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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/1/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1 (and it’s dependents 2-11) 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.
With respect to claim 1, the claimed “a focus group Fa arranged on an object side closer than the aperture stop…” renders the claim vague and indefinite. It’s not clear as to whether or not focus group Fa is one of the claimed “at least one focus groups” or if focus group Fa is an additional focus group. Therefore, the lack of clarity renders the claim vague and indefinite. For examination purposes the examiner assumes that focus group Fa is one of the claimed “at least one focus group.” Specifically, focus group Fa is the focus group of the “at least one focus group” that’s located on the object-side adjacent to the aperture stop.
Claims 2-11 inherent the indefiniteness of claim 1 from which they depend.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Machida (20170184828) hereafter Machida.
Regarding claim 1, Machida discloses in fig. 1, a zoom lens including a plurality of lens groups and zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end by changing a distance between adjacent lens groups (fig. 1, par. [0151], lines 1-3), the zoom lens comprising: an aperture stop (fig. 1, element S as the claimed “aperture stop”); and at least one focus group (GN and GP as the claimed “focus groups”) each on an object side and an image side (I) with the aperture stop (S) between the object side and the image side (see fig. 1), wherein when focused from infinity to a close object, each of the focus group (GN and GP) moves along an optical axis (fig. 1, par. [0152], lines 2-5), and a focus group (GN) arranged on an object side closer than the aperture stop (S) includes at least one lens (105), and the lens (105) satisfies a following conditional expression: va > 60(1) here (see table 1, the Abbe number of lens 105 is vd = 65.44) , va is Abbe constant relative to the d-line of the material forming the lens La (par. [0157], lines 6-7).
Regarding claim 2, Machida discloses the zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein the lens (105) is a lens having a negative refractive power (par. [0145], lines 1-2).
Regarding claim 3, Machida discloses the zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein the lens (105) has a divergent surface on an object side (fig. 1, par. [0145], concave surface facing the object side as the claimed “divergent surface”).
Regarding claim 4, Machida discloses the zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein the lens (105) is arranged closest to an object side in the focus group (GN)(see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Machida discloses the zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein a lens group (G11) arranged closest to an object side has a positive refractive power (fig. 1, par. [0142], lines 1-2).
Regarding claim 7, Machida discloses the zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein a lens group (fig. 1, lenses L101 and cemented lenses L102 and L103, as the claimed “lens group”) arranged closest to an object side is configured by three or fewer lenses (see fig. 1, par. [0143], lines 1-3).
Regarding claim 8, Machida discloses the zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein a lens group (G2) arranged closest to an object side moves to an object side when zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end (par. [0151], lines 1-5, relative to element G3, lens group G2 is positioned closest to the object side of the optical system).
Regarding claim 9, Machida discloses the zoom lens according to claim 1 satisfying a following conditional expression: 0.1<Ts/Ta<0.9(2) here, Ts is Distance on an optical axis from the aperture stop to an image plane. Ta is Total optical length of the zoom lens at a wide-angle end (see par. [0063] table 1, 0.1 < 54/189.54 < 0.9, Ts/Ta = .28 which falls in the claimed range).
Claim(s) 1, 5, 10, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ohtake (20230101126) hereafter Ohtake.
Regarding claim 1, Ohtake discloses in fig. 10, a zoom lens including a plurality of lens groups and zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end by changing a distance between adjacent lens groups (fig. 10, par. [0172), the zoom lens comprising: an aperture stop (fig. 10, element S as the claimed “aperture stop”); and at least one focus group (F1 and F2 as the claimed “focus groups”) each on an object side and an image side (I) with the aperture stop (S) between the object side and the image side (see fig. 10), wherein when focused from infinity to a close object, each of the focus group (F1 and F2) moves along an optical axis (fig. 10, par. [0172), and a focus group (F1) arranged on an object side closer than the aperture stop (S) includes at least one lens (L22), and the lens (L22) satisfies a following conditional expression: va > 60(1) here (par. [0220],see table 4, the Abbe number of lens L22 is vd = 64.13) , va is Abbe constant relative to the d-line of the material forming the lens La (par. [0175], lines 6-7).
Regarding claim 5, Ohtake discloses the zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein the focus group (F1) is configured by two or fewer lenses (see fig. 10, lenses L21 and L22 as the claimed “two lenses”).
Regarding claim 10, Ohtake discloses the zoom lens according to claim 1 comprising: a positive lens group (G3) having a positive refractive power (par. [0213]), wherein the positive lens group (G3) is adjacent to the aperture stop (S), or includes the aperture stop, and the positive lens group (G3) moves toward an object side when zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end in a same trajectory as the aperture stop (fig. 10, par. [0213] and par. [0214], lines 1).
Regarding claim 11, Ohtake discloses an imaging apparatus comprising: the zoom lens according to claim 1; and an imaging device (4) that converts an optical image formed by the zoom lens on an image side of the zoom lens into an electrical signal (par. [0038], lines 1-3, image sensor 4 as the claimed “imaging device.” Note that all image sensors convert optical images into an electrical signal).
Conclusion
Matsumura (20160178875) is being cited herein to show a reference with features similar to that of the claimed invention. Specifically, two focus groups with an aperture between (fig. 1) and an image sensor converting optical images into an electric signal (par. [0008]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES JONES whose telephone number is (571)270-1278. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached at (571) 270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES C. JONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872