DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/22/2025 has been entered.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group I: claims 1-12 in the reply filed on 06/04/2024 is acknowledged.
Claims 13-15, and 20 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 06/04/2024.
Status of Claims
Claims 1, 8, 10, and 11 have been amended. Claims 1-12 and 16-19 have been examined on the merits.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Page 7, filed 12/22/2025, with respect to the previous 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) rejections are persuasive. The previous 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) rejections have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 7-10, filed 12/22/2025, with respect to the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been considered but are moot because the claims have been amended and the new grounds of rejection do not rely on the reference or combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, 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. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-9, and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lafon et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,969,051 B2), Heynacher (U.S. Patent No. 4,606,151 A), and FAN (CN 103341806 A).
Referring to claim 1: Lafon et al. discloses a lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) for supporting a lens (300 Fig. 1) in a surface machining process (Abstract), in which one (Concave side shown in Fig. 1) of two opposite side surfaces (Concave and convex sides shown in Fig. 1) of the lens (300 Fig. 1) is processed, wherein the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) comprises - a plurality of support elements (170, 160, and 150 Figs. 1-3) being relatively moveable with respect to each other and together forming a lens seat (where 300 is seated against 150, 160, and 170 shown in Fig. 1) with a curvature (curvature accommodate lens 300 Fig. 1) for supporting the lens (300 Fig. 1) on its other side surface (Convex side shown in Fig. 1) against forces caused in the surface machining process, and - an adjustment mechanism (179/190 Fig. 1; Col. 5, lines 15-16) for displacing at least some of the plurality of support elements (170 and 160 Figs. 1-3) relatively to each other (relatively via springs 179) during processing to adjust the curvature of the lens seat (where 300 is seated against 150, 160, and 170 shown in Fig. 1);- wherein the adjustment mechanism (179/190 Fig. 1; Col. 5, lines 15-16) comprises actuators (“are partly mechanical and partly pneumatic” Col. 5, lines 15-16);
But is silent on:
- wherein the actuators are configured for displacing the support elements relatively to each other;
- wherein each one of the actuators comprises a respective sensor unit configured for determining positional information which is a relative position of the respective one of the actuators;
- the lens supporting part being configured such that the defined curvature of the lens seat is continuously determined and set, during the processing step, based on detected process parameters which include the positional information determined by the sensor units;
the plurality of support elements relatively to each other during processing to adjust the curvature of the lens seat to specifically a defined curvature independently from the lens being seated on the support elements;
and wherein the lens supporting part further comprises at least one control unit configured:
- to use the positional information to check and verify respective positions of at least some of the support elements, and
- to operate a closed loop control on the adjustment mechanism and/or on said support elements to adjust the respective positions of said support elements in case of deviations between:
i) a respective desired position and
ii) the respective actual position as checked and verified using the positional information.
Heynacher in an analogous lens machining process teaches:- wherein the similar configuration adjustment mechanism (5/5a and 6 Figs. 1 and 3a) and comprises similar configuration actuators (5/ 5a comprising 15 Figs. 1 and 3a) are for displacing the similar configuration support elements (11 Fig. 3a) relatively to each other (“individually adjusted” Col. 3, lines 24-28); and
- wherein each one of the similar configuration actuators (5/ 5a comprising 15 Figs. 1 and 3a) comprises a sensor unit (16 Fig. 3a) for determining positional information (“each point of the surface of the workpiece to be processed is assigned a predetermined processing pressure… can be individually adjusted at the corresponding position” Col. 3, lines 24-28) which is a relative position of the respective (“individually adjusted” Col. 3, lines 24-28) one of the actuators (5/ 5a comprising 15 Figs. 1 and 3a);
- the similar configuration lens supporting part (6 Figs. 1, 2, and 3a) being configured such that the defined curvature of the lens seat is continuously determined and set (“actuators 5 are corrected by an amount dependent upon the amplitude and direction of the instantaneous lapping movement” Col. 5, lines 19-23), during the processing step, based on detected process parameters which include the positional information determined (“it is purposeful to provide a computer controlled dynamic compensation with which the forces of the actuators 5 are corrected by an amount dependent upon the amplitude and direction of the instantaneous lapping movement.” Col. 5, lines 19-23) by the sensor units (“computer controlled” 16 Fig. 3a);
the plurality of similar configuration support elements (11 Fig. 3a) relatively to each other (“individually adjusted” Col. 3, lines 24-28) during processing to adjust the curvature of the lens seat to specifically a defined curvature independently (“each point of the surface of the workpiece to be processed is assigned a predetermined processing pressure by means of which the desired amount of material to be removed can be individually adjusted at the corresponding position.” Col. 3, lines 24-28) from the similar configuration lens (1 Fig. 1) being seated on the similar configuration support elements (11 Fig. 3a).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the actuator/support elements with the movement capabilities as taught by Heynacher for the purpose of working relatively quickly and with a precision required for the optical elements (Col. 1, lines 51-53 of Heynacher).
