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 amendment filed on 04/02/2026 has been entered and the newly amended Specification do not enter (see reason below)
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
number “-43.54” in table 7 should be “43.54” (see surface no.3 of table 8 and image side surface of lens 410 of figure 7 and original para.99 discloses image-side surface of the first lens 410 is concave); and
number “317” in table 17 should be “3.17”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Also, the amendment filed 04/02/2026 is objected to under 35 U.S.C. 132(a) because it introduces new matter into the disclosure. 35 U.S.C. 132(a) states that no amendment shall introduce new matter into the disclosure of the invention. The added material which is not supported by the original disclosure is as follows:
The newly amended specification in para.99, lines 1-3, should be changed back to the original disclosure because table 7 has typo in number “-43.54” which should be “43.54”, so that the original disclosure in para.99 is correct, does not require amendment.
Applicant is required to cancel the new matter in the reply to this Office Action.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species C (Embodiment 4 will be grouped to Species C because of typo in table 7), claims 1-13 and 15-16 in the reply filed on 04/02/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that (A) The inventions share substantial common subject matter; (B) the claims have substantially overlapping scope; and (C) The office has not Established a Serious Search Burden. This is not found persuasive because:
Firstly, these three Species A, B and C are mutually exclusive embodiments to each other:
Species A, drawn to an optical imaging system with object-side surface of the
fourth lens is convex, image-side surface of the fifth lens is convex and the seventh lens having a positive refractive power according to figs.1 and 2 and table 1;
Species B, drawn to an optical imaging system with object-side surface of the
fourth lens is concave, image-side surface of the fifth lens is concave, the seventh lens having a negative refractive power according to figs.11 and 12 and table 11; and
Species C, drawn to an optical imaging system with object-side surface of the
fourth lens is convex, image-side surface of the fifth lens is concave, the seventh lens having a negative refractive power according to figs.3-10, 13-16 and tables 3, 5, 7, 9, 13 and 15.
Secondly, these three Species require three different searching strategies/queries, and these three Species require three different searching methods.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 14 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 04/02/2026.
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) 1-4 and 6-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao CN112698484A (see document of 18613391_2026-04-16_CN_112698484_A_M.pdf).
1.Yao discloses an optical imaging system, in at least figs.17-20 and tables 9, 10, 15 and 16, comprising:
a first lens (E1) having a negative refractive power (see Ex5 of table 16);
a second lens (E2);
a third lens (E3) having a convex image-side surface (see table 9);
a fourth lens (E4);
a fifth lens (E5) having a negative refractive power (see Ex5 of table 16);
a sixth lens having a positive refractive power (see Ex5 of table 16); and
a seventh lens having a convex object-side surface (see table 9), wherein the first to seventh lenses are sequentially disposed from an object side (see fig.17), and TTL/IMH<1.2 (Claim 3 discloses 1<TTL/IMH<2 which includes 1<TTL/IMH<1.2) is satisfied,
where TTL is a distance on an optical axis from an object-side surface of the first lens to an image plane, and IMH is a height of the image plane.
2. Yao discloses the second lens has a positive refractive power (see Ex5 of table 16), and an image-side surface of the second surface is concave (table 9).
3. Yao discloses an object-side surface of the sixth lens is concave (table 9).
4. Yao discloses 50<FOV/f (unit: °/mm)(130.2/2.31=56.364, Ex5 of table 16) is satisfied, where FOV is a field of view of the optical imaging system, and f is a focal length of the optical imaging system.
6. Yao discloses L6R1/CT6<−3 (-13.8361/0.9462=-14.6, see table 9) is satisfied, where L6R1 is a radius of curvature of the object-side surface of the sixth lens, and CT6 is a central thickness of the sixth lens.
7. Yao discloses 15<v1−v2<40 (56-19.2, see table 9) and 0<v1−v5<45 (56-19.2, see table 9) are satisfied, where v1 is an Abbe number of the first lens, v2 is an Abbe number of the second lens, and v5 is an Abbe number of the fifth lens.
8. Yao discloses 1.6<ET1/CT1 (see fig.17) is satisfied, where ET1 is an edge thickness of the first lens, and CT1 is a central thickness of the first lens.
