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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 7, 9-11 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Document 1, WO 2017/164328 Al (see form PCT/ISA/237 and IDS submitted).
Regarding claim 1, Document 1, WO 2017/164328 Al, discloses a lighting fixture unit and a vehicle lighting fixture provided with the lighting fixture unit, the lighting fixture unit comprising: one light-emitting unit [laser chip 212] that emits light; a condensing lens [condensing lens 213] that condenses light from the light-emitting unit; a light-shielding member [light-shielding member 230] having a slit [opening 232] that allows light condensed by the condensing lens to pass therethrough; and a projection lens [projection lens 220] that forms an irradiation pattern by projecting light that has passed through the light-shielding member, the center of the light-emitting unit in the vertical direction being disposed above the projection lens optical axis [optical axis Ax], and the slit being disposed so as to extend upward from the projection lens optical axis (see paragraphs [0077]-[0083], figures 13-14).
Regarding claim 2, Document 1, WO 2017/164328 Al, describes a lighting fixture unit, wherein the condensing lens is disposed such that the condensing lens optical axis is positioned above the projection lens optical axis (see figure 13).
Regarding claim 3, Document 1, WO 2017/164328 Al, describes a lighting fixture unit, wherein the light-emitting unit is disposed so as to intersect the condensing lens optical axis (see figure 13).
Regarding claim 7, Document 1, WO 2017/164328 Al, discloses a lighting fixture unit, further comprising a support part that supports the light emitting unit, the condensing lens, the light-shielding member, and the projection lens such that the projection lens optical axis is inclined downward toward the front surface side (see paragraphs [0077] and [0079]).
Regarding claims 9-11 and 15, Document 1, WO 2017/164328 Al, discloses a vehicle lamp (figures 13-14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6, 8, 12-14 and 16 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: claim 4 recites further details of the condenser lens; and claim 8 recites further details of the lamp unit, which are not disclosed or suggested by the prior of record. Claims 5-6 and 12-14 depend on claim 4. Claim 16 depends on claim 8.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kamiya et al. US 2019/0113197 A1 discloses a vehicle lamp capable of irradiating a light distribution pattern for road surface drawing, a vehicle lamp control system, and a vehicle including the vehicle lamp and the vehicle lamp control system.
Okubo et al. US 12,404,983 B1 discloses a vehicle lamp including first and second light sources, a collecting lens that collects light, a shielding member that passes collected light through a radiating slit, and a projecting lens that forms a radiation pattern with light.
Suzuki US 2024/0059214 A1 discloses a vehicle lamp including a projection unit that includes a light source and projects a predetermined image onto a road surface based on lighting of the light source; and a lighting control unit that controls the light source.
Okubo US 2024/0093854 A1 discloses a vehicle lighting including both the light sources disposed in parallel, a condenser lens that condenses light from the light sources, a light-shielding member provided with an irradiation slit, and a projection lens that projects the light, and forms an irradiation pattern.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BAO Q TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)272-2383. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7 am - 3 pm.
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BAO Q. TRUONG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
/BAO Q TRUONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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