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 4/12/2024 was filed 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 § 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) 1-9, 13, 14, 21, 23, and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chien (US 2019/0208577 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Chien discloses an image pickup apparatus (page 1, sections [0014]-[0018], Figure 1, “100,” re: camera) comprising: an optical element (Figure 1, “111,” re: lens); a heat generation source of which a heat generation amount can be controlled (pages 1-2, section [0018], Figure 3, “123,” re: heating sheet and controller); a holding member (page 1, section [0017], Figure 4, “122,” re: thermally conductive elastomer) configured to hold the optical element (Figure 4, “111”); and a heat transfer member having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the holding member, and configured to transfer a heat of the heat generation source to the optical element (page 1, section [0017], Figure 4, “121,” re: thermal conductivity of thermal sleeve “121” (i.e. copper or aluminum) is much greater than the thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive elastomer “122” (i.e. cured liquid silicone)).
In regard to claims 1 and 4, Chien discloses an image pickup apparatus (page 1, sections [0014]-[0018], Figure 1, “100,” re: camera) comprising: an optical element (Figure 1, “111,” re: lens) contained in an exterior (page 1, section [0014], Figure 1, “111,” re: lens located on exterior of camera “100” of a vehicle in a low temperature environment); a heat generation source of which a heat generation amount can be controlled (pages 1-2, section [0018], Figure 3, “123,” re: heating sheet and controller); a holding member (page 1, section [0017], Figure 4, “122,” re: thermally conductive elastomer) configured to hold the optical element (Figure 4, “111”); and a heat transfer member having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the holding member, and configured to transfer a heat of the heat generation source to the optical element (page 1, section [0017], Figure 4, “121,” re: thermal conductivity of thermal sleeve “121” (i.e. copper or aluminum) is much greater than the thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive elastomer “122” (i.e. cured liquid silicone)).
Regarding claim 3, Chien discloses wherein the optical element is contained in an exterior (page 1, section [0014], Figure 1, “111,” re: lens located on exterior of camera “100” of a vehicle in a low temperature environment).
Regarding claim 5, Chien discloses wherein the heat transfer member (Figure 4, “121”) is thermally connected to the heat generation source (Figure 4, “123”).
Regarding claim 6, Chien discloses wherein the heat transfer member (Figure 4, “121”) is in contact with the optical element or in contact with the holding member at a vicinity of the optical element (Figure 4, “122, 111”).
Regarding claim 7, Chien discloses wherein the heat transfer member (Figures 3 & 4, “121”) includes a portion disposed so as to surround a periphery of the optical element (Figure 4, “111”).
Regarding claim 8, Chien discloses wherein the portion disposed so as to surround the periphery of the optical element has an annular shape (Figures 3 & 4, “121”).
Regarding claim 9, Chien discloses wherein the heat transfer member is made of metal (page 1, section [0017], Figure 4, “121,” re: thermal conductivity of thermal sleeve “121” (i.e. copper or aluminum)).
Regarding claim 13, Chien discloses said image pickup apparatus comprising a controller, wherein the controller controls the heat generation amount of the heat generation source (pages 1-2, section [0018], Figure 4, “126”).
Regarding claim 14, Chien discloses wherein the controller controls the heat generation amount of the heat generation source by changing a voltage to be applied to the heat generation source (pages 1-2, section [0018], Figure 4, “126,” re: changing current corresponds to changing voltage).
Regarding claim 21, Chien discloses wherein the controller detects a state of the heat generation source, and controls the heat generation amount of the heat generation source according to the detected state of the heat generation source (pages 1-2, section [0018], Figure 4, re: temperature sensor “126” detects temperature of heat generation source “123”).
Regarding claim 23, Chien discloses wherein the heat generation source and the optical element are contained in a common unit (Figure 4, “123, 111”).
Regarding claim 24, Chien discloses wherein the common unit is a lens barrel unit and the optical element is a lens (page 1, section [0017], Figures 1 & 4, “123, 111”).
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) 17 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chien as applied to claim 13 above, and further in view of Van Straten (US 2020/0340660 A1).
Regarding claims 17 and 18, Chien discloses as set forth above, but does not specifically disclose wherein the controller obtains an environment information including information on at least one of a temperature, a humidity, and an atmospheric pressure, and controls the heat generation amount of the heat generation source according to the obtained environment information.
Within the same field of endeavor Van Straten teaches that it is desirable in mobile applications for heat generation controllers to control the heat generation amount of a heat generation source according to an obtained environment information (i.e. ambient temperature) for the purpose of mitigating condensate (page 10, section [0206]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention, for the controller of Chien to control the heat generation amount according to the claimed obtained environment information since Van Straten teaches that it is desirable for the purpose of mitigating condensate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12, 15, 16, 19, 20, and 22 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 fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 10: an image pickup apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the heat transfer member includes two or more heat transfer elements, and the two or more heat transfer elements include a heat transfer element thermally connected to the heat generation source and a heat transfer element thermally connected to the optical element.
The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 11: an image pickup apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the heat transfer member includes two or more heat transfer elements, and one of the two or more heat transfer elements includes a portion connected to the heat generation source and a portion fixed to a member holding the heat generation source.
The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 12: an image pickup apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the heat transfer member includes two heat transfer elements in contact with each other, and the image pickup apparatus further includes a biasing member configured to bias the two heat transfer elements in a direction in which the two heat transfer elements are in contact with each other.
The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 15: an image pickup apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the controller controls the heat generation amount of the heat generation source according to a shooting mode.
The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 16: an image pickup apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the controller controls the heat generation amount of the heat generation source according to an execution history of a shooting mode.
The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 19: an image pickup apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the controller controls the heat generation amount of the heat generation source according to an obtainment history of the environment information.
The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 20: an image pickup apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the controller controls the heat generation amount of the heat generation source according to a remaining capacity of a battery or a consumption amount of the battery.
The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 22: an image pickup apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the heat generation source is an actuator.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C CHOI whose telephone number is (571)272-2324. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday, 9:00 am - 6:00 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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/WILLIAM CHOI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 March 12, 2026