DETAILED ACTION
Claim 22 is pending in the application. Claims 1-21 have been cancelled.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/31/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 22 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salemnia (US 2017/0126939 A1), Tapia et al (US 2014/0267615 A1), and Waters (US 2014/0304891 A1), in further view of Brown et al (US 2020/0128902 A1).
As per claim 22, Salemnia discloses a head mountable camera system (fig. 1, band structure 100) comprising:
a camera system removably attached (fig. 1, band structure 100, may be removably attached), the camera system comprising:
a band having a first portion in an inner space and a second segment extending from the first portion into the inner space (fig. 1, band structure 100, para 0037-0039);
at least a first camera within an interior cavity of the first portion of the band, the at least one first camera comprising a lens exposed through the first surface of the band (fig. 1, band structure 100, camera 140 is exposed through band structure 100);
at least a second camera within an interior cavity of the second portion of the band, the at least one second camera comprising a lens exposed through the first surface of the band (figs. 1 and 2, band structure 100, camera 140, has the ability to place multiple cameras spaced apart in the band structure, see para 0038 and 0042-0045);
a controller within the interior cavity for controlling the at least one first camera and the at least one second camera (figs. 1 and 2, band structure 100, controller 120, para 0037, 0038, 0040, 0041, and 0045);
a power source within the interior cavity configured to power the controller and the at least one first camera and the at least one second camera (figs. 1 and 2, band structure 100, power source 160, para 0037, 0038, 0046-0049); and
electrical connections connecting the controller, the power source, the at least one first camera, and the at least one second camera together (figs. 1-3, band structure 100, electrical connections 240, para 0052-0055),
wherein the band of the camera system is concealed from an exterior of the cap (figs. 1 and 2, band structure 100 is made of rubber, therefore may be fit or secured in any object conforming to any shape/size, see para 0039).
Salemnia fails to teach a cap comprising a crown and a brim attached to the crown, the crown comprising an outer surface, an inner surface, an inner spaced between the outer surface and the inner surface, at least one opening in the outer surface, the brim having an upper surface, a lower surface, an inner space between the upper surface and the lower surface, and at least one opening in at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface, and exposed through the at least one opening in the outer surface of the crown and exposed through the at least one opening in the upper surface or the lower surface of the brim. However, Tapia discloses an image capturing system which may be integrated into a crown and a brim attached to the crown, wherein the image capturing system is integrated within the inside of the crown and brim, having multiple opening for exposing multiple lens with the opening being through the inside of the crown and brim extending outwardly through the outer surface of the crown and brim (Tapia, figs. 1E and 1F, see associated written description, also see para 0031 and 0032).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Salemnia in view of Tapia, as a whole, by modifying the wearable camera system as disclosed by Tapia, by incorporating the band structure as taught Salemnia, because doing so would provide a more efficient way of capturing images/video on the move, thus being able to attach/detach the camera with ease of use for the user.
The combined teachings of Salemnia in view of Tapia, as a whole, fails to teach a second camera exposed through the brim and substantially flush with the lower surface of the brim, wherein the upper surface of the brim conceals the second camera. However, Waters discloses a hat 10 comprising a camera device 12 within the brim 16, and the camera lens devices 50 and 52 are flush with the lower surface of the brim 16 and the upper surface of brim 16 conceals the camera lens devices 50 and 52 (Waters, fig. 24, hat 10, camera device 12, brim 16, camera lens devices 50 and 52, para 0224-0226).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to combine the teachings of Salemnia and Tapia, in further view of Waters as a whole, by modifying the imaging system as disclosed by Salemnia and Tapia, to incorporate the ability for a camera(s) to be concealed within a brim as taught by Waters, because doing so would provide another means for placing a camera within a hat in an area of choice.
The combined teachings of Salemnia and Tapia, in further view of Waters, as a whole, fails to teach at least a portion of the lens extends in the at least one opening. However, Brown discloses a racing helmet 3616 comprising a helmet inner liner 3616-12 and helmet outer shell 3616-1 where camera 3634 extends into the helmet outer shell 3616-1 opening, and is flush with the helmet outer shell 3616-1 (Brown, racing helmet 3616, camera 3634, helmet outer shell 3616-1, helmet inner liner 3616-12).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Salemnia, Tapia, and Waters, in further view of Brown, as a whole, by incorporating the camera structure as taught by Brown, into the wearable camera system as taught by Salemnia, Tapia, and Waters, because doing so would provide a more efficient way of placing the camera flush within the opening, thus enhancing the space within the wearable camera system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN H MOREHEAD III whose telephone number is (571)270-3845. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 0930-1800 EST.
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/JOHN H MOREHEAD III/Examiner, Art Unit 2639
/TWYLER L HASKINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2639