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 amendment filed on 9/24/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-20 are pending in the Application. New claim 20 has been added by the Applicant.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: VEHICLE LAMP ILLUMINATION MODULE AND VEHICLE LAMP WITH STAGGERED REFLECTOR
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) 1-14, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ohashi et al., US 2021/0231279 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Ohashi discloses “A vehicle lamp illumination module, comprising:
a circuit board (20 and 21 on 13a, Fig. 1); a light source (11 and 12, Fig. 1) provided on the circuit board; and a reflective mirror (14, Fig. 1) and an optical lens (16, Fig. 1) provided in sequence along a light path transmission direction, wherein: light emitted by the light source is reflected by the reflective mirror and then projected through the optical lens to form an illumination light pattern (seen in Fig. 1),
the light source comprises a first light source (11 or 12/17, Fig. 1; either light source can read upon the claim) and a second light source (12/17 or 11, Fig. 1) with a same light emitting direction (upward direction in Fig. 1), the reflective mirror comprises a first reflecting surface (22 or 23, Fig. 1) corresponding to the first light source and a second reflecting surface (23 or 22, Fig. 1) corresponding to the second light source, and the optical lens comprises a first optical lens (24 or 25, Fig. 1) corresponding to the first reflecting surface and a second optical lens (25 or 24, Fig. 1) corresponding to the second reflecting surface (seen in Fig. 1);
the first light source, the first reflecting surface, and the first optical lens form a first optical structure, wherein the first light source and the first reflecting surface are arranged along a first direction (upward direction, Fig. 1) ; and the second light source, the second reflecting surface, and the second optical lens form a second optical structure, wherein the second light source and the second reflecting surface are arranged along the first direction (also upward direction, Fig. 1), the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface are arranged along a second direction (front to back, in the paper left to right, Fig. 1), and the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface are staggered in the first direction (seen in Fig. 1, they do not overlap in the up and down direction), and wherein the first optical lens and the second optical lens are arranged along the first direction (seen in Fig. 1, they are arranged up and down direction), and the first direction and the second direction form an angle (in Fig. 1, the up/down and left/right directions form an angle).
Regarding claim 2, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, and further discloses “the first reflecting surface has at least a first focal point, and the second reflecting surface has at least a third focal point, and wherein the first light source is located at the first focal point (¶ [0021]), and the second light source is located at the third focal point (¶ [0022]).”
Regarding claim 3, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 2, as cited above, and further discloses “a cutoff line structure for forming a bright-dark cutoff line is provided on the first reflecting surface (edges of the reflector surface, Fig. 1; either light source 11 or 12 can be considered the first or second light source), and a focal point of the first optical lens is located on the cutoff line structure of the first reflecting surface (seen in Fig. 1), and wherein: the first light source is located on a side of the first reflecting surface facing a direction of gravity (seen in Fig. 1, the light source is below the reflector), and the first optical structure is configured to form a low-beam light pattern (seen in Fig. 1, the light from the optical structures are emitted forward; LP Fig. 2) ; or
the first light source is located on a side of the first reflecting surface away from the direction of gravity, and the first optical structure is configured to form a low-beam three- zone light pattern.
Regarding claim 4, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 2, as cited above, and further discloses “a cutoff line structure for forming a bright-dark cutoff line is provided on the second reflecting surface (edges of the reflector surface, Fig. 1; either light source 11 or 12 can be considered the first or second light source), and a focal point of the second optical lens is located on the cutoff line structure of the second reflecting surface, and wherein the second light source is located on a side of the second reflecting surface facing a direction of gravity (seen in Fig. 1, the light source is below the reflector), and the second optical structure is configured to form a low-beam light pattern (seen in Fig. 1, the light from the optical structures are emitted forward; LP Fig. 2); or
the second light source is located on a side of the second reflecting surface away from the direction of gravity, and the second optical structure is configured to form a low-beam three-zone light pattern.
Regarding claim 5, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 2, as cited above, and further discloses “a focal point of the first optical lens is located on the first reflecting surface (seen in , Fig. 1; either light source 11 or 12 can be considered the first or second light source), and wherein the first light source is located on a side of the first reflecting surface facing a direction of gravity (seen in Fig. 1, the light source is below the reflector), and the first optical structure is configured to form a high-beam light pattern (seen in Fig. 1, the light from the optical structures are emitted forward; HP Fig. 2); or
the first light source is located on a side of the first reflecting surface away from the direction of gravity, and the first optical structure is configured to form a high-beam light pattern.
