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 § 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) 1-7, 10, 12 and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ichiguchi et al. US 2020/0039475 in view of Yamakawa US Patent No. 4,978,843.
Regarding claim 1, Ichiguchi teaches an optical module (see abstract and Fig. 2) comprising: a translucent body (Fig.2: light transmissive protection cover 2);
a vibrator that is tubular and supports the translucent body (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 5: vibrator section 12 including a first cylindrical member 13 and a second cylindrical member 14, forming cylindrical (tubular) structure, and protection cover 2 is fixed to a flange portion 14c of cylindrical member);
a piezoelectric element located at the vibrator to vibrate the vibrator (see para 0026-0027 and Figs. 2 and 5: piezoelectric vibrator 15 including cylindrical piezoelectric plated 16 and 17); and
an inner-layer optical component located at an inner side portion of the vibrator (Fig. 2: imaging section 5 disposed inward of the protection cover and vibrator section, the imaging section including a lens module 7);
wherein the inner-layer optical component includes an inner-layer lens that faces the translucent body (Fig. 2: lens module 7 includes lenses 9 arranged in the imaging direction and located behind protection cover 2, such that the front lens of the lens module faces the protection cover);
Ichiguchi teach all elements of claim 1, except for the specific limitation that:
a first recess that is recessed in a thickness direction of the inner-layer lens and includes a curvature on a surface of the inner-layer lens facing the translucent body; and a gap is located between the translucent body and the first recess of the inner-layer lens.
Yamakawa teaches an optical device (see at least Fig. 8 photoelectric sensor), including a transparent protector 3 (see Fig. 8), an optical body 1 disposed behind the protector 3 (see Fig. 8), wherein the optical body includes a first recess (41a) formed on a front surface facing the protector (see Fig. 8: 41a facing protector 3), the recess being concave (curved) and recessed in a thickness direction of the optical body (see Fig. 8), and space 41 provided between the protector 3 and the recessed portion 41a of the optical body 1 (see Fig. 8). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the optical module of Ichiguchi to include a recessed, curved surface on the inner-layer lens facing the translucent body as taught by Yamakawa, because Yamakawa teaches that forming a recessed, curved optical surface on an optical element facing a front transparent member is a known optical design configuration that enables control of optical paths and spatial relationships between components; and also a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying such a known recessed surface geometry to the front lens of Ichiguchi’s lens module would have been predictable sue of prior art elements according to their established functions (see KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007)). Additionally, it is well known within the ordinary skill in optical design to modify lens surfaces shapes (including concave or recessed surfaces) to achieve desired optical performance and structural spacing within an optical module.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical module according to claim 1, and Yamakawa further teaches wherein the first recess (Fig. 8: 41a) overlaps a central portion of the translucent body (cover 3) when viewed from a thickness direction of the translucent body (3) (see Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical module according to claim 2, and Yamakawa further teaches wherein a center of the first recess coincides or substantially coincides with a center of the translucent body when viewed from the thickness direction of the translucent body (as shown in Figs. 4(a)-4(d) and Fig. 8: first recess 41a is formed on a central portion of the front surface of the optical body 1, and the transparent protector 3 is disposed in front of and aligned with optical body. Thus, the center of the recess 41a coincided with the center of the translucent body (protector 3)).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical module according to claim 1, and Yamakawa further teaches wherein a depth of the first recess decreases toward an outer side portion from a center of the inner-layer lens when viewed from the thickness direction of the inner-layer lens (as shown in Figs. 4(a)-4(d) and Fig. 8: the first recess 41a is concave, where the recess has a maximum depth at the center and becomes smaller toward the outer side portion of the optical body 1).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical module according to claim 1, and Yamakawa further teaches wherein the first recess has a spherical shape or a non-spherical shape (as shown in Fig. 4(c) and Fig. 8: recess 41a has spherical shape).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical module according to claim 1, and Ichiguchi teaches further comprising a second recess that is recessed in a thickness direction of the translucent body and includes a curvature on a surface of the translucent body facing the inner-layer lens (as shown in Figs. 2 and 5: the inner side surface of cover 2 has concave surface).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical module according to claim 6, and Ichiguchi further teaches wherein the second recess of the translucent body is recessed in a hemispherical or substantially hemispherical shape (see Figs. 2, 5 and para 0037: cover 2 having hemispherical shape).