DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference number 28 has been used to designate both a mounting system in figures 5 and 9, and a different element (presumably a module housing dust cover) in figure 7.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The specification is objected to for the following issues:
In the heading before [0002], "Technicial" should be replaced with "Technical".
At [0003] line 7, the phrase "The described with the of" appears to be missing some text.
At [0008], [0011], [0012], [0013], [0015], and [0016], in line 1 of each paragraph, "of the of the" should be replaced with "of the".
At [0025], the description uses reference numbers 22 and 23 to designate a fiber connector cavity or cavities respectively, but 22 and 23 do not appear in figure 18 and were used in earlier parts of the disclosure to designate different elements (a cell phone camera lens and flash).
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because line 2 recites "camera's" instead of "cameras".
Claim 1 is also objected to because lines 17 and 20 recite "a lens and or lens", which appears to recite the same element twice.
Claim 1 is also objected to because line 35 recites "Lense" instead of "lens".
Claim 1, to the extent that it can be construed as a multiple dependent claim by its use of "in the claims below" in lines 29-30 and 32, is also objected to under 37 CFR 1.75(c) as being in improper form because a multiple dependent claim must refer to ancestor claims in the alternative only. See MPEP § 608.01(n). Accordingly, the claim has not been further treated on the merits.
Claim 6 is objected to because it is not in proper form. See MPEP 608.01(m).
Claim 7 is objected to because line 1 recites "Lense" instead of "lens".
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.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 1 is indefinite because there is insufficient antecedent basis for:
"said module" as recited in line 1;
"the ... ferrule" as recited in line 4;
"said rotation mechanism" as recited in lines 14-15; or
"the cell phone flash and or flashlight" as recited in lines 23-24.
Claim 1 is also indefinite because line 3 recites "by means" but does not identify what means is being referred to (e.g. "means for _____" or "_____ means").
Claim 1 is also indefinite because line 9 recites "consisting of", which presumably refers to the two-piece module housing introduced in line 1, but then claim 1 proceeds to list six separate module housings and a module housing base. It is unclear how one module housing (from line 1) could "consist of" six module housings and a module housing base.
Claim 1 is also indefinite because the recitation "can be rotated with the rotation" in lines 13-14 is unclear. The horizontal mechanism can be rotated with the rotation of what?
Claim 1 is also indefinite because line 19 recites "the above-mentioned module housing" but does not identify which one of the multiple earlier mentioned module housings is being further limited.
Claim 1 is also indefinite because lines 29-30 and 32 refer to limitations "in the claims below", which is out of order and does not specify which of the later numbered claims is meant.
Claim 1 is also indefinite because line 34 contains a sentence fragment "field of view focus adjustment mechanism.", and lines 34-37 introduce a new sentence. The acceptable form for a claim is one sentence ("each claim must be the object of a sentence", MPEP 608.01(m)).
Claims 2-5 are indefinite by dependence from claim 1.
Claim 6 is indefinite because it is not a claim but rather is a multiple sentence description or narrative.
Claim 7 is indefinite because there is insufficient antecedent basis for "The mounting plate", "the mounting base housing", or "the desired Lense [sic] and or lenses".
In view of the extensive indefiniteness issues with the claims as filed, no prior art rejection will be attempted in this action (MPEP 2173.06(II)).
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 1, to the extent that it can be construed as a dependent claim by its use of "in the claims below" in lines 29-30 and 32, is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of a claim previously set forth.
Conclusion
US 2001/0055448 A1 and US 2015/0285708 A1 are believed to be relevant to the subject matter of this application insofar as the claims can be understood, and are cited on the attached 892 form. In general, they disclose fiber connector inspection devices with adjustable focus mechanisms. US 2013/0300919 A1 and US 2015/0171959 A1 are similarly believed to be relevant and were cited in a parent application and were already made of record in this application by an information disclosure statement.
Contact Information
Examiner: 571-272-2360
Examiner's direct supervisor: 571-272-2397
Official correspondence by fax: 571-273-8300
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/Michael Stahl/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874