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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2 recites “wherein the ring member is pivotally coupled to the ring member”. This recitation is unclear and lacks proper antecedent basis, as it suggests that the ring member is pivotally couple to itself. The claim does not identify a distinct structural element to which the ring member is pivotally coupled, rendering the relationship between components ambiguous. For examination purpose, examiner will interpret it as “wherein the ring member is pivotally coupled to the filter member”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. CN 219715904 U in view of Neiman US 2010/0183292.
Regarding claim 1, Zhou teaches a device for use with a smartphone for interchangeably mounting camera filters (as shown in Figs. 1-2: filter 30 and adaptor 12 for mounting the filter mounted on a smartphone 40 is depicted, and abstract states that “the adaptor is used to magnetically attach filter so that the filter is positioned in front of the through hole” which necessarily implies removability and replacement i.e., interchangeability),
the device comprising: a base plate (as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 6: adapter 12 is mounted on the camera 40 with its base plate); an aperture in the base plate (see Fig. 3: opening 132), wherein the aperture corresponds to a camera module of the smartphone (see Figs. 1-2: once the adaptor 12 mounted on the camera 40, opening 132 i.e., aperture, corresponds the camera module of the camera 40).
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Zhou fails to teach: a skirt extends perpendicularly from a periphery of the base plate, wherein an inner surface of the skirt has threads for mounting the camera filters.
Zhou and Neiman are related with respect to removably mounting filters to a camera lens (see Title of Neiman).
Neiman teaches a skirt extends perpendicularly from a periphery of the base plate (as detailed in para 0021, Figs. 2-4, specifically Fig. 4: skirt 130 is perpendicular from base plate 138), wherein an inner surface of the skirt has threads (as shown in Figs. 2-4: the inner side of skirt 130 has interior thread 136) for mounting the camera filters (camera filter 20 i.e., camera filter 20 has exterior thread 26 as shown in Fig. 4) (see para 0021: “The forward end preferably includes interior threads 136 to threadably receive the male exterior threaded flange 26 of a standard filter 20”). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the adaptor of Zhou by utilizing the claimed skirt having an interior thread as taught by Neiman in order to allow use of standard threaded camera filters, since both references are directed to interchangeable camera filter mounting and the substitution of one known removable attachment mechanism with another yields predictable results.
Regarding claim 2, the combination Zhou teaches the device of claim 1, and Zhou further teaches wherein the base plate and the skirt forms a filter member of the device (as shown in Figs. 1-2: once the filter 30 mounted to the base plate 12, it forms filter member for the camera 40), wherein the device further comprises a ring member (Fig. 1: 11), wherein the ring member is pivotally coupled to the ring member (see Figs. 1-4: ring 11 is pivotally 20 connected to the filter member 12 i.e., filter member is once the adaptor 12 and filter 30 are coupled as shown in Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, the combination Zhou teaches the device of claim 1, and Zhou further teaches wherein at least the ring-shaped is made of ferromagnetic material (see abstract: the device is magnetically attached to the smartphone using a ring-shaped magnetic connection member pivotally coupled to the adapter member). Zhou does not explicitly teach the base plate is made of ferromagnetic material. However, Zhou discloses the magnetic attachment being provided on the ring-shaped member (see abstract and Fig. 7: magnetic 21 disposed on the ring 11). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date to have the base plate is made of ferromagnetic material (i.e., to instead associated the magnetic attachment with the base plate or filter member), as recited in the claim. Relocating a known magnetic attachment element between adjacent structural components that perform the same magnetic coupling function constitutes a predictable rearrangement of parts. Such relocation of a known element performing the same function does not result in a change in the principle of operation and is an obvious modification under KSR int’l Co. V. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007). See also In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019 (CCPA 1950) (holding that shifting the position of a known element where the function remains the same is an obvious matter of design choice), and In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553 (CCPA 1975) (placement of a known element in a different location performing the same function is obvious).
Regarding claim 4, Zhou teaches a method for interchangeably mounting camera filters to a camera module of a smartphone (as shown in Figs. 1-2: filter 30 and adaptor 12 for mounting the filter mounted on a smartphone 40 is depicted, and abstract states that “the adaptor is used to magnetically attach filter so that the filter is positioned in front of the through hole” which necessarily implies removability and replacement i.e., interchangeability),
the method comprising: providing a device comprising: a base plate (as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 6: adapter 12 is mounted on the camera 40 with its base plate);
an aperture in the base plate (see Fig. 3: opening 132), wherein the aperture corresponds to a camera module of the smartphone (see Figs. 1-2: once the adaptor 12 mounted on the camera 40, opening 132 i.e., aperture, corresponds the camera module of the camera 40).
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Zhou fails to teach: a skirt extends perpendicularly from a periphery of the base plate, wherein an inner surface of the skirt has threads for interchangeably mounting the camera filters; and coupling a camera filter with threads to the device.
Zhou and Neiman are related with respect to removably mounting filters to a camera lens (see Title of Neiman).
Neiman teaches a skirt extends perpendicularly from a periphery of the base plate (as detailed in para 0021, Figs. 2-4, specifically Fig. 4: skirt 130 is perpendicular from base plate 138), wherein an inner surface of the skirt has threads (as shown in Figs. 2-4: the inner side of skirt 130 has interior thread 136) for mounting the camera filters (camera filter 20 i.e., camera filter 20 has exterior thread 26 as shown in Fig. 4) (see para 0021: “The forward end preferably includes interior threads 136 to threadably receive the male exterior threaded flange 26 of a standard filter 20”). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the adaptor of Zhou by utilizing the claimed skirt having an interior thread as taught by Neiman in order to allow use of standard threaded camera filters, since both references are directed to interchangeable camera filter mounting and the substitution of one known removable attachment mechanism with another yields predictable results.
Regarding claim 5, the combination Zhou teaches the method of claim 4, and Zhou further teaches wherein the base plate and the skirt forms a filter member of the device (as shown in Figs. 1-2: once the filter 30 mounted to the base plate 12, it forms filter member for the camera 40), wherein the device further comprises a ring member (Fig. 1: 11), wherein the ring member is pivotally coupled to the ring member (see Figs. 1-4: ring 11 is pivotally 20 connected to the filter member 12 i.e., filter member is once the adaptor 12 and filter 30 are coupled as shown in Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, the combination Zhou teaches the method of claim 4, and Zhou further teaches wherein at least the ring-shaped is made of ferromagnetic material (see abstract: the device is magnetically attached to the smartphone using a ring-shaped magnetic connection member pivotally coupled to the adapter member). Zhou does not explicitly teach the base plate is made of ferromagnetic material. However, Zhou discloses the magnetic attachment being provided on the ring-shaped member (see abstract and Fig. 7: magnetic 21 disposed on the ring 11). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date to have the base plate is made of ferromagnetic material (i.e., to instead associated the magnetic attachment with the base plate or filter member), as recited in the claim. Relocating a known magnetic attachment element between adjacent structural components that perform the same magnetic coupling function constitutes a predictable rearrangement of parts. Such relocation of a known element performing the same function does not result in a change in the principle of operation and is an obvious modification under KSR int’l Co. V. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007). See also In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019 (CCPA 1950) (holding that shifting the position of a known element where the function remains the same is an obvious matter of design choice), and In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553 (CCPA 1975) (placement of a known element in a different location performing the same function is obvious).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN 218783822 U: teaches a skirt extends perpendicularly from a periphery of the base plate, wherein an inner surface of the skirt has threads for mounting the camera filters (see Fig. 4).
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/EPHREM Z MEBRAHTU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872