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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/11/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kobori et al. (US Pub. 20160097912, Kobori).
As per claim 1, Kobori teaches (in figures 1-3 and 8-9) an optical apparatus comprising: a first base (intermediate member 15) and a second base (lens-barrel 13); an optical element (imaging lens 11) held by at least one of the first and second bases; and an adhesive (adhesive 53) configured to adhere the first and second bases to each other (paragraph 43), wherein the first base includes a first recessed portion (portion of intermediate member 15 shown as a dashed line labeled R1 in the annotated figure below) into which the second base is inserted, a first contact portion (portion of rear surface 27 without adhesive reservoir 62) contacting the second base (through adhesive 53), and a groove portion (adhesive reservoir 62) configured to allow at least a part of the adhesive to enter therein (see figure 8 and paragraph 65), and the second base includes a second contact portion (joint surface 41) configured to contact the first contact portion (through adhesive 53), at least one of the first and second bases includes a second recessed portion (portion of lens-barrel 13 shown as a dashed line labeled R2 in the annotated figure below) for storing the adhesive configured to adhere the first and second bases to each other, a gap (shown as R3 in the annotated figure below) is provided between the first and second bases in a direction perpendicular to a contact direction of the first and second contact portions, and the groove portion is provided between the second recessed portion and the gap, on a surface of the first recessed portion (portion of intermediate member 15 shown as a dashed line labeled R1 in the annotated figure below) facing the second base (lens-barrel 13), the surface having a step like structure (see annotated figure below).
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As per claim 2, Kobori teaches (in figures 1-3 and 8-9) that the groove portion (adhesive reservoir 62) is adjacent to the first contact portion (rear surface 27 portion of rear surface 27 without adhesive reservoir 62).
As per claim 4, Kobori teaches (in figures 1-3, 5-7, and 9) an optical apparatus comprising: a first base (intermediate member 15) and a second base (lens-barrel 13); an optical element (imaging lens 11) held by at least one of the first and second bases; and an adhesive (adhesive 53) configured to adhere the first and second bases to each other (paragraph 43), wherein the first base includes a first recessed portion (portion of intermediate member 15 shown as a dashed line labeled R1 in the annotated figure below) into which the second base is inserted, and a first contact portion (rear surface 27) configured to contact with the second base (through adhesive 53), and the second base includes a second contact portion (portion of joint surface 41without adhesive reservoir 61) configured to contact the first contact portion (through adhesive 53) and a groove portion (adhesive reservoir 61) configured to allow a part of the adhesive to enter (see figure 5 and paragraph 65) a contact surface (rear surface 27) of the first base (intermediate member 15) contacts a contact surface (portion of joint surface 41without adhesive reservoir 61) of the second base (lens-barrel 13) (through adhesive 53), at least one of the first and second bases includes a second recessed portion (portion of lens-barrel 13 shown as a dashed line labeled R2 in the annotated figure below) for storing the adhesive configured to adhere the first and second bases to each other, a gap (shown as R3 in the annotated figure below) is provided between the first and second bases in a direction perpendicular to a contact direction of the first and second contact portions, and the groove portion is provided between the second recessed portion and the gap.
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As per claim 5, Kobori teaches (in figures 1-3, 5-7, and 9) that the groove portion (adhesive reservoir 61) is adjacent to the second contact portion (portion of joint surface 41without adhesive reservoir 61).
As per claim 7, Kobori teaches (in figures 1-3 and 5-9, and paragraph 63 “a configuration may be made in which the adhesive reservoir 61a or the adhesive reservoir 61b is provided in the flange portion 13b and in addition, the adhesive reservoir 62 is provided in the intermediate member 15”) that the groove portion (adhesive reservoir 62) faces the second recessed portion (adhesive reservoir 61) (see figures 5 and 8 and paragraphs 63-64).
