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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 11, fifth paragraph, filed May 13, 2026, with respect to claim 7 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 7, 9 and 12 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 14, 15, 18 and 19 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 14, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kaneko (U.S. Patent Number 4,099,842), of record.
With regard to independent claim 14, Kaneko teaches an optical lens (Figure 1), comprising a first lens element (Figure 1, element L1), a second lens element (Figure 2, element L2), a third lens element (Figure 1, element L3), and a fourth lens element (Figure 1, element L4) sequentially arranged along an optical axis from an object side to an image side (Figure 1), wherein each of the first lens element to the fourth lens element comprises an object-side surface facing the object side and allowing imaging rays to pass through (Figure 1, elements R1, R3, R4 and R6) and an image-side surface facing the image side and allowing the imaging rays to pass through (Figure 1, elements R2, R4, R5 and R7); the second lens element has positive refracting power (column 1, line 64-65, wherein, by definition, a biconvex lens has positive refractive power); the third lens element has negative refracting power (column 1, lines 64-65); an optical axis region of the object-side surface of the fourth lens element is convex (column 1, line 66-68 and column 4, Example 1, Radius data for R6); and an optical axis region of the image-side surface of the fourth lens element is concave (column 1, line 66-68 and column 4, Example 1, Radius data for R7); wherein lens elements of the optical imaging lens only comprise the first lens element to the fourth lens element (column 4, lines 29-30 and Figure 1), an image-side surface of a Nth lens element counted from the object side to the image side along the optical axis is cemented to an object-side surface of a N+1th lens element counted from the object side to the image side along the optical axis, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 3 (Figure 1, wherein N=2 and L2 is cemented to L3 and column 1, lines 64-65); wherein the optical imaging lens satisfies: EFL/Fno ≧ 2.200mm, wherein EFL is an effective focal length of the optical imaging lens, and Fno is a f-number of the optical imaging lens (column 4, Example 1, wherein EFL = 100.0 mm; Fno = 3.6; and EFL/Fno = 27.8 mm): wherein the optical imaging lens satisfies the following conditional expression: ALT/AAG ≧ 3.000, wherein ALT is a sum of thicknesses of the first lens element through the fourth lens element along the optical axis, and AAG is a sum of a distance from the image- side surface of the first lens element to the object-side surface of the second lens element along the optical axis, a distance from the image-side surface of the second lens element to the object- side surface of the third lens element along the optical axis, and a distance from the image-side surface of the third lens element to the object-side surface of the fourth lens element along the optical axis (column 4, Example 1, dn data wherein ALT = d1 + d3 + d4 + d6 = 150; AAG = d2 + d5 = 3.4; and ALT/AAG = 44.1).
With regard to dependent claim 18, Kaneko teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 14, and further teaches such an optical lens satisfying the following conditional expression: HFOV/(AAG+T2) ≦ 15.100°/mm, wherein HFOV is a half field of view of the optical imaging lens, AAG is a sum of a distance from the image-side surface of the first lens element to the object-side surface of the second lens element along the optical axis, a distance from the image-side surface of the second lens element to the object-side surface of the third lens element along the optical axis, and a distance from the image-side surface of the third lens element to the object-side surface of the fourth lens element along the optical axis, and T2 is a thickness of the second lens element along the optical axis (column 4, Example 1, wherein HFOV = 60°/2; AAG = 3.4 mm; T2 = d3 = 50.0 mm; and HFOV/(AAG+T2) = 0.561 °/mm).
With regard to dependent claim 19, Kaneko teaches all of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 14, and further teaches such an optical lens satisfying the following conditional expression: T1/(G23+T4) ≧ 1.000, wherein T1 is a thickness of the first lens element along the optical axis, G23 is a distance from the image-side surface of the second lens element to the object-side surface of the third lens element along the optical axis, and T4 is a thickness of the fourth lens element along the optical axis (column 4, Example 1, wherein T1 = d1 =62.5 mm; G23 = 0 mm; T4 = d6 =29.2 mm; and T1/(G23+T4) = 2.14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 and 6-13 are allowed.