Heynacher further discloses:
“The apparatus of claim 6, each of said loading units comprising: a motor” Claim 8, and
“The motor 15 is controlled by a computer 16 in the same manner as the remaining actuators which are not illustrated.” Col. 3, lines 37-40. The examiner is unclear whether each one of the similar configuration actuators specifically comprises a respective sensor unit.
However, it also would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the actuators of Lafon et al. as modified with each actuator having a respective sensor unit for the purpose of having a configuration with redundancy to ensure accuracy, and since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04(VI)(B)
FAN in an analogous lens machining process [0022] teaches the similar configuration actuators (5 Fig. 1) specifically comprising a respective sensor unit (3 Fig. 1) and wherein the similar configuration lens supporting part (“flexible support system for processing the meniscus thin mirror surface” [0022]) further comprises at least one control unit (“computer analyzes and calculates the mirror surface shape change required when the active grinding disc is at different positions.” [0022]) configured:
- to use the positional information to check and verify respective positions of at least some of the support elements (“the support system also adjusts the mirror shape in real time.” [0022]), and
- to operate a closed loop control on the adjustment mechanism and/or on said support elements to adjust the respective positions of said support elements in case of deviations between:
i) a respective desired position and
ii) the respective actual position as checked and verified using the positional information (“As the processing progresses, the force sensor 3 transmits the force data back to the computer 8 in real time and combines with the pneumatic drive support device to form a closed-loop control to ensure the stability and accuracy of the output force” [0023]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the lens supporting part of Lafon et al. as modified with the control unit as taught by FAN for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and consistency of the operation.
Referring to claim 2: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism (179/190 Fig. 1) is configured to move at least some of the plurality of support elements (160 Figs. 1-3) independently (“individually adjusted” Col. 3, lines 24-28 of Heynacher), and/or wherein the adjustment mechanism (179/190 Fig. 1) is configured such that at least one of the support elements (170 and 160 Figs. 1-3) is relatively movable (Col. 7, lines 22-28) to the lens (300 Fig. 1) being seated on the support elements (170 and 160 Figs. 1-3).
Referring to claim 3: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism (179/190 Fig. 1) is configured to move the respective support elements (170 and 160 Figs. 1-3) in a direction, which is transverse to the lens seat and/or that is a direction parallel (direction parallel pushing towards lens) to a holding force (holding force of reduced-pressure chamber 180 which pulls lens towards lens supporting part 1) for holding the lens (300 Fig. 1) on the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1), to adjust the curvature of the lens seat (where 300 is seated against 150, 160, and 170 shown in Fig. 1).
Referring to claim 4: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) according to claim 1, wherein the support elements (160 and 150 Figs. 1-3) each have a distal end (151 and 161 Figs. 2 and 3), and/or wherein the support elements each extend between the distal end and a proximal end for being coupled to the adjustment mechanism.
