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 .
DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having Application No. 18516829 filed on 11/21/2023 is presented for examination by the examiner
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Priority
As required by e M.P.E.P. 201.04, 210, 214.03, acknowledgement is made of applicant's claim for priority based on of application #16781848 is a Continuation of #15394401, filed 12/29/2016 and application #15394401 Claims Priority from Provisional Application 62275733, filed 01/06/2016.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims 21-22, 30 and 38 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim Sasaki et al. (US10551598, Appl. No. 15/394,401) and Sasaki et al. (US11822061, Appl. No. 16/781,848. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they claim same subject matters.
For comparison, the claims are listed as follows side by side in the following table:
Instant application : 18/5164,829
Claims of US patent 10551598
Claims of US patent 11822061
21. A method for improving an optical quality of an image in a camera lens system comprising:
passing an image through an anamorphic lens group to compress the image;
passing the compressed image from the anamorphic lens group to a corrective lens group; and
passing the image from the corrective lens group to a digital image sensor, wherein the corrective lens group is configured to improve an optical quality of the image as produced by the digital image sensor.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein during the step of passing an image through the anamorphic lens group, the anamorphic lens group compresses the image in a horizontal or vertical dimension.
17. A method comprising:
providing at least one anamorphic lens element configured to compress an image in a dimension of anamorphic compression that is orthogonal to an optical axis and that is either a horizontal dimension or a vertical dimension;
providing a digital image sensor including an optical low pass filter, the optical low pass filter configured to cause blurring of the image in the dimension of anamorphic compression;
providing at least one powered lens element between the at least one anamorphic lens element and the digital image sensor;
providing at least one corrective lens element positioned between the at least one powered lens element and the digital image sensor, the at least one corrective lens element including at least one of one or more toroidal lens elements or one or more birefringent materials;
compressing the image with the at least one anamorphic lens element in the dimension of anamorphic compression; and
reducing the blurring of the image caused by the optical low pass filter with the at least one of the one or more toroidal lens elements or the one or more birefringent materials to equalize the image quality in the dimension of anamorphic compression with the image quality in the horizontal dimension or the vertical dimension that does not comprise the dimension of anamorphic compression.;
16. A method for improving an optical quality of an image produced by a lens system used with a camera comprising a digital image sensor, the method comprising:
producing an optical image by a front anamorphic lens group positioned at an object side of the lens system and having an optical axis, the front anamorphic lens group comprising more than one anamorphic lens elements and being configured to compress the image in a horizontal or vertical dimension and produce an image having a reduced aspect ratio; and
treating the compressed image by passing the compressed image through a corrective lens group that is separate from the front anamorphic lens group and that shares the same optical axis as the front anamorphic lens group, wherein the corrective lens group is configured to improve an optical quality of the compressed image by reducing blurring of the image that is produced by the digital image sensor, wherein the digital image sensor is positioned to receive the treated image from the corrective lens group.
30. A method of improving an optical quality of an image in a camera lens system comprising an anamorphic lens group, a corrective lens group, and a digital image sensor, the method comprising:
passing an image captured through an object side of the anamorphic lens system through the anamorphic lens system to produce a compressed image;
passing the compressed image from the anamorphic lens group to the corrective lens group to produce a corrected image therefrom; and
passing the corrected image to the digital image sensor, wherein the corrected image received by the digital image sensor addresses a blurring of the compressed image that is produced by the digital image sensor.
17. A method comprising:
providing at least one anamorphic lens element configured to compress an image in a dimension of anamorphic compression that is orthogonal to an optical axis and that is either a horizontal dimension or a vertical dimension;
providing a digital image sensor including an optical low pass filter, the optical low pass filter configured to cause blurring of the image in the dimension of anamorphic compression;
providing at least one powered lens element between the at least one anamorphic lens element and the digital image sensor;
providing at least one corrective lens element positioned between the at least one powered lens element and the digital image sensor, the at least one corrective lens element including at least one of one or more toroidal lens elements or one or more birefringent materials;
compressing the image with the at least one anamorphic lens element in the dimension of anamorphic compression; and
reducing the blurring of the image caused by the optical low pass filter with the at least one of the one or more toroidal lens elements or the one or more birefringent materials to equalize the image quality in the dimension of anamorphic compression with the image quality in the horizontal dimension or the vertical dimension that does not comprise the dimension of anamorphic compression.