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical module according to claim 1, except for wherein a maximum dimension of the gap is about 0.5 mm or more. However, Ichiguchi teaches a gap between the protection cover (2) and the inner optical components (see Fig. 2). The claimed limitation that the maximum dimension of the gap is about 0.5 mm or more constitutes an optimization of a known result-effective variable (gap size). It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to adjust the gap dimension to a suitable value, including about 0.5 mm or more, base on design consideration such as optical clearance and mechanical tolerance.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical module according to claim 10, and Yamakawa further teaches wherein the maximum dimension of the gap is a dimension between the translucent body and the first recess on a straight line passing through a center of the translucent body and a center of the first recess when viewed from a thickness direction of the translucent body (as shown in Fig. 8: gap 41 is defined between the protector 3 and recess 41a and the maximum dimension of the gap occurs along a straight line passing through the center of the protector and the center of the recess 41a).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches an optical device comprising: the optical module according to claim 1; and Ichiguchi further teaches an optical element at the optical module (see para 0024 and Fig. 2: optical device (imaging unit) including optical module and an optical element, such as an image sensor (imaging section 5) disposed within the module).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical device according to claim 14, and Yamakawa further teaches wherein the first recess (Fig. 8: 41a) overlaps a central portion of the translucent body (cover 3) when viewed from a thickness direction of the translucent body (3) (see Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical device according to claim 15, Yamakawa further teaches wherein a center of the first recess coincides or substantially coincides with a center of the translucent body when viewed from the thickness direction of the translucent body (as shown in Figs. 4(a)-4(d) and Fig. 8: first recess 41a is formed on a central portion of the front surface of the optical body 1, and the transparent protector 3 is disposed in front of and aligned with optical body. Thus, the center of the recess 41a coincided with the center of the translucent body (protector 3)).
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical device according to claim 14, and Yamakawa further teaches wherein a depth of the first recess decreases toward an outer side portion from a center of the inner-layer lens when viewed from the thickness direction of the inner-layer lens (as shown in Figs. 4(a)-4(d) and Fig. 8: the first recess 41a is concave, where the recess has a maximum depth at the center and becomes smaller toward the outer side portion of the optical body 1).
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical device according to claim 14, Yamakawa further teaches wherein the first recess has a spherical shape or a non-spherical shape (as shown in Fig. 4(c) and Fig. 8: recess 41a has spherical shape).
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical device according to claim 14, Ichiguchi teaches further comprising a second recess that is recessed in a thickness direction of the translucent body and includes a curvature on a surface of the translucent body facing the inner-layer lens (as shown in Figs. 2 and 5: the inner side surface of cover 2 has concave surface).
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Ichiguchi teaches the optical device according to claim 19, Ichiguchi further teaches wherein the second recess of the translucent body is recessed in a hemispherical or substantially hemispherical shape (see Figs. 2, 5 and para 0037: cover 2 having hemispherical shape).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 9, 11 and 13 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.
8. The optical module according to claim 6, wherein when viewed from the thickness direction of the translucent body, an outer diameter of the inner-layer lens is larger than an outer diameter of the second recess of the translucent body.
9. The optical module according to claim 6, wherein the curvature of the first recess of the inner-layer lens is larger than the curvature of the second recess of the translucent body.
11. The optical module according to claim 10, wherein the maximum dimension of the gap is in a range of about [(n×λ/2)+0.1 mm] or more and about [{(n+1)×λ/2}−0.1 mm] or less; and n indicates an integer of 0 or more, and λ indicates a wavelength of an acoustic wave generated by vibration.
13. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the inner-layer lens includes a flat surface perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction of the inner-layer lens on a surface facing the translucent body; the inner-layer optical component includes a lens holding portion that has a tubular shape and accommodates the inner-layer lens; and the lens holding portion includes a pressing portion that is in contact with the flat surface at an inner side portion of the lens holding portion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 8,899,761 and US 2022/0291503: teaches lens cleaning comprising vibratory assembly.
US Patent 9,167,140: teaches a first lens having a concave surface facing the cover lens.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EPHREM ZERU MEBRAHTU whose telephone number is (571)272-8386. The examiner can normally be reached 10 am -6 pm (M-F).
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, Thomas Pham can be reached at 571-272-3689. 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.
/EPHREM Z MEBRAHTU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872