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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/07/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 1 and its dependencies (claims 2-15) 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. The term, “axicon-like” is indefinite. The Applicant does not define was the “like” would encompass, thus further clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-2, 4-8, 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hadrath 2018/0007326 in view of Kobayashi et al. 2022/0368101.
Regarding claim 1, Hadrath discloses a lighting system (optical device 10) [050] comprising a first light generating device (laser light 16), a luminescent body (phosphor disc 12), and an a conductive element (conversion apparatus 12) [FIG 11], and an axicon-like optical element (axicon pair 40/42) [056][ FIG 11], wherein: the first light generating deice is configured to generate first device light, the first light generating device comprises one or more of a super luminescent diode and a solid state laser [015-20] [051-54]; the luminescent body comprises a luminescent material (phosphor) configured to convert t least part of the first device light into luminescent material light [41] [51-55] [63-71]; the thermally conductive element is reflective for one or more of the first device light and the luminescent material light [FIG 11-12] [51-55] [63-71]; the axicon-like optical element comprises a first part and a second part ( the area between the first and second axicon, as in the spacing between element 40 and 42; the second part being the area between axicon 42 and element 43, FIG 11], the first part has a conical shape, a first length and comprises a first end window, the second part has a cylindrical shape (the space between #42 and #34 in FIG 11), a second length and comprises a second window, wherein 0.7≤L2<1 [056-57] [060-63]; and the axicon-like optical element is configured to: (a) receive at least part of the first device light via the first part and provide an annular beam of the first device light via the second part to the luminescent body, and (b) collect at least part of the luminescent material light via the second part and provide a beam of luminescent material light via the first part [056-57] [060-63].
However, Hadrath fails to explicitly disclose the thermally conductive element is configured in thermal contact with at least part of the luminescent body.
Kobayashi discloses he thermally conductive element (phosphor layer 11) is configured in thermal contact with at least part of the luminescent body (heat dissipation member 23) [029] [044] [FIG 1-2] [FIG 16]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention as Hadrath and Kobayashi are analogous art that allows for greater head dissipation by the structure of Kobayashi.
Regarding claim 2, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hadrath implicitly discloses he second part tapers over at least part of the second length in a direction from the first part to the second end window (the axicon pair 40/42 would allow for an adjustment of the annular ring at the phosphor plane 12, where the lens arrangement 34 acts as the waveguide).
Regarding claim 4, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hadrath discloses the light generating system is configured such that part of the first device light escaping from the second end window is reflected at one or more of the thermally conductive element and the luminescent body , enters after reflection the axicon-like optical element via the second end window , and escapes, together with at least part of the luminescent material light , via the first end window from the axicon- like optical element , to provide a beam of light comprising first device light and the luminescent material light [FIG 11-12].
Regarding claim 5, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hadrath discloses the first end window has a largest first window circular cross-section (Awi); wherein the first optics comprises a dichroic mirror having an optics cross-section (Ao1), defined parallel to the largest first window circular cross-section (Awi), wherein Ao1/Aw10.5 [028].
Regarding claim 6, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 5. Hadrath discloses the first light generating device and first optics are configured to provide a beam of first device light at the first end window having a pump beam circular cross-section (Ap);wherein the first end window has a largest first window circular cross-section (Awi) as defined in claim 5, wherein Ap/Aw1≤0.8. [028].
Regarding claim 7, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hadrath discloses varying the first distance between the luminescent body and the second end window. Thus, it would have been obvious for the focal length of element 34 would be chosen (i.e. 0-0.1*L) according to the purpose of the design [FIG 11].
Regarding claim 8, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hadrath discloses the luminescent body and the second end window are configured in optical contact, wherein the luminescent body has an outer luminescent body radius (RLo) and a luminescent body inner radius (Ru), wherein the second end window (422) has a second window radius (Rw2), wherein RLo>RL and wherein 0.85 RLo/Rw2<1 [FIG 11], as it is well known in the art to match a focused pump spot to the phosphor shape for efficiency.
Regarding claim 10, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Kobayashi further discloses a heatsink [044].
Regarding claim 11, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Kobayashi further discloses the luminescent material comprises a luminescent material of the type A3B5012:Ce, wherein A comprises one or more of Y, La, Gd, Tb and Lu, and wherein B comprises one or more of Al, Ga, In and Sc [032].
Regarding claim 12, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Kobayashi further discloses the luminescent body comprises a ceramic body [038].
Regarding claim 13, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hadrath discloses the first generating device comprises a blue light emitting diode laser [030].
Regarding claim 14, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Kobayashi discloses comprising a beam combiner and a second light generating device (110A, 110B) [FIG 16-17] [102-105], wherein the second light generating device is configured to generate second device light , having a second spectral power distribution different from a first spectral power distribution of the first device light; wherein the second device light has intensity in the orange-red wavelength range; wherein the beam combiner is configured to combine the first luminescent material light downstream of the first end window and the second device light; wherein the light generating system is configured to generate system light comprising at least part of the combined first luminescent material light, the first device light, and second device light; wherein in an operational mode of the light generating system, the system light is white light[FIG 16-17] [102-105].
Regarding claim 15, Hadrath in view of Kobayashi discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Kobayashi discloses a projector device [083].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 9 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.
Regarding claim 3, none of the cited prior art discloses the first end window has a largest first window radius (Rw1), wherein the second end window has a second window radius (Rw2), wherein 0.5 RW2/RW1 0.98; and wherein 0.8<L2/L<1. Further search and consideration did not yield any references suitable for a proper 35 U.S.C. §102 or 35 U.S.C. §103 rejection.
Regarding claim 9, none of the cited prior art discloses the thermally conductive element (a) comprises an annular slit hosting at least part of the luminescent body , wherein the luminescent body has a first face directed to the second end window, side faces, and a bottom face configured farthest away from the second end window, wherein the side faces, and the bottom face are configured in thermal contact with the thermally conductive element. Further search and consideration did not yield any references suitable for a proper 35 U.S.C. §102 or 35 U.S.C. §103 rejection.
Conclusion
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/ASIFA HABIB/Examiner, Art Unit 2876
/STEVEN S PAIK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2876