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 .
This Office Action is a response to Applicant's Amendment filed on 4/2/25. By virtue of this amendment, claims 1-15 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/2/25 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 &1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeswani et al (US Pub.No:2022/0120423).
With respect to claim 1, Jeswani et al disclose recessed lighting device (paragraphs [6,27)), comprising: a light module (light fixtures, paragraph [30]) configured to emit a light; a capacitive touch trim element (user interface (49) which includes touch screen or capacitive touchscreen, paragraph [62]); and a controller (200) configured to change a correlated color temperature (CCT) of the light
from a first CCT value to a second CCT value based on one or more capacitive touches of the capacitive touch trim element by a user (49), wherein, after the recessed and the lighting device is installed in a ceiling. Paragraphs [50-72].
Jeswani et al do not explicitly disclose, the capacitive touch trim element is exposed to view and
accessible to touch from below the ceiling, wherein the one or more capacitive touches is detectable along a surface of capacitive touch trim element from below the ceiling after install without removing a component of the lighting device.
However, Jeswani et al do explicitly disclose the controller (200) as shown in figure 4, which includes the user interacts with graphic user interface 49 of the control device 200 is through the touch screen by touching pictures, icons, words or any selectable image/feature that is displayed on the screen. The touchscreen may be provided by a resistive touchscreen, a surface acoustic wave touchscreen, a capacitive touchscreen or a combination thereof. Any screen that can display the graphic user interface 49 and receiving commands through touch gestures, e.g., finger touch or stylus touch, is suitable for use with the methods, systems and computer program. Paragraph [62].
This difference is no of patentable merit since the controller (200) which include a touch screen by user can be operated with the same capacitive touches is detectable along a surface of capacitive touch trim element from below the ceiling after install without removing a component of the lighting device. Therefore, to employ the controller of Jeswani et al to control the light device for a particular environment or a desired application would have been deemed obvious to a person skilled in the art.
With respect to claim 2, Jeswani et al disclose wherein the controller(200) is configured to enter an adjustment mode in response to one or more capacitive touches of the capacitive touch trim element (paragraph [62]) lasting longer than a time duration and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the CCT of the light after entering the adjustment mode(paragraph [70]), wherein the controller (200) does not adjust the CCT of the light in response to one or more capacitive touches received prior to entering the adjustment mode.
With respect to claim 3, Jeswani et al disclose wherein the controller(200) is configured to enter an adjustment mode in response to a sequence of capacitive touches of the capacitive touch trim element being detected by the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the CCT of the light after entering the adjustment mode; wherein the controller does not adjust the CCT of the light in response to one or more capacitive touches received prior to entering the adjustment mode. Paragraphs [62, 70]).
With respect to claim 4, Jeswani et al disclose wherein the capacitive touch trim element includes a nonconductive portion.
With respect to claim 5, Jeswani et al disclose wherein the capacitive touch trim element includes the housing of the light module. Figure 4.
With respect to claim 6, Jeswani et al disclose, wherein the controller (200) is configured to adjust the CCT of the light to a default value upon entering the adjustment mode and before adjusting the CCT of the light based on one or more subsequent capacitive touches of the capacitive touch trim element. Paragraphs [68-72].
With respect to claim 7, Jeswani et al disclose, wherein the controller(200) is configured to adjust, upon entering the adjustment mode, a brightness of the light to a brightness level that is less than or same as a threshold brightness level. Paragraphs [68-72].
With respect to claim 8, Jeswani et al disclose, wherein the controller is configured to change the CCT of the light from the first CCT value (CCT1) to the second CCT value (CCT2) upon a capacitive touch of the capacitive touch trim element and wherein a duration of the capacitive touch is less than a threshold time period. Paragraphs [68-72].
With respect to claim 9, Jeswani et al disclose wherein the controller (200) is remotely located from the light module and capacitive touch trim element.
With respect to claim 10, Jeswani et al disclose wherein the controller(200) is connected to the housing via at least one wire (figure 4), wherein when a person touches the capacitive touch trim element, a signal is detectable from the capacitive touch trim element to the housing and sent via the at least one wire to the controller(200), wherein the controller (200) interprets the signal to either enter an adjustment mode or cause an adjustment to the CCT of the light emitted by the recessed lighting device. Paragraphs [68-72].
With respect to claim 11, Jeswani et al disclose, wherein the controller is included as part of a driver of the recessed lighting device. Figures 1-4.
With respect to claim 12, Jeswani et al disclose a method of controlling a correlated color temperature (CCT) of a light emitted by a recessed lighting device (figures 1-4), the method comprising:
controlling, by a controller (200), a light module of the recessed lighting device to emit
the light; receiving, by the controller (200), one or more user inputs (49) provided as one or more capacitive touches of a capacitive touch trim element (touch screen, paragraph [62]); and adjusting, by the controller (200), the CCT of the light from a first CCT value (CCT1) to a second CCT value (CCT2) based on the one or more capacitive touches, wherein, after the recessed lighting device is installed in a ceiling.
Jeswani et al do not explicitly disclose, the capacitive touch trim element is exposed to view and
accessible to touch from below the ceiling, wherein the one or more capacitive touches is detectable along a surface of capacitive touch trim element from below the ceiling after install without removing a component of the lighting device.
However, Jeswani et al do explicitly disclose the controller (200) as shown in figure 4, which includes the user interacts with graphic user interface 49 of the control device 200 is through the touch screen by touching pictures, icons, words or any selectable image/feature that is displayed on the screen. The touchscreen may be provided by a resistive touchscreen, a surface acoustic wave touchscreen, a capacitive touchscreen or a combination thereof. Any screen that can display the graphic user interface 49 and receiving commands through touch gestures, e.g., finger touch or stylus touch, is suitable for use with the methods, systems and computer program. Paragraph [62].
This difference is no of patentable merit since the controller (200) which include a touch screen by user can be operated with the same capacitive touches is detectable along a surface of capacitive touch trim element from below the ceiling after install without removing a component of the lighting device. Therefore, to employ the controller of Jeswani et al to control the light device for a particular environment or a desired application would have been deemed obvious to a person skilled in the art.
With respect to claim 13, Jeswani et al disclose further comprising entering (figure 4), by the
controller (200), an adjustment mode in response to second one or more capacitive touches of the
capacitive touch trim element before adjusting the CCT of the light based on the one or
more capacitive touches. Paragraph [62].
With respect to claim 14, Jeswani et al disclose further comprising adjusting, upon entering the
adjustment mode, a brightness of the light to a brightness level that is less than or same as a threshold brightness level to reduce a glare of the light during an assessment of the CCT of the light. Paragraphs [68-72])
With respect to claim 15, Jeswani et al disclose further comprising entering, by the controller (200), a status mode in response to a second one or more capacitive touches of the capacitive touch trim element (touch screen, paragraph [62]), wherein the controller (200) causes the light emitted by the lighting device to indicate the status of a battery electrically connected to the lighting device. . Paragraphs [68-72]).
Citation of pertinent prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants' disclosure. See prior arts/references listed on the PTO-892 form attached.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Minh Tran whose telephone number is (571)272-1817. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taningco Alexander H can be reached on 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Minh Tran/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights