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 .
This office action is in response to the election of the restriction requirement filed on May 4, 2026, in which claims 24-31 are presented for further examination.
Remark
Applicant is suggested to cancel the non-elected claims 1-23 from the current application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on November 23, 2025, August 21, 2023 and April 05, 2024 complies with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, 1.98 and MPEP § 609. It has been placed in the application file. The information referred to therein has been considered as to the merits.
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.
Claims 24-25, 27-29 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu et al., (hereinafter “Wu”) US 20190041610 A1.
As to claim 24, Wu discloses an optical system (see Fig. 1A, capturing system includes five lens elements), comprising:
a first lens element group comprising at least one lens element that images point objects into collimated beams (see Fig. 1A, a first lens element 110);
a second lens element group comprising at least one lens element that has a telecentric entrance pupil in an object space (see Fig. 1A, a second lens element 120);
a third lens element group comprising at least one lens element with an a focal field in a collimated space (see Fig. 1A, a third lens element 130);
a fourth lens element group comprising at least one lens element for which vignetting occurs in the collimated space (see Fig. 1A, a fourth lens element 140); and
a fifth lens element group comprising at least one lens element that does not have a plane of symmetry over which the system of lenses reflected over the plane is unchanged (see Fig. 1A, a fifth lens element 150).
As to claim 25, Wu discloses the optical system of claim 24, wherein vignetting of the fourth lens element group occurs only in the collimated space (see [0072] The fourth lens element 140 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 141 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 142 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 141 and the image-side surface 142 being aspheric. The fourth lens element 140 is made of plastic material).
As to claim 27, Wu discloses the optical system of claim 26, wherein at least one lens element of the optical system is part of two different lens element groups (see [0069] The first lens element 110 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 111 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 112 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, both the object-side surface 111 and the image-side surface 112 being aspheric, and at least one convex critical point in an off-axis region of the object-side surface 111 thereof. The first lens element 110 is made of plastic material. [0070] The second lens element 120 with positive refractive power has an object-side surface 121 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 122 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 121 and the image-side surface 122 being aspheric. The second lens element 120 is made of plastic material. [0071] The third lens element 130 with positive refractive power has an object-side surface 131 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 132 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 131 and the image-side surface 132 being aspheric. The third lens element 130 is made of glass material.
[0072] The fourth lens element 140 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 141 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 142 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 141 and the image-side surface 142 being aspheric. The fourth lens element 140 is made of plastic material.
[0073] The fifth lens element 150 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 151 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 152 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, both the object-side surface 151 and the image-side surface 152 being aspheric, and at least one convex critical point in an off-axis region of the image-side surface 152 thereof. The fifth lens element 150 is made of plastic material).
As to claim 28, Wu discloses the optical system of claim 26, wherein at least one of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth lens element groups comprises a single lens element that is also the only lens element in another of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth lens element groups (see [0069] The first lens element 110 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 111 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 112 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, both the object-side surface 111 and the image-side surface 112 being aspheric, and at least one convex critical point in an off-axis region of the object-side surface 111 thereof. The first lens element 110 is made of plastic material.
[0070] The second lens element 120 with positive refractive power has an object-side surface 121 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 122 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 121 and the image-side surface 122 being aspheric. The second lens element 120 is made of plastic material.
[0071] The third lens element 130 with positive refractive power has an object-side surface 131 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 132 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 131 and the image-side surface 132 being aspheric. The third lens element 130 is made of glass material.
[0072] The fourth lens element 140 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 141 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 142 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 141 and the image-side surface 142 being aspheric. The fourth lens element 140 is made of plastic material.
[0073] The fifth lens element 150 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 151 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 152 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, both the object-side surface 151 and the image-side surface 152 being aspheric, and at least one convex critical point in an off-axis region of the image-side surface 152 thereof. The fifth lens element 150 is made of plastic material).
As to claim 29, Wu discloses the optical system of claim 26, wherein seven spherical lens elements of optical glass are used to form the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth lens element groups (see [0069] The first lens element 110 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 111 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 112 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, both the object-side surface 111 and the image-side surface 112 being aspheric, and at least one convex critical point in an off-axis region of the object-side surface 111 thereof. The first lens element 110 is made of plastic material.
[0070] The second lens element 120 with positive refractive power has an object-side surface 121 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 122 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 121 and the image-side surface 122 being aspheric. The second lens element 120 is made of plastic material.
[0071] The third lens element 130 with positive refractive power has an object-side surface 131 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 132 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 131 and the image-side surface 132 being aspheric. The third lens element 130 is made of glass material.
[0072] The fourth lens element 140 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 141 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 142 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 141 and the image-side surface 142 being aspheric. The fourth lens element 140 is made of plastic material.
[0073] The fifth lens element 150 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 151 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 152 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, both the object-side surface 151 and the image-side surface 152 being aspheric, and at least one convex critical point in an off-axis region of the image-side surface 152 thereof. The fifth lens element 150 is made of plastic material).