16. A method for improving an optical quality of an image produced by a lens system used with a camera comprising a digital image sensor, the method comprising:
producing an optical image by a front anamorphic lens group positioned at an object side of the lens system and having an optical axis, the front anamorphic lens group comprising more than one anamorphic lens elements and being configured to compress the image in a horizontal or vertical dimension and produce an image having a reduced aspect ratio; and
treating the compressed image by passing the compressed image through a corrective lens group that is separate from the front anamorphic lens group and that shares the same optical axis as the front anamorphic lens group, wherein the corrective lens group is configured to improve an optical quality of the compressed image by reducing blurring of the image that is produced by the digital image sensor, wherein the digital image sensor is positioned to receive the treated image from the corrective lens group.
38. A camera lens system comprising:
a front an anamorphic lens group configured to produce a compressed image in at least one of a horizontal or vertical dimension;
a corrective lens group configured to receive the compressed image and produce a corrected image; and
a digital image sensor configured to receive the corrected image, wherein the corrected image is configured to address image distortion produced by the digital image sensor.
1. A digital camera comprising:
at least one anamorphic lens element configured to compress an image in a dimension of anamorphic compression that is orthogonal to an optical axis and that is either a horizontal dimension or a vertical dimension;
a digital image sensor including an optical low pass filter, the optical low pass filter configured to cause blurring of the image in the dimension of anamorphic compression;
at least one powered lens element positioned between the at least one anamorphic lens element and the digital image sensor; and
at least one corrective lens element positioned between the at least one powered lens element and the digital image sensor, the at least one corrective lens element including at least one of one or more toroidal lens elements or one or more birefringent materials configured to reduce the blurring of the image in the dimension of anamorphic compression on the digital image sensor caused by the optical low pass filter to equalize the image quality in the dimension of anamorphic compression with the image quality in the horizontal dimension or the vertical dimension that does not comprise the dimension of anamorphic compression.
1. A lens system for use with a camera, comprising:
a front anamorphic lens group comprising a plurality of anamorphic lens elements, wherein the front anamorphic lens group is positioned at an object side of the lens system and is configured to produce an image that is compressed in a horizontal or vertical dimension that has a reduced aspect ratio;
a corrective lens group that is separate from the front anamorphic lens group and that is positioned adjacent the front anamorphic lens group, wherein the corrective lens group is aligned along and shares the same optical axis of the front anamorphic lens group to receive the compressed image produced by the front anamorphic lens group; and
a digital image sensor separate from and positioned to share the same optical axis of the anamorphic lens group and the corrective lens group, wherein the corrective lens group is interposed between the front anamorphic lens group and the digital image sensor, and wherein the corrective lens group is configured to improve an optical quality of the image at the digital image sensor by reducing a blurring of the image as produced by the digital image sensor.
9. A lens system for use with a digital camera, comprising:
front anamorphic lens group comprising a plurality of anamorphic lens elements and positioned at an object side of the lens system and configured to receive an image and compress the image in a horizontal or vertical direction by a squeeze ratio of at least 1.19; and
a corrective lens group that is separate from the front anamorphic lens group and that is configured to reduce a blurring of the image produced by the front anamorphic lens group in the direction of compression as produced by a digital image sensor positioned to receive an image from the corrective lens group;
wherein the front anamorphic lens group and the corrective lens group are aligned along a common optical axis passing through each of the front anamorphic lens group and the corrective lens group.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 29 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 29 is rejected since they are in improper dependent form and fail to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which they depend, and fail to include all the limitations of the claim upon which they depend, since they depend on claim 1 which is has been canceled (see MPEP § 608.01(n) subsection V).
Further, all the limitations of the claim is vague and renders the claims indefinite; it is unclear, we don’t know which claim it further limits. The claim will be treated to depend on claim 21.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Therefore proper amendments are required in order to clarify the scopes of the claims and overcome the rejections.
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 21-24, 26, 29-30, 33 and 35-38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Udo (DE102013102910, English translation attached).
Regarding claim 21, Udo teaches a method for improving an optical quality of an image in a camera lens system (Udo, figs.1-2, paragraph [0009], Anamorphic optical imaging systems, so-called anamorphic lenses, are characterized by different image scales in the two dimensions of the resulting image; paragraph [0016] The object of the present invention is to improve the known lens attachment in such a way that the change in the image scale during distance adjustment on the one hand and the image errors on the other hand are reduced) comprising:
passing an image (paragraph [0003], an image of an object; paragraph [0037] photographic lens 100 is a taking lens, the anamorphic attachment 200 is arranged on the object side of the lens 100) through an anamorphic lens group (fig.2, the anamorphic lenses 10+20+30) to compress the image (fig.2, paragraph [0009] compression and stretching can be achieved by using corresponding anamorphic lenses 200);
passing the compressed image (Udo, paragraph [0009] During recording,.., the resulting image is therefore horizontally compressed) from the anamorphic lens group (the anamorphic lens 10+20+30) to a corrective lens group (Udo, the lenses 40+50+60); and
passing the image from the corrective lens group to a digital image sensor (Udo, an electronic detector; paragraph [0009] During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane, for example, film material or an electronic detector, the resulting image is therefore horizontally compress--- all digital image sensors are electronic detectors), wherein the corrective lens group (lenses 40+50+60) is configured to improve an optical quality of the image as produced by the digital image sensor (paragraph [0027], due to the corrective lenses, in particular the final lens 60, the cemented elements 40-50 can be equipped with a lower overall refractive power, which is advantageous with regard to resulting imaging errors).
