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 .
This is a response to the Applicants' file on 4/11/25. In virtue of this filing, claims 1-18 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 5/1/25 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 &1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, line 5, the phase “non-spatially resolved”. It is unclear what mean to ---non-spatially resolved---. In specification disclose “ in this context, “non-spatially resolved” is understood in particular to mean that a specific assignment, in particular a “one-to-one assignment” between a position or a location and a light distribution variable such as a brightness and/or color value, has not been specified yet”. Is it mean that, control unit can/will control or for generating brightness or color value?
Claim 8, line 4, the phase “non-spatially resolved”. It is unclear what mean to ---non-spatially resolved---. In specification disclose “in this context, “non-spatially resolved” is understood in particular to mean that a specific assignment, in particular a “one-to-one assignment” between a position or a location and a light distribution variable such as a brightness and/or color value, has not been specified yet”. Is it mean that, control unit can/will control or for generating brightness or color value?
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1, and 8, line 2, recite “the basis” and should be ---a basis ---, line 5, recite “the at least” and should be ---at least---. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(1) as being anticipated by LAHMER MARTIN (WO2 017214648A1).
With respect to claim 1, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-12 that, a method for operating at least one luminaire of a vehicle(headlight (1) which includes light source(2,12)(figures 1-2)), for outputting a light distribution (21,21’) on basis of a light image(25, 25' Image matrix and optoelectronic component/DMD 7,17)), which is generated, at least regionally by a light image generating circuit (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6))of the vehicle, depending on at least one non-spatially resolved light image variable(paragraph [104] for the optoelectronic component 7 is controlled by the control unit 9, in which a desired light distribution can be calculated and the necessary control of the optoelectronic elements 8 is output to the optoelectronic component 7 in the form of control signals) and paragraph [131] for Brightness value (or dimming value) plotted on axis ZA is shown in figure 6), wherein the at least one light image variable being characteristic of at least one region of the light image to be generated(figures 6-12), comprising: receiving, by the light image generating circuit((7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6 as shown in figures 1-2 and 4), the at least one light image variable for at least regionally generating the light image from a light image variable determination circuit (control unit 9,5 of figure 4) of the vehicle that is spaced apart from said light image generating circuit (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6).
With respect to claim 2, LAHMER MARTIN disclose, wherein the luminaire (2,12) comprises the light image generating circuit (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6 as shown in figures 1-2 and 4).
With respect to claim 13, LAHMER MARTIN disclose, wherein the light image generating circuit generates (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6 as shown in figures 1-2 and 4) the region of the light image using rendering on the basis of the at least one light image variable. Figures 6-12.
With respect to claim 14, LAHMER MARTIN disclose wherein the at least one light image variable is characteristic of a geometric description of the light image to be generated. Figures 3-12.
With respect to claim 15, LAHMER MARTIN disclose wherein the light image variable determination circuit (9,5 as shown in figures 1-2 and 4) determines at least one scene object in order to generate the light image and/or to generate the at least one light image variable. See figures 16-17 for objects.
With respect to claim 16, LAHMER MARTIN disclose wherein the at least one light image variable is characteristic of a command for generating a scene object and/or of a command list for generating a scene. Figures 16-17.
With respect to claim 17, LAHMER MARTIN disclose wherein the at least one light image variable (7,17) is transmitted to the light image generating circuit (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6)) via a vehicle network.
With respect to claim 8, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-12 that, a luminaire for a vehicle for outputting a light distribution on the basis of a light image, which is at least regionally generated by a light image generating circuit (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6)) of the luminaire, depending on at least one non-spatially resolved light image variable, wherein the at least one light image variable (7,17)being
characteristic of at least one region of the light image to be generated, wherein the luminaire has an interface (3) for receiving the at least one light image variable.
With respect to claim 9, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-12 that, wherein the light image generating circuit (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6)) is a renderer for carrying out at least one rendering process.
With respect to claim 10, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-12 that, wherein the light image generating circuit (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6)) is selected from a group of computing devices (9,5) which includes microcontrollers, systems-on-chips, ASICs and the like, as well as combinations thereof.
With respect to claim 11, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-12 that. a light image variable determination circuit (control unit 9,5) for determining the at least one light image variable, and for transmitting the at least one light image variable to the light image generating circuit (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6)), wherein the light image variable determination circuit (9,5) is arranged outside the luminaire and/or at a distance from the light image generating circuit.
With respect to claim 12, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-12 that, wherein the light image variable determination circuit and the light image generating circuit can be operated independently of one another.
With respect to claim 13, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-12 that, at least one luminaire (2,12) and comprising a light image variable determination circuit (9,5) for determining the at least one
light image variable and for transmitting the at least one light image variable to the light image generating circuit ((7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6)), wherein the light image variable determination circuit (9,5) is arranged outside the luminaire (2,12) and/or at a distance from the light image generating circuit ((7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6)).
.
With respect to claim 14, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-12 that, wherein the light image variable determination circuit is a computing device of the vehicle.
With respect to claim 15, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-12 that, wherein the luminaire is a high-resolution luminaire with more than 1,000 pixels for pixel-by-pixel controllable light emission (paragraph [112] for control unit 19, in which a light distribution can be calculated and the necessary control of the optoelectronic elements, for example the pixels of an LCD, is output to the optoelectronic component 17 in the form of control signals and paragraph [114] for The number of these segments depends, for example, on the number of micromirrors and is, for example, 854 x 480 micromirrors or pixels in a rectangular matrix arrangement), wherein the vehicle comprises a communication system via which the at least one light image variable can be transmitted to the light image generating circuit, wherein the communication system comprises a CAN bus and/or an Ethernet data connection. Paragraphs [62-63].
With respect to claim 16, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 1-4 that, wherein the at least one luminaire comprises one or more of a headlight and a floor projector of the vehicle.
With respect to claim 17, LAHMER MARTIN disclose wherein the light image is generated in real time. Figures 16-17.
With respect to claim 18, LAHMER MARTIN disclose wherein the light image generating circuit C 7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6)), generates the region of the light image using rendering on the basis of a plurality of light image variables. Figures 16-17.
With respect to claim 19, LAHMER MARTIN disclose wherein the light image generating circuit (7,17,23,23’,25,25 and 6)), generates the region of the light image using rendering on the basis of the at least one light image variable.
With respect to claim 20, LAHMER MARTIN disclose in figures 7-12 that, wherein the at least one light image variable is characteristic of a geometric description of the light image to be generated.
Citation of pertinent prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants' disclosure. See prior arts/references listed on the PTO-892 form attached.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Minh Tran whose telephone number is (571)272-1817. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taningco Alexander H can be reached on 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Minh Tran/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights