Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 19/155,575

A LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR ILLUMINATING AN AGRIBULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Aug 12, 2025
Priority
Feb 13, 2023 — provisional 63/445,109 +2 more
Examiner
GYLLSTROM, BRYON T
Art Unit
2875
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Signify Holding B.V.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
68%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
12m
Est. Remaining
75%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 68% — above average
68%
Career Allowance Rate
605 granted / 892 resolved
At TC average
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+7.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
18 currently pending
Career history
917
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
§103
58.1%
+18.1% vs TC avg
§102
26.1%
-13.9% vs TC avg
§112
8.1%
-31.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 892 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/12/25 has been considered by the examiner. Specification The title of the invention contains a typographical error. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. 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 1-11, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kraayenbrink [US 11439126]. As to claim 1, Kraayenbrink discloses a lighting system for illuminating an agricultural environment [10, figure 1a], wherein the lighting system comprises: a first lighting unit configured to illuminate the agricultural environment with a first light having a first light characteristic [first laser diode 20, figure 1a]; a second lighting unit configured to project at least one dynamic light beam [second laser diode 20], wherein each dynamic light beam has a narrow beam divergence [see column 3, lines 48-60] and creates a moving light spot within the agricultural environment [see laser beam spot on floor, 21, figure 1a]; a controller for controlling the second lighting unit [24, figure 1a], wherein the controller is configured to: (i) obtain a signal indicative of the first light characteristic of the first light, (ii) determine a second light characteristic substantially different from the first light characteristic in response to the signal; (iii) control the second lighting unit to project the at least one dynamic light beam with said second light characteristic [see figure 3]; wherein the first light characteristic comprises a first light spectrum [see column 63, line 52 – column 64, line 21]; wherein the second light characteristic comprises a second light spectrum [see column 63, line 52 – column 64, line 21]; wherein a wavelength of at least one a dominant peak of the second light spectrum is at least 30 nm different from a wavelength of at least one dominant peak of the first light spectrum [see column 63, line 52 – column 64, line 21]. Kraayenbrink fails to explicitly disclose wherein the second lighting unit has a spread of less than 15 degrees. Examiner notes that Kraayenbrink recites that the second light source is a spotlight [see column 3, lines 48-60]. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to configure the light beam spread as claimed, in order to provide a directed light source spotlight as mentioned, and further because configuring such a light source to have such a narrow beam spread would have flown to one having ordinary art based on the height of the light source and the area of the floor desired to be illuminated [see column 67, lines 55-63] As to claim 2, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the second lighting unit to project the at least one dynamic light beam according to a predefined and/or specific movement pattern; wherein said predefined movement pattern is a pathway from a first region of the agricultural environment to a second region of the agricultural environment [see figure 2]. As to claim 3, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the second lighting unit to project the at least one dynamic light beam according to a random movement pattern or a pseudorandom movement pattern [see figure 2, column 66, line 59]. As to claim 4, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 1any one of the preceding-claims, wherein the first light characteristic comprises a first light color, wherein the second light characteristic comprises a second light color substantially different from the first light color[see column 63, line 52 – column 64, line 21]. As to claim 5, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to wirelessly receive the signal indicative of the first light characteristic of the first light, and to obtain the first lighting characteristic from said signal [see column 65, line 59]. As to claim 6, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 4, wherein the second light color and the first light color are complementary light colors [see column 63, line 52 – column 64, line 21]. As to claim 7, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the first light characteristic comprises a first light intensity, wherein the second light characteristic comprises a second light intensity, wherein the second light intensity is higher than the first light intensity [see column 67, line 39]. As to claim 8, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the first lighting unit is configured to determine the first light characteristic and convey the signal indicative of the first light characteristic of the first light to the controller [see figure 3]1. As to claim 9, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the first light is a light recipe for rearing animals, preferably for rearing poultry [see abstract]. As to claim 10, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 1any one of the preceding-claims, wherein the second lighting unit comprises a laser, LED spotlight, or a high-etendue spotlight [laser 20, figure 1a]. As to claim 11, Kraayenbrink discloses the lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the second lighting unit comprise the controller [24, figure 1a]. As to claim 13, Kraayenbrink discloses a method of illuminating an agricultural environment [see figure 1], wherein the method comprises: a first lighting unit illuminating the agricultural environment with a first light having a first light characteristic [first laser diode 20]; a second lighting unit projecting at least one dynamic light beam [second laser diode 20], wherein each dynamic light beam has a narrow beam divergence [see column 3, lines 48-60] and creates a moving light spot within the agricultural environment [see laser beam spot on floor, 21, figure 1a]; a controller (i) obtaining a signal indicative of the first light characteristic of the first light, (ii) determining a second light characteristic substantially different from the first light characteristic in response to the signal, (iii) controlling the second lighting unit to project the at least one dynamic beam with said second light characteristic [see figure 3]; wherein the first light characteristic comprises a first light spectrum [see column 63, line 52 – column 64, line 21]; wherein the second light characteristic comprises a second light spectrum [see column 63, line 52 – column 64, line 21]; wherein a wavelength of at least one a dominant peak of the second light spectrum is at least 30 nm different from a wavelength of at least one dominant peak of the first light spectrum [see column 63, line 52 – column 64, line 21]. Kraayenbrink fails to explicitly disclose wherein the second lighting unit has a spread of less than 15 degrees. Examiner notes that Kraayenbrink recites that the second light source is a spotlight [see column 3, lines 48-60]. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to configure the light beam spread as claimed, in order to provide a directed light source spotlight as mentioned, and further because configuring such a light source to have such a narrow beam spread would have flown to one having ordinary art based on the height of the light source and the area of the floor desired to be illuminated [see column 67, lines 55-63]. As to claim 14, Kraayenbrink discloses a poultry coop comprising: the lighting system according to claim 1 and a poultry enclosure configured to enclose poultry, wherein the at least one dynamic light beam projected by the second lighting unit of the lighting system creates at least one respective light spot within the poultry enclosure [see figure 1a, figure 2, figure 5]. As to claim 15, Kraayenbrink discloses a luminaire for projecting at least one light beam within an agricultural environment that is being illuminated with a first light having a first light characteristic [see figure 1a]; wherein the luminaire comprises a luminaire housing [12], a lighting unit [22], and a controller [24]; wherein the luminaire housing comprises the lighting unit and the controller [see figure 1a]; wherein the lighting unit is configured to project at least one dynamic light beam [see column 3, lines 48-60], wherein each dynamic light beam has a narrow beam divergence [see column 3, line 48-60] and creates a moving light spot within the agricultural environment; wherein the controller is configured to: (i) obtain a signal indicative of the first light characteristic of the first light, (ii) determine a second light characteristic substantially different from the first light characteristic in response to the signal; (iii) control the lighting unit to project the at least one dynamic light beam with said second light characteristic [see figure 3]; wherein the first light characteristic comprises a first light spectrum [see column 67, lines 55-63]; wherein the second light characteristic comprises a second light spectrum [see column 67, lines 55-63]; wherein a wavelength of at least one a dominant peak of the second light spectrum is at least 30 nm different from a wavelength of at least one dominant peak of the first light spectrum [see column 67, lines 55-63]. Allowable Subject Matter Claim 12 is 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: claim 12 recite the details wherein the first light characteristic comprises a first light polarization, wherein the second light characteristic comprises a second light polarization substantially different from the first light polarization. Such features are not taught or disclosed by the prior art of record, in combination with other claimed elements and limitations. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Grajear [see PTO-892 for references], Stephan, Grajcar, Ashdown, De Samber, De Samber, Leirs, and Stephan teach alternative embodiments of light sources for living beings which are dynamically controlled. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRYON GYLLSTROM whose telephone number is (571)270-1498. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6. 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 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. /BRYON T GYLLSTROM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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Prosecution Timeline

Aug 12, 2025
Application Filed
Jun 23, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
68%
Grant Probability
75%
With Interview (+7.5%)
2y 1m (~12m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 892 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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