Claims 15-17 and 20 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 taken either singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the independent claims, in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. §102 or §103 would be proper.
With regard to independent claim 1, although the prior art teaches an optical imaging lens, comprising a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, and a fourth lens element sequentially arranged along an optical axis from an object side to an image side, wherein each of the first lens element to the fourth lens element comprises an object-side surface facing the object side and allowing imaging rays to pass through and an image-side surface facing the image side and allowing the imaging rays to pass through; an optical axis region on the object-side surface of the first lens element is convex; the second lens element has positive refracting power; a periphery region of the image-side surface of the third lens element is concave; a periphery region of the image-side surface of the fourth lens element is concave; wherein lens elements of the optical imaging lens only comprise the first lens element to the fourth lens element, an image-side surface of a Nth lens element counted from the object side to the image side along the optical axis is cemented to an object-side surface of a N+1th lens element counted from the object side to the image side along the optical axis, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 3, the prior art fails to teach such an optical imaging lens simultaneously satisfying the conditional expressions: EFL/Fno ≧ 2.200mm and ALT/AAG ≧ 3.000, as defined.
With regard to dependent claims 2-4 and 6, claims 2-4 and 6 are allowable as they depend, directly or indirectly, from independent claim 1 and therefore inherit all of the limitations of the claim from which they depend.
With regard to independent claim 7, although the prior art teaches an optical imaging lens, comprising a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, and a fourth lens element sequentially arranged along an optical axis from an object side to an image side, wherein each of the first lens element to the fourth lens element comprises an object-side surface facing the object side and allowing imaging rays to pass through and an image-side surface facing the image side and allowing the imaging rays to pass through; an optical axis region of the object-side surface of the first lens element is convex; the second lens element has positive refracting power; the third lens element has negative refracting power; an optical axis region of the image-side surface of the fourth lens element is concave; wherein lens elements of the optical imaging lens only comprise the first lens element to the fourth lens element, an image-side surface of a Nth lens element counted from the object side to the image side along the optical axis is cemented to an object-side surface of a N+1th lens element counted from the object side to the image side along the optical axis, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 3, the prior art fails to teach such an optical imaging lens simultaneously satisfying the conditional expressions: EFL/Fno ≧ 2.200mm and ALT/AAG ≧ 3.000, as defined.
With regard to dependent claims 8-13, claims 8-13 are allowable as they depend, directly or indirectly, from independent claim 7 and therefore inherit all of the limitations of the claim from which they depend.
With regard to dependent claims 15-17 and 20, although the prior art teaches an optical lens, comprising a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, and a fourth lens element sequentially arranged along an optical axis from an object side to an image side, wherein each of the first lens element to the fourth lens element comprises an object-side surface facing the object side and allowing imaging rays to pass through and an image-side surface facing the image side and allowing the imaging rays to pass through; the second lens element has positive refracting power; the third lens element has negative refracting power; an optical axis region of the object-side surface of the fourth lens element is convex; and an optical axis region of the image-side surface of the fourth lens element is concave; wherein lens elements of the optical imaging lens only comprise the first lens element to the fourth lens element, an image-side surface of a Nth lens element counted from the object side to the image side along the optical axis is cemented to an object-side surface of a N+1th lens element counted from the object side to the image side along the optical axis, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 3; wherein the optical imaging lens satisfies: EFL/Fno ≧ 2.200mm and ALT/AAG ≧ 3.000, as defined, the prior art fails to teach such an optical imaging lens simultaneously satisfying the conditional expressions: V1/(V3+V4) ≧ 0.790, as defined and claimed in dependent claim 15; EFL/ALT ≧ 2.500, as defined and claimed in dependent claim 16; TTL·Fno/BFL ≤ 15.100°/mm, as defined and claimed in dependent claim 17; or (AAG+G23)/G34 ≤ 1.500, as defined and claimed in dependent claim 20.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DARRYL J COLLINS whose telephone number is (571) 272-2325. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 5:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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, Ricky L Mack can be reached at 571-272-2333. 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.
/DARRYL J COLLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
18 June 2026
Prosecution Insights