Regarding claim 6, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 2, as cited above, and further discloses “a focal point of the second optical lens is located on the second reflecting surface (seen in , Fig. 1; either light source 11 or 12 can be considered the first or second light source), and wherein: the second light source is located on a side of the second reflecting surface facing a direction of gravity (seen in Fig. 1, the light source is below the reflector), and the second optical structure is configured to form a high-beam light pattern (seen in Fig. 1, the light from the optical structures are emitted forward; HP Fig. 2); or
the second light source is located on a side of the second reflecting surface away from the direction of gravity, and the second optical structure is configured to form a high-beam light pattern.
Regarding claim 7, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 2, as cited above, and further discloses “the first reflecting surface further has a second focal point, and a focal point of the first optical lens coincides with the second focal point; and/or the second reflecting surface further has a fourth focal point, and a focal point of the second optical lens coincides with the fourth focal point (¶ [0025-0026).
Regarding claim 8, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 7, as cited above, and further discloses “the first optical structure further comprises a first reflector (15, Fig. 1; similar embodiment shade 150 reflects ¶ [0051] ), a boundary of the first reflector away from the first light source is located at the second focal point (seen in Fig. 1 on the edge of 15), and light reflected by the first reflecting surface passes from a side of the first reflector facing the first reflecting surface (seen in Fig. 1), and wherein: the first light source is located on a side of the first reflecting surface facing a direction of gravity (seen in Fig. 1, the reflector is above the light source), and the first optical structure is configured to form a low-beam light pattern (LP, Fig. 2); or
the first light source is located on a side of the first reflecting surface away from the direction of gravity, and the first optical structure is configured to form a low-beam three- zone light pattern.
Regarding claim 9, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 7, as cited above, and further discloses “the second optical structure further comprises a second reflector (15, Fig. 1; similar embodiment shade 150 reflects ¶ [0051] ), a boundary of the second reflector away from the second light source is located at the fourth focal point (seen in Fig. 1 on the edge of 15), and light reflected by the second reflecting surface passes from a side of the second reflector facing the second reflecting surface (seen in Fig. 1), and wherein the second light source is located on a side of the second reflecting surface facing a direction of gravity (seen in Fig. 1, the reflector is above the light source), and the second optical structure is configured to form a low-beam light pattern (LP, Fig. 2); or
the second light source is located on a side of the second reflecting surface away from the direction of gravity, and the second optical structure is configured to form a low-beam three-zone light pattern.
Regarding claim 10, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 7, as cited above, and further discloses “the first light source is located on a side of the first reflecting surface facing a direction of gravity (seen in Fig. 1, the light source is below the reflector), and the first optical structure is configured to form a high-beam light pattern (HP, Fig. 2); or the first light source is located on a side of the first reflecting surface away from the direction of gravity, and the first optical structure is configured to form a high-beam light pattern.
Regarding claim 11, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 8, as cited above, and further discloses “the first optical structure further comprises a third reflector extending from the first reflecting surface away from the second reflecting surface (part of the first reflecting surface on the opposite side of the second, Fig. 1), and wherein light reflected by the first reflecting surface passes through a side of the third reflector facing the first light source (light that is reflected left would pass in front of the reflector that is facing downwards towards the light source).
Regarding claim 12, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 7, as cited above, and further discloses “the second light source is located on a side of the second reflecting surface facing a direction of gravity (seen in Fig. 1, the light source is below the reflector), and the second optical structure is configured to form a high-beam light pattern (HP, Fig. 2); or the second light source is located on a side of the second reflecting surface away from the direction of gravity, and the second optical structure is configured to form a high-beam light pattern.
Regarding claim 13, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 9, as cited above, and further discloses “the second optical structure further comprises a fourth reflector extending from the second reflecting surface facing the first reflecting surface (part of the second reflecting surface on the opposite side of the first, Fig. 1), and wherein light reflected by the second reflecting surface passes through a side of the fourth reflector facing the second light source (light that is reflected left would pass in front of the reflector that is facing downwards towards the light source).”
Regarding claim 14, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 2, as cited above, and further discloses “when the first reflecting surface has only a first focus, the first reflecting surface is a parabolic or a quasi-parabolic surface; when the first reflecting surface has a first focus and a second focus, the first reflecting surface is an ellipsoidal or a quasi-ellipsoidal surface; when the second reflecting surface has only a third focus, the second reflecting surface is a parabolic or a quasi-parabolic surface ;and when the second reflecting surface has a third focus and a fourth focus, the second reflecting surface is an ellipsoidal or a quasi-ellipsoidal surface (the claim is interpreted as a list of conditionals, and the reflecting surfaces are ellipsoids (¶ [0021-0022, 0057, 0062] with two foci).”
Regarding claim 15, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, and further discloses “the first reflecting surface is located between the second reflecting surface and the optical lens, a light-transmitting structure is provided on the circuit board, the first light source and the second light source are located on both sides of the light-transmitting structure, and the first light source and the second light source are arranged along a third direction, wherein the third direction and the second direction form an angle to enable light reflected by the second reflecting surface to pass through the light-transmitting structure.
