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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/577,342
`
`09/20/2019
`
`Takashi KAMBARA
`
`HOKUP0395US
`
`2495
`
`MARKD. SARALINO (PAN)
`RENNER, OTTO, BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`ISTH FLOOR
`
`CLEVELAND, OH 44115
`
`LE, TUNG X
`
`2844
`
`05/12/2020
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`ipdocket @rennerotto.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/577,342
`Examiner
`TUNG X LE
`
`Applicant(s)
`KAMBARAetal.
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`2844
`Yes
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 2/6/2020.
`LC} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`2a)l¥) This action is FINAL.
`2b) (J This action is non-final.
`3) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\(Z Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-12 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`CL) Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-5 and 9-12 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s) 6-8 is/are objectedto.
`C) Claim(s)
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)() The drawing(s) filedon__is/are: a)C) accepted or b)C) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12). Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L None ofthe:
`b)LJ Some**
`a)L) All
`1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have beenreceived in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`2) (J Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20200507
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/577,342
`Art Unit: 2844
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`The present application, filed on or afier March 16, 2013, is being examined underthefirst
`
`inventorto file provisions ofthe AIA.
`
`This Office Action is in response to the Applicant's amendment submitted on February
`
`06, 2020. In virtue of this amendment, claims 1-12 are now pendingin the instant application.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`1.
`
`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 inventionis 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 obviousbefore 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 mannerin which the invention was made.
`
`2.
`
`Claims 1-5, 9 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
`
`Ichikawa (US 2016/0081171 of record) in view of Ohta et al. (US 2018/0242421).
`
`With respect to claim 1, Ichikawa discloses in figure 3 a lighting apparatus, comprising: a
`
`step-up converter (20, e.g., a boost converter as a step up converter where V2>V1) configured to
`
`step up a voltage (V1) of a direct-current power supply (4, e.g., a power source) to obtain an
`
`output voltage (V2) having a first voltage value (having an output voltage value of the boost
`
`converter 20) and output the output voltage (see figure 3); at least one step-down converter (30,
`
`e.g., a buck converter as a step down converter where V3<V2) configured to step down the
`
`output voltage of the step-up converter to have a second voltage value (V2) to output a current
`
`(ILD or Iload) having a current value according to the second voltage valueto a light source (2,
`
`e.g., alight source); and a controller (22, 34, e.g., controllers) configured to acquire information
`
`abouta specification (Is, e.g., a current sensing signal) of the light source, control the at least one
`
`step-down converter such that the current value becomesa current value (a load
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/577,342
`Art Unit: 2844
`
`Page 3
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`current) according to the specification (see figure 3), and control the step-up converter such that
`
`the first voltage value varies in accordance with the specification (figure 3 showsthat the
`
`controllers 22 and 34 for controlling output voltages or currents of each controllers according to
`
`load sensing signals thereof).
`
`FIG.3
`
`Controtler
`
`
`
`
` ocp
`
`Ichikawa does not explicitly disclose that the controller configured to acquire information
`
`aboutthe specification of the light source from _a light source unit including the light source.
`
`Ohta discloses in figure 3 a lighting apparatus comprising a converter (21), a controller
`
`(23) and a light source (31) and a light source unit (300, e.g., a light source device or unit),
`
`wherein the controller configured to acquire information about a specification (Std) of the light
`
`source from the light source unit including the light source (see figure 3).
`
`It would have been obviousto one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
`
`was made to modify the apparatus of Ichikawa with a light source unit including a light source
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/577,342
`Art Unit: 2844
`
`Page 4
`
`thereof as taught by Ohta for the purpose of protecting the light source based on an abnormal
`
`conditions of temperature, current or voltage to adjust thereof since this configuration for the
`
`stated purpose would have been deemed obviousto a person skilled in art.
`
`ure 3 of Ohta et al.
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`With respect to claim 2, the combination of Ichikawa and Ohta disclose that wherein the
`
`specification includes a value of an input current (Is or Iss) to the light source (see figure 3).
`
`With respect to claim 3, Ichikawa discloses that wherein the controller sets a target
`
`voltage (Vout or V2, e.g., as a target voltage value) value based on a value of a maximum output
`
`voltage output to the light source, a value of maximum output poweroutputto the light source,
`
`and the value of the input current (paragraph 0067, e.g., “the drive circuit 20 executes feedback
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/577,342
`Art Unit: 2844
`
`Page 5
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`control for the power/voltage/current supplied to the light source 2”), and controls the step-up
`
`converter such that the first voltage value becomes the target voltage value (see figure 3 and
`
`paragraph 0067of Ichikawa).
`
`With respect to claim 4, the combination of Ichikawa and Ohta that wherein the
`
`controller sets the target voltage value to a smaller of the value of the maximum outputvoltage
`
`or a voltage value obtained by dividing the value of the maximum output powerbythe value of
`
`the input current (paragraph 0067 of Ichikawa, e.g., “the controller 22 detects a lamp current ILD
`
`supplied to the light source 2, generates a gate pulse whose duty ratio is adjusted so as to
`
`approach a target current Iref that is given according to a target luminanceofthe light source 2”
`
`such that adding or dividing voltage values that depends on sensed signals from the light source
`
`2).
`
`With respect to claim 5, the combination of Ichikawa and Ohta that wherein the
`
`controller sets the target voltage value to a value obtained by adding a prescribed voltage value
`
`to a smaller of the value of the maximum output voltage or a voltage value obtained by dividing
`
`the value of the maximum output powerby the value of the input current (paragraph 0067 of
`
`Ichikawa,e.g., “the controller 22 detects a lamp current ILD suppliedto the light source 2,
`
`generates a gate pulse whose duty ratio is adjusted so as to approacha target currentIref thatis
`
`given according to a target luminanceofthe light source 2” such that adding or dividing voltage
`
`values that depends on sensed signals from the light source 2).
