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 .
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, 3-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Mochizuki et al. Us Publication No. 20080007961.
Re Claim 1, Mochizuki discloses a headlamp for vehicles comprising:
light source unit containing a plurality of light source elements (four light source units LU1 to LU4) for emitting light (P29);
an optical unit for mapping the light source elements to form a plurality of illumination areas from which a predetermined light distribution is disposed (P37);
a control unit (100) for generating a control signal, such that the light source elements can be individually controlled depending on an ambient signal (P81, P49, P58, P51 he illuminance in the ambient environment of the vehicle is detected through the output of the illuminance sensor 104he ECU 100 further includes a light amount control circuit 112 for controlling the light amount of the four light source units LU1 to LU4 so that they create a low-beam distribution pattern depending on the vehicle's driving status determined by the outputs of the sensors 101 to 105 when the low-beam lamp LBL is selected. ;
an ambient sensor (104) unit for generating the ambient signal, such that ambient parameters in an area in front of the vehicle can be determined (P49,P51)
wherein the control unit is configured to generate the control signal dependent on the ambient parameters, so that only those light source elements are controlled which are mapped in such a part of the light distribution in which there is a changed illuminance due to light emitted by an external light source (P51).
Re Claim 3, , Mochizuki discloses the headlamp according to claim 1, wherein such the light source elements are jointly controllable with the same control signal, the mapped illumination areas of which are located in a common distance zone of the light distribution, wherein the distance zones differ by a different distance from the vehicle, and in that wherein at least two distance zones are provided which can each be switched on and off independently of one another or have dimmable illumination areas which are arranged next to one another in a horizontal direction(P55, P47, P36)..
Re Claim 4, Mochizuki discloses the headlamp according to claim 1, wherein at least one a plurality of distance zones are provided, which comprises a middle distance zone, a left distance zone which adjoins on a first side of the middle distance zone, and a right distance zone which adjoins on a second side of the middle distance zone arranged opposite the first side of the middle distance zone(Fig. 4E).
Re Claim 5, Mochizuki discloses The headlamp according to claim 4, wherein the light distribution is designed as a city light distribution, wherein: the middle distance zone illuminates one lane of the vehicle; the left distance zone illuminates a further lane of a roadway or a side edge of the roadway; the right distance zone illuminates a further lane of the roadway or a side edge of the roadway (Figs,. 7a-7B).
Re Claim 6, Mochizuki discloses the headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the optical unit is configured such that a brightness gradient at boundary edges between two adjacent distance zones has such a low gradient that the illuminance curve of the adjacent distance zones overlap (P37)
Re Claim 7, Mochizuki discloses the headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the light source elements of a right headlamp and a left headlamp of the vehicle can be controlled differently in such a way that a curve of brightness gradients in an area of boundary edges between two adjacent distance zones has a smaller gradient than when the light source elements of the left and right headlamps are controlled in the same way (P52, P54, P81, Figs. 7a, 7B).
Re Claim 8, Mochizuki discloses the headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the light source elements are arranged on a chip in such a way that they are each mapped via the optical unit to form illumination areas, such that the shape of the distance zones in the light distribution is set (P51, Fig. 7).
Re Claim 9, Mochizuki discloses the headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the light source elements can be controlled in such a way that only at a minimum distance from the vehicle a plurality of distance zones arranged next to one another in the horizontal direction can be formed in different shapes and/or dimensions (Figs. 7a and 7b) .
Re Claim 10, Mochizuki discloses a method for controlling a headlamp for vehicles, wherein a plurality of light source elements are individually controlled depending on ambient parameters and are mapped via an optical unit to form illumination areas of a predetermined light distribution, wherein illuminance values of illumination areas of the light distribution generated in an area in front of the vehicle are determined, and wherein in that, when a predetermined deviation of the determined illuminance values from predetermined illuminance values generated by mapping the respective light source elements is exceeded, the corresponding light source elements are dimmed such that the determined illuminance values lie within the predetermined deviation (P10, P29, P37, P81, P49, P58, P51.
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) 2, 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mochizuki et al. Us Publication No. US-20080007961-A1 in view of Shibata et al. US Publication No. 2020/0139879.
Re Claim 2, Mochizuki discloses The headlamp according to claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein the part of the light distribution comprises a plurality of illumination areas of respectively mapped light source elements which can be controlled in such a way that the part of the light distribution is formed by superimposing the light emitted by the light source elements and the light emitted by the external light source, wherein resulting illumination values between a predetermined maximum threshold value and a predetermined minimum threshold value are set in this part of the light distribution.
