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 office action is responsive to the application filed 04/24/2025 which claims 1-15 have been presented for examination.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Germany on 04/30/2024. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the DE 102024112051.7 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/24/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, substitute “the inner surface” with – an inner surface (see line 9); and “the outer surface” with – an outer surface – (see line 12).
In claim 2, substitute “an exposed end thereof” with -- an exposed end of the optical waveguide -- (see line 2); “the first part thereof” with – the first part of the optical waveguide – (see line 2); and “the waveguide” with – the optical waveguide – (see line 4).
In claim 3, substitute “the waveguide” with – the optical waveguide – (see line 1).
In claim 4, substitute “the upstream end of the waveguide” an upstream end of the optical waveguide – (see line 2).
In claim 9, substitute “the back of the cover lens” with – a back of the cover lens – (see line 3); and “it” with – the component material – (see line 4).
In claim 11, substitute “the waveguide” with – the optical waveguide – (see line 2).
In claim 12, substitute “the extension” with – an extension – (see line 2); and “the edges” with – edges – (see line 2).
In claim 13, substitute “the main beam direction” with – a main beam direction – (see line 3); and “the at least one flat surface” with – an at least one flat surface – (see line 3).
In claim 15, substitute “the surface” with – a surface – (see lines 2 and 3, respectively).
Claims 5-8, 10, and 14 are objected to since they are dependent upon an objected claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-15 are 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 recites the limitation "the light source" in lines 8 and 11, respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the light-directing optical element source" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “a second light module” which renders the claim indefinite because the claim fails to establish a “first light module”. Therefore, there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the diffusing optical structure" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-8, 7-9, and 11-14 are rejected to since they are dependent upon rejected claim, and inherit the problems of that claim
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) 1-8 and 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wasilewski et al. (US 10,473,303) (hereinafter referred to as Wasilewski).
Re claim 1, Wasilewski discloses a lighting device (10) comprising:
a housing (12) with an opening (see fig. 3);
a cover lens (14) that covers the opening in the housing (see fig. 3);
a light module (32) that contains a number of light sources and an optical unit (portions 34, 36 are configured to transmit light therethrough and can be referred to as the light guide) for generating a predefined light distribution, the optical unit containing an optical waveguide that has a light entry surface and a light emitting surface (portions 34, 36 are configured to transmit light therethrough and can be referred to as the light guide), the optical waveguide being connected to the cover lens (see fig. 3; col. 4, lines 19-66),
wherein a first part (36) of the optical waveguide, facing the light module (32), protrudes from an inner surface (40) of the cover lens (14), or the light entry surface of the optical waveguide is flush with the inner surface of the cover lens (see fig. 3; and col. 4, line 62 to col. 5, line 31), and wherein a second part of the optical waveguide (34), facing away from the light module (32), protrudes from an outer surface (38) of the cover lens (14), or the light emitting surface of the optical waveguide is flush with the outer surface of the cover lens (see fig. 3; and col. 4, line 62 to col. 5, line 31).
Re claim 2, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light entry surface on the optical waveguide is formed by an exposed end of the optical waveguide or the first part of the optical waveguide (see fig. 3, portion 36), and the light emitting surface of the optical waveguide is formed by an exposed end of the optical waveguide or the second part of the waveguide (see fig. 3, portion 34).
Re claim 3, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide (portions 34, 36 are configured to transmit light therethrough and can be referred to as the light guide) is integrally connected to the cover lens (14) (see fig. 3).
Re claims 4 and 5, Wasilewski discloses wherein there is a light-directing optical element on an upstream end of the waveguide; and wherein the light-directing optical element lens (fig. 3 shows lens 14 having outer surface (38) on an upstream end of the first and second portions 34, 36).
Re claim 6, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein there are numerous light sources upstream of a light-directing optical element (col. 6, lines 41-67).
Re claim 7, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting surface on the optical waveguide has a diffusing optical element or optical structure (col. 4, lines 19-61).
Re claim 8, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the cover lens and optical waveguide are produced in an injection molding process from a single transparent (col. 5, lines 11-22).
Re claim 11, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide is a flat waveguide with opposing flat surfaces where the light that enters the waveguide undergoes total internal reflection, and wherein the light entry surface and light emitting surface of the optical waveguide each form a narrow linear surface (see fig. 3; and col. 4, lines 19-58).
Re claim 12, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the cover lens (14) is curved in a plane at a right angle to an extension of the optical waveguide, wherein edges of the cover lens meet at an angle of 40° to 90° (see fig. 3).
Re claim 13, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting surface of the optical waveguide is horizontal, at an angle to, or curved in relation to a main beam direction, and an at least one flat surface of the optical waveguide bordering the light emitting surface has a diffusing optical structure (see fig. 3; and col. 4, lines 19-61).
Re claim 14, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the cover lens has a diffusing structure (see col. 4, lines 19-58).
Re claim 15, Wasilewski discloses the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a diffusing optical structure is formed by the cover lens (see col. 4, lines 19-58).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the attached PTO-892 form.
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/APRIL A TAYLOR/Examiner, Art Unit 2876
/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876