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 .
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) 8-9 and 12-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abbas et al. (US 2020/0259978 A1, cited in IDS) in view of Scheja (US 2018/0042106 A1).
As to claim 8, Abbas et al. discloses an image capture device (Fig.1: camera system 100) comprising:
a first lens assembly (Figs.4-6: first lens 410a, first lens mount 420a);
a first image sensor (Fig.4B: first image sensor 415a) in communication with the first lens assembly forming a first integrated sensor and lens assembly (a first ISLA) (As shown in Fig.4, the first lens, first lens barrel, first lens mount and the first image sensor corresponds to the claimed first ISLA), the first ISLA facing in a first direction (Fig.4B: the light incoming direction of the first lens 410a corresponds to the claimed first direction);
a first connector of the first image sensor (Figs.4-6: first circuit board 430a);
a first retention system (Figs.4-6: the securing structures 440 on the side of the first lens barrel 310a) that extends around the first connector and the first flexible connector (As shown in Fig.4A: the securing structures 440 are located on the circuit board around the image sensors);
a second lens assembly (Figs. 4-6: second lens 410b, second lens mount 420b);
a second image sensor (Fig.4B: second image sensor 415b) in communication with the second lens assembly forming a second integrated sensor and lens assembly (a second ISLA) (As shown in Fig.4, the second lens, second lens barrel, second lens mount and the second image sensor corresponds to the claimed second ISLA), the second ISLA facing in a second direction that is opposite the first direction (Fig.4B: the light incoming direction of the second lens 410b corresponds to the claimed second direction);
a second connector of the second image sensor (Figs.4-6: second circuit board 430b);
a second retention system (Figs.4-6: the securing structures 440 on the side of the second lens barrel 310b) that extends around the second connector and the second flexible connector (As shown in Fig.4A: the securing structures 440 are located on the circuit board around the image sensors).
Abbas does not explicitly disclose a first flexible connector;
a second flexible connector; and
a first retention system that extends around the first connector and the first flexible connector;
a second retention system that extends around the second connector and the second flexible connector.
However, Scheja teaches a flexible connector (Fig.2: circuit layer 42); and the retention system that extends around the connector (Fig.2: printed circuit board substrate 40 ) and the flexible connector (Fig.2: the connecting elements 30’/screws 32’ correspond to the claimed retention system. They are disposed in the circuit board around the image sensor).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abbas to have a printed circuit board comprising a printed circuit board substrate and a circuit layer as taught by Scheja, such that image capture device of Abbas includes a first flexible connector; a second flexible connector; and the first retention system that extends around the first connector and the first flexible connector; the second retention system that extends around the second connector and the second flexible connector, so as to allow the imaging device to function properly, since it is a conventional PCB structure in the art.
As to claim 9, Abbas in view of Scheja discloses the image capture device of claim 8, wherein the first image sensor comprising the first connector extends in a first lateral direction and the second image sensor comprising the second connector extends in a second lateral direction that is opposite the first lateral direction relative to an optical axis of the first ISLA and the second ISLA (Fig.4B: the first circuit board 430a extends to the left and the second circuit board 430b extends to the right).
As to claims 12 and 13, Abbas in view of Scheja discloses the image capture device of claim 8, further comprising: a first compliant member located within the first retention system and a second compliant member located within the second retention system (Fig.5: compressible foam 500).
As to claim 14, Abbas discloses an image capture device (Fig.1: camera system 100) comprising:
a first lens assembly (Figs.4-6: first lens 410a, first lens mount 420a);
a first image sensor (Fig.4B: first image sensor 415a) in communication with the first lens assembly forming a first integrated sensor and lens assembly (a first ISLA) (As shown in Fig.4, the first lens, first lens barrel, first lens mount and the first image sensor corresponds to the claimed first ISLA), the first ISLA facing in a first direction (Fig.4B: the light incoming direction of the first lens 410a corresponds to the claimed first direction);
a second lens assembly (Figs. 4-6: second lens 410b, second lens mount 420b);
a second image sensor (Fig.4B: second image sensor 415b) in communication with the second lens assembly forming a second integrated sensor and lens assembly (a second ISLA) (As shown in Fig.4, the second lens, second lens barrel, second lens mount and the second image sensor corresponds to the claimed second ISLA), the second ISLA facing in a second direction that is opposite the first direction (Fig.4B: the light incoming direction of the second lens 410b corresponds to the claimed second direction);
a lens mount (Figs.3A and 3B: dual-lens mount 300) that connects the first ISLA and the second ISLA together forming one or more stress-free zones ([0024]: “he unibody dual-lens mount 300 rigidly secures the two lenses 410 to maintain a tight tolerance between their relative positions”. The space within the first lens barrel 310a and the space within the second lens barrel 310b corresponds to the claimed stress-free zones);
a first flexible connector (Fig.4-6: first circuit board 430a);
a first retention system (Figs.4-6: the securing structures 440 on the side of the first lens barrel 310a) in a first connection zone (the area where the securing structures 440 are located);
a second flexible connector (Fig.4-6: second circuit board 430b); and
a second retention system (Figs.4-6: the securing structures 440 on the side of the second lens barrel 310b) in a second connection zone (the area where the securing structures 440 are located).
Abbas does not explicitly disclose a first connector of the first image sensor;
a second connector of the second image sensor;
the first retention system connects the first connector and the first flexible connector in a first connection zone;
the second retention system connects the second connector and the second flexible connector in a second connection zone.
However, Scheja teaches a connector of the first image sensor (Fig.2: circuit layer 42); the retention system connects the connector and the flexible connector (Fig.2: the printed circuit board substrate 40 corresponds to the claimed flexible connector. The connecting elements 30’ penetrate through both the printed circuit board substrate 40 and the circuit layer 42; therefore, the connecting elements 30 connect the two layers).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Abbas to have a printed circuit board comprising a printed circuit board substrate and a circuit layer as taught by Scheja, such that image capture device of Abbas includes a first connector of the first image sensor; a second connector of the second image sensor; the first retention system connects the first connector and the first flexible connector in a first connection zone; the second retention system connects the second connector and the second flexible connector in a second connection zone, so as to allow the imaging device to function properly, since it is a conventional PCB structure in the art.
As to claim 15, Abbas in view of Scheja discloses the image capture device of claim 14, wherein the first connection zone and the second connection zone are located outside of the one or more stress-free zones (As shown in Figs.4A and 4B: the securing structures 440 are located outside of the lens barrels).
As to claims 16 and 17, Abbas in view of Scheja discloses the image capture device of claim 14, wherein the first connection zone is zone where the first retention system is configured to generate a force that retains the first connector and the first flexible connector in communication, wherein the second connection zone is a zone where the second retention system is configured to generate a force that retains the second connector and the second flexible connector in communication (Abbas: [0033]: “The first circuit board 430a and second circuit board 430b are secured to the unibody dual-lens mount 300 with securing structures 440.”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 are allowed.
Claims 10-11 and 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding independent claim 1, prior art of record Abbas et al. (US 2020/0259978 A1, cited in IDS) discloses an image capture device (Fig.1: camera system 100) comprising:
a first lens assembly (Figs.4-6: first lens 410a, first lens mount 420a) having a first area (Fig.4B: the space defined by the lens mount 420a corresponds to the claimed first area);
a first image sensor (Fig.4B: first image sensor 415a) in communication with the first lens assembly forming a first integrated sensor and lens assembly (a first ISLA) (As shown in Fig.4, the first lens, first lens barrel, first lens mount and the first image sensor corresponds to the claimed first ISLA), the first ISLA facing in a first direction (Fig.4B: the light incoming direction of the first lens 410a corresponds to the claimed first direction);
a first connector located on the first image sensor (a connector between the image sensor and a circuit board is inherently included, in order to establish communication between the image sensor and the circuit board) that extends outside of the first area (As mentioned previously, the first area corresponds to the space within the lens mount 420a. As shown in Fig. 4B, the image sensor 415a is outside of the first area);
a first flexible member (Fig.4-6: first circuit board 430a);
a second lens assembly (Figs. 4-6: second lens 410b, second lens mount 420b) having a second area (Fig.4B: the space defined by the lens mount 420b corresponds to the claimed second area);
a second image sensor (Fig.4B: second image sensor 415b) in communication with the second lens assembly forming a second integrated sensor and lens assembly (a second ISLA) (As shown in Fig.4, the second lens, second lens barrel, second lens mount and the second image sensor corresponds to the claimed second ISLA), the second ISLA facing in a second direction that is opposite the first direction (Fig.4B: the light incoming direction of the second lens 410b corresponds to the claimed second direction);
a second connector located on the second image sensor (a connector between the image sensor and a circuit board is inherently included, in order to establish communication between the image sensor and the circuit board) that extends outside of the second area (As mentioned previously, the first area corresponds to the space within the lens mount 420a. As shown in Fig. 4B, the image sensor 415a is outside of the first area);
a second flexible member (Fig.4-6: second circuit board 430b).
Prior art of record Scheja (US 2018/0042106 A1) discloses the flexible member (Fig.2: printed circuit board 20) comprising a flexible connector (Fig.2: circuit layer 42) that aligns with the connector (Fig.2: conductive connection 24) so to form a connection between the connector and the flexible member to connecting the ISLA within the image capture device ([0060]: “The printed circuit board 20 advantageously comprises a printed circuit board substrate 40 and, on its side facing the image sensor 22, a circuit layer 42, to which the image sensor 22 is connected in an electrically conductive manner”).
None of the prior art of record discloses or reasonably suggests: “a first retention system that extends around the first connector of the first image sensor that extends outside of the first area of the first lens assembly and the first flexible connector so that the first retention system maintains the connection between the first connector and the first flexible connector; and a second retention system that extends around the second connector of the second image sensor that extends outside of the second area of the second lens assembly and the second flexible connector so that the second retention system maintains the connection between the second connector and the second flexible connector” in combination with other limitations recited in the claim.
Claims 2-7 are also allowable as being dependent from claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Stern et al. (US 2023/0224584 A1) discloses an image capture device may include an image sensor, a lens housing, a lens assembly, and a processor. The lens assembly may include a first group of optical elements and a second group of optical elements disposed within the adapter lens housing.
Brookmire et al. (US 2022/0124230 A1) discloses a digital image capturing device (DICD) is described that includes a first integrated sensor-lens assembly (ISLA) defining a first optical axis and facing in a first direction; a second ISLA defining a second optical axis offset from the first optical axis and facing in a second direction generally opposite the first direction.
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/ZHENZHEN WU/Examiner, Art Unit 2637
/SINH TRAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2637