As per claim 10, Kobori teaches (in figures 1-3 and 8-9) that the first base (intermediate member 15) is a screw member (intermediate member 15 comprises fitting portion 15c which screws onto lens holder 16) engaged with a holding member (lens holder 16) configured to hold the optical element (paragraph 66), and wherein a gap (gap between the bottom face of 16c and the top face of 16 when 15 is not completely screwed together), provided between the first base and the holding member in the contact direction, is adjusted by rotating the screw member around the contact direction (paragraph 66).
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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobori et al. (US Pub. 20160097912, Kobori) as applied to claim 1 above and in further view of Lu et al. (US Pub. 20120019940).
Kobori does not specifically teach that the adhesive is a thermosetting adhesive.
However, Lu teaches (in figures 1 and 2) attaching a first base (lens holder/front camera housing 14) to a second base (lens 16) with a UV/thermosetting adhesive (adhesive 30) in order to allow a quick cure followed by a longer cure in order to provide accurate positioning while providing adequate strength (see paragraphs 37-39).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the adhesive in Kobori out of the UV/thermosetting adhesive taught by Lu.
The motivation would have been to allow a quick cure followed by a longer cure in order to provide accurate positioning while providing adequate strength and since a prima facie case of obviousness exists for the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use (see MPEP 2144.07).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobori et al. (US Pub. 20160097912, Kobori) in view of Jang et al. (US Pub. 20190187255, Jang).
As per claim 9, Kobori teaches (in figures 1-3, 5-7, and 9) an optical apparatus comprising: a first base (lens-barrel 13) and a second base (intermediate member 15); an optical element (imaging lens 11) held by at least one of the first and second bases; and an adhesive (adhesive 53) configured to adhere the first and second bases to each other (paragraph 43), wherein the first base includes a first recessed portion (portion of lens-barrel 13 shown as a dashed line labeled R2 in the annotated figure below) into which the second base is inserted, a first contact portion (portion of joint surface 41without adhesive reservoir 61) contacting the second base (through adhesive 53), and a groove portion (adhesive reservoir 61) configured to allow at least a part of the adhesive to enter therein (see figure 5), and the second base includes a second contact portion (rear surface 27) configured to contact the first contact portion (through adhesive 53), at least one of the first and second bases includes a second recessed portion (portion of intermediate member 15 shown as a dashed line labeled R1 in the annotated figure below) for storing the adhesive configured to adhere the first and second bases to each other, a gap (shown as R3 in the annotated figure below) is provided between the first and second bases in a direction perpendicular to a contact direction of the first and second contact portions, and the groove portion is provided between the second recessed portion and the gap, on a surface of the first recessed portion (portion of lens-barrel 13 shown as a dashed line labeled R2 in the annotated figure below) facing the second base (intermediate member 15), the surface having a step like structure (see annotated figure below).
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Kobori does not teach a light source held by the second base, wherein the optical element held by the first base is a lens configured to transmit light emitted from the light source.
However, Kobori teaches a light receiving module (the imaging device 10) comprising a light receiving sensor (imaging element 12) held by the second base (intermediate member 15) (by way of the lens holder 16 and driving substrate 17 see paragraphs 47-48), wherein the optical element (imaging lens 11) held by the first base (lens-barrel 13) is a lens configured to transmit light to the light receiving sensor.
Jang teaches (in figures 1-2) providing a light output module in addition to a light receiving module in order to form a light detection and ranging device capable of detecting distance to an object, direction, and speed (paragraph 56-58) and that the light output module can be formed by replacing a light receiving sensor with a light source (light source 420) (paragraph 59).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kobori to include a light output module in which the light receiving sensor is replaced by a light source as suggested by Jang.
The motivation would have been to form a light detection and ranging device capable of detecting distance to an object, direction, and speed.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobori et al. (US Pub. 20160097912, Kobori) as applied to claim 1 above and in further view of Kimura et al. (US Pub. 20220317266, Kimura).
As per claim 11, Kobori does not teach a deflector configured to deflect light from a light source to scan an object and to deflect reflected light from the object.
