DETAILED ACTION
Amendment
Acknowledgment is made of Amendment filed September 3, 2026. Claims 1 and 12-13 are amended. Claims 1-14 are pending.
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)(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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated Niu et al (US 2021/0164631).
Regarding claim 1, Niu discloses a lighting device for a motor vehicle comprising: a light source (at least 11) configured to generate light, and projection optics (at least 3) configured to project light emitted by the light source into an exterior of the motor vehicle, wherein the projection optics (3,2) has at least one lens 3 which comprises a Fresnel lens 3 (see at least Fig. 3 and para [0067]; Examiner submits that projection lens module 3 is properly designated “a Fresnel lens” having individual Fresnel lens parts 13, see Remarks below), wherein the light source 11 has at least forty-eight semiconductor elements 111, each semiconductor element 111 having a light emitting surface, wherein the light emitting surfaces of the semiconductor elements are arranged in a matrix-like manner for targets generation of pixels of a light distribution, wherein the Fresnel lens 3 is arranged such that light emitted by a plurality of the at least forty-eight semiconductor elements 111 passes through the Fresnel lens (see at least Figures 1-14 and paras [0054]-[0074]).
Regarding claim 2, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the semiconductor elements are light emitting diodes or laser diodes (see at least paras [0007] and [0064]).
Regarding claim 3, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the semiconductor elements are configured to be controlled independently of one another in order to generate pixels of light distribution (see at least paras [0058]-[0063]).
Regarding claim 4, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the light-emitting surfaces of the semiconductor elements 111 are arranged in a matrix-like manner in a first direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first direction corresponds to a horizontal direction in the light distribution generated in the exterior of the motor vehicle, and wherein the second direction corresponds to a vertical direction in the light distribution generated in the exterior of the motor vehicle (see at least Figures 1, 4 and 12-14 and paras [0055]-[0062]).
Regarding claim 5, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the light source comprises a solid-state LED array (see at least paras [0007] and [0064]).
Regarding claim 6, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the light source 11 has more than forty-eight semiconductor elements 111 (see at least Figures 1, 9 and 12; illustrates 200 semiconductor elements 111).
Regarding claim 7, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the light source 11 comprises an SSL-HD module (see at least paras [0060]-[0064]).
Regarding claim 8, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the projection optics 3,2 has one lens comprising a Fresnel lens 3 or has two lenses comprising Fresnel lenses (see at least Fig. 3 and para [0067]).
Regarding claim 9, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the projection optics (3,2) has, in addition to the at least one lens comprising a Fresnel lens 3, at least one further lens 2 (see at least Figs. 2 and 8 and para [0059] which teaches that module 2 includes a light transmitting substrate with light transmitting parts 21, thus can be designated a further lens) which does not comprise a Fresnel lens (see at least Fig. 6 and para [0065]).
Regarding claim 10, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the at least one lens 3 comprising a Fresnel lens is made of plastic or comprises plastic (see at least paras [0020] and [0067]).
Regarding claim 11, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 10, and further discloses wherein the at least one lens comprising a Fresnel lens 3 is an injection-molded plastic part (see at least paras [0018] and [0067]).
Regarding claim 12, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the at least one lens comprising a Fresnel lens 3 consists of or comprises PMMA (see at least paras [0020] and [0067]).
Regarding claim 13, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and the PMMA can be a high-temperature PMMA (see at least paras [0020] and [0067]).
Regarding claim 14, Niu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses wherein the lighting device is configured to generate at least one of a low-beam distribution, a high-beam distribution, and a symbol projection (see at least paras [0069]-[0070]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed September 3, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding claim 1, Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant’s submission that Niu does not teach at least one lens which comprises a Fresnel lens, wherein the Fresnel lens is arranged such that light emitted by a plurality of the at least forty-eight semiconductor elements passes through the Fresnel lens. Examiner submits that projection lens module 3 can properly be designated “a Fresnel lens”. As illustrated in at least Figs. 1-3 of Niu, the lens module 3 is an integral, unitary structure having a plurality of individual Fresnel lens parts 13 (see Fig. 3). Examiner submits that the integral structure 3 can properly be designated “a Fresnel lens”. For example, despite having individual Fresnel lens parts 13, the structure is unitary and would commonly be known in the art as “a matrix Fresnel lens” or “a sheet Fresnel lens”, thus lens module 3 in Niu is a particular type of Fresnel lens. Other Fresnel lenses in the art (such as those used for lighthouses) also have individual Fresnel lens parts facing different directions that are integrated into a single unitary structure, and the single unitary structure would properly be called a “Fresnel lens”. Furthermore, the word “lens” has as one definition: “a combination of one or more simple lenses” (see www.merriam-webster.com, entry 1b). Thus, under a broadest reasonable interpretation, Examiner respectfully submits that lens module 3 in Niu can properly be designated “a Fresnel lens”. Accordingly, the rejection of at least claim 1 as being anticipated by Niu is maintained.
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 SEAN P GRAMLING whose telephone number is (571)272-9082. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm EST.
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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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/SEAN P GRAMLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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