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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed to date have been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
With regard to independent claims 1 and 12, limitations are made for “a lens waveplate” and “a phase distortion waveplate”, however further limitations mention lens “waveplates” and distortion “waveplates” while no multiples have been added to the limitations of the lens stack only a singular waveplate of each type. As such it makes the limitations unclear and should be corrected to promote compact prosecution.
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.
Claim(s) 1-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Komanduri (US 20210405374) herein after referred to as D1.
With regard to claim 1, D1 teaches an extended depth-of-focus lens having multiple waveplates, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); the extended depth-of-focus lens (700-1 or 700-2) (FLA 1004 and BLA 1008) comprising: a lens (700-1 or 700-2) having an incident surface and an opposite surface thereof; a lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate made of a birefringent material ([0190]), and disposed on the lens (700-1 or 700-2) in a direction of a central axis of the lens (700-1 or 700-2) to have phase distribution ([0131]) to increase the number of focal points ([0131]); and a phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) made of a birefringent material ([0190]), and disposed on the lens (700-1 or 700-2) in a direction of a central axis of the lens (700-1 or 700-2) to have a phase distribution ([0131]) to extend a depth of focus ([0004]), wherein phases between neighboring lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplates, phases between phase distortion waveplates (804-1 and 804-2) or phases between a lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate and a phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) have opposite phase signs such that they are in a complementary relation ([0131]).
With regard to claim 2, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein light intensity ([0131]) at a point where a focal point is formed changes as thickness ([0165])es ([0165]) of the lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate or the phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) change.
With regard to claim 3, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 2, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein, when a thickness ([0165]) of the lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate or the phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) is adjusted such that light intensity ([0131]) at a location where one focal point is formed becomes 0, the number of focal points ([0131]) changes.
With regard to claim 4, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein the number of focal points ([0131]) generated by the lens (700-1 or 700-2), the lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate and the phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) is calculated by Equation 1 below: N=4×2m−1−1 where N represents the number of focal points ([0131]), and m represents the number of lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplates.
With regard to claim 5, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein a position of a focal point generated by the lens (700-1 or 700-2), the lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate and the phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) is calculated according to Equation 2 below depending upon the number of waveplates:
PNG
media_image1.png
33
277
media_image1.png
Greyscale
where fN represents a focal distance after passing a last lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate, and fLW-n represents a focal distance of each lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate.
With regard to claim 6, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein, in phase distribution ([0131]) of the lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate or the phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2), a location where a focal point is formed changes as a phase section X between a center of the lens (700-1 or 700-2) and points, where a phase ([0131]) rapidly changes, changes.
With regard to claim 7, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein in the same phase section (X) between neighboring lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplates, between phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2)s or between a lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate and a phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2), a section where a phase ([0131]) at another waveplate decreases appears when a phase ([0131]) at one waveplate increases.
With regard to claim 8, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein, in phase distribution ([0131]) of the phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2), a phase is consistently formed in a phase section (X1) between a center of the lens (700-1 or 700-2) and a point where a first phase changes rapidly.
With regard to claim 9, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein two or more lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplates or phase distortion waveplates (804-1 and 804-2) are stacked and disposed.
With regard to claim 10, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein the lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate and the phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) are alternately disposed.
With regard to claim 11, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein the lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate or the phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) is disposed on an incident surface or opposite surface of the lens (700-1 or 700-2) having a curved shape and has a shape (lenses have convex areas that are curved) corresponding to the curved shape.
With regard to claim 12, D1 teaches an extended depth-of-focus lens having multiple waveplates, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); the extended depth-of-focus lens (700-1 or 700-2) comprising: a lens (700-1 or 700-2) having an incident surface and an opposite surface thereof; and a waveplate layer made of a birefringent material ([0190]), composed of a lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate for increasing the number of focal points ([0131]); and a phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) stacked on the lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate to have phase distribution ([0131]) for extending a depth of focus ([0004]), and disposed on the lens (700-1 or 700-2) in a direction of a central axis of the lens (700-1 or 700-2), wherein, in the waveplate layer, phases between neighboring lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplates or phase distortion waveplates (804-1 and 804-2) or between a lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate and a phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) phase have opposite phase signs such that they are in a complementary relation ([0131]).
With regard to claim 13, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein, when the waveplate layer is disposed on both an incident surface of the lens (700-1 or 700-2) and an opposite surface thereof, phases of lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplates, phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2)s or a lens (700-1 or 700-2) waveplate and phase distortion waveplate (804-1 and 804-2) facing each other in each waveplate layer with the lens (700-1 or 700-2) interposed therebetween have opposite phase signs such that they are in a complementary relation ([0131]).
With regard to claim 14, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 12, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein the lens (700-1 or 700-2) comprises: a first lens (700-1 or 700-2) whose incident surface has a curved shape and whose opposite surface has a flat shape; and a second lens (700-1 or 700-2) whose surface facing the first lens (700-1 or 700-2) has a flat shape and whose opposite surface has a curved shape, wherein the waveplate layer is disposed at any one or more positions of on an incident surface of the first lens (700-1 or 700-2), between the first and second lens (700-1 or 700-2)es, and on an opposite surface of the second lens (700-1 or 700-2).
With regard to claim 15, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 14, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein, among the waveplate layers, one or more waveplate layers are disposed on the incident surface of the first lens (700-1 or 700-2), and remaining one or more waveplate layers are disposed between the first and second lens (700-1 or 700-2)es or on the opposite surface of the second lens (700-1 or 700-2).
With regard to claim 16, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as have been outlined above with respect to claim 14, wherein D1 further teaches a depth of focus lens, in at least (fig. 10; [0004], [0131], and [0190]); wherein, among the waveplate layers, one or more waveplate layers are disposed between the first and second lenses (700-1 or 700-2), and remaining one or more waveplate layers are disposed on the opposite surfaces of the second lens (700-1 or 700-2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GRANT A GAGNON whose telephone number is (571)270-0642. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:30.
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/GRANT A GAGNON/Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/BUMSUK WON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872