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
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 1 and 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matsumura et al. (US 20160178875).
Regarding claim 1, Matsumura discloses (Figs. 1-42; in particular Fig. 11) a couple-in lens assembly, comprising: a first lens (L1), having a spherical first surface and a spherical second surface; a second lens (L2), having a spherical third surface and a spherical fourth surface, and located above the second surface of the first lens (L1); a third lens (L3), having a spherical fifth surface and a spherical sixth surface, wherein the fifth surface of the third lens (L3) is attached to the fourth surface of the second lens (L2); a fourth lens (L4), having a spherical seventh surface and a spherical eighth surface, and located above the sixth surface of the third lens (L3); a fifth lens (L5), having a spherical ninth surface and a spherical tenth surface, and located above the eighth surface of the fourth lens (L4); a sixth lens (L6), having a spherical eleventh surface and a spherical twelfth surface, wherein the eleventh surface of the sixth lens (L6) is attached to the tenth surface of the fifth lens (L5); a seventh lens (L7), having a spherical thirteenth surface and a spherical fourteenth surface, and located above the twelfth surface of the sixth lens (L6); an eighth lens (L8), having a spherical fifteenth surface and a spherical sixteenth surface, and located above the fourteenth surface of the seventh lens (L7); and a ninth lens (L9), having a spherical seventeenth surface and a spherical eighteenth surface, wherein the seventeenth surface of the ninth lens (L9) is attached to the sixteenth surface of the eighth lens (L8).
Regarding claim 3, Matsumura discloses (Figs. 1-42; in particular Fig. 11) the first lens (L1) comprises a divergent lens (section 0091).
Regarding claim 4, Matsumura discloses (Figs. 1-42; in particular Fig. 11) the fourth lens (L4) comprises a convergent lens (section 0092).
Regarding claim 5, Matsumura discloses (Figs. 1-42; in particular Fig. 11) the seventh lens (L7) comprises a convergent lens (section 0093).
Claims 6 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cheng et al. (US 20180275379).
Regarding claim 6, Cheng discloses (Figs. 1A-3E; in particular Fig. 3A) a couple-in lens assembly, comprising: a first lens (G1), having a spherical first surface and a spherical second surface; a second lens (G2), having a spherical third surface and a spherical fourth surface, and located above the second surface of the first lens (G1); a third lens (G3), having a spherical fifth surface and a spherical sixth surface, and located above the fourth surface of the second lens (G2); a fourth lens (G4), having a spherical seventh surface and a spherical eighth surface, and located above the sixth surface of the third lens (G3); a fifth lens (G5), having a spherical ninth surface and a spherical tenth surface, wherein the ninth surface of the fifth lens (G5) is attached to the eighth surface of the fourth lens (G5); and a sixth lens (G6), having a spherical eleventh surface and a spherical twelfth surface, wherein the eleventh surface of the sixth lens (G6) is attached to the tenth surface of the fifth lens (G5).
Regarding claim 8, Cheng discloses (Figs. 1A-3E; in particular Fig. 3A) the first lens (G1) comprises a divergent lens (section 0037).
Regarding claim 9, Cheng discloses (Figs. 1A-3E; in particular Fig. 3A) the second lens (G2) comprises a convergent lens (section 0037).
Regarding claim 10, Cheng discloses (Figs. 1A-3E; in particular Fig. 3A) the third lens (G3) comprises a convergent lens (section 0037).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 7 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art does not disclose or suggest the couple-in lens assembly of claim 2, in particular the limitations of an aperture, disposed and attached on the eighteenth surface. The prior art does not disclose or suggest the couple-in lens assembly of claim 7, in particular the limitations of an aperture, disposed and attached on the twelfth surface.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES S CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-5024. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/CHARLES S CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871