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 required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on October 24 of 2025, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Title
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. If a satisfactory title is not supplied by the applicant, the examiner may, at the time of allowance, change the title by an examiner’s amendment, per MPEP 606.01. Any changes to claim scope at time of allowance may also result in an additional title amendment.
At this time, the following title is suggested: Vehicle Lamp having Light Guide with Asymmetrical Incident Surface.
Abstract
Applicant is reminded of the proper content, language and format of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. In certain patents, particularly those for compounds and compositions, wherein the process for making and/or the use thereof are not obvious, the abstract should set forth a process for making and/or use thereof. If the new technical disclosure involves modifications or alternatives, the abstract should mention by way of example the preferred modification or alternative.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words. The form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as "means" and "said," should be avoided. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, "The disclosure concerns," "The disclosure defined by this invention," "The disclosure describes," etc.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following:
(1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation;
(2) if an article, its method of making;
(3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use;
(4) if a mixture, its ingredients;
(5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of apparatus should not be given.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it fails to concisely describe the subject matter of applicant’s invention. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The Examiner respectfully suggests amending the originally filed abstract as indicated below.
ABSTRACT. A vehicle lamp receiving light
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.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor, or a joint inventor, regards as the invention.
Independent claim 1 is indefinite as it is not clear, from the context of the claim, whether the invention defined by the claim is a “lamp” intended to be used with a “vehicle including at least one lamp module”, as clearly stated in the preamble (i.e., “A lamp for a vehicle including at least one lamp module forming a beam pattern”); or a “lamp module”, as strongly implied by the claim body. The applicant is advised that, in comparing the claimed invention with the Prior Art, the Examiner assumed, based on the originally filed description and drawings, claim 1 as attempting to define a “lamp module” intended to be used in a vehicle.
Dependent claims 2-17 are rejected at least for their dependency on indefinite independent claim 1, as detailed above.
Dependent claim 3 is indefinite as it fails to provide proper antecedent basis for the limitations “a first light-receiving module that is disposed above the reference line” and “a second light-receiving module that is disposed below the reference line”. The applicant is advised that, in comparing the claimed invention with the Prior Art, the Examiner assumed, based on the originally filed description and drawings, claim 3 as attempting to define the “light-receiving portion” as including a “first light-receiving module” disposed above the reference line, and a “second light-receiving module” disposed below the reference line.
Dependent claims 4-10 are rejected at least for their dependency on indefinite dependent claim 3, as detailed above.
Proposed Claim Amendments
The Examiner respectfully suggests amending the claims as indicated below. The applicant is advised that, if the proposed amendments are accepted, all claims must be carefully reviewed to reflect and/or accommodate the new language.
CLAIM 1. A lamp module for a vehiclecomprising:
a light source that generates light; and
a light guide that guides the light incident thereon from the light source to be emitted, wherein the light guide includes:
a light-receiving portion that receives the light from the light source;
a light-emitting portion through which the light incident thereon from the light-receiving portion is emitted; and
a light-transfer portion that is connected to and disposed between the light-receiving portion and the light-emitting portion, and transmits at least a portion of the light incident from the light-receiving portion to the light-emitting portion, [[and]]
wherein the light-receiving portion has upper and lower portions formed asymmetrically with each other with respect to a reference line that coincides with an optical axis of the light source.
CLAIM 3. The lamp for the vehicle of claim 1, comprising:
a first light-receiving module configured to focus the light incident thereon from the light source on a first focus; and
a second light-receiving module configured to cause the light incident thereon from the light source to proceed toward a second focus.
Claim Rejections Based on Prior Art
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by IWASAKI (U.S. Pat. 11,448,378).
Regarding independent claim 1 (as best understood), IWASAKI discloses a lamp 1 (as seen in Figure 2) for a vehicle (as seen in Figure 1) including at least one lamp module 30 (as seen in Figure 2) forming a beam pattern L1/L2/L3 (as seen in Figure 3), wherein the at least one lamp module 30 includes a light source 22 (as seen in Figure 3) that generates light (inherent, as such is the function of light sources); and a light guide 31 (as seen in Figure 3) that guides the light incident thereon from the light source 22 to be emitted (as seen in Figure 3), wherein the light guide 31 includes a light-receiving portion 31B (as seen in Figure 3) that receives the light from the light source 22 (as seen in Figure 3); a light-emitting portion 31A through which the light incident thereon from the light-receiving portion 31B is emitted (as seen in Figure 3); and a light-transfer portion (portion between elements 31A and 31B, as seen in Figure 3) that is connected to and disposed between the light-receiving portion 31B and the light-emitting portion 31A (as seen in Figure 3) and transmits at least a portion of the light incident from the light-receiving portion 31B to the light-emitting portion 31A (as seen in Figure 3), and wherein the light-receiving portion 21B has upper and lower portions (upper and lower curved surfaces of element 31B, as seen in Figure 3) formed asymmetrically with each other with respect to a reference line (the upper and lower curved portions of element 31B are not symmetrical about the line Z, as seen in Figure 3) that coincides with an optical axis Z (as seen in Figure 3) of the light source 22 (as seen in Figure 3).
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Figure 3 of IWASAKI (U.S. Pat. 11,448,378), simplified and annotated to clearly reference claimed structural elements and features.
Regarding dependent claim 2 (as best understood), IWASAKI further discloses the light-receiving portion 31B includes a central surface 31BA (as seen in Figure 3) having a central point (as seen in Figure 3) disposed on the optical axis Z (as seen in Figure 3) of the light source 22 (as seen in Figure 3); a protruding surface (upper portion of element 31B, as seen in Figure 3) formed to protrude from an edge of the central surface 31BA toward the light source 22 (as seen in Figure 3); and a reflective surface (upper reflective surface of element 31B, as seen in Figure 3) that reflects the light incident on the protruding surface (as seen in Figure 3) so as to cause it to proceed in a forward direction (as seen in Figure 3), wherein upper and lower regions of at least one of the center surface 31BA, the protruding surface, or the reflective surface are formed asymmetrically with each other with respect to the reference line (as seen in Figure 3).
Regarding dependent claim 15 (as best understood), IWASAKI further discloses the light-emitting portion 31A has a convex (the surface of element 31A is convex, as seen in Figure 3) or concave shape in a forward direction.
Regarding dependent claim 17 (as best understood), IWASAKI further discloses the light guide 31 includes a reinforcement portion (top portion of element 31, as seen in Figure 3) formed in at least one of an upper surface (as seen in Figure 3) or a lower surface of the light guide 31 to reinforce structural rigidity.
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 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IWASAKI (U.S. Pat. 11,448,378) in view of MUN (U.S. Pat. 11,988,349).
IWASAKI further discloses the light-emitting portion 31A includes a plurality of facets, and wherein at least one of a formation angle, a curvature, or a size of one of the plurality of facets is different from the formation angle, the curvature, or the size of at least another of the plurality of facets.
However, MUN discloses at least one lamp module 10 (as seen in Figure 4) including a light source 100 (as seen in Figure 4); and a light guide 200 (as seen in Figure 1) having a light-receiving portion 210 (as seen in Figure 4), a light-emitting portion 300 (as seen in Figure 4), and a light-transfer portion (portion between elements 210 and 300, as seen in Figure 3), with the light-emitting portion 300 having a plurality of facets (as seen in Figure 4), and wherein at least one of a formation angle, a curvature, or a size of one of the plurality of facets is different from the formation angle, the curvature, or the size of at least another of the plurality of facets (as evidenced by Figure 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to simply include the known faceted light-emitting portion 300 of MUN in the patented lamp of IWASAKI, to obtain the predictable result of enabling the apparatus to project a desired illumination output pattern. (KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Potter (U.S. Pat. 9,22,637), Hsieh et al. (U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2016/0356445), Nakajima et al. (U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2017/0089541), Kadoriku et al. (U.S. Pat. 9,752,758), Owada (U.S. Pat. 10,281,103), Nishimura et al. (U.S. Pat. 10,473,286), Tessmer et al. (U.S. Pat. 10,634,301), Den Breejen et al. (U.S. Pat. 10,677,980), Strohmüller (U.S. Pat. 11,408,575), Suwa et al. (U.S. Pat. 11,788,702), and Lee (U.S. Pat. 12,181,116) disclose vehicle illumination modules including a light source, and a light guide configured to receive light from the light source through an incident surface and output such light from an emitting surface. The incident surface include at least two portions which are not symmetrical relative a line parallel to the optical axis of the light source. Some further disclose the emitting surface being faceted.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-14 (as best understood) would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ISMAEL NEGRON whose telephone number is (571)272-2376. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jong-Suk Lee, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ISMAEL NEGRON/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2875
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