Notice of Non Final Rejection
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 § 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 1-18 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.
Referring to claim 1, claim recites a limitation and/or which makes the claim indefinite. Hence it is difficult to determine the scope of the claim. Hence, claims 1-18 are rejected on the basis of indefiniteness. Appropriate correction is needed to overcome this rejection. In order to expedite and avoid piecemeal prosecution the following rejection has been made to the extent that the claims are understood by considering those elements which are understood and interpreting their function in manner which is consistent with recited goals of the claims and then applying the best available art.
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 1-14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US20210227667 A1 by Wang et al (Wang).
Referring to claim 1, Wang Fig 1- 4 teaches: An LED decorative light (See Fig 1 and paragraph [0004] item 21 paragraph [0033]) with controllable flashing bubbles (intended use), wherein the LED decorative light (item 21) comprises:
a controller (item 1 DC controller paragraph [0033]) and a light string (item 2 paragraph [0033]);
a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the controller are connected to the light string ( see Fig 1 power supply controller has a positive terminal and negative terminals are connected to the light string LEDs 21), wherein the controller supplies power to the light string through the positive terminal and the negative terminal, and loads control signals on the positive terminal and/or the negative terminal (see paragraph [0033] which teaches the configuration of DC power controller architecture);
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the light string comprises a plurality of LEDs (the light string 2 has plurality of LEDs 21 paragraph [0033]) and
But Wang is silent or do not explicitly teaches a plurality of controllable flashing bubbles, with the plurality of LEDs and the plurality of controllable flashing bubbles being in the same current path;
However, Wang teaches each LED 21 (Fig 1, 2) has a unique address code the power supply controller sends the power signals through the current path and LED has another microcontroller which receives on the same current path (See Fig 2 and paragraph [0034]) and the controllable flashing bubbles or signals receive the controlling signals to achieve controllable flashing effects (See paragraph [0004] [0013] and [0034]).
Hence it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of instant application to incorporate the teachings wang to create flashing bubble type pattern control program in order to have a Christmas decoration or in general decorations on buildings etc. (See paragraph [0004]).
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Referring to claim 2 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 1, Wang further teaches the controllable flashing bubble )[0004], [0013]) comprises: a driver chip (fig 2 item 211 driver chip) and a controlled LED (item 212), wherein the driver chip receives the control signal and controls the controlled LED to achieve the controllable flashing effect. (See Fig 2 paragraph [0034]).
Referring to claim 3 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 2, Wang further teaches wherein: the driver chip performs an operation triggered by the control signal and drives the controlled LED based on the operation result (See Fig 1, 2 and paragraph [0034]).
Referring to claim 4 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 3, Wang further teaches wherein: the plurality of LEDs operates in a constant-on mode (See paragraphs [0035] and [0041]) Hence, Wang s teachings suggests that it is within the scope of the present teaching..
Referring to claim 5 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 4, Wang do not explicitly teaches or silent on wherein: the control signal includes an address signal, and the driver chip receives the address signal and compares it with its own address code; when the received address signal matches the driver chip's address code, the driver chip executes the control signal. However, from Wang’s teachings in paragraphs [0034], [0035] and it is within the scope of ordinary skill in the art.
Referring to claim 6 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 5, wherein: the operation is an arithmetic operation, a logical operation, or a combination of arithmetic and logical operations. (See paragraph [0035] is evident that the operation is a logical program).
Referring to claim 7 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 5, wherein: Wang teaches the driver chip performs a pulse-counting operation based on the control signal. (See paragraphs [0012, [0015])
Referring to claim 8 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 5, wherein: Wang teaches the driver chip performs encoding or decoding operations on the control signal, wherein the pulse width (high or low level duration) of the control signal corresponds to encoded information. (See paragraph [0015] [0035]).
Referring to claim 9 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 8, Wang teaches wherein: the encoded information is represented by different high-level durations, different low-level durations, or a combination of different high-level durations and different low-level durations in the control signal. (See paragraph [0015] [0035])
Referring to claim 10 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 5, wherein: the driver chip performs modulation or demodulation operations based on current or voltage frequency, and drives the controlled LED according to the modulation or demodulation results.( It is an obvious implementation of such signal transmission bus based control using varying electrical levels inherently relies on modulation of voltage and/or current signals and corresponding to demodulation at the driver chip).
Referring to claim 11 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 5, wherein: the controller comprises a controllable switch module, and the control signal is loaded via the controllable switch module. (See paragraph [0015] which corresponds to generating control signals via switching elements between different voltage levels by Wang [0035-[0038])
Referring to claim 12 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 11, wherein: Wang the controllable switch module comprises a first controllable switch and an intermediate voltage module; when the first controllable switch is turned off, the intermediate voltage module generates a second voltage level, and the control signal is loaded by switching between the power supply voltage level and the second voltage level see paragraphs [0015] , [0034] - [0038]).
Referring to claim 13 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 11, wherein :the control signal is loaded by controlling the turn-on and turn-off of the controllable switch module. (See paragraph [0015] which corresponds to generating control signals via switching elements between different voltage levels by Wang [0035-[0038]).
Referring to claim 14 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 11, Wang is silent on wherein: the controllable switch module is a first controllable switch, and the control signal is loaded by controlling the turn-on and turn-off of the first controllable switch. However, it is within the scope of a person with ordinary skill in the art as it is routine circuit design choices for implementing such level switching and signal shaping based on the standard electronic design consideration. (See paragraph [0015] which corresponds to generating control signals via switching elements between different voltage levels by Wang [0035-[0038])
Referring to claim 16 the modified reference of Wang teaches the LED decorative light of claim 4, wang do not teach wherein: the plurality of LEDs are ordinary light-emitting diodes without built-in driver chips. However, it is within the scope of ordinary skill.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15, 17, and 18 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.
Conclusion
Claims 1-18 are rejected.
The prior of art made of record and not relied upon is considered to pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior art included on the notice of references cited PTOL 892 attached here with. The examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicants. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim other passages and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SRINIVAS SATHIRAJU whose telephone number is (571)272-4250. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-3:30PM, 5PM -8:30PM.
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/SRINIVAS SATHIRAJU/ 10/10/2026
SRINIVAS . SATHIRAJU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
