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| (Source: SL Corporation) |
Optrontec Co. and SL Corp. have gained a second chance at securing a Korean patent for their micro lens array (MLA) headlamp technology, following a decision by the Korean Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board (KIPTAB) to overturn a previous rejection.
The application, titled "Headlamp Having Micro Lens Array" (Application No. KR10-2022-0100834), was initially filed jointly by the two companies with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) in August 2022. However, KIPO refused registration, prompting the applicants to challenge the decision through a trial for reversal of the examiner's rejection in February 2025.
On May 26, 2025, KIPTAB ruled in favor of Optrontec and SL, cancelling the rejection and remanding the case to KIPO for further examination. Under Korean IP law, such remands are issued when unexamined issues or newly identified grounds for rejection require additional scrutiny. Unlike cases where the tribunal directly grants registration, this remand leaves the final outcome to KIPO's renewed examination.
The patent application outlines an automotive headlamp design incorporating a micro lens array and an aspherical lens, which can be automatically aligned using a holder. The holder can also be directly attached to a heat sink, enabling tighter manufacturing tolerances by eliminating PCB thickness variations.
Optrontec and SL have jointly filed two additional patent applications related to the same technology. One of them, "Holder for Holding Micro Lens Array and Aspherical Lens, and Lens Assembly Having the Same" (KR2742566), was granted in December 2024. The other is a divisional application (KR10-2025-0019899) of the remanded MLA headlamp patent, filed in February 2025 and currently pending.
By PatenTrip
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