Jesco Lighting Group, LLC

Prosecution History analysis

Examiner Search analysis

Invalidity Framework analysis

Petition

Petition Analysis

## 1. Case Identification
- Case #: [IPR2025-01328](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328)
- Patent #: [11,751,302](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/patent/11751302)
- Filed: July 19, 2025
- Petitioner(s): [JESCO LIGHTING GROUP, LLC](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/party/jesco-lighting-group-llc)
- Patent Owner(s): [AGS LIGHTING MANAGEMENT LLC](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/party/ags-lighting-management-llc)
- Challenged Claims: 1-20

## 2. Patent Overview
- Title: Linear Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Lighting Apparatus
- Brief Description: The ’302 patent discloses a linear, modular LED lighting apparatus featuring at least two pluralities of LEDs, each configured to produce light of a different color temperature. The system includes a driver circuit and a switch assembly to control and mix the light from the different LED strings, allowing a user to select a desired brightness and overall color temperature. The apparatus is also configured to electrically couple to additional, similar linear lighting fixtures.

## 3. Grounds for Unpatentability

#### Ground 1: Claims 1, 2, 4-7, and 9-20 are obvious over Edwards in view of Sadwick.
- **Prior Art Relied Upon:** [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005) (Patent 9,995,440) and [Sadwick](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006) (Application # 2019/0320515).
- **Core Argument for this Ground:**
    - **Prior Art Mapping:** Petitioner argued that [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005) discloses the core elements of the challenged claims, including a linear LED lighting apparatus with two sets of LEDs (21a, 21b) having different color temperatures, a driver circuit (217), and a switch assembly (215a, 215b) for controlling brightness and color. [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005) also teaches serially connecting multiple linear lamps of varying lengths (1 foot to 6 feet), satisfying the modularity and scalability limitations of claims 1, 10, and 18.
    - **Motivation to Combine:** To the extent [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005) is argued not to teach LEDs with phosphors coated directly on the die ([Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005) uses a remote wavelength conversion component), Petitioner asserted it would have been obvious to incorporate the conventional phosphor-coated LEDs from [Sadwick](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006). A person of ordinary skill in the art (POSA) would combine [Sadwick's](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006) teachings because manufacturing white LEDs with phosphors directly on the die is substantially cheaper and easier at a commercial scale than manufacturing a separate wavelength conversion component as taught by [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005).
    - **Expectation of Success:** As both [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005) and [Sadwick](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006) are directed to the same basic mechanism of controlling color temperature by mixing light from different LED strings, a POSA would have had a reasonable expectation of success in swapping [Edwards’s](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005) remote-phosphor implementation for [Sadwick’s](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006) more conventional and cost-effective phosphor-coated LEDs to achieve a predictable result.

#### Ground 2: Claims 2, 3, and 8 are obvious over Edwards in view of Sadwick and further in view of Jeswani.
- **Prior Art Relied Upon:** [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005) (Patent 9,995,440), [Sadwick](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006) (Application # 2019/0320515), and [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) (Patent 10,683,969).
- **Core Argument for this Ground:**
    - **Prior Art Mapping:** This ground builds on the combination of [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005) and [Sadwick](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006) to address dependent claims related to the switch assembly. Petitioner asserted that [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) discloses the specific switch features recited in claims 2, 3, and 8. [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) teaches a switch assembly with multiple selectable positions for both brightness and color temperature (claim 2), including a three-position switch for selecting a first LED string, a second LED string, or a mix of both (claim 3). [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) also shows this switch assembly positioned in a receptacle flush with the housing surface (claim 8).
    - **Motivation to Combine:** A POSA would combine [Jeswani's](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) switch design with the lighting system of [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005)/[Sadwick](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006) to provide a more compact, user-friendly, and integrated physical control interface. This would be a known method for improving the design and minimizing the physical profile of the controls.
    - **Expectation of Success:** Integrating a known physical switch interface from [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) into the known lighting circuit of [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005)/[Sadwick](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006) was argued to be a routine design choice, combining known elements for their intended purposes to achieve a predictable and improved result.

#### Ground 3: Claims 1-14 and 16-20 are obvious over May in view of Jeswani.
- **Prior Art Relied Upon:** [May](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1008) (Application # 2019/0041009) and [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) (Patent 10,683,969).
- **Core Argument for this Ground:**
    - **Prior Art Mapping:** Petitioner presented this as an alternative to the [Edwards](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1005)-based grounds. [May](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1008) was argued to disclose an improved linear LED lighting system with two strings of LEDs of different color temperatures, a control module (driver) to vary current between them for color tuning, and Ethernet ports for serially connecting multiple lamps. This combination teaches the core system of independent claims 1, 10, and 18. [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) was cited to supply the physical, user-operable switch assembly for selecting brightness and color temperature, which is not explicitly detailed in [May's](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1008) network-controlled system.
    - **Motivation to Combine:** A POSA would combine the physical switches of [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) with the networked system of [May](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1008) to provide a local, manual control option. This is a common and desirable feature for electronically controlled devices, allowing for operation in the event of a network failure or when direct user interaction is preferred. [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) itself teaches that a fixture can have both remote and local controls.
    - **Expectation of Success:** Adding a conventional manual switch interface from [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) to provide local control for the networked lighting system of [May](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1008) would be a straightforward integration of known components to add a well-known functionality. A POSA would have a reasonable expectation that such a combination would work as intended.
- **Additional Grounds:** Petitioner asserted an additional obviousness challenge against claim 15 over [May](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1008) in view of [Jeswani](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1007) and further in view of [Sadwick](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006), relying on [Sadwick](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/case/ptab/IPR2025-01328/doc/1006) to teach a "current regulator."

## 4. Relief Requested
- Petitioner requests institution of an inter partes review and cancellation of claims 1-20 of Patent [11,751,302](https://ai-lab.exparte.com/patent/11751302) as unpatentable.

Modular LED lighting patent faces multiple obviousness challenges: Edwards, Sadwick & Jeswani cited against all 20 claims for color/brightness control.