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
Applicant has elected Invention I, claims 1-10 and has withdrawn claims 11-12 in the response filed 6/8/2026.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-3,7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated Luca et al (2020/0259052, Luca).
Regarding claim 1, Luca discloses a light-emitting device (100)comprising :a substrate(2, lower end); a light-emitting unit including(100) a light-emitting element that is arranged on the substrate and includes a light-emitting layer(1), a light emitted from the light-emitting layer being emitted outward from an upper surface of the light-emitting unit(4);an optical function unit including a base portion and a supporting portion(3), the base portion being disposed to form a void between (6)the base portion and the upper surface of the light-emitting unit and having an optical element structure(42) that allows a light emitted outward from the light-emitting unit to pass therethrough, the supporting portion extending from the base portion to a surrounding region of a region where the light-emitting element is arranged(figs. 7 and 8 disclose the supporting portion 2, which is part of the surrounding region of a region of where the light emitting element is arranged which extends into reflective portion 5, Fig. 1 shows this as well); and a light-reflecting unit (2 also has a reflective surface as well as 5 which is at the upper portion of 2, as shown in figs. 1,7 and 8) having a light reflectivity or a light-shielding property and covering a side surface of the light-emitting unit and a surface of the supporting portion on the substrate (Figs 1,7 and 8.)
Regarding claim 2, the light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion has a light reflectivity (Col. 9,lines 53-57).
Regarding claim 3 wherein the supporting portion is formed of a material containing titanium oxide particles in a transparent silicone resin.(col. 10, lines 40-49)
Regarding claim 7, the base portion includes a lens formed on an upper surface of the base portion (fig. 1, lens 42 appears to be connected to the top portion of 2).
Regarding claim 8, the light-emitting unit includes a phosphor unit formed on the light-emitting element and including a phosphor that is excited by the light emitted from the light- emitting layer to emit fluorescence(col. 8 lines 53-67 and col. 9 lines 1-11).
Regarding claim 9, a translucent coating layer is formed on an upper surface of the phosphor unit.(col. 9 lines 12-25)
Regarding claim 10, Luca discloses, a light-emitting device (100) comprising: a substrate(2 lower end); a light-emitting unit (100)including a light-emitting element that is arranged on the substrate(figs. 1,7,8) and includes a light-emitting layer(1), a light emitted from the light-emitting layer being emitted outward from an upper surface of the light-emitting unit(4); and an optical function unit including a base portion and a supporting portion having a light reflectivity(2, which is reflective and 3), the base portion being disposed to form a void (41) between the base portion and the upper surface of the light-emitting unit (bottom portion of 42) and having an optical element structure that allows a light emitted outward from the light-emitting unit to pass therethrough(4,42), the supporting portion extending from the base portion to a surrounding region of a region of an upper surface of the substrate where the light- emitting unit is arranged( figs. 7 and 8 disclose the supporting portion 2, which is part of the surrounding region of a region of where the light emitting element is arranged which extends into reflective portion 5, Fig. 1 shows this as well)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 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.
Luca discloses the limitations of claims 1 and 10. Luca does not anticipate individually or teach in combination the following limitations of claims 4-6.
-The base portion includes a recessed portion at a center of a lower surface of the base portion, the center being recessed relative to a periphery thereof, and a bottom surface of the recessed portion is separated from the upper surface of the light- emitting unit.
-the supporting portion is a supporting body extending above the upper surface of the light-emitting unit and supports the base portion to separate the upper surface of the light-emitting unit from a lower surface of the base portion.
-the supporting portion reaches two regions located to sandwich a region of an upper surface of the substrate where the light-emitting unit is arranged.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Halberger et al (2019/0326490) discloses a light emitting device with lenses on the light emitting surface (figs. 1a and 2). Nihei (WO 2022/264849) discloses a light emitting device with lenses at the light emitting surface (fig. 3).
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/ANABEL TON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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