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 § 102
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 1-2, 5-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okabe (US Publication No.: US 2008/0297647 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Okabe discloses an imaging device (Figure 2) comprising:
An imaging element (Figure 2, imaging element 2);
A neutral density (ND) filter unit including a plurality of filter holders (Figure 2, ND filter unit includes a plurality of filter holders 6 and 7; Paragraph 0038),
Each of the filter holders being mounted with a plurality of optical ND filters having different transmittances and being able to selectively insert the optical ND filters into an incident optical path for the imaging element (Figure 2, optical ND filters 8/9; Paragraph 0038); and
A control unit that can variably set the transmittance of the ND filter unit by performing drive control of switching the optical ND filter to be inserted into the incident optical path for each of the plurality of filter holders (Figure 2 and 6, control unit 13/14/15/16; Paragraphs 0041-0042 disclose a control unit that selects the filter and drives the filter holder to change position of the optical filters as needed), and
In a case where driving of the plurality of filter holders is required for switching to a target transmittance, performs control such that the plurality of filter holders to be drive is simultaneously displaced in a same direction by a same displacement amount (Paragraph 0043 discloses a step of measuring rotation amount where Paragraph 0044 discloses at least for filters 10/11 that each filter holder is displaced a same amount in a same direction).
Regarding Claim 2, Okabe discloses the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the filter holders each have a configuration in which a plurality of optical ND filters is mounted side by side in a circumferential direction (Figure 2 discloses that each of the optical filters are mounted side by side in a circumferential direction) and the optical ND filters are selectively inserted into the incident optical path by a rotation operation (Paragraph 0043 discloses rotation), and in a case where drive control of the plurality of filter holders is performed for switching to a target transmittance, the control unit performs control such that the plurality of filter holders to be driven simultaneously rotates in a same rotation direction by a same rotation amount (Paragraph 0044).
Regarding Claim 5, Okabe discloses the imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of filter holders is configured to be endlessly rotatable (Figure 2 and Paragraphs 0043-0045).
Regarding Claim 6, Okabe discloses the imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of filter holders each includes a plurality of optical ND filters including a clear filter (Figure 2, clear filters 10/11; Paragraph 0039).
Regarding Claim 7, Okabe discloses the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, among transmittances that can be set, in a case where the filter holder is driven in an intention of switching to the transmittance located adjacent in an order of transmittance, and in a case where the plurality of filter holders is required to be driven, the control unit performs control such that the plurality of filter holders to be driven is simultaneously displaced in a same direction by a same displacement amount (Paragraphs 0039-0045).
Regarding Claim 8, Okabe discloses the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, among transmittances that can be set, in a case where the filter holder is driven in an intention of switching to the transmittance not located adjacent in an order of transmittance, and in a case where the plurality of filter holders is required to be driven, the control unit performs control such that the plurality of filter holders to be driven is simultaneously displaced in a same direction by a same displacement amount (Paragraphs 0038-0045).
Regarding Claim 9, Okabe discloses the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, among transmittances that can be set, in a case where the filter holder is driven in an intention of switching to the transmittance not located adjacent in an order of transmittance, and in a case where the plurality of filter holders is required to be driven, the control unit individually sets a shortest displacement amount and a displacement direction for the plurality of filter holders to be driven to perform drive control (Paragraphs 0043-0045).
Regarding Claim 10, Okabe discloses the imaging device according to claim 1,wherein, among transmittances that can be set, as a control mode in a case where the filter holder is driven in an intention of switching to the transmittance not located adjacent in an order of transmittance, modes can be selected, the modes including: a mode in which the plurality of filter holders to be driven is simultaneously displaced in a same direction by a same displacement amount; and a mode in which a shortest displacement amount and a displacement direction for the plurality of filter holders to be driven are individually set to perform drive control (Paragraphs 0038-0045).
Regarding Claim 11, Okabe discloses the imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit provided integrally or separately, the operation unit giving an instruction to sequentially switch the transmittance of the ND filter unit in an order of transmittance (Figure 6, operation unit 13; Paragraph 0041).
Regarding Claim 12, Okabe discloses the imagine device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit provided integrally or separately, the operation unit being able to optionally designate a transmittance that can be set by the ND filter unit (Figure 6, operation unit 13; Paragraph 0041).
Regarding Claim 13, Okabe discloses the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein each of the filter holders is a filter disk (Figure 2 discloses filter disks).
Regarding Claim 14, Okabe discloses a control method (Figure 2; Figure 6; Paragraphs 0038-0045) comprising:
Controlling a neutral density (ND) filter unit including a plurality of filter holders (Figure 2, plurality of filter holders 6/7; Paragraph 0038),
Each of the filter holders being mounted with a plurality of optical ND filters having different transmittances and being able to selectively insert the optical ND filters into an incident optical path for an imaging element (Figure 2, plurality of optical ND filters 8/9; Paragraph 0038),
Each of the plurality of filter holders being able to have the transmittance variably set by switching the optical ND filter to be inserted into the incident optical path (Paragraphs 0038-0045),
Such that, in a case where driving of the plurality of filter holders is required for switching to a target transmittance, the plurality of filter holders to be driven is simultaneously displaced in a same direction by a same displacement amount (Paragraph 0043 discloses a step of measuring rotation amount where Paragraph 0044 discloses at least for filters 10/11 that each filter holder is displaced a same amount in a same direction).
Regarding Claim 15, Okabe discloses a program that causes an arithmetic processing device to execute control on a neutral density (ND) filter unit including a plurality of filter holders (Figure 6; Paragraphs 0038-0045; Figure 2, plurality of filter holders 6/7),
Each of the filter holders being mounted with a plurality of optical ND filters having different transmittances and being able to selectively insert the optical ND filters into an incident optical path for an imaging element (Figure 2, plurality of optical ND filters 8/9; Paragraphs 0038-0045),
Each of the plurality of filter holders being able to have the transmittance variably set by switching the optical ND filter to be inserted into the incident optical path, such that, in a case where driving of the plurality of filter holders is required for switching to a target transmittance, the plurality of filter holders to be driven is simultaneously displaced in a same direction by a same displacement amount (Paragraph 0043 discloses a step of measuring rotation amount where Paragraph 0044 discloses at least for filters 10/11 that each filter holder is displaced a same amount in a same direction).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIAM QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-4434. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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/MARIAM QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2871