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
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 17, and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 7-9, 10-16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Izeki (JP 2004191918A, with reference made to provided machine translation).
Regarding independent claim 1, Izeki discloses A mirror scanner (Figs. 10-14: optical deflector 20E) comprising (i.e., open language for the claim):
a mirror (mirror body 21) having a first surface that reflects a light (upper surface), the mirror being swingable about a swing axis (y axis, paragraph 92);
a permanent magnet (22 – permanent magnet rod) disposed on a second surface (Fig. 11 shows permanent magnet rod 22 immediately below the mirror body 21) which is a surface opposite of the first surface of the mirror (first surface is reflecting top surface; top is opposite of below; see Fig. 11);
a (i.e., an indefinite article “a” or “an” carries the meaning of “one or more,” see Baldwin Graphic Sys., Inc. v. Siebert, Inc., 512 F.3d 1338, 85 U.S.P.Q.2d 1503 (Fed. Cir. 2008)) yoke (Figs. 10-12: 42 - U-shaped core) having a pair of magnetic fields generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure below) and a pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure below), the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure below) being disposed at positions facing the permanent magnet (see figures 11-12) in a side of the second surface of the mirror (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure below are formed below the mirror body 21, see figures 11-12), the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure below) being disposed below the second surface of the mirror (lower surface of mirror body 21) such that the second surface of the mirror overlaps the pair of magnetic field generating ends when viewed in a normal direction of the mirror (see figures 10-12), the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure below) extending in parallel along the second surface of the mirror (Figs. 10-12: i.e., note that the portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure below includes parallel portions extending parallel to the mirror surface but below the permanent magnet); and
a coil (43 - coil) wound around each of the pair of extending portions of the yoke (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure below),
wherein the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure below) are projection being formed on upper surface of the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure below), and facing the second surface of the mirror (lower surface of mirror body 21, see Figs. 10-12).
Annotated figure from Izeki (JP 2004191918A)
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Regarding claim 3, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the yoke has a coupling portion (portion of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R3 in the annotated figure above) coupling respective one ends of the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above), and a surface formed by the surface of the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure below) and the surface of the coupling portion (portion of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R3 in the annotated figure above) extends along the second surface of the mirror (Fig. 3, the underside surfaces of the portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 and R3 in the annotated figure above are parallel to the underside of the mirror where the permanent magnet is).
Regarding claim 5, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the mirror swings about the swing axis (y-axis) with a reference position as a center (i.e., mirror portion 21e is at the center), and each of the pair of extending portions of the yoke (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above) extends along the second surface of the mirror at the reference position (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above are disposed under the mirror portion 21e as shown in figures 10-12).
Regarding claim 7, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above) extend along a direction of the swing axis (extend along the y axis as shown in figures 10-12).
Regarding claim 8, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 3, wherein the pair of magnetic field generating ends of the yoke (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure above) are formed on respective other ends being located opposite side of the coupling portion of the pair of extending portions (i.e., portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure above are located on the opposite sides of the portion of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R3 in the annotated figure above).
Regarding claim 9, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 5, wherein the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above) are disposed so as to be substantially parallel to the second surface of the mirror (lower surface of mirror body 21) when the mirror is at the reference position (see figure 11 and paragraph 100).
Regarding claim 10, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure above) are positioned between the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above) and the permanent magnet (permanent magnet rod 22) in the normal direction of the mirror (see figure 11a).
Regarding claim 11, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet (permanent magnet rod 22) is positioned between the first surface of the mirror (upper surface of mirror body 21) and the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure above).
Regarding claim 12, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure above) project toward the permanent magnet (permanent magnet rod 22) from the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above) (see figure 11).
Regarding claim 13, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above) are disposed further from the second surface of the mirror (lower surface of mirror body 21) than the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure above) in the normal direction of the mirror (see figure 10).
Regarding claim 14, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the coil (coil 43) wound around each of the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above) generates a magnetic field at the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure above) (paragraph 101).
Regarding claim 15, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 3, wherein the yoke (U-shaped core 42) forms a substantially U-shaped configuration with the coupling portion (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R3 in the annotated figure above) forming a base of the U-shape and the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above) forming arms of the U-shape.
Regarding claim 16, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure above) face the permanent magnet (permanent magnet rod 22) from a side opposite to the first surface of the mirror (upper surface of mirror body 21).
Regarding claim 19, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein the pair of extending portions (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R2 in the annotated figure above) extend on opposite sides of the permanent magnet (permanent magnet rod 22) when viewed in the normal direction of the mirror.
Regarding claim 20, the reference further discloses the mirror scanner according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of magnetic field generating ends (portions of the U-shaped core 42 shown as R1 in the annotated figure above) is disposed directly below a respective portion of the permanent magnet (permanent magnet rod 22) (see figure 12).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-5, and 7-20 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER P GROSS whose telephone number is (571)272-5660. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-6pm EST.
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/ALEXANDER P GROSS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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