Obviousness

Based on an analysis of the prior art cited during the prosecution of US patent 7,936,415, several strong arguments for obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103 can be constructed against its claims. A person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) in the field of LED lighting and display backlights at the time of the invention (circa 2006) would have been knowledgeable about printed circuit board (PCB) design, LED integration, and common electrical connection techniques.

The core inventive concept of the '415 patent, as defined in independent claims 1, 12, and 16, is a modular lighting system. This system is characterized by:

1. Multiple module substrates (PCBs with LEDs) that are designed to be identical.
2. Connecting terminals at both ends of each module substrate.
3. Separate intermediate connecting substrates to mechanically and electrically link the module substrates in series.
4. A distinct termination connecting substrate with a pre-formed "closed loop pattern" that attaches to the final module substrate in the series to complete the electrical circuit.

The following analysis outlines how a POSA would have found this arrangement to be an obvious design choice by combining teachings from the prior art.

Primary Obviousness Combination: Roberts (US 2007/0115671) and Talamo (US 2003/0053307)

A compelling case for obviousness can be made by combining the teachings of US 2007/0115671 to Roberts with US 2003/0053307 to Talamo.

• What Roberts Teaches: Roberts, titled "Solid state lighting units and methods of forming solid state lighting units," describes the creation of modular LED lighting systems. It discloses the fundamental concept of individual lighting units (analogous to the '415 patent's module substrate) that can be joined together to create larger lighting arrays of variable length. It is inherent in such a system that the units would have electrical connectors at their ends to allow them to be linked in series. This reference provides the foundational teaching of a modular, extensible LED lighting system made from multiple PCBs.

• What is Missing in Roberts: Roberts may not explicitly detail a separate, attachable "termination connecting substrate" with a closed-loop pattern. The primary focus is on the assembly of the units themselves.

• What Talamo Teaches: Talamo, titled "Lighting strip for direction and guidance systems," teaches the use of modular, connectable lighting strips. Critically, any functional electrical strip of this nature must form a complete circuit. Talamo's design necessitates a method for terminating the circuit at the end of a desired length of the strip. While Talamo may not use the exact "termination connecting substrate" terminology, it addresses the same fundamental problem of completing a circuit in a modular, linear lighting product. This would involve connecting the power and return lines at the end of the final segment, a concept readily understood as creating a "closed loop."

• Motivation to Combine: A POSA, starting with the modular system of Roberts, would be faced with the challenge of creating a finished product of a specific length. This requires terminating the electrical circuit on the last module. The goal of a modular system like Roberts's is to reduce cost and complexity by using identical, mass-produced units. Manufacturing a special "end module" with an integrated circuit loop would defeat this purpose by requiring a separate part number and manufacturing process.

  Therefore, the most logical and obvious solution for the POSA would be to create a simple, small, and inexpensive component to terminate the circuit on a standard module. Drawing from the principles in Talamo and general electrical engineering knowledge, creating a small PCB or flexible connector (a termination connecting substrate) with a simple conductive trace to short the appropriate terminals (a closed loop pattern) would be a straightforward and predictable solution. This approach preserves the modularity of the system and is simply an application of a well-known electrical technique (using a jumper to complete a circuit) to the specific modular lighting context of Roberts. The result would be the exact system claimed in the '415 patent.

Secondary Obviousness Combination: Samsung (US 2007/0014098) and General Electrical Principles

An alternative argument can be made using US 2007/0014098 to Samsung as the primary reference, supplemented by general knowledge in the art.

• What Samsung Teaches: Samsung, titled "Backlight unit and liquid crystal display having the same," is directly within the '415 patent's field of use. It discloses an LCD backlight unit composed of multiple LED substrates arranged to form a light source. These substrates are electrically connected, establishing the concept of building a larger light source from smaller PCB modules within a display housing. This provides the context of modular LED bars for LCD backlights.

• What is Missing in Samsung: Similar to Roberts, Samsung may not explicitly teach the use of a separate, SMT-mountable termination connecting substrate for creating a feedback loop. It might, for instance, teach a final board with an integrated trace or simply rely on wiring.

• Motivation to Combine with General Principles: A POSA tasked with designing an efficient manufacturing process for the backlight system in Samsung would seek to use standardized components. Using identical LED modules for every position in the light bar is the most cost-effective method. The need to complete the circuit at the end of the LED bar is a basic and absolute requirement.

  It would have been entirely obvious to a POSA to solve this termination problem not by creating a unique end-module, but by fabricating a simple jumper. Embodying this jumper as a small, rigid or flexible substrate that can be attached using the same process as the inter-module connectors (e.g., surface-mount technology as described in the '415 patent, Col. 6, lines 16-27) is a common design choice for improving mechanical robustness and streamlining manufacturing. This component—a small substrate with a trace to connect two terminals—is the claimed termination connecting substrate. The motivation is driven by the clear economic and logistical benefits of modularity, making the claimed invention a predictable design choice rather than a non-obvious innovation.