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 6/17/2025 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 6/17/2025 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 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Koito (JPH0729404) (see IDS filed 6/17/2025).
Claim 1: Koito discloses a luminous module for an automotive vehicle, the luminous module (6, 7, figs. 1-4) comprising: a luminous unit (6, 7) including: at least one light source (6, fig. 1) configured to emit light rays (see figs. 3b, 4b), at least one collector (7, fig. 1) associated with the at least one light source (6), an optical projection element (2, fig. 1) having an optical axis (L, fig. 1), the collector (7) being configured to collect and direct the light rays (see figs. 3b, 4b) emitted by the at least one light source (6) toward the optical projection element (2), the optical projection element (2) being configured to project the light rays toward the outside of the vehicle to form a light beam (see figs. 3b, 4b), a support (1a, 3, 5, fig. 1) on which the optical projection element (2) is fixedly mounted; two connection elements (11, fig. 3a) each connected on the one hand to the luminous unit (6, 7) and on the other hand to the support (1a, 3, 5), each connection element (11) being configured and articulated in such a way as to allow a first movement of the luminous unit (6, 7) relative to the optical projection element (2), the first movement allowing the light beam (see fig. 3b, 4b) to be moved in a first direction (horizontal direction, figs. 3a, 4a) orthogonal to the optical axis (L) of the optical projection element (2).
Claim 11: Koito discloses a luminous device (100; 100') for an automotive vehicle, comprising a housing (1, fig. 5) having a recess (recess of 1 receiving 20, fig. 5) and a luminous module (20, fig. 5), the luminous module (20) being arranged in the recess (see fig. 5) and includes a luminous unit (6, 7, figs. 1-5) including at least one light source (6) configured to emit light rays (see figs. 3b, 4b), at least one collector (7, fig. 1) associated with the at least one light source (6), an optical projection element (2, fig. 1), the optical projection element (2) being configured to project the light rays toward the outside of the vehicle to form a light beam (see fig. 3b, 4b), a support (1a, 3, 5, fig. 1) on which the optical projection element (2) is fixedly mounted, and two connection elements (11, fig. 3a) each connected on the one hand to the luminous unit (6, 7) and on the other hand to the support (1a, 3, 5), each connection element (11) being configured and articulated in such a way as to allow a first movement of the luminous unit (6, 7) relative to the optical projection element (2), the first movement allowing the light beam (see fig. 3b, 4b) to be moved in a first direction (horizontal direction, figs. 3a, 4a) orthogonal to the optical axis (L) of the optical projection element (2).
Claim 12: Koito discloses the support (1a, 3, 5) of the luminous module (20_ is formed by a portion of the housing (1) or a part rigidly secured to the housing (see fig. 5).
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) 10 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koito (JPH0729404) in view of Arai (US 2017/0284620).
Claim 10: Koito discloses at least one additional connection element (1a, fig. 1) arranged between the collector (7) and between the two connection elements (11, fig. 1), referred to as lateral connection elements (see fig. 3a, 4a), in the first orthogonal direction (see fig. 1), the additional connection element (1a) extending longitudinally (see fig. 1) between the luminous unit (6, 7) and the optical projection element (2), and being configured and articulated in such a way as to allow the first movement of the luminous unit (6, 7) relative to the optical projection element (2) (see figs. 3a, 4a), or the first and second movement of the luminous unit relative to the optical projection element (see figs. 3a, 4a).
However, Koito fails to teach the luminous unit comprises at least two collectors, at least one light source associated with each collector, and at least one additional connection element arranged between the two collectors collector.
Arai teaches the luminous unit comprises at least two collectors (44A,B,C, fig. 1), at least one light source (42, fig. 1) associated with each collector (44A,B,C).
Therefore, in view of Koito, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add at least two collectors to the luminous unit of Koito and at least one light source associated with each collector and the at least one additional connection element arranged between the two collectors collector, in order to increase the brightness of the luminous module.
Claim 13: Koito discloses the housing (1) comprises an opening (opening which 2 sticks through, fig. 5) arranged in front of the recess (see fig. 5).
However, Koito fails to teach the optical projection element closing off the opening of the housing.
Tseng teaches the optical projection element (14, fig. 1) closing off the opening of the housing (opening of 10, fig. 1).
Therefore, in view of Tseng, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to close off the opening of the housing of Koito with the optical projection element as taught by Tseng, in order to improve light output by prevent light leaking from the sides.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 2-9 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 each connection element comprises a central portion, a front portion and a rear portion, the central portion and the rear portion being articulated by a rear pivot connection with an axis orthogonal to the optical axis and to the first orthogonal direction, and the central portion and the front portion being articulated by a front pivot connection with an axis orthogonal to the optical axis and to the first orthogonal direction with respect to claim(s) 2, the first movement of the luminous unit is intended to be activated by a primary actuator, the luminous unit being configured to be connected to the primary actuator by an annular linear connection with an axis perpendicular to the first orthogonal direction and to the optical axis with respect to claim(s) 5, each connection element is configured and articulated in such a way as to allow a second movement of the luminous unit relative to the optical projection element, the second movement allowing the light beam to be moved in a second direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the optical projection element, and orthogonal to the first orthogonal direction with respect to claim(s) 6, as specifically called for in the claimed combinations.
Claim(s) 3-4 and 7-9 is/are dependent upon claim(s) 2 and 6 is/are therefore allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sugimoto et al. (US 5,993,033), Oshima (WO 2015004905), and Oshima (WO 2016189907) disclose a similar luminous module.
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.
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.
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.
/ZHENG SONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights