Obviousness

Under 35 U.S.C. § 103, a patent claim is obvious 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." This analysis considers whether a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) would have been motivated to combine known prior art elements to arrive at the claimed invention, with a reasonable expectation of success.

The key aspects of US Patent 11751302 relate to:

1. A linear LED lighting apparatus with an array of LEDs including at least two pluralities of LEDs producing different color temperatures, and a driver circuit and switch assembly to select color temperature and luminance (Claim 1).
2. A modular linear LED lighting system where modules of different lengths can be electrically coupled, and the driver current scales with the number of LEDs by a scale factor to maintain consistent luminance (Claim 10).
3. A modular linear LED lighting system that combines these features, including the ability to mix currents to different color temperature LED strings for intermediate color temperatures (Claim 18).
4. Automatic adjustment of current across connected modules to maintain consistent luminance.

Several combinations of prior art references would render these claims obvious.

Combination 1: Tunable Color Temperature and Dimmable Linear LED Fixtures

Prior Art References:

• US9995440B2 (Intematix Corporation): "Color temperature tunable and dimmable solid-state linear lighting arrangements"
• US20190239298A1 (Abl Ip Holding Llc): "Lighting fixture with selectable color temperature"
• US20170223800A1 (Tm Technology, Inc): "Light emitting module, dimmer system and controller for color temperature modulation"

Obviousness Analysis:
Claim 1 of US11751302 describes a linear LED lighting apparatus with a first plurality of LEDs of a first color temperature and a second plurality of LEDs of a second, different color temperature. It includes a driver circuit outputting multiple currents and a switch assembly with a first switch to select a current and a second switch to direct that current to the first LEDs, second LEDs, or both.

US9995440B2 explicitly teaches "color temperature tunable and dimmable solid-state linear lighting arrangements". This directly anticipates the core features of providing both selectable color temperature and adjustable luminance in a linear LED fixture. A PHOSITA would understand that "color temperature tunable" typically involves using at least two different color temperature LED sources (e.g., warm white and cool white) and a control mechanism to vary their relative intensities, as further detailed in US20190239298A1, which describes a "lighting fixture with selectable color temperature". US20170223800A1 further teaches a "dimmer system and controller for color temperature modulation", which directly teaches the use of a driver (dimmer system) and a controller/switch (controller) to achieve both dimming (luminance control via current selection) and color temperature adjustment.

The specific mechanism of using a "first switch configured to cause the driver circuit to output one of the plurality of currents" and a "second switch configured to cause the one of the plurality of currents to couple to the first plurality of LEDs, the second plurality of LEDs, or both" (Claim 1) would be obvious to a PHOSITA. In tunable white LED systems, it is a well-known technique to achieve intermediate color temperatures (e.g., 3500K from 3000K and 4000K strings, as described in US11751302) by activating both sets of LEDs simultaneously, often by splitting the current or adjusting the relative drive of each set.

Motivation to Combine:
A PHOSITA designing a modern linear LED fixture would be motivated to provide users with both color temperature tunability and dimmability, as these are desirable features for enhancing user experience and adapting lighting to different environments. US9995440B2 provides a direct teaching for such a combined system in a linear form factor. Implementing the control aspects through switches and a driver capable of outputting multiple currents, as generally known in the art (e.g., US20170223800A1), would be a routine design choice.

Combination 2: Modular Linear LED Systems with Scaled Current

Prior Art References:

• US9964289B2 (Tempo Industries, Llc): "LED light fixtures having plug-together light fixture modules"
• KR20190108511A (인피니언 테크놀로지스 아게): "Light emitting diode driver for load changes"
• US9791112B2 (Bridgelux, Inc.): "Serial and parallel LED configurations for linear lighting modules"

Obviousness Analysis:
Claim 10 and 18 of US11751302 describe a system of electrically coupled modular linear LED lighting apparatuses of different lengths. Crucially, the current output by the driver circuit in a longer module is greater than that in a shorter module by a "scale factor," matching the scale factor by which the number of LEDs is greater, to ensure consistent luminance per LED.

US9964289B2 teaches "LED light fixtures having plug-together light fixture modules". This clearly discloses the concept of modular linear LED fixtures that can be physically and electrically coupled to create longer runs. US9791112B2 further teaches "linear lighting modules" and "serial and parallel LED configurations," providing methods for arranging LEDs within such modules and distributing current.

