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 .
The preliminary amendment filed 3/05/2025 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 3/05/2025 and 5/19/2026 is/are being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bauer et al. (US 2015/0023045) (hereinafter Bauer).
Claim 1: Bauer discloses a lighting module comprising: an optical axis (see fig. 1); at least one luminous source (1, fig. 1) that is able to emit light rays (S1, S2, fig. 1) along a main illumination axis (see fig. 1) that is directed upward when the lighting module is in an operational position (see fig. 1); a collector (2, fig. 1) with at least one reflective surface (surface of 2, fig. 1) configured to collect and reflect the light rays (S1, S2) emitted by the at least one luminous source as a light beam reflected along the optical axis (see fig. 1); a projection optic (3, fig. 1) projecting the reflected light beam as a projected light beam (see fig. 1); wherein the at least one reflective surface (surface of S2, fig. 1) is configured so that the reflected light beam illuminates an entry face (left face of 3, fig. 1) of the projection optic as far as an upper edge (upper edge of 3, fig. 1) and/or a lower edge of the entry face, and the projection optic (3) includes a focal point (F2, fig. 1) situated, along the optical axis (see fig. 1), to the rear of the at least one reflective surface (surface of 2).
Claim 3: Bauer discloses the at least one reflective surface (surface of 2, fig. 1) has a hyperbolic profile (see fig. 1) in a vertical plane defined by the optical axis and the main illumination axis (see fig. 1), with a first focal point (F1, fig. 1) situated at the at least one luminous source (1, fig. 1) and a second focal point (F2, fig. 1), which is a virtual focal point situated to the rear of the collector (F2 located to rear of 2, fig. 1).
Claim 4: Bauer discloses the second focal point (F2, fig. 1) of the at least one reflective surface (surface of 2, fig. 1) is situated at a distance (distance between F1 and F2), along the optical axis, from the first focal point (F1) of the at least one reflective surf ace (surface of 2), that is greater than or equal to a distance, along the optical axis, between the first focal point and the entry face of the projection optic (distance between F1 and F2 is greater than distance between F1 and left surface of 3, fig. 1).
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.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bauer et al. (US 2015/0023045).
Claim 7: Bauer teaches the projection optic has a vertical optical power and a horizontal optical power (the vertical and horizontal optical power are implicit in the optic) However, Bauer fails to teach the horizontal optical power that is zero or that is less than the vertical optical power.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to change the power of the projection optic where the horizontal optical power that is zero or that is less than the vertical optical power, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim(s) 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bauer et al. (US 2015/0023045) in view of Aizawa et al. (US 2019/0092220) (hereinafter Aizawa).
Claim 8: Bauer teaches a lighting device for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a second lighting module (see fig. 1) with the first beam of light, at least partially forms a lighting function of the high-beam type; wherein the second module includes an optical axis (see fig. 1); at least one luminous source (1, fig. 1) that is able to emit light rays (S1, S2, fig. 1) along a main illumination axis (see fig. 1) that is directed upward when the lighting module is in an operational position (see fig. 1); a collector (2, fig. 1) with at least one reflective surface (surface of 2, fig. 1) configured to collect and reflect the light rays (S1, S2) emitted by the at least one luminous source as a light beam reflected along the optical axis (see fig. 1);a projection optic (3, fig. 1) projecting the reflected light beam as a projected light beam (see fig. 1); wherein the at least one reflective surface (surface of S2, fig. 1) is configured so that the reflected light beam illuminates an entry face (left face of 3, fig. 1) of the projection optic as far as an upper edge (upper edge of 3, fig. 1) and/or a lower edge of the entry face, and the projection optic (3) includes a focal point (F2, fig. 1) situated, along the optical axis (see fig. 1), to the rear of the at least one reflective surface (surface of 2).
However, Bauer fails to teach a first lighting module configured to project a first beam of light with an upper horizontal cutoff, for example for a function of the low-beam type; and a second lighting module configured to project a second beam of light which, with the first beam of light, at least partially forms a lighting function of the high-beam type.
Aizawa teaches a first lighting module (20A, fig. 1) configured to project a first beam of light with an upper horizontal cutoff, for example for a function of the low-beam type (low beam, see para [0035]); and a second lighting module (20B, fig. 1) configured to project a second beam of light which, with the first beam of light, at least partially forms a lighting function of the high-beam type (high beam, see para [0041]).
Therefore, in view of Aizawa, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a first lighting module configured to project a first beam of light with an upper horizontal cutoff, for example for a function of the low-beam type; and a second lighting module configured to project a second beam of light which, with the first beam of light, at least partially forms a lighting function of the high-beam type, in order to provide additional lighting types for the automotive vehicle.
Claim 9: Bauer fails to teach the first lighting module includes at least one luminous source arranged on a mounting plate and a collector having at least one reflective surface configured to collect and reflect light rays emitted by the at least one luminous source as a first reflected beam; the at least one luminous source of the second lighting module being arranged on the mounting and directed in the same direction as the at least one source of the first lighting module.
Aizawa teaches the first lighting module (20A) includes at least one luminous source (24 of 20A, fig. 2) arranged on a mounting plate (30, fig. 2) and a collector (26 of 20A, fig. 2) having at least one reflective surface (surface of 26) configured to collect and reflect light rays emitted by the at least one luminous source as a first reflected beam (see fig. 2); the at least one luminous source (24 of 20B, fig. 2) of the second lighting module (20B) being arranged on the mounting plate (30) and directed in the same direction as the at least one source of the first lighting module (see figs. 1-3).
Therefore, in view of Aizawa, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a first lighting module and a second lighting module where the first lighting module includes at least one luminous source arranged on a mounting plate and a collector having at least one reflective surface configured to collect and reflect light rays emitted by the at least one luminous source as a first reflected beam; the at least one luminous source of the second lighting module being arranged on the mounting and directed in the same direction as the at least one source of the first lighting module, in order to provide additional lighting types for the automotive vehicle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 2 and 5-6 is/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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art taken as a whole does not show nor suggest the light rays reflected by a front part of the at least one reflective surface along the optical axis reach a zone on the entry face that is adjacent to the upper edge and the light rays reflected by a rear part of the at least one reflective surface along the optical axis reach a zone on the entry face that is adjacent to the lower edge with respect to claim(s) 2, the at least one reflective surface has an elliptical profile, with a first focal point situated at the at least one luminous source and a second focal point situated in front of the projection optic with respect to claim(s) 5, as specifically called for in the claimed combinations.
Claim(s) 6 is/are dependent upon claim(s) 5 and is/are therefore allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kanai (US 2009/0310377), Potter (US 2022/0170606), Ohashi et al. (US 2021/0231279), Nishi (US 2019/0093873) all disclose a similar automotive headlamp.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENG B SONG whose telephone number is (571)272-9402. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9AM - 5PM.
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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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/ZHENG SONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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