9. Yao discloses an object-side surface of the first lens is concave (see table 9), and the fourth lens has a positive refractive power (see Ex5 of table 16).
10. Yao discloses an image-side surface of the fifth lens is concave (see table 9), and the seventh lens has a negative refractive power (see Ex5 of table 16).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao CN112698484A as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hsu US 2019/0271831.
5. Yao does not explicitly disclose f/EPD<1.8 is satisfied, where f is a focal length of the optical imaging system, and EPD is a diameter of an entrance pupil.
Hsu discloses an optical imaging system, in at least figs.1 and 2 and table 1, f/EPD<1.8 (Fno=1.7, or 1.2<f/EPD<2.2, para.46,95 and claims 25 and 27) is satisfied, where f is a focal length of the optical imaging system, and EPD is a diameter of an entrance pupil for the purpose of enhancing the illumination of the image surface and increasing the range of viable application (para.46).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have f/EPD<1.8 is satisfied, where f is a focal length of the optical imaging system, and EPD is a diameter of an entrance pupil as taught by Hsu in the optical imaging system of Yao for the purpose of enhancing the illumination of the image surface and increasing the range of viable application.
Claim(s) 11-13, 15 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao CN112698484A in view of Hsu US 2019/0271831.
11. Yao discloses an optical imaging system, in at least figs.17-20 and tables 9, 10, 15 and 16, comprising:
a first lens (E1) having a concave object-side surface (see table 9);
a second lens (E2);
a third lens (E3) having a positive refractive power (see Ex5 of table 16);
a fourth lens (E4) having a positive refractive power (see Ex5 of table 16);
a fifth lens (E5);
a sixth lens (E6) having a concave object-side surface (see table 9); and
a seventh lens (E7) having a convex object-side surface (see table 9),
wherein the first to seventh lenses are sequentially disposed from an object side (see fig.17),
wherein any one or any combination of any two or more surfaces of the first lens and the seventh lens include one or more inflection points (see fig.17, tables 9 and 10).
Yao does not explicitly disclose f/EPD<1.8 is satisfied, where f is a focal length of the optical imaging system, and EPD is a diameter of an entrance pupil.
Hsu discloses an optical imaging system, in at least figs.1 and 2 and table 1, f/EPD<1.8 (Fno=1.7, or 1.2<f/EPD<2.2, para.46,95 and claims 25 and 27) is satisfied, where f is a focal length of the optical imaging system, and EPD is a diameter of an entrance pupil for the purpose of enhancing the illumination of the image surface and increasing the range of viable application (para.46).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have f/EPD<1.8 is satisfied, where f is a focal length of the optical imaging system, and EPD is a diameter of an entrance pupil as taught by Hsu in the optical imaging system of Yao for the purpose of enhancing the illumination of the image surface and increasing the range of viable application.
12. Yao discloses SD6/SD14<0.5 (SD6/SD14=0.284, see fig.17) is satisfied, where SD6 is an effective diameter of the image-side surface of the third lens, and SD14 is an effective diameter of the image-side surface of the seventh lens.
13. Yao discloses the first lens has a negative refractive power (see Ex5 of table 6), and −4<f1/f<0 (-4.35/2.31, see Ex5 of table 16) is satisfied, where f1 is a focal distance of the first lens, and f is a focal length of the optical imaging system.
15. Yao discloses an image-side surface of the fifth lens is concave (table 9), and the seventh lens has a negative refractive power (see Ex5 of table 16).
16. Yao discloses TTL/IMH<1.2 (Claim 3 discloses 1<TTL/IMH<2 which includes 1<TTL/IMH<1.2) is satisfied, where TTL is a distance on an optical axis from the object-side surface of the first lens to an image plane, and IMH is a height of the image plane.
Contact Information
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Liao US 2021/0278635 (figs.6-17, 38-45 and 50-65) and Tang US 20220221692 (table 11 and 17) can be a primary reference too.
Also, Son US 20160109687 and Zhang US 20240134165 discloses f/EPO<1.8 as well.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIA X PAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7574. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 11:00AM - 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael H Caley can be reached at (571)272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JIA X PAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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