A fundamental principle in LED lighting design is to provide a consistent current to each individual LED to achieve uniform luminance. When designing a modular system like those in US9964289B2, where modules of different lengths (and thus different numbers of LEDs) can be combined, a PHOSITA would recognize the need to adjust the total current supplied to maintain the desired current per individual LED. KR20190108511A discloses an "LED driver for load changes," which directly addresses the requirement for a driver to adapt its output based on the number of connected LEDs (the load). The concept that if a module has twice the number of LEDs (a scale factor of 2), its driver should output twice the current to maintain the same individual LED current and thus the same luminance, is a routine engineering calculation and design choice. The patent description itself explains this scaling: "the driver circuit of the 8-ft linear LED light fixture module may output twice the amount of current that the driver circuit of the 4-ft linear LED light fixture module may output. In the same manner, the number of LEDs in the LED array 16 of the 8-ft linear LED light fixture module may be twice the number of LEDs in the LED array 16 of the 4-ft linear LED light fixture module" (Description, Col. 4, lines 17-25).

Motivation to Combine:
A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine the modularity of US9964289B2 with current scaling techniques, such as those enabled by drivers like in KR20190108511A, to create a versatile linear LED system. The primary motivation would be to allow customers to easily assemble linear lighting runs of various lengths while ensuring uniform light output (consistent luminance) across the entire assembly, regardless of the individual module lengths or combination thereof. This provides a practical and aesthetically pleasing lighting solution.

Combination 3: Comprehensive Modular System with Tunable Color Temperature, Dimmability, and Automated Scaling

Prior Art References:

• US9995440B2 (Intematix Corporation): "Color temperature tunable and dimmable solid-state linear lighting arrangements"
• US9964289B2 (Tempo Industries, Llc): "LED light fixtures having plug-together light fixture modules"
• KR20190108511A (인피니언 테크놀로지스 아게): "Light emitting diode driver for load changes"
• US9726331B1 (Michael W. May): "Networked LED lighting system"
• US10683969B2 (Ledvance Llc): "Downlight with selectable lumens and correlated color temperature"

Obviousness Analysis:
Claim 18 combines elements of tunable color temperature and dimmability with modularity and scaling. It specifies a first modular apparatus with two CCT LED pluralities and a switch for selecting one, the other, or both (splitting current for intermediate CCT), and a second, electrically coupled modular apparatus with scaled LED pluralities and a corresponding driver/switch assembly. The automatic adjustment feature described in the specification for maintaining consistent luminance across connected modules is also relevant here.

By combining the teachings of US9995440B2 (tunable CCT and dimmable linear lighting) with US9964289B2 (plug-together modular fixtures), a PHOSITA would arrive at a modular linear LED system offering both color temperature and luminance control. The implementation of specific switches for controlling current output and directing it to different CCT LED strings, including splitting current for mixed CCTs, is a routine engineering adaptation based on common practices for tunable white systems (e.g., US20170223800A1, US20190239298A1, US10683969B2).

As established in Combination 2, applying the principle of scaling driver current proportionally to the number of LEDs in longer modules (as supported by KR20190108511A regarding "load changes" for LED drivers) would be obvious for maintaining consistent luminance across connected modules of varying lengths. Furthermore, the detailed description of US11751302 discusses a processor in the driver circuit that can "automatically adjust the DC current output... based on the number of LED strings or LEDs present... and the other linear LED light fixtures 10 that may be connected... to provide a consistent luminance across all of the connected linear LED light fixtures" (Description, Col. 8, lines 40-52). This automatic calibration feature, where modules communicate and adjust their output, is rendered obvious by references such as US9726331B1, which teaches a "Networked LED lighting system". Integrating a processor into a driver to manage its output based on sensed load or communication with other modules for uniform illumination is a routine application of known control and networking technologies in lighting systems.

Motivation to Combine:
A PHOSITA would be strongly motivated to create a highly flexible and user-friendly linear LED lighting system. Combining modularity (US9964289B2) with tunable color temperature and dimming capabilities (US9995440B2) allows for broad application in various spaces and user preferences. The integration of current scaling (KR20190108511A) and automatic adjustment via networking (US9726331B1) would address the practical engineering challenge of ensuring seamless, uniform, and consistent light quality (color and luminance) across an entire assembly of physically and electrically connected modules of potentially different lengths. This combination represents a logical progression in modular, controllable LED lighting design to meet market demands for versatility and ease of installation.