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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendments to the abstract of the disclosure in the submission filed 4/16/2026 are acknowledged and accepted. In view of these amendments, the objections to the specification in Section 8 of the Office Action dated 1/16/2026 are respectfully withdrawn.
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 4/16/2026 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of any patent granted on Application Numbers 18/568203, 18/569101, and 18/569088 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Response to Arguments
The Applicants’ arguments, see in particular Pages 3-4 of the submission, filed 4/16/2026, with respect to the rejections in Sections 12, 16-17, 19-21 of the Office Action dated 1/16/2026, have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections in Sections 12, 16-17, 19-21 of the Office Action dated 1/16/2026 have been withdrawn.
Claims 19-25 are now rejected as follows.
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) 19-20, 22-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oya et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2019/0283549 A1), of record.
Oya et al. discloses an antifog-film-attached transparent article (See for example Abstract; Figures 1-17) for security cameras, the antifog-film-attached transparent article comprising a transparent base (See for example 1, 42 in Figure 2; Paragraphs 0096-0111, 0138, 0190-0191); and an antifog film (See for example 43 in Figure 2) on a surface of the transparent base, wherein the antifog film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a silane coupling agent (See for example Paragraph 0178, glycidyloxyalkyltrialkoxysilane and aminoalkyltrialkoxysilane) and a cross-linked structure derived from the silane coupling agent; a water-absorbing polymer (See for example Paragraph 0188, polyvinyl acetal resin S-LEC KX-5); a polyether-modified siloxane (See for example Paragraph 0186, BYK-333, BYK-3455); and a C2-C₈ diol (See for example Paragraph 0186, ethylene glycol). Oya et al. further discloses the diol includes at least one selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, butanediol, pentanediol, and hexanediol (See for example Paragraph 0186, ethylene glycol); the water-absorbing polymer including a polyvinyl acetal resin (See for example Paragraph 0188, polyvinyl acetal resin S-LEC KX-5); and the transparent base is float glass (See for example 1, 42 in Figure 2; Paragraphs 0096-0111, 0138, 0190-0191), and the antifog film is formed on a bottom surface of the float glass film (See for example 1, 42 in Figure 2; Paragraphs 0096-0111, 0138, 0190-0191).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oya et al. in view of Murata et al. (CN 1662466 A), of record.
Oya et al. discloses the invention as set forth above, except for the diol including at least one selected from the group consisting of butanediol, propylene glycol, and dipropylene glycol. However, Murata et al. teaches a similar antifog-film-attached transparent article (See for example Abstract on Page 2 of English translation). In particular, Murata et al. teaches that the antifog film can include at least one selected from the group consisting of a silane coupling agent (See for example Page 5, Paragraph 1 of English translation) and a cross-linked structure derived from the silane coupling agent; a water-absorbing polymer (See for example Abstract on Page 2 of English translation; See also Page 3, Paragraphs 1-8; Page 4, Paragraphs 1-10 of English translation); and a C2-C₈ diol (See for example Page 4, Paragraphs 2-3; Page 6, Paragraphs 3-5 of English translation). In particular, Murata et al. teaches that the diol may include at least one selected from the group consisting of butanediol, propylene glycol, and dipropylene glycol (See for example Page 6, Paragraphs 3-5 of English translation). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the diol including at least one selected from the group consisting of butanediol, propylene glycol, and dipropylene glycol, as taught by Murata et al., in the antifog film of Oya et al., to lower/adjust the brittleness of the antifog film, while maintaining stability of the antifog film.
Claim(s) 24-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mo (CN 211791722 U), of record.
Oya et al. discloses the invention as set forth above, and further discloses a camera (See for example 81 in Figure 2). Oya et al. does not specifically disclose the transparent base has a concave surface adjacent to a space in which a lens of a security camera is to be placed; and the above antifog-film-attached transparent article for security cameras disposed in front of a lens of the camera. However, Mo teaches a conventional application of antifogging films for use with security cameras (See for example Abstract; Figures 1-2). In particular, Mo teaches the transparent base (See for example 4 in Figures 1-2) of the antifogging film (See for example 5 in Figures 1-2) has a concave surface adjacent to a space in which a lens (See for example 7 in Figures 1-2) of a security camera (See Figures 1-2) is to be placed; and a security camera comprising a camera (See Figures 1-2); and the above antifog-film-attached transparent article (See for example 4, 5 in Figures 1-2) for security cameras disposed in front of a lens of the camera. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to the transparent base have a concave surface adjacent to a space in which a lens of a security camera is to be placed; and the above antifog-film-attached transparent article for security cameras disposed in front of a lens of the camera, as taught by Mo, in the article of Oya et al., to allow the security camera to always have a clear, unobstructed field of view, even when changes in temperature and/or humidity would normally cause misting or fogging to occur.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3, 5-18 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARNEL C LAVARIAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2315. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:30 AM-7 PM.
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ARNEL C. LAVARIAS
Primary Examiner
Group Art Unit 2872
4/30/2026
/ARNEL C LAVARIAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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