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 .
Remarks
The Office has cited particular columns, line numbers, paragraph numbers, references, or figures in the references applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses to fully consider the reference in entirety, as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2141.02 and § 2123.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 5, 8, 10, 14, and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 4, “a lighting structure” appears to be “the lighting structure” since it is recited twice. In line 6, “the light characteristics” appears to be “the lighting characteristics”.
Claim 5, line 4, “the at least two stings” appears to be “the at least two strings”.
Claim 8 should depend on claim 7 since “a second wireless signal” is introduced only in claim 7.
Claim 10, the preamble lacks “comprising:” or equivalent transitional phrase.
Claim 14, line 1, “the light structure” appears to be “the lighting structure”.
Claim 20, line 6, “provide” appears to be “to provide”. In line 13, “the light structure” appears to be “the lighting structure”.
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 10 and 20 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 10 recites the limitation "the adjustment signal" in 11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The recitation, “the adjustment signal” appears to be “the adjustment setting” as earlier recited in line 9.
Claim 20 recites the limitation “an adjustment signal”. It appears “an adjustment signal” should be changed to “the adjustment setting” as earlier recited in line 9.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6, 10-14, and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by McBryde et al. (US 2015/0351187 A1, hereinafter referred to as McBryde).
Regarding claim 1, McBryde discloses a calibration system comprising:
a light detector (sensor module 40, para 0079; Fig. 7) for reading lighting characteristics (Under BRI, ambient/fixture-area brightness is a lighting characteristic of lighting structure 10) of a lighting structure ("Such lighting control may be based on various environmental conditions, such as ambient light, occupancy, temperature, and the like", para 0004; lighting fixture 10, Figs. 1-3, 7, 8A);
a receiver (72, 74, communications module 32, Figs. 4, 10) for interfacing with driver electronics (driver module 30) for controlling current to a light engine (LED array 20, Fig. 4) of a lighting structure ("the electronics provided in the electronics housing 26 may be divided into a driver module 30 and a communications module 32.”, para 0065; “The driver module 30 is coupled to the LED array 20 through the cabling 28 and directly drives the LEDs of the LED array 20 based on control information provided by the communications module 32", para 0066).
a controller (see 66 in 32, Figs. 9, 10; portable handheld commissioning tool 36) for receiving readings from the light detector for the lighting characteristics of the lighting structure ("The lighting fixture l0 may share sensor data, instructions, and any other data with other lighting fixtures 10 in the lighting network or with remote entities. The communications module 32 facilitates the sharing of intelligence and data among the lighting fixtures 10 and other entities", para 0068; control information "may be received from another lighting fixture, a commissioning tool, a wall controller, or the like", para 0058; "portable handheld commissioning tool 36", para 0067), comparing the light characteristics to a reference light characteristic value ("the driver module may be configured to receive dimming information indicative of a desired dimming level and further adjust the first, second, and third currents based on the dimming information", para 0015, 0057; light combines "with an intensity corresponding to the desired dimming level", para 0057; Figs. 14- 17; Desired dimming and intensity level is a reference light characteristic value; ambient light based control compares measured light level to that desired level), and sending an adjustment signal to the receiver by a wireless signal, the adjustment signal including a current change to the light engine for adjusting the lighting characteristics towards the reference light characteristic value ("The communications module 32 acts as an intelligent communication interface that facilitates communications between the driver module 30 and other lighting fixtures 10, a remote control system ... or a portable handheld commissioning tool 36", para 0067; "The communications module 32 … may prove beneficial when the communications module 32 facilitates wireless communications with the other lighting fixtures 10, the remote control system, or other network or auxiliary device", para 0073; "adjust the first, second, and third currents based on the dimming information", para 0057; Figs. 4, 5, 10, 14-17, 24-26).
Regarding claim 2, McBryde discloses wherein the controller is a mobile computing device ("a portable handheld commissioning tool 36, which may also be configured to communicate with a remote control system in a wired or wireless fashion", para 0067).
Regarding claim 3, McBryde discloses wherein the controller (see 66 in 32, Figs. 9, 10) is integrated (“FIG. 4 illustrates a driver module and a communications module integrated within an electronics housing of the lighting fixture of FIG. 1”, para 0022) into the light detector (sensor module 40, para 0079; Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 4, McBryde discloses wherein the driver electronics include at least two channels to at least two strings of light emitting diodes in the light engine ("the driver module is configured to generate a first current for the at least one wavelength converted LED of the first color, a second current for the at least one wavelength converted LED of the second color, and a third current for the at least one LED of the third color", para 0051; "the at least one wavelength converted LED of the first color may consist essentially of a string of wavelength converted LEDs of essentially the first color; the at least one wavelength converted LED of the second color may consist essentially of a string of wavelength converted LEDs of essentially the second color; and the at least one LED of the third color may consist essentially of a string of LEDs of essentially the third color", para 0055).
Regarding claim 6, McBryde discloses wherein the lighting structure has a form factor selected from the group consisting of a tube lamp, downlight, lamp bulb and combinations thereof ("may be employed in any type of lighting system" including "recessed lighting configurations, wall mount lighting configurations, outdoor lighting configurations", paragraphs 0059-0060 (Figs. 1-3).
Method claims 10-13 and 17 and computer program product claim 20 are essentially the same in scope as claims 1-4 and 9 as discussed above and are rejected similarly.
Regarding claim 14, McBryde discloses wherein said adjusting the light emitted by the light structure includes adjusting current to the at least two channels of the at least two strings of light emitting diodes in the light engine ("the driver module is configured to generate a first current for the at least one wavelength converted LED of the first color, a second current for the at least one wavelength converted LED of the second color, and a third current for the at least one LED of the third color", para 0051; "the at least one wavelength converted LED of the first color may consist essentially of a string of wavelength converted LEDs of essentially the first color; the at least one wavelength converted LED of the second color may consist essentially of a string of wavelength converted LEDs of essentially the second color; and the at least one LED of the third color may consist essentially of a string of LEDs of essentially the third color", para 0055).
Regarding claim 16, McBryde discloses wherein the reference lighting value is a measured light characteristic selected from the group consisting of color correlated temperature (CCT), illumination (LUX) and combinations thereof ("correlated color temperature information indicative of a desired correlated color temperature", para 0056).
Regarding claim 18, McBryde discloses wherein the reference lighting value is measured from an operating light (20, Figs. 2-5).
Regarding claim 19, McBryde discloses wherein the adjustment setting in the driver electrical performance is saved in memory of the mobile device (intended in memory of the mobile device 36, Fig. 4, 5, 9), and the adjustment setting is transmitted to additional driver electronics being commissioned through near field communication signal (NFC) (NFC is an intended conventional short-range commissioning radio of the same class as McBryde’s the commissioning tool 36 link, Fig. 4, 5, 9).
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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McBryde in view of Cheng et al. (US 2009/0278462 A1, hereinafter referred to as Cheng).
Regarding claim 9, McBryde discloses all the features and limitations as discussed above but does not disclose wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of tristimulus colorimeter, a spectroradiometer, a spectrophotometer, a spectrocolorimeter, a densitometer, a color temperature meter and combinations thereof.
Cheng discloses "a photodiode implements the light sensing unit for sensing the LED-based luminaire", para 0023; "The light sensor 14 firstly measures the light emitted by the LEDs 10", para 0008; Fig. 1; Fig. 3. Colorimeters, spectroradiometers, spectrophotometers, spectrocolorimeters, densitometers, and color temperature meter are standard photometric instruments that perform that same light characteristic measurement at higher spectral resolution.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to substitute the ambient sensor of McBryde with the photodiode 14 of Cheng when a more precise brightness or color reading is desired (see Cheng Fig. 1; McBryde Figs. 7-8B).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7, 8, and 15 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 and if the claim objections are corrected.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Carrigan et al. (US 2015/0048758 A1) discloses handheld device for grouping a plurality of lighting fixtures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL D CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-1801. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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, Alexander Taningco can be reached at 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 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.
/DANIEL D CHANG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
