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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on December 22, 2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see (page 6, fourth paragraph), filed December 22, 2025, with respect to claims 8, 9, 11, 12 and 14 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 8, 9, 11, 12 and 14 as being anticipated by Arimoto (U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0154224) has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed December 22, 2025, with respect to the rejection of claims 1-7 as being obvious over Imai et al (U.S. Publication 2016/0154224) in view of Arimoto (U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0154224) and claims 8, 9, 11, 12, 14018 and 20 as being obvious over Kim et al (U.S. Patent Publication 2021/0063702) in view of Arimoto (U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0154224) have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicants have argued that the position of the aperture layer would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. The examiner respectfully disagrees.
As is known in the optical art, and stated by Applicant, an aperture is designed to control light within an optical system and placement thereof could be determined by one of ordinary skill, without undue experimentation. An artisan within the art readily designs optical systems and chooses placement of an aperture to control light within an optical system to result in a desired light output, thereby reducing aberrations and providing a compact lens system. Arimoto has been cited to demonstrate that an aperture may be placed at the most object-side end of the second lens group providing a compact sized zoom optical system (page 3, paragraph [0041]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Imai et al (U.S. Patent Publication 2016/0154224) in view of Arimoto et al (U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0268426).
With regard to independent claim 1, although Imai et al teaches a camera (page 7, paragraph [0133], lines 13-14 and Figure 1) comprising: an image sensor (Figure 1, element IM); a lens assembly having an optical axis and comprising: a first lens group (Figure 1, element Gr1) having negative refractive power (page 4, paragraph [0084], lines 3-4) and comprising a first set of lens elements (Figure 1, elements L1, L2 and L3) that is fixed in position on the optical axis (Figure 1, element m1); a second lens group (Figure 1, element Gr2) moveable along the optical axis between the first lens group and the image sensor (Figure 1, element m2), having positive refractive power (page 4, paragraph [0084], lines 4-5), and comprising a second set of lens elements (Figure 1, elements L4 and L5); and a third lens group (Figure 1, element Gr3) moveable along the optical axis between the first lens group and the image sensor (Figure 1, element m3), having negative refractive power (page 4, paragraph [0084], lines 5-6), and comprising a third set of lens elements (Figure 1, element L6); and a set of actuators (Figure 21, element 6); and a controller (Figure 21, element 5), wherein: the controller is configured to control the set of actuators to move the second lens group and the third lens group along the optical axis to set a focal length of the lens assembly within a focal range of the lens assembly (page 4, paragraph [0088]), Imai et al fails to teach such a camera wherein second lens group comprises an aperture layer defining an aperture.
In a related endeavor, Arimoto et al teaches a camera (Figure 5(a) and page 2, paragraph [0020]) comprising: an image sensor (page 1, paragraph [0002]); and a lens assembly having an optical axis (Figures 1(a)-(c)) and comprising: (Figure 1(a), element Gr1) a first lens group having negative refractive power (page 1, paragraph [0013]) and comprising a first set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L1, L2 and L3) that is fixed in position on the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0006]); a second lens group immediately adjacent the first lens group (Figure 1(a), element Gr2), moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0013]), having positive refractive power (page 1, paragraph [0013]), and comprising a second set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L4, L5 and L6) and an aperture layer defining an aperture (Figure 1(a) element ST and page 2, paragraph [0023], lines 12-14); and a third lens group immediately adjacent the [third] lens group (Figure 1(a), element Gr3), moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph ][0013]), having negative refractive power (page 1, paragraph [0013]), and comprising a third set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L7 and L8), such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the camera, as taught by Imai et al, with the aperture stop positioned in the second lens group, as taught by Arimoto et al, to provide a compact sized zoom optical system (page 3, paragraph [0041]).
With regard to dependent claim 2, although Imai et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 1, both fail to explicitly teach wherein the controller is configured to control the set of actuators to move the third lens group along the optical axis while maintaining a position of the second lens group to focus the camera. However, Imai et al does teach an alternate focusing scheme, and further teaches that the focusing method is not limited to the disclosed method (page 4, paragraph [0083], line 13), such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention, without undo experimentation, to modify the optical system, as taught by Imai et al, so that the third lens group is the focusing lens group, to provide a focused image to the image plane.
With regard to dependent claim 3, Imai et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 1, wherein Arimoto et al teaches wherein the first lens group comprises a light-folding element configured to receive light from an object side of the lens assembly and redirect the light along the optical axis (page 2, paragraph [0027] and Figure 1(a), element PR).
With regard to dependent claim 4, Imai et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to dependent claim 3, wherein Arimoto et al further teaches wherein the first set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L1, L2 and L3) comprises a first lens element (Figure 1(a), element L1) positioned immediately adjacent the light-folding element (Figure 1(a), wherein element L1 is immediately adjacent element PR).
With regard to dependent claim 5, Imai et al and Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 1, wherein Imai et al further teaches such a camera wherein an f-number of the lens assembly is less than or equal to 3.0 across the focal range (page 8, paragraph [0134], F number data wherein the F number ranges from 2.53 to 2.00).
With regard to dependent claim 6, Imai et al and Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to dependent claim 5, wherein Imai et al teaches such a camera wherein an f-number of the lens assembly is between f/2.2 and f/3.0 across the focal range (page 8, paragraph [0134], F number data wherein the F number ranges from 2.53 to 2.00).
With regard to dependent claim 7, Imai et al and Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 1, wherein Imai et al teaches such a camera wherein the focal range includes at least a range of 35 mm equivalent focal lengths between 72 mm and 108 mm (page 8, paragraph [0134], Focal length data and Image height data, wherein a range of 35 mm equivalent focal lengths are 65 to 129).
Claims 8, 9, 11, 12, 14-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (U.S. Patent Publication 2021/0063702) in view of Arimoto et al (U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0268426).
With regard to independent claim 8, although Kim et al teaches a camera (page 1, paragraph [0022] and Figure 1) comprising: an image sensor (Figure 1, element 190); and a lens assembly having an optical axis and comprising: a first lens group (Figure 1, element G1) having negative refractive power (page 3, paragraph [0065], lines 6-7) and comprising a first set of lens elements (Figure 1, elements 110 and 120) that is fixed in position on the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0019], lines 3-4); a second lens group immediate adjacent the first lens group (Figure 1, element G2), moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0019], lines 4-7), having positive refractive power (page 3, paragraph [0066], lines 8-9), and comprising a second set of lens elements (Figure 1, elements 130, 140 and 150); and a third lens group (Figure 1, element G3) moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0019], lines 8-10), having negative refractive power (page 3, paragraph [0067], lines 6-7), and comprising a third set of lens elements (Figure 1, elements 160 and 170), Kim et al fails to teach such a camera wherein second lens group comprises an aperture layer defining an aperture.
In a related endeavor, Arimoto et al teaches a camera (Figure 5(a) and page 2, paragraph [0020]) comprising: an image sensor (page 1, paragraph [0002]); and a lens assembly having an optical axis (Figures 1(a)-(c)) and comprising: (Figure 1(a), element Gr1) a first lens group having negative refractive power (page 1, paragraph [0013]) and comprising a first set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L1, L2 and L3) that is fixed in position on the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0006]); a second lens group immediately adjacent the first lens group (Figure 1(a), element Gr2), moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0013]), having positive refractive power (page 1, paragraph [0013]), and comprising a second set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L4, L5 and L6) and an aperture layer defining an aperture (Figure 1(a) element ST and page 2, paragraph [0023], lines 12-14); and a third lens group immediately adjacent the [third] lens group (Figure 1(a), element Gr3), moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph ][0013]), having negative refractive power (page 1, paragraph [0013]), and comprising a third set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L7 and L8), such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the camera, as taught by Kim et al, with the aperture stop positioned in the second lens group, as taught by Arimoto et al, to provide a compact sized zoom optical system (page 3, paragraph [0041]).
With regard to dependent claim 9, Kim et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 8, wherein Kim et al further teaches such a camera wherein the first lens group comprises a light-folding element configured to receive light from an object side of the lens assembly and redirect the light along the optical axis (Figure 1, element P); and the first set of lens elements comprises a first lens element positioned immediately adjacent the light-folding element (Figure 1, element 110).
With regard to dependent claim 11, Kim et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 8, wherein Kim et al further teaches such a camera wherein the second set of lens elements comprises a first lens element (Figure 1, element 130) having positive refractive power (page 3, paragraph [0065], lines 6-8) and a second lens element having negative refractive power (page 3, paragraph [0065], lines 6-8).
With regard to dependent claim 12, Kim et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to dependent claim 11, wherein Kim et al further teaches such a camera wherein the first lens element of the second set of lens elements is immediately adjacent the first lens group (Figure 1, element 130 is adjacent G1).
With regard to dependent claim 14, Kim et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 8, wherein Kim et al further teaches such a camera wherein the aperture layer is positioned between the first set of lens elements and the second set of lens elements (page 4, paragraph [0073], lines 5-7).
With regard to independent claim 15, although Kim et al teaches a lens assembly having an optical axis (Figure 1) and comprising: a first lens group (Figure 1, element G1) having negative refractive power (page 3, paragraph [0065], lines 6-7); a second lens group (Figure 1, element G2) moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0019], lines 4-7) and having positive refractive power (page 3, paragraph [0066], lines 8-9); and a third lens group (Figure 1, element G3) moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0019], lines 8-10) and having negative refractive power (page 3, paragraph [0067], lines 6-7), wherein: the first lens group comprises a light-folding element (Figure 1, element P) and a first lens element (Figure 1, element 110) having positive refractive power (page 5, Table 1, Focal Length data for First Lens) and fixed in position on the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0019], lines 3-4); the second lens group comprises a first lens element (Figure 1, element 130) having positive refractive power (page 5, Table 1, Focal Length data for Third Lens) and immediately adjacent the first lens group (Figure 1, wherein element 130 is immediately adjacent to G1); the third lens group comprises a first lens element (Figure 1, element 160) having positive refractive power (page 5, Table 1, Focal Length data for Sixth Lens) and immediately adjacent the second lens group (Figure 1, wherein element 160 is immediately adjacent G2), Kim et al fails to teach such a camera wherein second lens group comprises an aperture layer defining an aperture.
In a related endeavor, Arimoto et al teaches a camera (Figure 5(a) and page 2, paragraph [0020]) comprising: an image sensor (page 1, paragraph [0002]); and a lens assembly having an optical axis (Figures 1(a)-(c)) and comprising: (Figure 1(a), element Gr1) a first lens group having negative refractive power (page 1, paragraph [0013]) and comprising a first set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L1, L2 and L3) that is fixed in position on the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0006]); a second lens group immediately adjacent the first lens group (Figure 1(a), element Gr2), moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph [0013]), having positive refractive power (page 1, paragraph [0013]), and comprising a second set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L4, L5 and L6) and an aperture layer defining an aperture (Figure 1(a) element ST and page 2, paragraph [0023], lines 12-14); and a third lens group immediately adjacent the [third] lens group (Figure 1(a), element Gr3), moveable along the optical axis (page 1, paragraph ][0013]), having negative refractive power (page 1, paragraph [0013]), and comprising a third set of lens elements (Figure 1(a), elements L7 and L8), such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the camera, as taught by Kim et al, with the aperture stop positioned in the second lens group, as taught by Arimoto et al, to provide a compact sized zoom optical system (page 3, paragraph [0041]).
With regard to dependent claim 16, Kim et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 15, wherein Kim et al further teaches such a lens assembly wherein a thickness ratio of the first lens element of the third lens group is greater than 0.10, wherein the thickness ratio is a ratio of a thickness of the first lens element of the third lens group to a total optical stack length of the lens assembly (page 5, Thickness/Gap data for Surfaces 4-17, Table 3, data for D1, D2 and D3, wherein the thickness of the first lens of the third group = 3.38; the total stack length = 23.6992 and the thickness ratio = 0.14).
With regard to dependent claim 17, although Kim et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to dependent claim 16, both fail to teach wherein the thickness ratio of the first lens element in the third lens group is greater than or equal to 0.15. However, it should be noted that Kim et al does teach an optical imaging system wherein the thickness ratio of the first lens element in the third lens group is equal to 0.14 (page 5, Thickness/Gap data for Surfaces 4-17, Table 3, data for D1, D2 and D3, wherein the thickness of the first lens of the third group = 3.38; the total stack length = 23.6992 and the thickness ratio = 0.14), such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the optical imaging system, as taught by Kim et al, since it has been held that a prima facie case of obviousness exists where the claimed ranges or amounts do not overlap with the prior art but are merely close (Titanium Metals Corp. of America v. Banner, 778 F.2d 775, 783, 227 USPQ 773, 779 (Fed. Cir. 1985)).
With regard to dependent claim 18, Kim et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 15, wherein Kim et al further teaches such a lens assembly wherein: the third lens group comprises a second lens element (Figure 1, element 170) having negative refractive power (page 5, Table 1, Focal Length data for Seventh Lens); and the first lens element of the third lens group is positioned between the second lens element of the third lens group and the second lens group (Figure 1, wherein element 160 is positioned between element 170 and G2).
With regard to dependent claim 20, Kim et al in view of Arimoto et al teach all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 15, wherein both Kim et al and Arimoto et al teach such a lens assembly wherein: the aperture layer is positioned between the first set of lens elements lens group and the second set of lens elements lens group (page 4, paragraph [0073], lines 5-7) and Figure 1(a) element ST is positioned between Gr1 and Gr2), respectively.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The reasons for indicating allowable subject matter are as set forth in the Office action mailed August 21, 2025.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 DARRYL J COLLINS whose telephone number is (571) 272-2325. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 5:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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/DARRYL J COLLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
29 January 2026