As to claim 31, Wu discloses the optical system of claim 26, wherein three aspheric lens elements of silicon are used to form the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth lens element groups (see [0071] The third lens element 130 with positive refractive power has an object-side surface 131 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 132 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 131 and the image-side surface 132 being aspheric. The third lens element 130 is made of glass material. [0072] The fourth lens element 140 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 141 being convex in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 142 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and both the object-side surface 141 and the image-side surface 142 being aspheric. The fourth lens element 140 is made of plastic material. [0073] The fifth lens element 150 with negative refractive power has an object-side surface 151 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, an image-side surface 152 being concave in a paraxial region thereof, both the object-side surface 151 and the image-side surface 152 being aspheric, and at least one convex critical point in an off-axis region of the image-side surface 152 thereof. The fifth lens element 150 is made of plastic material).
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 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al., (hereinafter “Wu”) US 20190041610 A1 in view of , Hudyma et al., (hereinafter “, Hudyma “ US 10386604 B1.
As to claim 26, Wu does not explicitly disclose the claimed “the optical system of claim 24, wherein a space-bandwidth product exceeds 1,000,000, a numerical aperture is at least 0.2, and a root-mean-square wavefront error is less than 0.25 wavelengths over the a focal field”.
Meanwhile, Hudyma discloses the optical system of claim 24, wherein a space-bandwidth product exceeds 1,000,000, a numerical aperture is at least 0.2, and a root-mean-square wavefront error is less than 0.25 wavelengths over the a focal field (Four thousand (4K) pixels or more are resolvable across the horizontal field of view of the optical assembly in accordance with certain embodiments. An optical assembly in accordance with certain embodiments exhibits a high MTF at the Nyquist frequency (˜200 lp/mm) and/or a high MTF thru focus at ½ Nyquist (˜100 lp/mm). The optical assembly covers a wider field of view than contemporary objectives, e.g., 120 degrees or more. In certain embodiments, a number of resolvable spots within a sensor active area is enhanced in accordance with a larger space bandwidth project, and lateral chromatic aberration (LCA) is less than two pixels or less than 5 microns and color fringing is avoided).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Wu with the teachings of the Hudyma, in order to provide low distortion and low aberrational error.
Claim 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al., (hereinafter “Wu”) US 20190041610 A1 in view of Cook (hereinafter “Cook“ US 20190025555.
As to claim 30, Wu does not explicitly disclose the claimed “wherein four aspheric lens elements of zinc selenide (ZnSe) are used to form the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth lens element groups”.
However, Cook discloses the optical system of claim 26, wherein four aspheric lens elements of zinc selenide (ZnSe) are used to form the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth lens element groups (see [0012] In one example of the system the fourth lens is a negative-powered lens arranged to receive the infrared radiation from a viewed scene and to direct the infrared radiation to the third lens, the third lens being arranged to direct the infrared radiation to the second lens, the second lens being arranged to direct the infrared radiation to the first lens, and the first lens being configured to focus the infrared radiation through the aperture stop onto the infrared imaging detector. In one example the first lens is made of arsenic trisulfide (As.sub.2S.sub.3), the second lens is made of barium fluoride (BaF.sub.2), the third lens is made of zinc selenide (ZnSe), and the fourth lens is made of AMTIR-1. In another example the mid-wave infrared spectral band spans at least a wavelength range from 3.0 micrometers to 5.0 micrometers. In another example the long-wave infrared spectral band spans at least a wavelength range from 7.4 micrometers to 10.0 micrometers. [0013] In one example of the system the refractive inverse telephoto lens system further includes a corrector plate positioned between the first lens and the aperture stop. [0014] In another example of the system each of the first, second, third, and fourth lenses is an aspheric lens. In one example the refractive inverse telephoto lens system has a ratio of physical length to effective focal length of 8.0. In another example the refractive inverse telephoto lens system has an optical speed of F/1.95).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Wu to with the teachings of the Hudyma, in order to perform mid-wave infrared and long-wave infrared operations to view and image light energy in an infrared optical spectrum.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20180373003 (involved in having a first lens group (110, 120) including a first lens element including positive refractive power. A second lens element includes positive refractive power. A first lens component and a third lens element include negative refractive power. A fourth lens element includes the positive refractive power. A second lens component includes the negative refractive power. A fifth lens element includes the positive refractive power and a sixth lens element includes the negative refractive power that is affixed to each other, where distance between the lens groups is not fixed.).
US 20130308212 (involved in Lens wafer for use in passively aligned optical imaging system (claimed) such as longwave infrared imaging system).
US 20090052018 (involved in a two-element objective lens features diffraction-limited performance, wherein each of the two lens elements receives incident radiation and has front and rear surfaces. The lenses form an image on a focal plane. At least three of the surfaces of both lens elements comprise aspheric surfaces. Each lens has an f-number less than about 2, a field-of-view less than about 30 degrees, and an effective focal length less than about 6 inches. The lens elements are made from a material selected to pass radiation in the infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum).
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/JEAN M CORRIELUS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2159 June 30, 2026
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