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 .
Response to Amendment
The preliminary amendment filed on 7/14/2025 is acknowledged. Accordingly, claims 1-11 have been amended. Currently claims 1-11 are pending.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li Yi-Qun (US 20100027293 A1, hereinafter, “Li”).
Regarding claim 1, Li teaches a luminaire (light emitting panel 520, LEDs 522 and heat sink 224, see figures 1-5 and figures 6-11 to show common elements and features to all embodiments), comprising
a light emitting diode, LED, panel (522, 224) comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, LEDs (522), arranged to emit light (as expected from an LED),
a light-diffusing layer (520, see fig 5) arranged on the LED panel (522, 224) and configured to diffuse (better seen in fig 2b) at least a part of the emitted light (light emitted by 522), and
a coating (features 525, better seen in fig 4 or 5) arranged in a pattern (see pattern formed by 525s in fig 5) on the light-diffusing layer (520), wherein the coating (525) is a transparent index-matching coating (as 525s have a refractive index that is similar to or lower than the light guiding medium, see ¶ 18 and 74) having a refractive index that corresponds to a refractive index of the light-diffusing layer (520).
Regarding claim 2, Li teaches wherein the coating (525) comprises one of a foil, a paint, and a print (ink jet printing, see ¶ 74).
Regarding claim 3, Li teaches wherein the light-diffusing layer (520) is arranged on the LED panel (522, 224) via lamination (as clearly seen in fig 2a).
Regarding claim 4, Li teaches wherein the pattern (see pattern formed by 525s) of the coating (525) comprises a plurality of stripes (see stripes arranged in front of each 522) arranged in parallel (as clearly seen in fig 5).
Regarding claim 6, Li teaches further comprising a mixing chamber (hemispherical (dish-shaped) indentation 232, see fig 2c) arranged between the LED panel (522, 224) and the light-diffusing layer (520), wherein the mixing chamber (200) is arranged to mix at least a part of the emitted light (as expected from empty spaces between light emitter and optics).
Regarding claim 7, Li teaches a method of producing a luminaire (light emitting panel 520, LEDs 522 and heat sink 224, see figures 1-5 and figures 6-11 to show common elements and features to all embodiments), comprising the steps of:
providing a light emitting diode, LED, panel (522, 224) comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, LEDs (522), arranged to emit light (as expected from an LED),
providing a light-diffusing layer (520) on the LED panel (522, 224), wherein the light- diffusing layer (520) is configured to diffuse (better seen in fig 2b) at least a part of the emitted light (light emitted by 522s), and
providing a coating (525) in a pattern on the light-diffusing layer (520), wherein the coating (525) is a transparent index-matching coating (as 525s have a refractive index that is similar to or lower than the light guiding medium, see ¶ 18 and 74) having a refractive index that corresponds to a refractive index of the light-diffusing layer (520).
Regarding claim 8, Li teaches wherein the step of providing the coating (525) comprises one of printing (ink jet printing, see ¶ 74) and painting the coating (525) on the light-diffusing layer (520).
Regarding claim 9, Li teaches wherein the step of providing the light-diffusing layer (520) on the LED panel (522, 224) comprises laminating (better seen in fig 2b) the light-diffusing layer (520) on the LED panel (522, 224).
Regarding claim 10, Li teaches wherein the step of providing the coating (525) comprises providing the pattern in a plurality of stripes (see stripes arranged in front of each 522) arranged in parallel (as clearly seen in 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 5 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li Yi-Qun (US 20100027293 A1, hereinafter, “Li”).
Regarding claim 5, Li teaches wherein the coating (525) covers a percentage of an area, AT (area of 520), of the light-diffusing layer (520); but
Li does not explicitly teach wherein the percentage is 10-40%.
However, one of ordinary skill would have recognized Li shows in variations of figures 5-8, see ¶ 57, the amount of coverage clearly encompasses at least a 10% or more, and this is because the quantity per unit area of feature is selected by the user (see ¶ 56).
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to coat 10%-14% of the light-diffusing layer area of Li, since the applicant has not disclosed that a specific covering percentage solves any problem or is for a particular reason. It appears that the claimed invention would perform equally well with a percentage of 10%-40%. In this case, selecting a given percentage of coating coverage would have flown naturally to one of ordinary skill in the art as necessitated by the specific requirements of a given application, such as producing a desired colored light.
Regarding claim 11, Li teaches wherein the step of providing the coating (525) comprises covering a percentage of an area, AT (area of 520), of the light-diffusing layer (520) with the coating (525).
Li does not explicitly teach wherein the percentage is 10-40%.
However, one of ordinary skill would have recognized Li shows in variations of figures 5-8, see ¶ 57, the amount of coverage clearly encompasses at least a 10% or more, and this is because the quantity per unit area of feature is selected by the user (see ¶ 56).
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to coat 10%-14% of the light-diffusing layer area of Li, since the applicant has not disclosed that a specific covering percentage solves any problem or is for a particular reason. It appears that the claimed invention would perform equally well with a percentage of 10%-40%. In this case, selecting a given percentage of coating coverage would have flown naturally to one of ordinary skill in the art as necessitated by the specific requirements of a given application, such as producing a desired colored light.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Baur Michael. (US 20080212189 A1) discloses a luminaire having light sources illuminating a light diffusing layer. The light diffusing layer comprises an optical coating adhesive with reflective elements that is substantially similar to the refractive index of the light diffusion layer. The coating provides the visible contrast between the light incident at the mirror reflector and the light incident at the indicia reflector, thus facilitating a marked, highly visible and definite indicia that is readily discernible and viewable by a person viewing the mirror assembly, and hence avoiding unduly detracting from or interfering with the functionality of the reflective unit.
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/OMAR ROJAS CADIMA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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