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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
1. In the event that 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 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) 11- 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Evans, V et al. US2018/0317339 in view of Ai US2019/0052785.
Per claim 11 Evans teaches an image capture apparatus (10 or 36, see fig.1A-1C & 5B), comprising: a pair of opposing image assemblies (12-1 & 20, and 12-2 & 20, see fig.2B) that are configured to generate heat ([0004], [0034]-[0035] & [0041], see fig.2B), separated by a space (see fig.2B & 5B), and aligned along an optical axis (see fig.2B & 5B); first and second walls that bridge between the pair of opposing image assemblies (see fig.1A-2B & 5B, “curved walls”); a heatsink (38) that is separated from the pair of opposing image assemblies and the first and second walls (see fig.5B); and a heat conductor assembly (40; [0053]) that is connected to the pair of opposing image assemblies (see fig.5B), extends through a channel positioned between the first and second walls, and is connected to the heatsink (see fig.5B).
Evans does not explicitly teach image sensor.
Ai however discloses an image sensor ([0006], [0041])
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have image sensors as taught by Ai in the image capture apparatus of Evans, because it enables electrical detection of images, which enables the circuit to process and enable proper control and functionality of the image capture apparatus.
Per claim 12 Evans in view of Ai teaches the image capture apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a third wall (see fig.2B, “long horizontal portion”) that bridges between the pair of opposing image sensor assemblies and the first and second walls(see fig.2B & 5B).
Claim(s) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Evans, V et al. US2018/0317339 in view of Ai US2019/0052785 as applied to claim 11 and further in view of Garcia et al. US10054845.
Per claim 14 Evans in view of Ai teaches the image capture apparatus of claim 11,
Evans in view of Ai does not explicitly teach wherein the heat conductor assembly comprises: a rigid heat conductor that extends between the heatsink and the pair of opposing image sensor assemblies, wherein the rigid heat conductor is connected to each of the pair of opposing image sensor assemblies by a separate thermal pad or a separate thermal paste.
Garcia et al. however discloses wherein a heat conductor assembly (340 & 342, see fig.3) comprises: a rigid heat conductor (340) that extends between the heatsink and the pair of opposing image sensor assemblies (see fig.3), wherein the rigid heat conductor is connected to each of the pair of opposing image sensor assemblies by a separate thermal pad (321 & 323, see fig.3) or a separate thermal paste.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have a rigid heat conductor and a separate thermal pad as taught by Garcia et al. in the image capture assembly of Evans in view of Ai, because it enables effective heat dissipation from the image sensor assembly.
Per claim 15 Evans in view of Ai and Garcia et al. teaches the image capture apparatus of claim 14, wherein the rigid heat conductor (340) is connected with the heatsink and a different heatsink (342) that is separate (see fig.3).
Allowable Subject matter
2. Claim 13 is 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.
Claim 13, includes allowable subject matter because of the heat conductor assembly comprises: a first flexible heat conductor connected with one of the pair of opposing image sensor assemblies and the heatsink through the channel; and a second flexible heat conductor connected with another of the pair of opposing image sensor assemblies and the heatsink or a different heatsink through the channel, wherein the first and second flexible heat conductors are separated from each other within the channel.
Claims 1-10 & 16-20 are allowable
3. Regarding Independent claim 1, patentability exists, at least in part, with the claimed combination of elements and features of: an image capture apparatus, comprising: first and second image sensors that are configured to generate heat and are opposed a space from each other; a housing assembly that encloses the first and second image sensors; first and second circuit boards that are connected respectively and separately with the first and second image sensors, wherein the first and second circuit boards include peripheral edges that extend from the first and second image sensors to an outside of the housing assembly; a heatsink assembly positioned on the outside of the housing assembly; and a heat conductor assembly that extends between the heatsink assembly and the first and second circuit boards.
Claims 2-10 depends on claim 1, therefore allowable for the same reason.
Regarding Independent claim 16, patentability exists, at least in part, with the claimed combination of elements and features of: an image capture apparatus, comprising: an image sensor assembly, comprising: a housing that includes one or more openings; first and second image sensors that are optically aligned and fully enclosed within the housing; a first circuit board partially enclosed in the housing and thermally connected with the first image sensor; and a second circuit board partially enclosed in the housing, opposed a space from the first circuit board, and thermally connected with the second image sensor; a heatsink external of the housing and configured to dissipate heat; and a heat conductor assembly positioned between the first and second circuit boards, the heat conductor assembly configured to thermally couple the heatsink with a portion of the first and second circuit boards that are independently positioned within or external of the housing.
Claims 17-20 depends on claim 16, therefore allowable for the same reason.
Email Communication
4. Applicant is encouraged to authorize the Examiner to communicate via email by filing form PTO/SB/439 either via USPS, Central Fax, or EFS-Web. See MPEP 502.01, 502, 502.05.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee et al. US7539412 discloses a camera module, comprising: first and second image sensor chips whose rear surfaces are adhered by a nonconductive bonding agent so that image region parts face opposite directions; a substrate that is connected to the first image sensor chip using bumps for signal connection and connected to the second image sensor chip using wires for signal connection.
Kang et al. US10652458 discloses a camera module and electronic device including the same.
Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior are included on the Notice of References Cited (PTOL 892) attached herewith. The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A MATEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5 EST.
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, JAYPRAKASH GANDHI can be reached at 5712723740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL A MATEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835