However Shibata discloses wherein the part of the light distribution comprises a plurality of illumination areas of respectively mapped light source elements which can be controlled in such a way that the part of the light distribution is formed by superimposing the light emitted by the light source elements and the light emitted by the external light source, wherein resulting illumination values between a predetermined maximum threshold value and a predetermined minimum threshold value are set in this part of the light distribution(P9-10, P54-P55, P109, P172).
Given the teachings of Shibata 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 teachings of Mochizuki with wherein the part of the light distribution comprises a plurality of illumination areas of respectively mapped light source elements which can be controlled in such a way that the part of the light distribution is formed by superimposing the light emitted by the light source elements and the light emitted by the external light source, wherein resulting illumination values between a predetermined maximum threshold value and a predetermined minimum threshold value are set in this part of the light distribution
Doing so would improve light irradiation accuracy of a vehicular lamp (P8).
Re Claim 11, Mochizuki discloses the method according to claim 10, but fails to disclose wherein when a predetermined upper threshold value is exceeded as a deviation or when a lower threshold value is undershot as a deviation by the measured or calculated illuminance values of the light distribution in the area in front of the vehicle, the light source elements mapped in these illumination areas are controlled in such a way that the measured or calculated illuminance values are below the upper threshold value or above the lower threshold value.
Shibata discloses wherein when a predetermined upper threshold value is exceeded as a deviation or when a lower threshold value is undershot as a deviation by the measured or calculated illuminance values of the light distribution in the area in front of the vehicle, the light source elements mapped in these illumination areas are controlled in such a way that the measured or calculated illuminance values are below the upper threshold value or above the lower threshold value (P10, P54-P55).
Given the teachings of Shibata 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 teachings of Mochizuki with wherein when a predetermined upper threshold value is exceeded as a deviation or when a lower threshold value is undershot as a deviation by the measured or calculated illuminance values of the light distribution in the area in front of the vehicle, the light source elements mapped in these illumination areas are controlled in such a way that the measured or calculated illuminance values are below the upper threshold value or above the lower threshold value.
Doing so would improve light irradiation accuracy of a vehicular lamp (P8).
Re Claim 12, Mochizuki discloses the method according to claim 10, but fails to disclose wherein the measured or calculated illuminance values are determined in groups for different distance zones.
Shibata discloses wherein the measured or calculated illuminance values are determined in groups for different distance zones (P9-P10, P82).
Given the teachings of Shibata 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 teachings of Mochizuki with wherein the measured or calculated illuminance values are determined in groups for different distance zones.
Doing so would allow light distribution patterns to be produced more appropriately based on the condition in front of the subject vehicle, so that the safety of driving can be improved (P82).
Re Claim 13, Mochizuki discloses the method according to claim 10, but fails to disclose wherein the illuminance values in the area in front of the vehicle are determined by evaluating image data from a camera.
Shibata discloses wherein the illuminance values in the area in front of the vehicle are determined by evaluating image data from a camera (P181).
Given the teachings of Shibata 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 teachings of Mochizuki with wherein the illuminance values in the area in front of the vehicle are determined by evaluating image data from a camera.
Doing so would improve light irradiation accuracy of a vehicular lamp.
Re Claim 14, Mochizuki discloses the method according to claim 10 but fails to disclose wherein the illuminance values are calculated by detecting location data of external light sources, wherein the illuminance values result as a superposition of a light generated by the respective light source elements and a light emitted by the external light source.
Shibata discloses wherein the illuminance values are calculated by detecting location data of external light sources, wherein the illuminance values result as a superposition of a light generated by the respective light source elements and a light emitted by the external light source (P62, P85, P172)
Given the teachings of Shibata 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 teachings of Mochizuki with wherein the illuminance values are calculated by detecting location data of external light sources, wherein the illuminance values result as a superposition of a light generated by the respective light source elements and a light emitted by the external light source.
Doing so would improve irradiation accuracy when light is emitted in consideration of the condition in front of the subject vehicle (P7).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 10 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.
Conclusion
The following reference is cited but not relied upon:
SUWA discloses A headlight device is a headlight device for a vehicle, including a light source unit to include a plurality of light-emitting units respectively emitting light having spectral distributions different from each other and to emit illuminating light having a combined spectral distribution as a combination of the spectral distributions of the plurality of light-emitting units, an acquisition unit to acquire environment information indicating a surrounding environment around an illumination region formed by the headlight device, and a control unit to control the spectral distributions of the plurality of light-emitting units based on the environment information acquired by the acquisition unit.
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SONJI N. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/SONJI N JOHNSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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