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 .
Election/Restrictions
During a telephone conversation with Devore Peter on 7/8/26. a provisional election was made withdrawn without traverse to prosecute the invention. Affirmation of this election must be made by applicant in replying to this Office action. Claims 7-9 are withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner, 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
Therefore, claims 1-6 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS)s submitted on 8/21/25,2/25/26 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 &1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Miyashita (US Pub. No: 2022/0086992).
With respect to claim 1, Miyashita disclose in figure 5, a vehicle lamp comprising: a light-emitting unit having a first semiconductor light-emitting element (206) for low beam illumination, and a second semiconductor light-emitting element(208)) for high beam illumination; a first drive module structured(driver circuit (342.354) to drive the first semiconductor light-emitting element(206); and a second drive module structured(360.362) to drive the second semiconductor light-emitting element(208) , the first drive module (342,354)comprising: a first DC/DC converter structured (342)to supply a first drive current to the first semiconductor light-emitting element(208); and a first converter controller (400) structured to feedback control the first converter(306), such that the first drive
current generated by the first converter approaches a first reference level (current Iled3)) (paragraphs [63,85-90]) and the second drive module( 360.362)being structured to transmit a dimming instruction signal to the first drive module(342,354)(figure 5,the second drive module (360,362) transmit signal to (A/D IF (306)) and an output of 306 transmit signal to the first control converter(400) to diming instruction signal to the drive module(342,345) and , in response to a lighting instruction for the high beam illumination(208), and, the first drive module(342,340,354) being structured to reduce the first drive current to a second reference level(ILed2) lower than the first reference level(Iled3) base on switches (344,354)([paragraphs [ 82-84] for changing the PWM signal DRL_PWM, the signal processing device 400 may change the average value of the drive current I.sub.LED2 supplied to the second light source 204, and change the effective luminance of the second light source 204) in response to the dimming instruction signal.
With respect to claim 2, Miyashita disclose in figure 5, wherein the first converter controller (400) has an analog dimming terminal, and the first reference level is based on a dimming voltage generated on the analog dimming terminal, and the first drive module further includes a dimming circuit structured to reduce the dimming voltage, in response to the dimming instruction signal. Paragraphs [83-84] for the signal processing device 400 may change the average value of the drive current I.sub.LED2 supplied to the second light source 204, and change the effective luminance of the second light source 204.
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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by anticipated by Miyashita (US Pub. No: 2022/0086992) in view of Grundey et al (US Pub.No:2020/0133271).
With respect to claim 6, Miyashita disclose all limitations recited in claim 1, except for a fan-less design.
Grundey et al disclose a vehicle which include a fan-less design. Paragraph [33].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Grundey et al into the vehicle lamp of Miyashita to reduce heat for the vehicle lamp.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 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.
Citation of pertinent prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants' disclosure. See prior arts/references listed on the PTO-892 form attached.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Minh Tran whose telephone number is (571)272-1817. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taningco Alexander H can be reached on 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 an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Minh Tran/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights