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 § 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) 1-8 and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Seger et al. (U.S. Publication No.: 2017/0155808).
Regarding claim 1, Seger discloses a method for manufacturing a camera (FIGS. 4-10) including a camera housing ((21)/(24), [0037]) and an objective carrier assembly (FIG. 6, (1), [0030]) having a carrier ((3), [0030]) where a camera objective ((2), [0030]) and a camera sensor ((5), [0030]) are mounted, the method comprising: aligning the objective carrier assembly in relation to a first housing part ((21), [0037]) of the camera housing (FIG. 7, step St5, [0050]); mounting the objective carrier assembly over the first housing part in an aligned position ([0050, 0051]); and mounting a second housing part ((24), [0037]) on the first housing part (step St6, [0051]).
Regarding claim 2, Seger further discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the aligning includes aligning the objective carrier assembly in relation to the first housing part at least with regard to a roll angle (“…correct roll angle position is adjusted by rotating imager module 1…fitting contours 32 on sensor carrier 4 are aligned with…alignment geometry 31 on front camera housing part 21.”, [0050]).
Regarding claim 3, Seger further discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the aligning includes aligning an individual objective carrier assembly specifically with respect to the first housing part based on: an orientation of the camera sensor with respect to the carrier in the individual objective carrier assembly ((14) situated on (12) of (3b) of (3), [0032]; (4) and (3) are aligned by aligning (5), which is fixed to (4), to (14), [0047]), and a predefined orientation of the camera sensor with respect to the first housing part (orientation predefined by (28a)/(28b)/(28c) of (4) and (30a)/(30b)/(30c) of (21), [0050]; (5) mounted on (4), [0047]).
Regarding claim 4, Seger further discloses the method of claim 1 further comprising: measuring an orientation of the camera sensor with respect to the carrier (orientation measured by alignment or misalignment of (5) and (14), which is provided on (3), [0047]), wherein measurement results of the measuring are used in the aligning so as to bring the camera sensor in a predefined orientation to the first housing part (alignment of (5) and (14) is measured until in alignment, and the resulted aligned (5)/(14)/(3) is then aligned with (21) in step St5 in a predetermined orientation defined by (28a)/(28b)/(28c) and (30a)/(30b)/(30c), [0047-0050]).
Regarding claim 5, Seger further discloses the method of claim 4 wherein the measuring includes measuring an orientation of pixel lines of the camera sensor with respect to the carrier (orientation of image sensor is inherently equivalent to orientation of pixel lines of image sensor; thus, see claim 4 above).
Regarding claim 6, Seger further discloses the method of claim 4 wherein the measuring includes measuring the orientation of the camera sensor with respect to a reference direction that is defined by markers (“…plurality of guide ribs 14, such as three, which serve as guide means, are situated in distributed fashion in the circumferential direction, for example…in a 120° placement…”, [0032]) on the carrier (orientation measured by alignment or misalignment of (5) and (14) ; “image sensor” (5) is aligned with respect to the reference direction defined by “guide ribs” (14), [0047]).
Regarding claim 7, Seger further discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the aligning includes bringing into mechanical engagement a plurality of corresponding abutments at the objective carrier assembly (FIG. 5, at (28a)/(28b)/(28c)) and the first housing part (FIG. 5, at (30a)/(30b)/(30c)), respectively ([0050]).
Regarding claim 8, Seger further discloses the method of claim 7 wherein at least one abutment of the objective carrier assembly (FIG. 5, (28a)/(28b)/(28c)) is provided at a housing of the camera objective ([0050]).
Regarding claim 12, Seger discloses a camera (FIGS. 4-10) comprising: an objective carrier assembly (FIG. 6, (1), [0030]) including a carrier ((3), [0030]) on which a camera sensor ((5), [0030]) and a camera objective ((2), [0030]) are mounted; and a camera housing ((21)/(24), [0037]) configured to at least partially enclose the objective carrier assembly (FIGS. 3-6), wherein the camera housing includes: a first housing part ((21), [0037]) over which the objective carrier assembly is mounted (FIGS. 3-6), and a second housing part ((24), [0037]) that is mounted on the first housing part (step St6, [0051]).
Regarding claim 13, claim 13 is similarly rejected as in claim 3 above.
Regarding claim 14, Seger further discloses the camera of claim 12 wherein the carrier has geometrical markers (“…plurality of guide ribs 14, such as three, which serve as guide means, are situated in distributed fashion in the circumferential direction, for example…in a 120° placement…”, [0032]) defining a reference direction in relation to the camera sensor (“image sensor” (5) is aligned with respect to the reference direction defined by “guide ribs” (14), [0047]).
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) 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seger et al. (U.S. Publication No.: 2017/0155808) as applied to claims 1-8 and 12-14 above, and further in view of Knutsson et al. (U.S. Publication No.: 2015/0326756).
Regarding claim 9:
Seger discloses the method of claim 1.
Seger does not specifically disclose obtaining information on the relative orientation between the objective carrier assembly and the camera housing by evaluating live image data from the camera sensor for finding an aligned position of the objective carrier assembly with respect to at least one of a pitch angle and a yaw angle in relation to the camera housing.
Knutsson teaches a camera module, comprising: obtaining information on the relative orientation between the objective carrier assembly and the camera housing by evaluating live image data from the camera sensor for finding an aligned position of the objective carrier assembly with respect to at least one of a pitch angle and a yaw angle in relation to the camera housing (“…reference images…are continuously taken by the image sensor 24…the image quality is evaluated…and the evaluated image quality is used as feedback…”, Θx, Θy, [0043]; “six degrees of freedom”, Θx, Θy, Θz, [0042]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the feature of Knutsson’s with the method taught by Seger for the purpose of increasing alignment accuracy utilizing live images.
Regarding claim 10:
Seger discloses the method of claim 2 wherein Seger further discloses that the aligning includes manipulating an orientation of the objective carrier assembly in relation to the first housing part at least with regard to the roll angle (“…correct roll angle position is adjusted by rotating imager module 1…fitting contours 32 on sensor carrier 4 are aligned with…alignment geometry 31 on front camera housing part 21.”, [0050]).
Seger does not specifically disclose a robot that holds at least one of the objective carrier assembly and the first housing part.
Knutsson teaches a camera module, comprising: using a robot that holds at least one of the objective carrier assembly and the first housing part ((93) engages (94), which is controlled by (95) to adjust position of (53)/(86) relative to (32)/(90), [0042]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the feature of Knutsson’s with the method taught by Seger for the purpose of increasing alignment precision utilizing machines such as a robot.
Regarding claim 11:
Seger discloses the method of claim 1 wherein Seger further discloses that the aligning includes aligning the objective carrier assembly (FIG. 5, at (32), [0050]) with respect to geometrical alignment features of the first housing part (FIG. 5, at (31), [0050]).
Seger does not specifically disclose that the geometrical alignment features are configured for mounting the camera at a place of installation.
Knutsson teaches a camera module, comprising: geometrical alignment features are configured for mounting the camera at a place of installation (“…external features 94 or position defining means…through which the camera module 12 can be fastened with fixed orientation to an external camera housing part 96…”, [0035]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the feature of Knutsson’s with the method taught by Seger for the purpose of increasing versatility in the usage of the device by enabling mounting of the device to a variety of places.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seger et al. (U.S. Publication No.: 2017/0155808) as applied to claims 1-8 and 12-14 above, and further in view of Cotoros et al. (U.S. Publication No.: 2022/0239811).
Regarding claim 15:
Seger discloses the camera of claim 12.
Seger does not specifically disclose includes a tag carrying a reference to specific data of the individual objective carrier assembly that are stored in a computer system.
Cotoros teaches a camera, comprising: a tag carrying a reference to specific data of an accessory lens structure that are stored in a computer system (“(RFID) tag”, “…data from the non-volatile memory of the RFID tag…”, [0104]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the feature of Cotoros’s with the camera taught by Seger to enable the carrier of an individual objective carrier assembly to include a tag carrying a reference to specific data of the individual objective carrier assembly that are stored in a computer system for the purpose of providing identification information including data such as characteristic/parameters of the device in a quick and easy way.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FANG-CHI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-5299. The examiner can normally be reached MRF 9am-5pm.
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/FANG-CHI CHANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2852
/STEPHANIE E BLOSS/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852