Regarding claim 22, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 21 and further teaches wherein during the step of passing an image through the anamorphic lens group (paragraph [0009], compression can be achieved by using corresponding anamorphic lenses during recording and/or photography), the anamorphic lens group compresses the image in a horizontal or vertical dimension (paragraph [0009], During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane).
Regarding claim 23, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 21 and further teaches wherein during the step of passing the compressed image, the corrective lens group is configured to share the same optical axis (fig.2, axis 300) as the anamorphic lens group (Udo, fig.2, paragraph [0037], an anamorphic attachment 200, which is placed in front of the lens 100 on the side with the larger focal length on the same optical axis 300).
Regarding claim 24, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 21 and further teaches wherein the corrective lens group reduces blurring of the image produced by the digital image sensor (see Udo, fig.4, paragraph [0035] The distortion of the system shown in Fig. 4 can also be described as extremely low and is limited to less than 5% even for the outermost marginal rays).
Regarding claim 26, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 21 and further teaches wherein comprising passing the compressed image to a powered lens group (fig.2, lenses 20+30; paragraph [0039] the first cemented element 20+30 has a positive refractive power) before passing the compressed image to the corrective lens group (fig.2, lens 40+50+60, paragraph [0039]the second cemented element has a negative refractive power).
Regarding claim 29, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 21 and further teaches wherein a camera lens system comprising the anamorphic lens group, the corrective lens group, and the digital image sensor that is configured to improve an optical quality of an image according to claim 21 (see claim 21, described in claim 21).
Regarding claim 30, Udo teaches a method of improving an optical quality of an image (figs.1-2, paragraph [0003], an image of an object; paragraph [0037] photographic lens 100 is a taking lens, the anamorphic attachment 200 is arranged on the object side of the lens 100) in a camera lens system (Udo, figs.1-2, paragraph [0009], Anamorphic optical imaging systems, so-called anamorphic lenses, are characterized by different image scales in the two dimensions of the resulting image; paragraph [0016] The object of the present invention is to improve the known lens attachment in such a way that the change in the image scale during distance adjustment on the one hand and the image errors on the other hand are reduced) comprising an anamorphic lens group (fig.2, the anamorphic lenses 10+20+30), a corrective lens group (Udo, the lenses 40+50+60), and a digital image sensor (Udo, an electronic detector; paragraph [0009] During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane, for example, film material or an electronic detector, the resulting image is therefore horizontally compress--- all digital image sensors are electronic detectors) , the method comprising:
passing an image (paragraph [0003], an image of an object;) captured through an object side of the anamorphic lens system (fig.2, the object side of the anamorphic lens system; paragraph [0037] photographic lens 100 is a taking lens, the anamorphic attachment 200 is arranged on the object side of the lens 100) through the anamorphic lens system to produce a compressed image ((Udo, paragraph [0009] During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane, for example, film material or an electronic detector, the resulting image is therefore horizontally compressed);
passing the compressed image (paragraph [0009] , the resulting image is therefore horizontally compressed) from the anamorphic lens group (Udo, the lenses 10+20+30 ) to the corrective lens group (the lenses 40+50+60 ) to produce a corrected image therefrom (paragraph [0027], due to the corrective lenses which is advantageous with regard to resulting imaging errors); and
passing the corrected image ((paragraph [0027], due to the corrective lenses which is advantageous with regard to resulting imaging errors) to the digital image sensor ((Udo, paragraph [0009] During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane, for example, film material or an electronic detector), wherein the corrected image received by the digital image sensor addresses a blurring of the compressed image that is produced by the digital image sensor (see Udo, fig.4, paragraph [0035] The distortion of the system shown in Fig. 4 can also be described as extremely low and is limited to less than 5% even for the outermost marginal rays).
Regarding claim 33, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 30 and Udo further teaches wherein the anamorphic lens group compresses the image in a horizontal or vertical dimension (paragraph [0009], During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane), and wherein the corrective lens group is configured to produce a corrected image that addresses blurring of the compressed image in the direction of compression (see Udo, fig.4, paragraph [0035] The distortion of the system shown in Fig. 4 can also be described as extremely low and is limited to less than 5% even for the outermost marginal rays).
