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 § 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.
Claim 15 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.
Claim 15 recites the limitation “wherein centers of adjacent ones of the heat generators are in a range from 0.25 inches apart to 0.75 inches apart; wherein centers of adjacent ones of the heat generators are in a range from 0.4 inches apart to 0.5 inches apart;”.
A broad range or limitation together with a narrow range or limitation that falls within the broad range or limitation (in the same claim) may be considered indefinite if the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). In the present instance, claim 15 recites the broad recitation "centers of adjacent ones of the heat generators are in a range from 0.25 inches apart to 0.75 inches apart", and the claim also recites "centers of adjacent ones of the heat generators are in a range from 0.4 inches apart to 0.5 inches apart" which is the narrower statement of the range/limitation. The claim(s) are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
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.
(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) 1-2, 4, 7-10, 14, 16, 18, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Monpremier et al., US 2020/0300440 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Monpremier discloses “A lighting system, comprising:
a lighting device (100, Fig. 1), the lighting device including: a housing (110 and 150, Fig. 1, similarly for Fig. 5, 12) defining an interior volume of the housing; and a printed circuit board (PCB) (120, Fig. 1) positioned within the interior volume of the housing, the PCB including a substrate (120, Fig. 1; 220, 320), a light emitter (130, Fig. 1; 230, 330) mounted to the substrate, and a heat generator (140, Fig. 1; 240, 340) configured differently from the light emitter and also mounted to the substrate; and at least one controller (microcontroller (¶ [0030])) operatively coupled to the light emitter and to the heat generator via the substrate, the at least one controller being configured to control light emission by the light emitter and heat generation by the heat generator (¶ [0030]).
Regarding claim 2, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, and further discloses “the heat generator is positioned closer than the light emitter to an outer edge of a major surface of the PCB (seen in Fig. 5).”
Regarding claim 4, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, and further discloses “the at least one controller is configured to generate electronic signals to control the light emitter and the heat generator (¶ [0030]); and wherein the lighting system further comprises: at least one processor; and non-transitory computer-readable storage having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one controller to generate the electronic signals (¶ [0030, 0048-0051]).”
Regarding claim 7, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, and further discloses “the light emitter includes a light emitting diode (130, ¶ [0041]).”
Regarding claim 8, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, and further discloses “the heat generator includes an electrical resistor (140, ¶ [0041]).”
Regarding claim 9, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, and further discloses “a temperature sensor (1 and 2, Fig. 2; )operatively coupled to the at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller is configured to adjust power to the heat generator based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor (¶ [0044, 0062]).”
Regarding claim 10, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, and further discloses “the at least one controller is configured to adjust power to the heat generator based on one or more of: an ambient temperature (¶ [0006, 0062]); a level of charge of a battery of a vehicle; whether electrical current is being supplied to the light emitter; and whether an engine of the vehicle is running (¶ [0030] “the MCU can monitor the voltage entering the light from the vehicle and can then regulate the voltage sent to the resistors accordingly.”; claim 3, voltage from the vehicle).”
Regarding claim 14, Monpremier discloses “A lightbar for a vehicle, comprising: a housing (210 and 250, Fig. 5, similarly 12) defining an interior volume of the housing; a printed circuit board (PCB) (220, Fig. 5; 320) positioned in the interior volume of the housing, the PCB including a substrate (220, Fig. 5), light emitters (230, Fig. 5; 330) mounted to the substrate, and heat generators (240, Fig. 5; 340) configured differently from the light emitters and also mounted to the substrate; and a controller (microcontroller (¶ [0030]) operatively coupled to the light emitters and to the heat generators via the substrate, the controller being configured to control light emission by the light emitters and heat generation by the heat generators (¶ [0030]), wherein the heat generators are positioned closer than the light emitters to an outer edge of a major surface of the PCB (seen in Fig. 5 and 12)
Regarding claim 16, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 14, as cited above, and further discloses “the light emitters are light emitting diodes (LEDs); and wherein the heat generators are electrical resistors (¶ [0042]), the electrical resistors each having a power rating of at least 2 Watts (¶ [0031] “ the resistors utilized are 47 ohm resistors. The 47 ohm resistors can operate at 2.34 watts of power at a voltage of 10.5 volts. At a peak voltage of 14.5 volts, the resistors can operate at 4.47 watts of power”).
Regarding claim 18, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 14, as cited above, and further discloses “the controller is configured to adjust power to the heat generators based on one or more of: an ambient temperature (¶ [0006, 0062]); a level of charge of a battery of a vehicle; whether electrical current is being supplied to the light emitters; and whether an engine of the vehicle is running (¶ [0030] “the MCU can monitor the voltage entering the light from the vehicle and can then regulate the voltage sent to the resistors accordingly.”; claim 3, voltage from the vehicle).
Regarding claim 20, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 14, as cited above, and further discloses “A vehicle, comprising: a vehicle body; and the lightbar of claim 14 mounted to the vehicle body (¶ [0007]).”
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) 3, 11, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Monpremier.
