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 with traverse of claims 1-6 in the reply filed on 11/20/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there would be no serious search burden. This is not found persuasive because the product can also be made by a materially different process such as one in which the first and second materials are the same, one in which only the second material is optically transmissive and as such, laser is not transmitted through the first material and one in which does not include a housing component.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 5/22/2024 and 1/4/2024 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it uses phraseology that can be implied, i.e “components are described”. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(c).
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) 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tatsuzawa et al (US 8,283,621).
With regards to claim 1, Tatsuzawa et al discloses a method (a method for constructing lens unit 100, Fig. 2), comprising: aligning a first optically transmissive substrate for mounting to a housing component (aligning second lens 102 for mounting to retaining collar 103, Fig. 2), the first optically transmissive substrate comprising a first material that is different from a second material of the housing component (retaining collar 103 is made of resin, col 5, lines 53-55 and second lens 102 using PC resin, col 9, lines 56-57); and bonding the first optically transmissive substrate to the housing component by irradiating a first surface of the first optically transmissive substrate (laser beam source 302 is used to bond retaining collar 103 to second lens 102, Fig. 3).
With regards to claim 2, Tatsuzawa et al discloses bonding a second optically transmissive substrate to the first optically transmissive substrate by irradiating a fourth surface of the second optically transmissive substrate (bonding first lens 101 to retaining collar 103 by laser point 104, Fig. 3), using the pulsed laser beam that is transmitted through the second optically transmissive substrate (laser beam are irradiated at more than one point for laser point 104, col 9, lines 25-30), and wherein bonding the first optically transmissive substrate to the housing component comprises bonding an assembly comprising both the first optically transmissive substrate and the second optically transmissive substrate to the housing component (first lens 101 is bonded to retaining collar 103 at laser point 1044 via protrusion 107, Fig. 3).
With regards to claim 3, Tatsuzawa et al discloses wherein bonding the first optically transmissive substrate to the housing component comprises: bonding the first optically transmissive substrate to one or more structural components by irradiating one or more surfaces of the first optically transmissive substrate, a respective surface of the one or more structural components, and bonding an assembly comprising both the first optically transmissive substrate and the one or more structural components to the housing component (edge of retaining collar 103 is bonded to the edge of second lens 102 wherein the edge of retaining collar 103 and edge of second lens 102 are considered structural components, Fig. 3).
With regards to claim 4, Tatsuzawa et al discloses wherein bonding the first optically transmissive substrate to the housing component comprises: selecting a bonding pattern for the one or more passes of the pulsed laser beam, wherein the first optically transmissive substrate is bonded to the housing component at one or more bonding zones based at least in part on the bonding pattern, and wherein the bonding pattern comprising a pattern of respective locations over the first surface (joints between the second lenses 102 and the retaining collars 103 by laser welding are indicated by a reference character W, col 6 , lines 45-50).
With regards to claim 6, Tatsuzawa et al discloses wherein the first optically transmissive substrate is bonded to the housing component based at least in part on a distance between the first surface and the second surface being between about 0.0 micrometers and about 7.0 micrometers (there is no distance between edge of retaining collar 103 is bonded to the edge of second lens 102, Fig. 3).
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.
Claim(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tatsuzawa et al as applied to claim 1 above, Freeman et al (US 7,490,999).
With regards to claim 5, Tatsuzawa et al does not disclose applying one or more absorbing layers to the first surface of the first optically transmissive substrate, wherein the one or more absorbing layers comprise a metallic material, and wherein bonding the first optically transmissive substrate to the housing component is based at least in part on irradiating the one or more absorbing layers.
Freeman et al discloses applying one or more absorbing layers to the first surface of the first optically transmissive substrate (moisture prevention coating 24 comprises a metal oxide applied to optical cover 12, col 4, lines 63-67), wherein the one or more absorbing layers comprise a metallic material (moisture prevention coating 24 comprises a metal oxide, col 4, lines 63-67), and wherein bonding the first optically transmissive substrate to the housing component is based at least in part on irradiating the one or more absorbing layers (after metallization of the optical cover 12 and/or housing 11, the optical cover is bonded to the housing. This can be done by laser soldering or brazing. If the melting point of the solder is low enough, the optical cover 12 can be reflowed to the housing 11, col 4, lines 56-59).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Tatsuzawa et al and Freeman et al before him or her, to modify the first lens of Tatsuzawa et al to include metal oxide of Freeman et al because the combination allows moisture prevention when a lens assembly is manufactured.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS JOHN WARD whose telephone number is (571)270-1786. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7am - 4pm.
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/THOMAS J WARD/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/EDWARD F LANDRUM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761