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 Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities: on line 7, insert -- light – after the phrase “at least one”, and on line 9, insert -- light -- after the phrase “at least one”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities: on line 1, insert -- light – after the phrase “at least one”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities: on line 7, insert -- light – after the phrase “at least one”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: on line 1, insert -- light – after the phrase “at least one”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 5 contains the trademark/trade names such as: PL mount, LPL mount, XPL mount, a PRIMO 70 mount, or BNCR mount, G-mount, or a PV mount. Where trademarks or trade names used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademarks or trade names cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademarks/trade names are used to identify/describe different types of lens mounts and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao et al. (US Pub. No. 2024/0040244) in view of Hu et al. (US Pub. No. 2021/0029788).
Regarding claims 15-17, Liao teaches a camera device with tunable flaring capability (the camera is capable of tunable flaring by adjusting the brightness, angle and etc...), the camera device comprising:
a lens (34) comprising a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface facing an image plane of the camera device;
at least one light emitting diode (46) within the camera device between the rear surface of the lens and the imaging plane of the camera device; and
a controller (48) in electrical communication with the at least one emitting diode and configured to control the emission of the light by the at least one light emitting diode; and
wherein the at least one light emitting diode is configured to create a flare effect, a flash effect, or a washed effect in the space between the rear surface of the lens mount and the image plane of the camera device (the LEDs are mounted on an inner surface of the lens holder, para. 19, thus creating a washed effect/wall washing effect on the interior space) [claim 16].
Hung does not specifically teach a power converter configured to provide electrical power to at least one light emitting diode; wherein the controller is configured to adjust the brightness, color or interval of the at least one light emitting diode [claim 17].
Hu teaches a light source controller comprises a power converter (120) configured to provide electrical power to at least one light emitting diode (para. 11); and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the brightness, color or interval of the at least one light emitting diode (para. 19).
It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a power converter as taught by Hu within Liao’s controller in order to facilitate controlling the light emission of the at least one light emitting diode.
Regarding claims 18- 20, Liao teaches a camera device with tunable flaring capabilities (the camera is capable of tunable flaring by adjusting the brightness, angle and etc.…), the camera device comprising:
a lens (a lens 34 and the lens holder 36);
at least one light emitting diode integrated into the lens (para. 19, the LEDs coupled to the inner surface of the lens holder), the at least one light emitting diode configured to emit light into a space between a rear surface of the lens and an image plane of the camera device (Fig. 3); and
a controller (48) configured to control the emission of the light by the at least one light emitting diode;
wherein the at least one light emitting diode is configured to create a flare effect, a flash effect, or a washed effect in the space between the rear surface of the lens mount and the image plane of the camera device (the LEDs are mounted on an inner surface of the lens holder, para. 19, thus creating a washed effect/wall washing effect on the interior space) [claim 19].
Hung does not specifically teach a power converter configured to provide electrical power to at least one light emitting diode; wherein the controller is configured to adjust the brightness, color or interval of the at least one light emitting diode [claim 20].
Hu teaches a light source controller comprises a power converter (120) configured to provide electrical power to at least one light emitting diode (para. 11); and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the brightness, color or interval of the at least one light emitting diode (para. 19).
It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a power converter as taught by Hu within Liao’s controller in order to facilitate controlling the light emission of the at least one light emitting diode.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-4, 6-14 and 21 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, applicant has sufficiently defined and claimed a system for tunable flaring, whereby the prior art does not teach or suggest at least one perforation located on a fist surface of the lens mount and a collar configured to be secured to the first surface of the lens mount, the collar rotatable along the first surface of the lens mount between a first position and a second position, in combination with all other limitations set forth in the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH Q PHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3898. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
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MINH Q. PHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2852
/MINH Q PHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852