, Claim 2 recites the broad recitation “a first set of one or more coupling elements” and “a second set of one or more coupling elements”, and the claim also recites “a first set of two or more coupling elements” and “a second set of two or more coupling elements” which is the narrower statement of the range/limitation. The claim(s) are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
For the purpose of examination, the Examiner has treated Claim 2 as requiring only the broader recitation of a first set of one or more coupling elements and a second set of one or more coupling elements, and so the Examiner respectfully suggests amending it to be --a first set of one one
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the remainder of the lighting panel" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The Examine respectfully suggests amending it to be --a
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-6, and 8-14 are allowed.
Claims 2 and 7 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, the Prior Art taken as a whole fails to specifically disclose or suggest, in combination, “A lighting system comprising a plurality of power tracks lying in a first plane, each power track being formed from a rigid material and carrying one or more power lines for carrying power and comprising an upper surface configured for suspension of the power track from a ceiling; and one or more lighting panels for emitting light, each lighting panel being mechanically coupled to a respective set of power tracks, comprising at least two of the plurality of power tracks, to thereby be structurally supported by the respective set of power tracks; and configured to draw power from the one or more of the power lines, wherein each power track comprises a housing defining a cavity having an interior surface of a wall facing the cavity and having an opening facing in a direction away from the upper surface of the power track, wherein the one or more power lines are carried on the interior surface within the cavity of the housing, the cavity of the housing and the one or more power lines being configured for the placement and powering of an electrical device, each power track comprises electrical contacts on the upper surface, the upper surface being configured for facing the ceiling and mechanically coupling to the lighting panel, and the electrical contacts being configured, for electrically coupling to the lighting panel; and each lighting panel is configured to rest upon the upper surface of each power track of the respective set of power tracks to thereby mechanically couple the lighting panel to the respective set of power tracks” (emphasis added).
The closest Prior Art, Bergman et al. (WO 2014/135556, previously listed on the IDS filed 3/3/2025), lacks the teaching of a set of power lines provided on an interior surface of a cavity of a housing of each power track which includes an opening of the cavity facing away from the upper surface of the power track (i.e., downward), and additionally that the upper surface of each power track comprises electrical contacts which face the ceiling and mechanically and electrically couple to the lighting panel, as required by Claim 1. Further, while Cok (US 2006/0285361, previously listed on the IDS filed 3/3/2025) teaches the upper surface of each power track comprises electrical contacts which face the ceiling and mechanically and electrically couple to a lighting panel, Cok lacks the teaching of the cavity of a housing of each power track whose interior surface carries the power lines being a cavity having an opening which faces away from the upper surface of the power track, as required by Claim 1.
Accordingly, although lighting systems are known, as evidenced by the Prior Art already of record, no Prior Art was found teaching individually, or suggesting in combination, all the features of Applicant’s invention, in particular the above limitations in combination with the remaining features of the claim, and there would be no motivation, absent the Applicant’s won disclosure, to modify the references in the manner distinctly and specifically called for in the combination as claimed in Claim 1.
Claims 2-14 depend on Claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Vissenberg et al. (US 2024/0410538) and Van Bommel et al. (US 2024/0384844) all disclose lighting systems comprising a plurality of power tracks lying in a first plane, formed of a rigid material and carrying one or more power lines for carrying power and comprising an upper surface configured for suspension of the power track from a ceiling; and one or more lighting panels electrically and mechanically coupled to at least two of the power tracks by resting on the upper surface of each power track. Hierzer (US 2022/0307662) discloses a lighting system comprising a plurality of power tracks lying in a first plane, formed of a rigid material and carrying one or more power lines for carrying power and comprising an upper surface configured for suspension of the power track from a ceiling, each of the power tracks comprising a housing defining a cavity having an interior surface of a wall facing the cavity and having an opening facing in a direction away from the upper surface of the power track, wherein the one or more power lines are carried on the interior surface within the cavity of the housing, the cavity of the housing and one or more power lines being configured for the placement and powering of an electrical device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM N HARRIS whose telephone number is (571)272-3609. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8:00AM- 5:00PM EST, Alternate Fridays.
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, Jong-Suk (James) Lee can be reached at 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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/WILLIAM N HARRIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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