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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 13, and 16-17, and 19-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (TW 202144847).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses an optical imaging system (Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]) comprising:
a first lens (410, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]), a second lens (420, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]), a third lens (430, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]), a fourth lens (440, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]), a fifth lens (450, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]), a sixth lens (460, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]), a seventh lens (470, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]), an eighth lens (480, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]), and a ninth lens (490, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]) sequentially disposed in ascending numerical order along an optical axis (optical axis, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]) of the optical imaging system from an object side (left side, Fig. 7) of the optical imaging system toward an imaging surface (496, Fig. 7; page 16, para [0005]) of the optical imaging system,
wherein the first lens (410, Fig. 7) has a positive refractive power (page 16, para [0006]), the second lens (420, Fig. 7) has a positive refractive power (page 16, para [0007]), and the third lens (430, Fig. 7) has a negative refractive power (page 16, para [0008]),
an Abbe number (22.5, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) of the third lens (430, Fig. 7) is less than an Abbe number (44.6, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) of the first lens (410, Fig. 7) and is less than an Abbe number (23.8, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847), and
TTL/(2xIMG HT) < 0.7 is satisfied (1.37/2=0.685; since TTL/IMG HT=1.37; page 30, para [0147]), where TTL is a distance along the optical axis from an object-side surface of the first lens (410, Fig. 7) to the imaging surface (496, Fig. 7; page 4, para [0004]), and IMG HT is one half of a diagonal length of the imaging surface (496, Fig. 7; page 4, para [0004]).
Regarding claim 2, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein v1-v3 < 45 is satisfied (44.6-22.5=22.1<45; since v1=44.6, v3=22.5; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847).
Regarding claim 3, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein 35 < v3+v5 < 45 is satisfied (35 < 22.5+18.4 < 45; 35 < 40.4 <45; since v3=22.5, v5=18.4; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847).
Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein 0 < f1/f < 30 is satisfied (0 < 4.03/66.29 < 30; 0 < 0.061 < 30; since f1=66.29, f=4.03; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847).
Regarding claim 13, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein FOVxIMG HT/f > 60° is satisfied (107.2 x 1.314=140.8°; since FOV=107.2; TTL/IMG HT=1.37; TTL/f=1.8; IMG HT/TTL=0.7299; page 28, para [0144], Table 7; page 30, para [0147] of foreign publication of Chen ‘847).
Regarding claim 16, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein a sum of the Abbe number of the third lens (Abbe number of third lens: 22.5, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) and an Abbe number of the fifth lens (Abbe number of fifth lens: 18.4, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) is less than an Abbe number of the fourth lens (Abbe number of fourth lens: 56, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847).
Regarding claim 17, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein the ninth lens (490, Fig. 7) has a negative refractive power (page 17, para [0006]), a convex object-side surface in a paraxial region thereof (convex object-side surface in a paraxial region of 490, Fig. 7), and a concave image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof (concave image-side surface in a paraxial region of 490, Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 19, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein the fifth lens (450, Fig. 7) has a refractive index greater than 1.64 (refractive index of 450 is 1.686, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) and an Abbe number less than 21 (Abbe number of 450 is 18.4, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847).
Regarding claim 20, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein two of the fifth to seventh lenses have a refractive index greater than 1.61 (refractive index of fifth lens 450 is 1.686; refractive index of sixth lens 460 is 1.686, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) and an Abbe number less than 26 (Abbe number of fifth lens 450 is 18.4; Abbe number of sixth lens 460 is 18.4, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847).
Regarding claim 21, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein an Abbe number of the seventh lens (Abbe number of seventh lens 470 is 18.4, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) is less than an Abbe number of the eighth lens (Abbe number of eighth lens 480 is 44.6, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) and is less than an Abbe number of the ninth lens (Abbe number of ninth lens 490 is 44.6, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847).
Regarding claim 22, Chen discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein a focal length of the second lens (f2=27.55, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) is less than an absolute value of a focal length of the third lens (|f3 = -60.59|=60.59, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847), and the absolute value of the focal length of the third lens (|f3 = -60.59|=60.59, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847) is less than a focal length of the first lens (f1=66.29, Fig. 7; page 28, para [0144], Table 7 of foreign publication of Chen ‘847).
Claim(s) 1, 5-9, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kwon (WO 2022/124835). Reference to Kwon (WO 2022/124835) will be made to Kwon (U.S. 2024/0019663), which is an equivalent English translation of Kwon (WO 2022/124835).
Regarding claim 1, Kwon discloses an optical imaging system (Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]) comprising:
a first lens (111, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]), a second lens (112, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]), a third lens (113, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]), a fourth lens (114, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]), a fifth lens (115, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]), a sixth lens (116, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]), a seventh lens (117, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]), an eighth lens (118, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]), and a ninth lens (119, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]) sequentially disposed in ascending numerical order along an optical axis (Lx, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0036]) of the optical imaging system from an object side (object side, Fig. 3) of the optical imaging system toward an imaging surface (192, Fig. 3; page 3, para [0035]) of the optical imaging system,
wherein the first lens (111, Fig. 3) has a positive refractive power (page 4, para [0041]), the second lens (112, Fig. 3) has a positive refractive power (page 4, para [0042]), and the third lens (113, Fig. 3) has a negative refractive power (page 4, para [0043]),
an Abbe number (18.453, Fig. 3; page 9, Table 5) of the third lens (113, Fig. 3) is less than an Abbe number (37.565, Fig. 3; page 9, Table 5) of the first lens (111, Fig. 3) and is less than an Abbe number (55.656, Fig. 3; page 9, Table 5) of the second lens (112, Fig. 3), and
TTL/(2xIMG HT) < 0.7 is satisfied (7mm/(2x6mm)=0.583; since TTL=7mm, IMG HT=6mm, Fig. 3; page 5, para [0052]), where TTL (TTL, Fig. 3) is a distance along the optical axis from an object-side surface of the first lens (S1, Fig. 3; page 4, para [0041]) to the imaging surface (192, Fig. 3), and IMG HT (Img, Fig. 3; page 5, para [0052]) is one half of a diagonal length of the imaging surface (192, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 5, Kwon discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein 0 < f2/f < 3 is satisfied (0 < .911 < 3; since f2=7.047, f=7.735, Fig. 3; page 11, Table 7), where f2 is a focal length of the second lens (112, Fig. 3), and f is a total focal length of the optical imaging system.
Regarding claim 6, Kwon discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein -3 < f3/f < 0 is satisfied (-3 < -1.648 < 0; since f3=-12.751, f=7.735, Fig. 3; page 11, Table 7), where f3 is a focal length of the third lens (113, Fig. 3), and f is a total focal length of the optical imaging system.
Regarding claim 7, Kwon discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein 0.4 < |f12/f3| < 0.6 is satisfied (0.4 <0.474 < 0.6; since f12=6.04, f3=-12.751, Fig. 3; page 11, Table 7), wherein f12 is a composite focal length of the first lens (111, Fig. 3) and the second lens (112, Fig. 3), and f3 is a focal length of the third lens (113, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 8, Kwon discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein 4.5 < f1/f2 < 21 is satisfied (4.5 < 4.592 < 21; since f1=32.361, f2=7.047, Fig. 3; page 11, Table 7), wherein f1 is a focal length of the first lens (111, Fig. 3), and f2 is a focal length of the second lens (112, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Kwon discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein 0.4 < |f2/f3| < 0.7 is satisfied (0.4 <0.553 < 0.7; since f2=7.047, f3=-12.751, Fig. 3; page 11, Table 7), where f2 is a focal length of the second lens (112, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, Kwon discloses an optical imaging system with all the limitations above and further discloses wherein TTL/f < 1.5 (1.16 < 1.5; since TTL=9mm, f=7.735, Fig. 3; page 11, Table 7; page 5, para [0052]) and BFL/f < 0.5 are satisfied (0.259 < 0.5; since BFL=2mm, f=7.735, Fig. 3; page 5, para [0052]; page 11, Table 7), where BFL is a distance along the optical axis (Lx, Fig. 3) from an image-side surface (S18, Fig. 3; page 5, para [0049]) of the ninth lens(119, Fig. 3) and f is a total focal length of the optical imaging system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10, 12, 14-15, 18, and 23 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art as presently searched does not disclose the optical imaging system of claim 10 (having all the combination of features including wherein 0.09 < |f3/f1| < 0.32 is satisfied, where f1 is a focal length of the first lens), does not disclose the imaging system of claim 12 (having all the combination of features including wherein Fno ≤ 1.69 is satisfied, where Fno is an F-number of the optical imaging system), does not disclose the imaging system of claim 14 (having all the combination of features including wherein either one or both of SWA11 < 25° and SWA21 < 36° is satisfied, where SWA11 is a sweep angle at an end of an effective diameter of the object-side surface of the first lens, and SWA21 is a sweep angle at an end of an effective diameter of an object-side surface of the second lens), does not disclose the optical imaging system of claim 15 (having all the combination of features including wherein each of the first lens to the sixth lens has a convex object-side surface in a paraxial region thereof and concave image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof), does not disclose the optical imaging system of claim 18 (having all the combination of features including wherein each of the first lens and the second lens has an Abbe number greater than 54 and less than 57, and the third lens has an Abbe number greater than 18 and less than 24), and does not disclose the optical imaging system of claim 23 (having all the combination of features including wherein the optical imaging system has a field of view greater than 80° and less than 85°).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL CHANG LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-7923. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/PAUL C LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871