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
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.
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Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Giorgi (US 2008/0080179 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Giorgi teaches a luminaire optical system comprising:
a plurality of LED optical modules (5; figure 1);
an auxiliary LED array (4; figure 1);
an array of lenses (8; figure 1), each configured to receive light emitted from an associated LED optical module (5) of the plurality of LED optical modules (5); and
a telescoping light tube assembly (6 and 7 combined; see figures 1 and 4) configured to receive light emitted from the auxiliary LED array (4) and comprising a light exit end positioned in an aperture at a center of the array of lenses (8; see figure 1 and 4),
wherein the array of lenses (8) and the light exit end of the telescoping light tube assembly (6 and 7 combined; see figure 4) are physically coupled and configured to move together closer to and farther from the plurality of LED optical modules (5) and the auxiliary LED array (4; see paragraph [0018] where 6 and 7 telescopically interact).
Regarding claim 2, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 1, further comprising a lens support (matte screen 9) configured to physically couple to the array of lenses (8), wherein the array of lenses (8) comprises one or more mounting features (see figure 4 where lens 8 are mounted to matte screen 9), the one or more mounting features positioned outside a light transmissive area of the array of lenses (8; see figure 4 where lenses 8 are mounted) and configured to be mechanically coupled to the lens support (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 3, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 1, wherein the telescoping light tube assembly comprises:
a first light tube (see plurality of tubes 6) having a light input (see where light sources 4 are connected to the bottom end of tube 6) physically coupled to the auxiliary LED array (4); and
a second light tube (7) having a light exit (top portion of tube 7) end physically coupled to the array of lenses (8; see figure 1),
wherein the first and second light tubes (6 and 7) are configured with different diameters to enable one light tube of the first and second light tubes to slide inside the other light tube of the first and second light tubes (see figure 4 where tube 7 is inside of tube 6).
Regarding claim 4, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 3, wherein the telescoping light tube assembly (6 and 7 combined) comprises a circular cross section (see light tube assembly in figure 4).
Regarding claim 5, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 3, wherein the telescoping light tube assembly (6 and 7 combined; see figure 1 and 4) comprises a reflective coating (3) on an inner surface (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 6, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 3, wherein the light exit end (top portion of tubes 6 and 7 combined) of the second light tube comprises an optical element (lens 8).
Regarding claim 7, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 6, wherein the optical element is a lens (array of lenses 8)
Regarding claim 8, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 6, wherein the optical element is a diffusing filter (see paragraph [0022] where diffusing light is disclosed).
Regarding claim 9, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 1, wherein each LED optical module comprises one of an LED, an LED multi-chip, or an LED array (LED light sources 4).
Regarding claim 10, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary LED array comprises one or more of an array of LEDs (4) and a multi-chip LED with a plurality of LED dies (see claim 9 where colored LEDs are disclosed).
Regarding claim 11, Giorgi teaches the luminaire optical system of claim 1, wherein the array of lenses (8) comprises a lens mask (9) configured to cover one or more edges of the lenses (8; see figure 4).
Regarding claim 12, Giorgi teaches a luminaire comprising:
a head (2; figure 1; paragraph [0020] discloses a swivel head 2) comprising:
a luminaire optical system (figure 1) comprising:
a plurality of LED optical modules (5) ; an auxiliary LED array (4);
an array of lenses (8; figure 1), each configured to receive light emitted from an associated LED optical module of the plurality of LED optical modules (5); and a telescoping light tube (6 and 7 combined; figure 1 and 4) assembly configured to receive light emitted from the auxiliary LED array (4) and comprising a light exit end (top portion of telescoping light tube 6,7) positioned in an aperture at a center of the array of lenses (8; see figure 1),wherein the array of lenses (8; figure 1) and the light exit end of the telescoping light tube assembly (6 and 7 combined) are physically coupled and configured to move together closer to and farther from the plurality of LED optical modules (5) and the auxiliary LED array (4);
a control system configured to control one or more electromechanical mechanisms of the head (see claim 10 of Giorgi where electronic controls are disclosed); and power circuits (see paragraph [0024]) configured to provide electrical power to one or more electrical circuits of the head (2).
Regarding claim 13, Giorgi teaches the luminaire of claim 12, wherein the array of lenses (8) comprises a single optical element comprising a plurality of lens areas (see lenses positioned on 9 in figure 1), each lens area configured to form one lens of the array of lenses (8).
Regarding claim 14, Giorgi teaches the luminaire of claim 12, wherein each lens of the array of lenses (8) is a physically separate optical element (see figure 1 where 8 are separate lens elements) and each lens includes one mounting feature of the one or more mounting features (see figure 1 where lenses 8 are mounted to the surface of matte screen 9).
Regarding claim 15, Giorgi teaches the luminaire of claim 12, wherein the array of lenses (8) comprises a plurality of adjacent lenses (see figure 1), each lens of the plurality of adjacent lenses (8) configured to receive light emitted from the associated LED optical module (4) of the plurality of LED optical modules (4) and to emit an individual output light beam.