However, Kimura teaches (in figures 2-6) forming a ranging device (ranging device 100) by providing a light source (laser diode 3), a light scanner (light scanner 120) comprising a deflector (polygon mirror 5) configured to deflect light from the light source to scan an object (deflecting light L1 to L2) and to deflect reflected light from the object (deflecting light R2 to R1) (see paragraphs 47 and 54-58), a light guide unit (mirror 6) configured to guide the light from the light source to the deflector and to guide reflected light from the deflector to a light receiving element (avalanche photodiodes 8) (see paragraphs 46, 55-60), a controller (controller 140) configured to acquire distance information of the object based on an output from the light receiving element (paragraph 114).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kobori to include the light scanner, light guide unit, and controller from Kimura.
The motivation would have been to provide a means of acquiring distance information of an object.
As per claim 12, Kobori in view of Kimura teaches a light guide unit (mirror 6 from Kimura) configured to guide the light from the light source to the deflector and to guide reflected light from the deflector to a light receiving element (imaging element 12 in Kobori corresponding to the avalanche photodiodes 8 in Kimura) (see paragraphs 46, 55-60 in Kimura).
As per claim 13, Kobori in view of Kimura teaches a controller (controller 140 from Kimura) configured to acquire distance information of the object based on an output from the light receiving element (imaging element 12 in Kobori corresponding to the avalanche photodiodes 8 in Kimura) (see paragraph 114 in Kimura).
Claims 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobori et al. (US Pub. 20160097912, Kobori) and Kimura et al. (US Pub. 20220317266, Kimura) as applied to claim 12 above and in further view of Spencer et al. (US Pub. 20160144838, Spencer).
As per claim 14, Kobori in view of Kimura teaches the optical apparatus according to claim 12 (see rejection above) which calculates distance information of an object (see paragraph 114 in Kimura).
Kobori in view of Kimura does not teach that the optical apparatus is provided in a vehicle system wherein the in-vehicle system determines a likelihood of collision between a vehicle and the object based on distance information of the object obtained by the optical apparatus.
However, Spencer teaches (in figures 1-3c) providing a laser scanner on a vehicle (vehicle 80) (paragraph 31) and determining a likelihood of collision (danger value 23) between the vehicle and an object (object 11) based on distance information of the object obtained by the optical apparatus (paragraphs 31-36), warning a user of the vehicle in a case where it is determined that the collision is likely between the vehicle and the object (paragraph 39-40), causing the vehicle to generate a braking force in a case where it is determined that the collision is likely between the vehicle and the object (paragraph 41).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the optical apparatus in a vehicle and modify the apparatus to operate as a collision warning and avoidance system as suggested as Spencer.
The motivation would have been to prevent automotive collisions.
As per claim 15, Kobori in view of Kimura and Spencer teaches a control apparatus (controller 140 from Kimura as modified by Spencer to prevent automotive collisions) configured to output a control signal for causing the vehicle to generate a braking force in a case where it is determined that the collision is likely between the vehicle and the object (see paragraphs 21 and 41 in Spencer).
As per claim 16, Kobori in view of Kimura and Spencer teaches a warning apparatus configured to warn a user of the vehicle in a case where it is determined that the collision is likely between the vehicle and the object (see paragraph 40 in Spencer).
As per claim 17, Kobori in view of Kimura teaches the optical apparatus according to claim 12 (see rejection above) which calculates distance information of an object (see paragraph 114 in Kimura).
Kobori in view of Kimura does not teach that the optical apparatus according to claim 12 is located in a moving apparatus, wherein the moving apparatus holds and moves the optical apparatus.
However, Spencer teaches (in figures 1-3c) providing a laser scanner on a vehicle (vehicle 80) (paragraph 31) and determining a likelihood of collision (danger value 23) between the vehicle and an object (object 11) based on distance information of the object obtained by the optical apparatus (paragraphs 31-36), warning a user of the vehicle in a case where it is determined that the collision is likely between the vehicle and the object (paragraph 39-40), causing the vehicle to generate a braking force in a case where it is determined that the collision is likely between the vehicle and the object (paragraph 41).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the optical apparatus in a vehicle and modify the apparatus to operate as a collision warning and avoidance system as suggested as Spencer.
The motivation would have been to prevent automotive collisions.
As per claim 18, Kobori in view of Kimura and Spencer teaches a determination unit (controller 140 from Kimura as modified by Spencer to prevent automotive collisions) configured to determine a likelihood of collision (danger value 23 from Spencer) with the object based on distance information of the object obtained by the optical apparatus (see paragraphs 31-36 in Spencer).
Claim(s) 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobori et al. (US Pub. 20160097912, Kobori) in view of Lu et al. (US Pub. 20120019940).
As per claim 19, Kobori teaches (in figures 1-3 and 8-9) a method for manufacturing an optical apparatus that includes a first base (intermediate member 15), a second base (lens-barrel 13), and an optical element (imaging lens 11) held on at least one of the first and second bases, the method comprising: an application step of applying an adhesive (adhesive 53) to the second base (paragraph 43); an insertion step of inserting the second base into a first recessed portion (portion of intermediate member 15 shown as a dashed line labeled R1 in the annotated figure below) provided in the first base (see figure 2 and paragraph 40); wherein in the application step, a second recessed portion (portion of lens-barrel 13 shown as a dashed line labeled R2 in the annotated figure below) provided in the second base is applied the adhesive, wherein in the insertion step, the second base is inserted into the first recessed portion of the first base to provide a gap (shown as R3 in the annotated figure below) for adjusting the relative positions in a direction perpendicular to a contact direction of a first contact portion (portion of rear surface 27 without adhesive reservoir 62), contacted to the second base (through adhesive 53), of the first base and a second contact portion (joint surface 41) contacted to the first contact portion (through adhesive 53), of the first base, a second contact portion (joint surface 41) configured to contact the first contact portion (through adhesive 53), with a contact surface (portion of rear surface 27 without adhesive reservoir 62) of the first base (intermediate member 15) contacting a contact surface (joint surface 41) of the second base (lens-barrel 13) (through adhesive 53),
and wherein part of the adhesive can enter a groove portion (adhesive reservoir 62) provided between the second recessed portion and the gap (see figure 8 and paragraph 65).
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Kobori does not specifically teach an adjustment step of adjusting relative positions of the first and second bases; and a curing step of curing the adhesive, wherein in the adjustment step, part of the adhesive can enter a groove portion formed in at least one of the first and second bases during adjusting the relative positions in the direction perpendicular to the contact direction and a direction around the contact direction.
However, Lu teaches (in figures 1 and 2) preforming an adjustment step of adjusting relative positions of a first base (lens holder/front camera housing 14) and a second base (lens 16) in both the vertical and horizontal directions in order to ensure proper focus (paragraphs 37-38); and a curing step of curing the adhesive (paragraph 39) comprising a quick cure in order to secure positioning for a longer thermal cure providing adequate strength for use on a vehicle (see paragraph 39).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Kobori to include the method steps taught by Lu.
The motivation would have been to ensure proper focus while allowing for a quick cure in order to secure positioning for a longer thermal cure providing adequate strength for use.
As per claim 20, Kobori in view of Lu teaches that the curing step cures the adhesive by heating (see paragraph 39 in Lu).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/11/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., the first contact portion directly contacts the second base and the groove portion comprises a rectangular groove) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). As shown in the rejection above, Kobori teaches (in figures 1-3 and 8-9) the recited claim language of “a first contact portion contacting the second base” as this includes indirect contact through an adhesive as taught by Kobori and teaches recited claim language of “the groove portion is provided between the second recessed portion and the gap, on a surface of the first recessed portion facing the second base, the surface having a step like structure” as this only requires that the groove portion is provided between the second recessed portion and the gap, on a surface of the first recessed portion facing the second base and that the surface of the first recessed portion has a step like structure which is taught by Kobori as shown in the rejection above and places no limitation on the shape of the groove portion. The Applicant’s argument is therefore unpersuasive and the rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
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/ALEXANDER P GROSS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871