Referring to claim 5: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the support elements (170, 160, and 150 Figs. 1-3), forms an outer circumferential sealing edge (sealing edge for reduced-pressure chamber 180) of the lens seat (where 300 is seated against 150, 160, and 170 shown in Fig. 1) to allow for a circumferential sealing (shown in Fig. 1) of the lens (300 Fig. 1) being seated on the lens seat.
Referring to claim 6: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) according to claim 1, wherein the lens seat (where 300 is seated against 150, 160, and 170 shown in Fig. 1) is configured to be fluidly connectable to a vacuum unit (“vacuum pump” Col. 3, lines 5-6; Col. 7, lines 29-31) or the lens supporting part further comprising a vacuum unit that is fluidly connected to the lens seat to apply a vacuum in a suction space between the lens seat and the lens being seated on the lens seat.
Referring to claim 7: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) according to claim 1, wherein each one of the
actuators (5/ 5a comprising 15 Figs. 1 and 3a of Heynacher), is an electric motor (“The apparatus of claim 6, each of said loading units comprising: a motor” Claim 8 of Heynacher) or pneumatic cylinder, and/or
wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a blocking part that is movable between a first position, where the support elements are fixed in their relative position to each other, and a second position, where the support elements are relatively movable with respect to each other.
Referring to claim 8: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism (5/5a and 6 Figs. 1 and 3a of Heynacher) further comprises a connecting mechanism (14 Fig. 3a of Heynacher), to transmit, directly or indirectly, an actuation force (actuation force from motor 15 Fig. 3a of Heynacher) of the respective one of the actuators (5/ 5a comprising 15 Figs. 1 and 3a of Heynacher) to the respective support element (11 Fig. 3a of Heynacher).
Referring to claim 9: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) according to claim 1, wherein the support elements (170, 160, and 150 Figs. 1-3) are formed and/or arranged in a ring shape (ring shape shown in Fig. 4, 144 which accommodates 160).
Referring to claim 16: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part according to claim 4, wherein the distal ends (151 and 161 Figs. 2 and 3) together form (shown in Fig. 1) the lens seat (where 300 is seated against 150, 160, and 170 shown in Fig. 1), and/or wherein the distal ends (151 and 161 Figs. 2 and 3) each comprise or are made of an elastic material (Col. 5, lines 64-65) for supporting the lens (300 Fig. 1).
Referring to claim 17: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part according to claim 6, wherein the at least one support element (170, 160, and 150 Figs. 1-3) forming the outer circumferential sealing edge (sealing edge for reduced-pressure chamber 180) is fixed (150 Figs. 1-3) relatively to other support elements (170 and 160 Figs. 1-3) and/or to the lens being seated on the support elements.
Referring to claim 18: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part according to claim 8, wherein vacuum passages (181, 125, and 191 Fig. 1) are formed between (shown between in Fig. 1) at least some of the support elements (170, 160, and 150 Figs. 1-3) for connecting the vacuum unit (“vacuum pump” Col. 3, lines 5-6; Col. 7, lines 29-31) with the lens seat (where 300 is seated against 150, 160, and 170 shown in Fig. 1).
Referring to claim 19: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part according to claim 7, wherein the blocking part (101 Figs. 1 and 10; Col 8, lines 53-57) is a movable clamp (“when the clamping ring 101 is screwed on,” Col 8, lines 53-57).
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lafon et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,969,051 B2), Heynacher (U.S. Patent No. 4,606,151 A), and FAN (CN 103341806 A), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Meschenmoser et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,421,659 B2).
