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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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 1-10 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.
Regarding claim 1, the limitation recites “a withstand voltage of the first switching transistor and a withstand voltage of the second switching transistor are respectively less than a working voltage of the first LED light source and a working voltage of the second LED light source” is unclear and leaves the reader in doubt as to the meaning of the technical feature to which it refers. It is unclear that what is “a withstand voltage of the first switching transistor and a withstand voltage of the second switching transistor? And what is a working voltage of the first LED light source and a working voltage of the second LED light source? How does a withstand voltage of the first switching transistor and a withstand voltage of the second switching transistor are respectively less than a working voltage of the first LED light source and a working voltage of the second LED light source?
The claim fails to recite sufficiently definite structure, material or acts for achieving the functional result recited in the claim to reasonably apprise one of ordinary skill in the art of the scope of the claim.
Claims 2-10 are depending on claim 1, and are rejected the same reasons under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph.
Note: for compact prosecution purposes, the examiner interprets the claim above as best understood in the rejection below.
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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (CN 221807232 U, with English translation attached) in view of Miskin et al. (U.S Publication No. 20230262854 A1), and further in view of Wang et al. (U.S Publication No. 20180027626 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a driving circuit (which is an LED color temperature adjusting device and lamp, see fig. 4a-4h) for lighting and nightlight lighting (paragraph [0001] and [0068]), comprising:
a power control chip (which is a first control chip U1), (see fig. 4e-4h, paragraph [0075]),
a control chip (which is a second control chip U2), (see fig. 4c, see paragraph [0079]),
a rectifier bridge (which is a rectifier bridge BD1), (see fig. 4a-4b, paragraph [0071]),
a first light-emitting diode (LED) light source (which is a first LED light source: 1 to n cool color temperature LEDs connected in series, see fig. 4d, paragraph [0047]), and
a second LED light source (which is a second LED light source: W1 to Wn warm color temperature LEDs connected in series, see fig. 4d, paragraph [0047]),
wherein: an alternating current input end of the rectifier bridge (BD1) is connected to mains electricity (via AC mains, L and N, see fig. 4a and 4b),
a direct current output end of the rectifier bridge (BD1) is connected to a positive electrode of the first LED light source (via the LED driver, see fig. 4b and 4c), the direct current output end of the rectifier bridge (BD1) is connected to a positive electrode of the second LED light source (via the LED driver, see fig. 4b and 4c),
negative electrodes of the first LED light source and the second LED light source are respectively connected to a first switching transistor (which is transistor Q4) and a second switching transistor (which is transistor Q3), (see fig. 4d),
a signal output end of the control chip (U2) is respectively connected to control electrodes of the first switching transistor (which is transistor Q4) and the second switching transistor (which is transistor Q3), (see fig. 4d).
Chen does not explicitly disclose the direct current output end of the rectifier bridge is connected to a positive electrode of the second LED light source through a current limiting resistor.
Miskin, on the other hand, discloses a light emitting diodes (LED) and LED drivers comprising inputs 308 and 310 of the bridge rectifier may be provided for direct connection to an AC power supply, it is contemplated by the invention that one input, shown as input 310, may have a capacitor (shown as capacitor 312) or a resistor (shown in FIG. 18 as resistor 313) connected in series in order to control and limit the current passing through the at least one LED. And the lighting device further comprising current limiting resistors electrically connected between the switch and the first and second LED circuits (see paragraph [0140], claims 6 and 16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to incorporate a current limiting resistor as taught by Miskin into the LED driving circuit as taught by Chen connected in series in order to control and limit the current passing through the at least one LED (see paragraph [0140] by Miskin).
Chen does not explicitly disclose a withstand voltage of the first switching transistor and a withstand voltage of the second switching transistor are respectively less than a working voltage of the first LED light source and a working voltage of the second LED light source.
