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
Applicant's amendment filed on 1/3/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-5 have been amended. No claims have been cancelled. No claims have been added. Claims 1-5 are still pending in this application, with claim 1 being independent.
The objections to the Drawings have been withdrawn in view of the amendment.
The objections to the Specification have been withdrawn in view of the amendment.
The objections to Claims 1 and 5 have been withdrawn in view of the amendment.
The rejections of Claims 2-5 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been withdrawn in view of the amendment.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 1/3/2026 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.97(c) because it lacks at least one of either a timing statement as specified in 37 CFR 1.97(e) or the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p). Additionally, the IDS is unsigned. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 1/3/2026. These drawings are acceptable.
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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lim et al. (US 2022/0325871, hereinafter “Lim”).
Regarding claim 1, Lim discloses a narrow beam LED light engine having a homogeneous light field (luminaire 100 emits light having a uniform luminance; see Figs. 1-12A; para. [0007], [0010], [0094]-[0120], [0133]-[0145]), comprising a light emitting surface comprises of an array of LEDs (an array of LEDs 30 in the form of packaged or unpackaged LED chips mounted separately or together on a single substrate (i.e. chip-on-board (COB) LEDs); see Figs. 3B-3C, 4B-4C, 5B-5C, 6B-6C, 12A; para. [0104]-[0108], [0118]-[0119], [0135], [0137]-[0140]); a light mixer (a lens 1 which comprises a plurality of grooves 11 on a light receiving side 10 of the lens which include central refractive regions 12 and walls comprising TIR surfaces 13 which direct light towards TIR extraction surfaces 22 and refractive extraction surfaces 23 on a light extraction side 20 of the lens; see Figs. 1A-6C, 8A-12A; para. [0096]-[0120], [0135], [0137]-[0138]); a battery (a backup battery is housed within a housing of LED heatsink 80 in a receiving space also containing LED driver 70 and other components; see Fig. 12A; par. [0157]); and a concentrating mirror (glare shield 50 can be opaque and formed of a metal material which causes the glare shield to reduce glare by reflecting light due to the intrinsic reflective properties of metals; see Figs. 8A-12A; para. [0141], [0144]).
Regarding claim 2, Lim discloses wherein said light mixer comprises a pillow lens or micro lens light mixer (the light mixer 1 comprises a plurality of grooves 11 on a light receiving side 10 of the lens which include central refractive regions 12 and walls comprising TIR surfaces 13 which direct light towards TIR extraction surfaces 22 and refractive extraction surfaces 23 on a light extraction side 20 of the lens, thereby forming an array of microlenses on the light receiving side of the lens; see Figs. 1A-6C, 8A-12A; para. [0096]-[0120], [0135], [0137]-[0138]).
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 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (US 2022/0325871) in view of Chang et al. (US 2013/0163254, hereinafter “Chang”). The teachings of Lim have been discussed above.
Regarding claim 3, Lim teaches the LED light engine further comprising a mounting pillar (LED heatsink 80 defines a mounting pillar structure onto which the LED array 30 and the light mixer 1 are mounted; see Figs. 8A-12A; para. [0141], [0157]-[0159]).
However, the teachings of LIm fail to disclose or fairly suggest a ring-shaped magnetic mount attached to said pillow lens or micro lens light mixer, and a magnet attached to the mounting pillar.
Chang teaches an LED light engine having a homogenous light field (recessed lighting fixture 10 which has an LED light source in the form of an LED array 14; see Figs. 1-5, 7-8; Abstract; para. [0024]-[0043]), comprising a light emitting surface comprised of an array of LEDs (an LED light source in the form of an LED array 14; see Figs. 7-8; para. [0024], [0034], [0036]-[0037]); a light mixer (lens cover 54; see Fig. 7; para. [0037], [0039]-[0040]); and a concentrating mirror (an inner frustoconical cone component 58 which directly surrounds the light mixer lens 54 is layered or coated with light reflective material to act as a reflector for the lighting fixture 10; see Figs. 7-8; para. [0038]-[0040]); the LED light engine further comprising a ring-shaped magnetic mount attached to said light mixer (an interchangeable trim ring 28 made of a ferromagnetic material is attracted to magnets 40 provided on a bottom, annular surface 38 of a radial, annular flange 34 of a heat sink 16 surrounding the light emitting surface 14, to magnetically secure the light mixer lens 54 to the heat sink structure; see Figs. 1-5, 7-8; para. [0024]-[0025], [0028], [0031], [0033]-[0044]), and a magnet attached to a mounting pillar (heat sink 16 is cylindrical and defines a mounting pillar which includes a radial, annular flange 34 having a flat, bottom annular surface 38 into which magnets 40 are embedded, to enable an interchangeable trim ring 28 made of a ferromagnetic material to be attracted to the magnets and secure the light mixer lens 54; see Figs. 1-5, 7-8; para. [0024]-[0025], [0028], [0031], [0033]-[0043]).