`
`With respect to claim 9, the combination of Ichikawa and Ohtathat a lamp (figure 18
`
`shows a lamp 500 of a vehicle which including the apparatus in figure 3), comprising the lighting
`
`apparatus; and the light source (see figures 18 and 3 of Ichikawa).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/577,342
`Art Unit: 2844
`
`Page 6
`
`With respect to claim 11, the combination of Ichikawa and Ohtathat a vehicle (paragraph
`
`0163, e.g., the vehicle lamp 1 will be described in figure 18) comprising the lamp (500) and a
`
`vehicle body (not shown) on which the lamp is mounted (figure 18 of Ichikawa showsa
`
`headlampto a vehicle where the lamp mounted thereon such any vehicles having a bodyitself).
`
`With respect to claim 12, Ichikawadisclosesin figure 3 a non-transitory computer-
`
`readable medium storing a computer program designed to cause at least one processor to execute
`
`a step-up conversion process of controlling a step-up converter (20, e.g., a boost converter) to
`
`step up a voltage (V1) of a direct-current power supply (4) to obtain an output voltage (V2)
`
`having a first voltage value (having an output voltage value of the boost converter 20); a step-
`
`down conversion process of controlling a step-down converter (30, e.g., a buck converter) to step
`
`downthe output voltage of the step-up conversion process to have a second voltage value (V2) to
`
`output a current (ILD) having a current value (having an output current value to drive the light
`
`source 2) according to the second voltage valueto the light source (see figure 3); and a control
`
`process of acquiring information (processing by a controller 22, 34) about a specification (Is) of
`
`the light source, controlling the step-down converter such that the current value becomes a
`
`current value (Iload) according to the specification, and controlling the step-up converter such
`
`that the first voltage value changes in accordance with the specification (see figure 3).
`
`Ichikawa does not explicitly disclose that the controller configured to acquire information
`
`aboutthe specification of the light source from a light source unit including the light source.
`
`Ohta discloses in figure 3 a lighting apparatus comprising a converter (21), a controller
`
`(23) and a light source (31) and a light source unit (300, e.g., a light source device or unit),
`
`wherein the controller configured to acquire information about a specification (Std) of the light
`
`source from the light source unit including the light source (see figure 3).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/577,342
`Art Unit: 2844
`
`Page 7
`
`It would have been obviousto one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
`
`was made to modify the apparatus of Ichikawa with a light source unit including a light source
`
`thereof as taught by Ohta for the purpose of protecting the light source based on an abnormal
`
`conditions of temperature, current or voltage to adjust thereof since this configuration for the
`
`stated purpose would have been deemed obviousto a person skilled in art.
`
`3.
`
`Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ichikawa (US
`
`2016/0081171 of record) in view of Ohta et al. (US 2018/0242421) and further in view ofFeil et
`
`al. (US 2019/0063 706 of record).
`
`With respect to claim 10, the combination of Ichikawa and Ohta disclose that further
`
`comprising an optical unit (502, e.g., a transparent cover as an optical unit) configured to radiate
`
`light output from the light source frontward (see figure 18), and a housing (508, e.g., housing)
`
`accommodating the lighting apparatus, the light source, the optical unit (see figure 18 of
`
`Ichikawa).
`
`The combination of Ichikawa and Ohta do not explicitly disclose that the lamp
`
`comprising a heat dissipation unit configured to dissipate heat generated from the light source.
`
`Feil discloses in figure 1 a headlamp comprising a light source (2) and a heat sink (20).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention
`
`was made to modify the headlamp of the combination of Ichikawa and Ohta with a heat sink as
`
`taught by Feil for the purpose of reducing heat or temperature from the headlampsince this
`
`configuration for the stated purpose would have been deemedobviousto a person skilled in the
`
`art.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/577,342
`Art Unit: 2844
`
`Page 8
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`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`4.
`
`Claims 6-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be
`
`allowable if rewritten in independent form includingall of the limitations of the base claim and
`
`any intervening claims.
`
`Response to Arguments
`
`5.
`
`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-5 and 9-12 have been considered but are
`
`moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current
`
`rejection.
`
`Conclusion
`
`6.
`
`The prior art made of record and notrelied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
`
`disclosure.
`
`Prior art Tsuchiyaet al. — US 2019/0008010
`
`Prior art Kambara — US 2018/0063907
`
`7.
`
`Applicant's amendmentnecessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this
`
`Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a).
`
`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
`
`MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this action. In the eventa first reply is filed within TWO
`
`MONTHSofthe mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after
`
`the end of the THREE-MONTHshortenedstatutory period, then the shortened statutory period
`
`will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37
`
`CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action.
`
`In no event,
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/577,342
`Art Unit: 2844
`
`Page 9
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`however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SLX MONTHSfrom the date of this
`
`final action.
`
`8.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to TUNG X LE whosetelephone numberis (571)272-6010. The
`
`examiner can normally be reached on Mondayto Friday from 10am to 6pm.
`
`Examinerinterviewsare available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using
`
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`
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`
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`
`If attempts to reach the examinerby telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Amy C Johnson can be reached on 571-272-2238. The fax phone numberfor the
`
`organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`1000.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/577,342
`Art Unit: 2844
`
`/TUNG X LE/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844
`May7, 2020
`
`Page 10
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`