Regarding claim 16, Giorgi teaches the luminaire of claim 15, further comprising a lens mask (matte screen 9; figure 1), configured to cover one or more edges of the adjacent lenses (lenses 8 of the plurality of lenses in figure 1), the lens mask (9) configured to reduce one or both of spilled and reflected light between the adjacent lenses (8) with covered edges (see figure 1).
Regarding claim 17, Giorgi teaches the luminaire of claim 15, wherein each lens (8) of the plurality of adjacent lenses comprises a rounded outer perimeter (see figure 1 where lenses 8 have rounded outer perimeter), an edge configured to abut another lens (8), and a rounded inner perimeter (see figure 1), wherein the lenses of the plurality of adjacent lenses are configured to form a complete circle of lenses (see paragraph [0025] where different forms and shapes can be used as a matter of design choice) and the rounded inner perimeters of the lenses (8) are configured to form a central aperture in the array of lenses (see lenses 8 in figure 1).
Regarding claim 18, Giorgi teaches the luminaire of claim 15, wherein:
each lens of the plurality of adjacent lenses (8; figure 1) comprises a rounded outer perimeter (see figure 1 where lenses 8 have a rounded outer perimeter), an edge configured to abut another lens (lens of the plurality of lens 8), and an inner perimeter, wherein the lenses of the plurality of adjacent lenses (8) are configured to form a complete circle of lenses (see paragraph [0025] where different forms and shapes can be used as a matter of design choice); and the array of lenses (8) comprises a central lens (see center lens of array of lenses 8 in figure 1) configured to abut all the inner perimeters of the plurality of adjacent lenses (8) and configured to receive light emitted from the auxiliary LED array (LEDs 4).
Regarding claim 19, Giorgi teaches the luminaire of claim 18, wherein a light-receiving side of the central lens comprises a coating or surface texture (luminous surface 3; paragraph [0022]) configured to produce a diffusion effect in light passing through the central lens (center lens of the plurality of lenses 8 in figure 1).
Regarding claim 20, Giorgi teaches the luminaire of claim 18, further comprising a lens mask (matte screen 9; figure 1), configured to cover one or more edges of the plurality of adjacent lenses (8) and the central lens (see center lens of the plurality of lenses 8 in figure 1) , the lens mask (matte screen 9; figure 1) configured to reduce one or both of spilled and reflected light between the adjacent lenses (see lenses 8 in figure 1) and the central lens (see center lens of plurality of lenses 8 in at least figure 1).
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) 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giorgi (US 2008/0080179 A1) in view of Jurik et al. (US 2011/0249435 A1).
Regarding claim 21, Giorgi teaches the luminaire of claim 12, wherein the luminaire optical system is a first luminaire optical system (1; figure 1), but does not explicitly teach the luminaire further comprising:
a second luminaire optical system; and
a control system electrically coupled to the first luminaire optical system and the second luminaire optical system and configured for one or both of individual and collective control of one or more electromechanical mechanisms of one or both of the first luminaire optical system and the second luminaire optical system.
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Jurik et al. (US 2011/0249435 A1) teaches the luminaire further comprising:
a second luminaire optical system (see figure 1 where multiple luminaires 12, 14 and 16 are shown); and
a control system (control desk 10; figure 1 and paragraph [0004] where control desk 10 is disclosed) electrically coupled to the first luminaire optical system (12) and the second luminaire optical system (14) and configured for one or both of individual and collective control of one or more electromechanical mechanisms of one or both of the first luminaire optical system and the second luminaire optical system (see paragraph [0004] where control desk 10 controls the individual luminaires which typically include electronic circuitry as part of the electromechanical control system for controlling the automated lighting parameters).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the luminaire of Giorgi to include a second luminaire optical system as taught by Jurik et al. as an alternative way of producing a desired illumination output.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., an optical system with two structurally distinct and co-existing optical subsystems) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Applicant argues on page 8 of arguments/remarks filed on 06/24/2026, prior art of record, Giorgi, does not disclose an optical system with two structurally distinct and co-existing optical subsystems. Applicant further states, Giorgi discloses a single, uniform optical system replicated identically throughout its floodlight: an LED (element 4) covered by a fixed lens (element 5) feeding into a telescoping tube assembly (elements 6 and 7) having at its end a lens (element 8). There is not a second optical system. There is one optical architecture disclosed in Giorgi.
Further, applicant argues on page 9, claim 1 recites two co-existing, structurally independent optical subsystems. These are two independent optical paths that must both simultaneously be present in the claimed device.
The examiner respectfully disagrees. Claim 1 does not disclose or recite the language “two co-existing, structurally independent optical subsystems”. Nor does the claim explicitly suggest “two co-existing, structurally independent optical subsystems.” And therefore, Giorgi teaches the optical system as recited in claim 1.
Applicant further argues that Giorgi does not teach the limitations of independent claim 12 and the rejection of claim 12 should be traversed for the same reasons as independent claim 1. The examiner respectfully disagrees and for the same reasons as claim 1, claim 12 remains rejected.
Claims 2-11 and 13-21 remain rejected based on dependency on a rejected base claim.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA MCMILLAN APENTENG whose telephone number is (571)272-5510. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ABDULMAJEED AZIZ can be reached at 571-270-5046. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JESSICA M APENTENG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/EVAN P DZIERZYNSKI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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