Regarding claim 3, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 2, as cited above, except “a center of the heat generator is less than 0.25 inches from the outer edge”
Monpremier discloses the size of the lamp is 4 or 6 inches (¶ [0010,0014]), but is silent with regards to the distance between the heat generators and the outer edge. Fig. 5 and 12 of Monpremier shows that they are on the edge.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to rearrange the heat generators to be less than 0.25 inches from the outer edge, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. MPEP 2144.04 (VI-C).
Regarding claim 11, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 1, as cited above, except “a center of the light emitter is in a range from 1.25 inches to 1.50 inches from a center of the heat generator parallel to a major surface of the PCB.
Monpremier discloses the size of the lamp is 4 or 6 inches (¶ [0010,0014]), but is silent with regards to the distance between the light emitters and the heat generators..
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to rearrange the heat generators to be less than 0.25 inches from the outer edge, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. MPEP 2144.04 (VI-C).
Regarding claim 15, Monpremier discloses the invention of claim 14, as cited above, except “centers of adjacent ones of the heat generators are in a range from 0.25 inches apart to 0.75 inches apart; wherein centers of adjacent ones of the heat generators are in a range from 0.4 inches apart to 0.5 inches apart; and wherein centers of the heat generators are less than 0.25 inches from the outer edge.”
Monpremier discloses the size of the lamp is 4 or 6 inches (¶ [0010,0014]), but is silent with regards to the distance between the light emitters and the heat generators..
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to rearrange the heat generators to be less than 0.25 inches from the outer edge and centers of adjacent ones of the heat generators are in a range from 0.4 inches apart to 0.5 inches apart, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. MPEP 2144.04 (VI-C).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5-6, 12-13, 17, 19 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 5 recites, inter alia, A lighting system, comprising: a lighting device, the lighting device including: a housing defining an interior volume of the housing; and a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned within the interior volume of the housing, the PCB including a substrate, a light emitter mounted to the substrate, and a heat generator configured differently from the light emitter and also mounted to the substrate; and at least one controller operatively coupled to the light emitter and to the heat generator via the substrate, the at least one controller being configured to control light emission by the light emitter and heat generation by the heat generator, and “the electronic signals are configured to cause the at least one controller to: in a first instance, supply a first magnitude of electrical current to the heat generator when: an ambient temperature is sensed to be at or below a threshold temperature; and electrical current is being supplied to the light emitter; and in a second instance, supply a second magnitude of electrical current to the heat generator when: the ambient temperature is sensed to be at or below the threshold temperature; and zero electrical current is being supplied to the light emitter, the second magnitude of electrical current being greater than the first magnitude of electrical current.”
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitations, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitations.
Claims 6 are allowed due to their dependence on claim 5.
Claim 12 recites, inter alia, A lighting system, comprising: a lighting device, the lighting device including: a housing defining an interior volume of the housing; and a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned within the interior volume of the housing, the PCB including a substrate, a light emitter mounted to the substrate, and a heat generator configured differently from the light emitter and also mounted to the substrate; and at least one controller operatively coupled to the light emitter and to the heat generator via the substrate, the at least one controller being configured to control light emission by the light emitter and heat generation by the heat generator, and “a wall projecting from a major surface of the PCB, the wall being positioned between the light emitter and the heat generator and configured to reflect infrared radiation generated by the heat generator.”
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitations, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitations.
Claims 13 are allowed due to their dependence on claim 12.
Claim 17 recites, inter alia, A lighting system, comprising: a lighting device, the lighting device including: a housing defining an interior volume of the housing; and a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned within the interior volume of the housing, the PCB including a substrate, a light emitter mounted to the substrate, and a heat generator configured differently from the light emitter and also mounted to the substrate; and at least one controller operatively coupled to the light emitter and to the heat generator via the substrate, the at least one controller being configured to control light emission by the light emitter and heat generation by the heat generator, and “a wall projecting from the major surface of the PCB, the wall being positioned between the light emitters and the heat generators and configured to reflect infrared radiation generated by the heat generators.”
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitations, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitations.
Claim 19 recites, inter alia, A lighting system, comprising: a lighting device, the lighting device including: a housing defining an interior volume of the housing; and a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned within the interior volume of the housing, the PCB including a substrate, a light emitter mounted to the substrate, and a heat generator configured differently from the light emitter and also mounted to the substrate; and at least one controller operatively coupled to the light emitter and to the heat generator via the substrate, the at least one controller being configured to control light emission by the light emitter and heat generation by the heat generator, and “the housing includes a cover comprising metal, an exterior surface of the cover being coated with a material configured to absorb radiant energy from sunlight to heat the cover.”
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitations, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Akin et al., US 2025/0207753 A1 has light emitters and heat generators (other light emitters) on the same board.
Cubon et al., US 2021/0285616 A1 discloses a light assembly with a heater system on top of the PCB substrate
Miu et al., US 2020/0271295 A1 discloses a vehicle light assembly with a heat generator attached to the substrate
Van Straten, US 2019/0017676 A1 discloses a light assembly with a heat generator disposed directly on the substrate top surface
Huang, US 7914162 B1 discloses a light assembly with a heating board on top of an LED PCB
Von der Luge et al., US 7335855 B2 discloses an electronic component that is plugged into a PCB to heat it up
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL CHIANG whose telephone number is (571)270-3811. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James R Greece can be reached at 571-272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL CHIANG/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/JAMES R GREECE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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