Referring to claim 10: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the lens supporting part (1 Fig. 1) according to claim 1 for supporting the lens (300 Fig. 1) during the surface machining process; and wherein said at least one control unit (“computer analyzes and calculates the mirror surface shape change required when the active grinding disc is at different positions.” [0022] of FAN) is further configured to determine and set for determining and setting the defined curvature of the lens seat based on the supplied geometry of the other side surface of the lens (“the surface shape detection device is used to process the surface shape of the meniscus thin mirror Carry out the inspection and transfer the obtained surface shape data to the computer; the computer analyzes and calculates the mirror surface shape change required when the active grinding disc is at different positions ” [0022] of FAN), and for controlling the adjustment mechanism to displace the support elements relative to each other to obtain the defined curvature of the lens seat (“The support force of each pneumatic driver is solved according to the required surface shape change. The support force is converted into a digital signal and input to the air pressure controller; the air pressure controller adjusts the output pressure to control the output force of the air pressure driver” of FAN).
But is silent on a system for surface processing of at least one of two opposite side surfaces of the lens, comprising
- a surface processing unit for processing the one side surface of the lens, such as a lens cutting or lens polishing device;
- a surface information supply unit for supplying a geometry of the other side surface of the lens, such as a camera, a pressure sensor, a laser sensor or a database.
Meschenmoser et al. teaches a system (10 Fig. 1, 19 Fig. 2) for surface processing of at least one of two opposite side surfaces (34 and 30 Fig. 1) of a similar configuration lens (12 Fig. 1; 1012’/1012” Fig. 16), comprising
- a similar configuration lens supporting part (1010 Fig. 16) for supporting the similar configuration lens (1012’ Fig. 16) during the surface machining process, and
- a surface processing unit (19 Fig. 2) for processing the one side surface (34 Fig. 1) of the similar configuration lens (12 Fig. 1; 1012’/1012” Fig. 16),
such as a lens cutting or lens polishing device (Col. 9, lines 20-24);
- a surface information supply unit (50 Col. 10, lines 60-65; 168 Col. 15, lines 9-10) for supplying a geometry (“information concerning the topography of the optically active surfaces” Col. 10, lines 60-65) of the other side surface of the lens, such as a camera, a pressure sensor, a laser sensor (laser light 170 Col. 15, lines 9-10) or a database (“contains information concerning the eyeglass lens 12” Col. 10, lines 60-65).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the supporting part of Lafon et al. and include it in the system as taught by Meschenmoser et al. for the purpose of, as it is known in the art, having an encompassing system which increases the overall efficiency of the intended process.
Referring to claim 11: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the system according to claim 10, wherein the control unit (“Obtain the optimal real-time deformation plan of the face shape when processing with the active grinding disc 9; then calculate the air pressure value to be adjusted and control the air pressure controller 5. Both the air pressure control signal and the sensor transmission signal use digital signals. Used to reduce the impact of noise. The shape of the surface to be processed is calculated and analyzed to obtain the distribution plan of the bottom support force that responds to different positions of the active grinding disc 9.” [00230 of FAN]) is configured to determine and set the defined curvature of the lens seat.
Referring to claim 12: Lafon et al. as modified teaches the system according to claim 10, but is silent on wherein the system comprises a spindle for rotating the lens supporting part during the surface machining process, wherein the lens supporting part and the spindle are arranged coaxially and/or are detachably coupled to each other.
Meschenmoser et al. teaches the system (10 Fig. 1, 19 Fig. 2) comprising a spindle (17 Fig. 2) for rotating (Col. 9, lines 8-15) the lens supporting part (1010 Fig. 16) during the surface machining process, wherein the lens supporting part (1010 Fig. 16) and the spindle (17 Fig. 2) are arranged coaxially and/or are detachably coupled to each other (“attachment member 36” Col. 9, lines 8-15).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Lafon et al. as modified with the spindle and coupling system as taught Meschenmoser et al. for the purpose of, as it is known in the art, rotating the lens and having an attachment member which improves the ease of use by allowing the user to change the supporting part for other application and repairs/maintenance.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER SOTO whose telephone number is (571)272-8172. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8a.m. - 5 p.m..
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Carter can be reached at 571-272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
CHRISTOPHER SOTO
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/CHRISTOPHER SOTO/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MONICA S CARTER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723