Regarding claim 35, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 30 and further teaches wherein the anamorphic lens group, corrective lens group, and digital image are configured to share the same optical axis ((Udo, fig.2, the optical axis 300 ;paragraph [0037], an anamorphic attachment 200, which is placed in front of the lens 100 on the side with the larger focal length on the same optical axis 300).
Regarding claim 36, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 30 and further teaches wherein the camera lens system comprises a powered lens group ((fig.2, lenses 20+30; paragraph [0039] the first cemented element 20+30 has a positive refractive power), and comprises passing the compressed image (described in claim 30) from the anamorphic lens group (the lens 10) to the powered lens group (the lenses 20+30) before the step of passing the compressed image to the corrective lens group (fig.2, lens 40+50+60, paragraph [0039]the second cemented element has a negative refractive power).
Regarding claim 37, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 30 and further teaches wherein the anamorphic lens group is configured to produce an image having a reduced aspect ratio (Udo, paragraph [0009] During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane).
Regarding claim 38, Udo teaches a camera lens system (Udo, figs.1-2, paragraph [0009], Anamorphic optical imaging systems, so-called anamorphic lenses,) comprising:
a front an anamorphic lens group (fig.2, the lens 10) configured to produce a compressed image ((fig.2, paragraph [0009] compression and stretching can be achieved by using corresponding anamorphic lenses 200) in at least one of a horizontal or vertical dimension (paragraph [0009], During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane);
a corrective lens group (fig.2, the lenses 40+50+60) configured to receive the compressed image (Udo, paragraph [0009] During recording,.., the resulting image is therefore horizontally compressed) and produce a corrected image (paragraph [0027], due to the corrective lenses, in particular the final lens 60, the cemented elements 40-50 can be equipped with a lower overall refractive power, which is advantageous with regard to resulting imaging errors); and
a digital image sensor (Udo, an electronic detector; paragraph [0009] During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane, for example, film material or an electronic detector, the resulting image is therefore horizontally compress--- all digital image sensors are electronic detectors) configured to receive the corrected image ((paragraph [0027], due to the corrective lenses, in particular the final lens 60, the cemented elements 40-50 can be equipped with a lower overall refractive power, which is advantageous with regard to resulting imaging errors), wherein the corrected image is configured to address image distortion (Udo, paragraph [0007] that means to address the imaging errors, especially distortion and field curvature) produced by the digital image sensor (described in above).
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.
Claims 25, 34 and 39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Udo (DE102013102910, English translation attached), and further in view of Neil (US20060050403).
Regarding claim 25, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 21 and Udo further teaches wherein comprising passing the image received by the anamorphic lens group through the corrective lens group (the Lense 40+50+60), but does not explicitly teaches that is configured comprising at least one of a toroidal lens element or a birefringent material.
However, Neil teaches the analogous anamorphic lenses (Neil, paragraph [0003] The present invention relates, generally, to anamorphic lenses that provides high image quality), and further teaches wherein comprising at least one of a toroidal lens element or a birefringent material (Neil, paragraph [0109], Toroidal surfaces are compound surfaces that have the combined effect of a cylindrically surfaced element oriented in both the X and Y directions).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the anamorphic lens group through the corrective lens group of Udo that configured comprising at least one of a toroidal lens element as taught by Neil for the purpose of toroidal surfaces may reduce the number of lens elements required, which can be very beneficial in applications where a small size is needed such as cellular telephones and point-and-shoot cameras (Neil, paragraph [0109]).
Regarding claim 34, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 30 and further teaches wherein the corrective lens group (the Lense 40+50+60), but does not explicitly teaches wherein comprises at least one of a toroidal lens element or a birefringent material.
However, Neil teaches the analogous anamorphic lenses (Neil, paragraph [0003] The present invention relates, generally, to anamorphic lenses that provides high image quality), and further teaches wherein comprising at least one of a toroidal lens element or a birefringent material (Neil, paragraph [0109], Toroidal surfaces are compound surfaces that have the combined effect of a cylindrically surfaced element oriented in both the X and Y directions).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the anamorphic lens group through the corrective lens group of Udo that configured comprising at least one of a toroidal lens element as taught by Neil for the purpose of toroidal surfaces may reduce the number of lens elements required, which can be very beneficial in applications where a small size is needed such as cellular telephones and point-and-shoot cameras (Neil, paragraph [0109]).
Regarding claim 39, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 38 and further teaches wherein the corrective lens group (the Lense 40+50+60), but does not explicitly teaches wherein comprises at least one of a toroidal lens element or a birefringent material.