Regarding claim 19, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, and further discloses “A vehicle lamp comprising the vehicle lamp illumination module according to claim 1 (¶ [0005, 0008]).”
Regarding claim 20, Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 10, as cited above, and further discloses “the first optical structure further comprises a third reflector extending from the first reflecting surface away from the second reflecting surface (part of the first reflecting surface on the opposite side of the second, Fig. 1), and wherein light reflected by the first reflecting surface passes through a side of the third reflector facing the first light source (light that is reflected left would pass in front of the reflector that is facing downwards towards the light source).
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) 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohashi in view of Gromfeld, US 2022/0412529 A1.
Regarding claim 17, cited Ohashi discloses the invention of claim 1, as above, except “the light source further comprises a third light source, and the reflective mirror further comprises a third reflecting surface corresponding to the third light source; the third reflecting surface is located on a side of the second reflecting surface away from the first reflecting surface, and orthographic projections of the first reflecting surface, the second reflecting surface, and the third reflecting surface on the circuit board do not overlap; the third light source and the third reflecting surface form a third optical structure; and light emitted by the third light source is capable of being reflected by the third reflecting surface and then emitted to form an illumination light pattern.”
Gromfield discloses a vehicle light with three light sources (104, 118, 128, Fig. 4), three reflective surfaces (124, 120, 130, Fig. 4) as a alternative embodiment to two light sources and two reflective surface (Fig. 1).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to modify the light device, as taught by Ohashi, to have additional light sources and reflective surfaces, such as taught by Gromfield. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to add additional light source and reflective surfaces for forming a third beam with its own emission pattern in addition (Gromfield, ¶ [0052, 0055]).”
Regarding claim 18, Ohashi in view of Gromfield discloses the invention of claim 17, as above, and further discloses “the third optical structure further comprises a third light-transmitting element connected to a side of the second optical lens away from the first optical lens; and light emitted by the third light source is capable of being reflected by the third reflecting surface and then projected through the third light-transmitting element to form an illumination light pattern (seen in Gromfield, Fig. 4, there is a section of the lens for the third light sources).”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15-16 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 15 recites, inter alia, A vehicle lamp illumination module, comprising: a circuit board; a light source provided on the circuit board; and a reflective mirror and an optical lens provided in sequence along a light path transmission direction, wherein: light emitted by the light source is reflected by the reflective mirror and then projected through the optical lens to form an illumination light pattern, the light source comprises a first light source and a second light source with a same light emitting direction, the reflective mirror comprises a first reflecting surface corresponding to the first light source and a second reflecting surface corresponding to the second light source, and the optical lens comprises a first optical lens corresponding to the first reflecting surface and a second optical lens corresponding to the second reflecting surface; the first light source, the first reflecting surface, and the first optical lens form a first optical structure, wherein the first light source and the first reflecting surface are arranged along a first direction; and the second light source, the second reflecting surface, and the second optical lens form a second optical structure, wherein the second light source and the second reflecting surface are arranged along the first direction, the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface are arranged along a second direction, and the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface are staggered in the first direction, and wherein the first optical lens and the second optical lens are arranged along the first direction, and the first direction and the second direction form an angle and
“the first reflecting surface is located between the second reflecting surface and the optical lens, a light-transmitting structure is provided on the circuit board, the first light source and the second light source are located on both sides of the light-transmitting structure, and the first light source and the second light source are arranged along a third direction, wherein the third direction and the second direction form an angle to enable light reflected by the second reflecting surface to pass through the light-transmitting structure.”
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitations, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitations.
Claims 16 are allowable due to their dependence on claim 15.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Donoso et al., US 2026/0036275 A1 discloses a vehicle headlight with staggered reflector surfaces
Laminette et al., US 12152750 B2 discloses a vehicle headlight with a substrate board with a through hole
Imamura et al., US 11815239 B2 discloses a vehicle headlight with a plurality of light sources and reflector surfaces
Yamamoto, US 2018/0356064 A1 discloses a vehicle headlight with a plurality of light sources and reflector surfaces
Watanabe, US 2018/0142859 A1 discloses a vehicle headlight with a plurality of light sources and reflector surfaces
Yamamoto, US 2015/0043236 A1 discloses a vehicle headlight with a plurality of light sources and reflector surfaces
Sun et al., US 2014/0362572 A1 discloses a vehicle headlight with a plurality of light sources and reflector surfaces
Inaba, US 2009/0310353 A1 discloses a vehicle headlight with a plurality of light sources and reflector surfaces
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL CHIANG whose telephone number is (571)270-3811. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 9am-6pm.
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, James R Greece can be reached at 571-272-3711. 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.
/MICHAEL CHIANG/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/JAMES R GREECE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights