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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Invention IV, claims 4 and 35, in the reply filed on 12/12/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 1-3 and 5-30 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/12/2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made of receipt of Information Disclosure Statements (PTO-1449) filed 08/05/2023, 10/29/2023, 04/09/2024 and 06/02/2025. An initialed copy is attached to this Office Action.
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 (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 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 4 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Komatsubara et al. (USPG Pub No. 2021/0278643), hereinafter “Komatsubara”.
Regarding claim 4, Komatsubara discloses a zoom optical system comprising a first lens group (G1) and a rear group (G2-G4) arranged in order from an object side along an optical axis (see Fig. 1, Paragraph 105), the first lens group (G1) having negative refractive power (Paragraph 105, Line 3), the rear group including at least one lens group (G2-G4), wherein a space between lens groups adjacent to each other changes at zooming (see Fig. 1, Paragraph 114, Lines 7-10), and the following conditional expression is satisfied: 0.35 < (-f1)/TLt < 1.25 where f1: focal length of the first lens group, and TLt: entire length of the zoom optical system in a telephoto end state (Table 1: Various Data, Lens Group Data).
Regarding claim 35, Komatsubara discloses a method for manufacturing a zoom optical system which comprises a first lens group (G1) and a rear group (G2-G4) arranged in order from an object side along an optical axis (see Fig. 1, Paragraph 105), the first lens group (G1) having negative refractive power (Paragraph 105, Line 3), and the rear group including at least one lens group (G2-G4), the method comprising: arranging the lens groups in a lens barrel (2) such that a space between lens groups adjacent to each other changes at zooming (see Fig. 17, Paragraph 114, Lines 7-10); and satisfying one or more of the following conditional expressions (A), (B), (C) and (D) : (A) 0.90 < TLt/ft < 1.50 (B) 1.50 < TLw/fw < 2.30 (C) 0.50 < (-f1)/TLw < 1.50 (D) 0.35 < (-f1)/TLt < 1.25 where TLt: entire length of the zoom optical system in a telephoto end state, ft: focal length of the zoom optical system in the telephoto end state, TLw: entire length of the zoom optical system in a wide-angle end state, fw: focal length of the zoom optical system in the wide-angle end state, and f1: focal length of the first lens group (conditional expression D is satisfied, see Table 1: Various Data, Lens Group Data).
Prior Art Citations
Nakahara (USPG Pub No. 2019/0364216 – Numerical Example 4), Kawamura et al. (USPG Pub No. 2014/0354858 – Example 1), and Katakura (USPG Pub No. 2010/0053767 – Example 1) are each being cited herein to show a zoom optical system relevant to the claimed invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHIDERE S SAHLE whose telephone number is (571)270-3329. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Mack can be reached at 571 272-2333. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MAHIDERE S SAHLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 12/24/2025
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