However, Neil teaches the analogous anamorphic lenses (Neil, paragraph [0003] The present invention relates, generally, to anamorphic lenses that provides high image quality), and further teaches wherein comprising at least one of a toroidal lens element or a birefringent material (Neil, paragraph [0109], Toroidal surfaces are compound surfaces that have the combined effect of a cylindrically surfaced element oriented in both the X and Y directions).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the anamorphic lens group through the corrective lens group of Udo that configured comprising at least one of a toroidal lens element as taught by Neil for the purpose of toroidal surfaces may reduce the number of lens elements required, which can be very beneficial in applications where a small size is needed such as cellular telephones and point-and-shoot cameras (Neil, paragraph [0109]).
Claims 27-28, 31-32 and 40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Udo (DE102013102910, English translation attached), and further in view of Kweon et al. (US20090052050).
Regarding claim 27, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 21 and further teaches wherein during the step of passing the image to the digital image sensor (Udo, paragraph [0009] During recording, the horizontal dimension is reduced more than the vertical dimension when imaging an object onto the detector plane, for example, film material or an electronic detector, the resulting image is therefore horizontally compressed--- all digital image sensors are electronic detectors), but Udo does not explicitly teaches wherein the image is passed through an optical low-pass filter.
However, Kweon teaches the image is passed through an optical low-pass filter (see Kweon, Fig. 9, the digital image sensor 932 includes an optical low-pass filter F; paragraph [0173], The optical low pass filter serves to remove a moire effect from the image.).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the image sensor of Udo to have optical low-pass filter as taught by Kweon for the purpose to remove a moire effect from the image (Kweon, paragraph [0173]).
Regarding claim 28, combination Udo–Kweon discloses the invention as described in Claim 27 and Kweon further teaches wherein the corrective lens group reduces blurring of the image (Kweon, paragraph [0181], a desired characteristic of a lens, i.e., an image without distortion) produced (paragraph [0230] reproduced on the image sensor plane with the correct horizontal-to-vertical ratio preserved) by the optical low-pass filter (see Kweon, Fig. 9, the digital image sensor 932 includes an optical low-pass filter F; paragraph [0173], The optical low pass filter serves to remove a moire effect from the image).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the corrective lens group of Udo to reduce blurring of the image as taught by Kweon for the purpose to remove a moire effect from the image (Kweon, paragraph [0173]).
Regarding claim 31, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 30, Udo does not explicitly teaches wherein the digital image sensor comprises an optical low-pass filter.
However, Kweon teaches the image is passed through an optical low-pass filter (see Kweon, Fig. 9, the digital image sensor 932 includes an optical low-pass filter F; paragraph [0173], The optical low pass filter serves to remove a moire effect from the image.).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the image sensor of Udo to have optical low-pass filter as taught by Kweon for the purpose to remove a moire effect from the image (Kweon, paragraph [0173]).
Regarding claim 32, combination Udo–Kweon discloses the invention as described in Claim 31 and Kweon further teaches wherein the blurring of the image (paragraph [0181], a desired characteristic of a lens, i.e., an image without distortion)) is produced by the optical low-pass filter (see Kweon, Fig. 9, the digital image sensor 932 includes an optical low-pass filter F; paragraph [0173], The optical low pass filter serves to remove a moire effect from the image).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add optical low-pass filter of Udo to reduce blurring of the image as taught by Kweon for the purpose to remove a moire effect from the image (Kweon, paragraph [0173]).
Regarding claim 40, Udo discloses the invention as described in Claim 38, Udo does not explicitly teaches wherein the digital image sensor comprises an optical low-pass filter, and therein the image distortion is produced by the optical low-pass filter.
However, Kweon teaches wherein the digital image sensor comprises an optical low-pass filter (see Kweon, Fig. 9, the digital image sensor 932 includes an optical low-pass filter F; paragraph [0173], The optical low pass filter serves to remove a moire effect from the image), and therein the image distortion (Kweon, paragraph [0183], the distortion can be calculated) is produced by the optical low-pass filter (see Kweon, Fig. 9, the digital image sensor 932 includes an optical low-pass filter F; paragraph [0173], The optical low pass filter serves to remove a moire effect from the image).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the image sensor of Udo to have optical low-pass filter as taught by Kweon for the purpose to remove a moire effect from the image (Kweon, paragraph [0173]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KUEI-JEN LEE EDENFIELD whose telephone number is (571)272-3005. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. -Thurs 8:00 am - 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on 571-272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273- 8300.
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/KUEI-JEN L EDENFIELD/
Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/THOMAS K PHAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872