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 .
Remarks
In response to applicant’s amendment, dated 08/26/2025, the examiner acknowledges the addition of claims 12-13 and the cancellation of claim 4. Claims 1-3 and 5-13 are pending. Claims 1 and 2 were amended.
The amendment to claim 2 to overcome the 35 USC 112 rejection set forth in the Office Action mailed 05/27/2025. The examiner has considered applicant’s amendment and withdraws the rejection.
Regarding the 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejection of claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 as being anticipated by Young, et al. (US 2017/0303043), the applicant amended independent claim 1 to include the limitation wherein the housing “having a substantially cubic box-like shape”. The applicant argues that Young discloses a “digital camera having a rectangular parallelepiped shape” and that Young “does not disclose a camera including a housing having a substantially cubic-like shape”. The examiner has considered applicant’s arguments in light of the amended claims and withdraws the rejection. However, the examiner maintains that modifying Young to include a cubic-like shaped housing would be obvious in view of the prior art.
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(s) 1, 2, 5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young, et al. (US 2017/0303043) in view of Nakamura, et al. (JP 2016208196).
Regarding claim 1, Young discloses “a camera main body that comprises a housing (Fig. 1A: housing with grip and lens attached); an imaging sensor that is disposed inside the housing, the imaging sensor converting light into an electric signal (paragraph 0105: CCD); a grip part (Fig. 1A, ref.# 2) that is attachable and detachable to/from the housing (paragraphs 0145, 0244, 0252); and an output part (Fig. 1B, ref.# 16: display) that outputs an imaged image based on the electric signal, wherein in an attachment and detachment direction of the grip part, the imaging sensor is disposed in a central portion of the housing (See Figurer 1C: lens and associated sensor disposed in a central portion of the housing).” Young does not teach the new limitation of “a housing having a substantially cubic box-like shape. N
Nakamura teaches a digital camera with a rectangular / flat shaped housing similar to Young. However, It was well known in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention the housing of a digital camera may be in a cubic shape. (Nakamura states on page 21 of translation, last paragraph in section “Modification 7”) that “it is not essential structure that the camera body is flat form” and that the housing shape may be “substantially cubic”. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Young such that the housing has a cubic shape in order to provide more surface area to attach additional accessories or provide additional controls and/or ports.
Regarding claim 2, Young discloses “wherein holes for installing the camera main body on a holding equipment are further disposed in at least one face of outer side faces of the housing.” (Fig. 1H shows the bottom of the camera with a tripod mounting hole shown in the centered to the camera lens)
Regarding claim 5, Young discloses “wherein the output part comprises at least one of a displaying part that displays the image (Fig. 1B, ref.# 16: display) and a connection part that connects to an external displaying part (paragraphs 0064, 0209: data interface) .”
Regarding claim 7, Young discloses “wherein the camera main body comprises a terminal for electric power to be externally supplied therethrough (paragraph 0194: external power source for camera implies a terminal on the camera main body), and wherein the camera main body does not comprise any battery attachment part to attach a battery thereto, in the housing and on the outer side faces of the housing (paragraph 0062: battery compartment included in the grip (i.e., not the camera main body)).”
Claim(s) 3, 6, 9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young, et al. (US 2017/0303043) and Nakamura, et al. (JP 2016208196) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Oh (KR 20090041751).
Regarding claim 3, Young discloses all the structure set forth in the claims except “wherein a plurality of holes for attaching an accessory are disposed in an outer side face that is different from the outer side face having the hole for installing the camera main body, and wherein the grip part is attachable and detachable to/from the holes for attaching the accessory part.” Oh teaches a plurality of holes on the side of the camera body for attaching the detachable grip was well known in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention (See Oh: Figure 2, ref.# 141). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective fling date of the claimed invention to modify Young wherein a plurality of holes for attaching an accessory are disposed in an outer side face that is different from the outer side face having the hole for installing the camera main body, and wherein the grip part is attachable and detachable to/from the holes for attaching the accessory part in order to securely connect the grip the camera body.
Regarding claims 6 and 9, Young discloses all the structure set forth in the claims, (including claim 9: “wherein the grip part (Fig. 1C, ref.# 2) comprises an operational button (Fig. 1C, ref.# 10)) except (Claim 6) “wherein the camera main body comprises a first connector that transmits and receives a signal, wherein the grip part comprises: a second connector that transmits and receives a signal;”… “and wherein the second connector of the grip part is connected to the first connector of the camera main body and electric power is thereby sent from the battery to the camera main body” and (Claim 9) “wherein an operational signal of the operational button is sent to the camera main body by connecting the second connector of the grip part to the first connector of the camera main body.”
Oh teaches a connectors on a camera body and corresponding connectors on a detachable grip that includes a battery for sending power from the battery to the camera and for transmitting data between the camera and grip was well known in the in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention (OH: Figure 2, ref.# 131, 132). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Young to include connectors to transmit power and data from the grip to the camera body in order to directly send control signals and power to the camera from the grip.
Regarding claim 11, Young discloses “wherein the plurality of holes for installing the camera main body are disposed in a bottom face of the housing (Fig. 1H), and wherein the plurality of holes for attaching an accessory are disposed in at least either one of a left face and a right face of the housing (Fig. 1A, ref.# 2: the grip (i.e., accessory is attached to the left face of the housing).”
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young, et al. (US 2017/0303043) and Nakamura, et al. (JP 2016208196) as applied to claim 1 above in view of Yamamoto, et al. (US 2021/0055512).
Regarding claim 8, Young discloses “wherein the housing further comprises a duct part for cooling, in an inside of the housing, and wherein an air inlet of the duct part is disposed on a side for attaching the grip part, of the housing.” A camera with a housing that comprise a cooling duct wherein the duct part is disposed on a side of the camera housing with a grip was well known in the art prior to the effective filling date of the claimed invention as taught by Yamamoto (See paragraphs 0003, 0042). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Young to include a cooling system wherein the housing further comprises a duct part for cooling, in an inside of the housing, and wherein an air inlet of the duct part is disposed on a side for attaching the grip part, of the housing in order to cool the image sensor to improve the performance of the sensor.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young, et al. (US 2017/0303043) and Nakamura, et al. (JP 2016208196) as applied to claim 1 above in view of Noguchi, et al. (JP 2008191419).
Regarding claim 10, Young discloses all the structure set forth in the claims except “wherein the grip part comprises: - a screw; a protrusion; and a dial that rotates the screw, wherein the screw and the protrusion of the grip part are each inserted into the hole of the housing of the camera main body, and wherein when the dial is rotated, the screw is rotated to be fixed in the hole for attaching an accessary, of the housing of the camera main body.” A detachable grip with a screw, a protrusion and a dial that rotates the screw for connecting to corresponding features on the body of the camera was well known in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention as taught by Noguchi (See Noguchi: Figure 4, ref.#s 112, 114, 128, 130, 132). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Young wherein the grip part comprises: - a screw; a protrusion; and a dial that rotates the screw, wherein the screw and the protrusion of the grip part are each inserted into the hole of the housing of the camera main body, and wherein when the dial is rotated, the screw is rotated to be fixed in the hole for attaching an accessary, of the housing of the camera main body in order to securely connect the grip to the camera body.
Claim(s) 12 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young, et al. (US 2017/0303043), Nakamura, et al. (JP 2016208196) and Oh (KR 20090041751) as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Jannard, et al. (US 2015/0288942).
Regarding claims 12 and 13, modified Young teaches all the structure set fort in the claims except: (Claim 12) wherein “in the fixed shooting style, the grip part is removed from the housing and electric power is supplied through a power source input terminal provided on the camera main body, and, in the hand-held shooting style, the grip part is attached with the housing and the electric power is supplied from a battery attached inside the grip part” and (claim 13) wherein “in a fixed shooting style, the grip part is removed from the housing and electric power is supplied through a power source input terminal provided on the camera mainbody, and, in a hand-held shooting style, the grip part is attached with the housing and the electric power is supplied from a battery attached inside the grip part”. However, a modular camera with a removable handle that houses a battery when the handle is attached and an external power source to power to camera when the handle / battery combination is remove was well known in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention as taught by Jannard (See paragraphs 0045, 0216). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Young such that wherein “in the fixed shooting style, the grip part is removed from the housing and electric power is supplied through a power source input terminal provided on the camera main body, and, in the hand-held shooting style, the grip part is attached with the housing and the electric power is supplied from a battery attached inside the grip part” and wherein “in a fixed shooting style, the grip part is removed from the housing and electric power is supplied through a power source input terminal provided on the camera mainbody, and, in a hand-held shooting style, the grip part is attached with the housing and the electric power is supplied from a battery attached inside the grip part” in order to power the camera in different configurations with and without the handle attached.
NOTE: Claim 2 was rejection above under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young, et al. (US 2017/0303043) in view of Nakamura, et al. (JP 2016208196).
Specifically, Young discloses (Claim 2) “wherein holes for installing the camera main body are disposed in at least one face of outer side faces of the housing.” (Fig. 1H shows the bottom of the camera with a tripod mounting hole shown in the centered to the camera lens)
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The examiner maintains that the structure shown in Figure 1H is a common screw hole for attaching a tripod type support structure. However, as noted by the applicant, Young does not specifically describe this feature in the disclosure.
Thus, in the event that it is considered that Young fails to disclose the limitation of claim 2, i.e., (Claim 2): “holes for installing the camera main body on a holding equipment are further disclosed in at least one face of outer side faces of the housing”, the limitation would rejectable, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C.103 over Young, et al. (US 2017/0303043) in view of Nakamura, et al. (JP 2016208196), as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Jannard, et al.(US 2015/0288942).
It was well known in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide holes for installing a camera body onto a holding equipment (i.e., tripod) that are disposed on face of a housing as taught by Jannard (See paragraphs 0141, 0185 and Figure 8). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Young to clarify that a hole for attaching the housing to a holding equipment in order to securely hold the camera in a stable manner.
Likewise, claims 3, 10 and 11 are rejected, in the alterative, as they are dependent on claim 2.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Ogawa, et al. (US 2021/0289110) teaches a cubic shaped digital camera with attachment holes on multiple sides of the camera housing.
Orimoto, et al. (US 2006/0268159) teaches a cubic shaped digital camera with attachment holes on the camera housing.
Dagborn (US 4,769,665) teaches a cubic shaped camera housing.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 RODNEY FULLER whose telephone number is (571)272-2118. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RODNEY E FULLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
November 18, 2025