Therefore, in view of Chang, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the LED light engine of Lim by attaching a ring-shaped magnetic mount to said pillow lens or micro lens light mixer and attaching a magnet to the mounting pillar. One would have been motivated to modify the known LED light engine of Lim by attaching a ring-shaped magnetic mount to said pillow lens or micro lens light mixer and attaching a magnet to the mounting pillar, as taught by Chang, in order to in order to enable the light mixer and the mounting pillar to be removably attached to each other via strong magnetic forces and prevent the light mixer and other components from being loosened or self-detached over time (see Chang, para. [0041]-[0042] for the motivation).
Regarding claim 4, Chang further teaches wherein said mounting pillar magnet is a rare-earth magnet (the magnets 40 are rare earth neodymium magnets; see para. [0012], [0041]-[0042]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim (US 2022/0325871) in view of Alfier et al. (WO 2020/065566, hereinafter “Alfier”). The teachings of Lim have been discussed above.
Lim teaches wherein said light emitting surface is a red, green, blue chip on board (COB) (the LED array 30 includes an array of chip-on-board LEDs including green, red, yellow, blue-shifted yellow, and orange LED chips; see para. [0139]-[0140]) further comprising a total internal reflection (TIR) lens (the light mixer 1 is a lens which comprises a plurality of grooves 11 on a light receiving side 10 thereof which include central refractive regions 12 and walls comprising TIR surfaces 13 which direct light towards TIR extraction surfaces 22 and refractive extraction surfaces 23 on a light extraction side 20 of the lens; see Figs. 1A-6C, 8A-12A; para. [0096]-[0120], [0135], [0137]-[0138]).
However, the teachings of Lim fail to specifically disclose said light emitting surface is a red, green, blue, amber, cyan, lime (RGBACL) chip-on-board (COB).
Alfier teaches an LED light engine having a homogenous light field, comprising a light emitting surface comprised of an array of LEDs (a light radiation source 10 using electrically-powered light radiation generators, in the form of LEDs mounted on a substrate 12 ; see Fig. 1; Abstract; pg. 2, lines 11-27; pg. 5, lines 25-32; pg. 6, lines 3-21; pg. 8, lines 28-35; pg. 9, lines 1-35; pg. 10, lines 1-35; pg. 13, lines 10-16), wherein said light emitting surface is a red, green, blue, amber, cyan, lime (RGBACL) chip-on-board (COB) (the light emitting surface 10 comprises an array of chip on board (COB) LEDs specifically including red, green, blue, amber, cyan, and lime LED chips; see Fig. 1; Abstract; pg. 2, lines 11-27; pg. 9, lines 10-35; pg. 10, lines 1-35; pg. 23 “List of Reference Signs”; the Examiner notes that the LED chips in all disclosed embodiments are COB LED chips).
Therefore, in view of Alfier, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the LED light engine of Lim by selecting red, green, blue, amber, cyan, and lime (RGBACL) chips for use in the COB LED array. One would have been motivated to modify the known LED light engine of Lim by selecting red, green, blue, amber, cyan, and lime (RGBACL) chips for use in the COB LED array, as taught by Alfier, in order to provide improved efficiency and quality of light radiation and a wide range of colors to achieve a mixed white light radiation having an adjustable CCT and provide improvements to color mixing (see Alfier, pg. 4, lines 7-19; pg. 11, lines 25-28 for the motivation).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claim(s) 1 and 5 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument, since the newly presented limitations are addressed by the teachings of Lim (US 2022/0325871).
However, Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding the Applicant’s argument with respect to Claim 3 that “As Chang only describes magnets on one component, Applicant submits that it does not teach or suggest the equivalent of a ring-shaped magnetic mount, i.e. a ring-shaped mount made of magnetic material” (see Applicant’s Remarks, pg. 11), the Examiner respectfully disagrees.
In this case, as explained in par. [0040] of Chang, “The trim ring 28, to be attracted by the magnet 40, preferably includes a ferromagnetic material. It is preferably made from stamped steel, allowing it to be attracted by the magnets and also functioning well as a heat conductor” (emphasis added). In other words, the trim ring 28 is formed of a magnetic material to allow it to be attracted by the magnets 40, which makes sense as otherwise Chang’s magnets 40 would be incapable of magnetically supporting the trim ring 28 at all.
Therefore, Chang teaches a ring-shaped magnetic mount as recited in amended Claim 3.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Schermerhorn et al. (US 2019/0092225) discloses an LED light engine having a homogenous light field that can provide both wide and narrow beam angle modes, comprising a light emitting surface comprising an array of LEDs, a light mixer comprising an array of TIR lenses, a battery, and a concentrating mirror.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM N HARRIS whose telephone number is (571)272-3609. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8:00AM- 5:00PM EST, Alternate Fridays.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jong-Suk (James) 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.
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/WILLIAM N HARRIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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