Wang, on the other hand, discloses color-temperature adjustable light-emitting diode (LED) lighting device and a method for adjusting the color temperature of an LED lighting device includes a power supply module, a micro-control unit (MCU), an adjustable LED driving power supply having a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal, a cool white LED array, a warm white LED array, a first switch circuit, a second switch circuit, a first current detection circuit, and a second current detection circuit (see abstract). Wang further discloses the first PWM signal may be used to control the on and off states of the first switch circuit 16, so as to further control the on and off states of the cool white LED array 14. The second PWM signal may be used to control the on and off states of the second switch circuit 17, so as to further control the on and off states of the warm white LED array 15. For example, when the first PWM signal is a high-level signal, the second PWM signal may be a low-level signal. Accordingly, the cool white LED array 14 may be turned on and the warm white LED array 15 may be turned off. When the first PWM signal is a low-level signal, the second PWM signal may be a high-level signal. Accordingly, the cool white LED array 14 may be turned off and the warm white LED array 15 may be turned on. The MCU 12 may adjust the ratio of the on-time of the cool white LED array 14 to the on-time of the warm white LED array 15 in a unit of time, through controlling the duty cycles of the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal. By taking advantage the delay of human eyes, variation of color temperature of the disclosed LED lighting device may be implemented. The duty cycle may be a ratio of the time of high-level voltage to the time of low-level voltage, for a signal (see paragraph [0033]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made that to modify the LED driving circuit as taught by Chen in view of Miskin with the LED driving circuit as taught by Wang in order to have a withstand voltage of the first switching transistor and a withstand voltage of the second switching transistor are respectively less than a working voltage of the first LED light source and a working voltage of the second LED light source as claimed, and also reducing costs.
Regarding claim 2, Chen in view of Miskin and Wang discloses the driving circuit for lighting and nightlight lighting according to claim 1, except for specifying that wherein: the current limiting resistor comprises at least two resistors connected in series.
However, Miskin disclose while inputs 308 and 310 of the bridge rectifier may be provided for direct connection to an AC power supply, it is contemplated by the invention that one input, shown as input 310, may have a capacitor (shown as capacitor 312) or a resistor (shown in FIG. 18 as resistor 313) connected in series in order to control and limit the current passing through the at least one LED. Additionally, capacitor 314 may be connected across the rectifier inputs to protect against voltage spikes (see paragraph [0140]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the capacitor in current limiting resistor as taught by Miskin with another resistor connected in series in order to have two resistors connected in series to control and limit the current passing through the at least one LED, and which is also considered as an obvious matter of design choice based upon an actual design requirement so that the various designs of circuit may be satisfied.
Regarding claim 3, Chen in view of Miskin and Wang discloses the driving circuit for lighting and nightlight lighting according to claim 1, wherein: the negative electrodes of the first LED light source (via LED 1 to N) and the second LED light source (LED W1 to Wn) are connected to floating ground (GND) respectively through the first switching transistor (Q4) and the second switching transistor (Q3), (see fig. 4d by Chen).
Regarding claim 4, Chen in view of Miskin and Wang discloses the driving circuit for lighting and nightlight lighting according to claim 3, wherein: the power control chip (U1) and the control chip (U2) are respectively connected to the floating ground (GND), (see fig. 4d-4g by Chen).
Regarding claim 5, Chen in view of Miskin and Wang discloses the driving circuit for lighting and nightlight lighting according to claim 3, wherein: potential of the floating ground is higher than potential of a negative terminal of the direct current output end of the rectifier bridge. It is obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effect filing date of the invention was made that potential of the floating ground is higher than potential of a negative terminal of the direct current output end of the rectifier bridge for protection purposes, which is considered as an obvious matter of design choice based upon an actual design requirement so that the various designs of circuit may be satisfied.
Regarding claim 6, Chen in view Miskin and Wang discloses a lighting device comprising the driving circuit for lighting and nightlight lighting according to claim 1 (see paragraph [0001] and [0068] by Chen).
Regarding claim 7, Chen in view of Miskin and Wang discloses a lighting device comprising the driving circuit for lighting and nightlight lighting according to claim 2 (see paragraph [0001] and [0068] by Chen).
Regarding claim 8, Chen in view of Miskin and Wang discloses a lighting device comprising the driving circuit for lighting and nightlight lighting according to claim 3 (see paragraph [0001] and [0068] by Chen).
Regarding claim 9, Chen in view of Miskin and Wang discloses a lighting device comprising the driving circuit for lighting and nightlight lighting according to claim 4 (see paragraph [0001] and [0068] by Chen).
Regarding claim 10, Chen in view of Miskin and Wang discloses a lighting device comprising the driving circuit for lighting and nightlight lighting according to claim 5 (see paragraph [0001] and [0068] by Chen).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THAI N PHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5518. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
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/Thai Pham/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845 06/08/2026
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