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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/28/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-3 and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mohan et al. US 2021/0165185.
Re claim 1, Mohan discloses a camera(100) comprising: a camera housing (lens barrel 306 is screwed into lens mount barrel 314) having a threaded opening for receiving a lens (304) (figures 5A,5B; paragraphs 47-52),a lens (304) with an optical axis having a threaded tube for threaded engagement with the threaded opening of the camera housing, wherein the lens can be movably screwed into the threaded opening in the degree of freedom of the circumferential direction of the threaded tube and in the degree of freedom of the screwing direction of the lens aligned in the direction of the optical axis of the lens (lens 304 has optical axis and lens barrel 306 is screwed into the lens mount barrel 314 and threads 326 on lens barrel 306 contact protrusions 324)(figures 5A,5B; paragraphs 47-52), and a locking element for fixing the lens screwed into the threaded opening in the camera housing (protrusions 324 apply a force to lens barrel 306 via threads 326 to resist inadvertent rotation and fix the lens) (figures 5A, 5B; paragraphs 47-52), wherein the locking element (protrusions 324) has a fixing contour which is designed to engage in one of the threads of the threaded opening or of the threaded tube, and in that the locking element is displaceable in a direction other than the degree of freedom in the circumferential direction and the degree of freedom in the insertion direction of the lens, wherein the locking element is arranged on the camera to engage the thread in the position displaced at an angle to the degrees of freedom (protrusions apply a force to lens barrel 306 via threads 326 to resist inadvertent rotation and fix the lens) (figures 5A, 5B; paragraphs 47-52).
Re claim 2, Mohan further discloses that the locking element is displaceably arranged adjacent to the threaded opening in the camera housing (protrusions 324 apply a force to lens barrel 306 via threads 326 and protrusions are deformable in response to the force exerted on them by the threads 326) (figures 5A, 5B; paragraph 50).
Re claim 3, Mohan further discloses that the locking element is mounted on the camera housing transversely to the circumferential direction of the threaded opening radially in the direction of the optical axis and/or tangentially to the threaded opening (protrusions 324 are part of collar 308 and apply force to the lens barrel 306 via threads 326) (figures 5A, 5B; paragraphs 49-54).
Re claim 5, Mohan further discloses that the locking element (protrusions 324) is coupled with a clamping element (310) movably mounted on or in the camera housing and coupled with the locking element (324) for linear displacement of the locking element (collar 308 is mounted to lens mounts 316 and platform 318 by inserting the posts 310 through receiving holes 330 on the platform 318)(figures 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6; paragraph 49).
Re claim 6, Mohan further discloses that the clamping element (310) is coupled with the locking element (324) via a spring element (308), the spring element (308) being arranged between the clamping element (310) and the locking element (324) (protrusions 324 of elastic ring 308 are made of elastic material and are deformable) (figures 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6; paragraph 50).
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 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mohan et al. US 2021/0165185 in view of Nakamura et al. US 10,371,918.
Re claim 9, Mohan discloses all of the limitations of claim 5 above and further discloses that the camera housing comprises a threaded bore (lens mount barrel 314 includes a threaded bore) and a clamping element (310)(collar 308 is mounted to lens mounts 316 and platform 318 by inserting the posts 310 through receiving holes 330 on the platform 318)(figures 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6; paragraph 49). However, although the Mohan reference discloses all of the limitations above, it fails to specifically disclose that the camera includes a clamping screw rotatably mounted in the threaded bore of the camera housing wherein the clamping screw is arranged to apply force to the locking element.
Nakamura discloses that it is well known in the imaging art for an imaging device to include a locking screw (4050) that is rotatably mounted to apply force to and secure a threaded lens barrel (4020) (figures 17, 18; col. 16, line 58-col. 17, line 45). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to have been motivated to include a locking screw in a threaded lens barrel as disclosed by the Nakamura reference in the camera housing disclosed by the Mohan reference. Doing so would provide a means for securing a threaded lens barrel element at a desired position using an adjustable locking screw.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 7-8 and 10-11 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Re claim 4, the prior art fails to teach or suggest a camera having the specific configurations disclosed in claim 4, wherein the camera comprises: a camera housing having a threaded opening for receiving a lens, a lens with an optical axis having a threaded tube for threaded engagement with the threaded opening of the camera housing, wherein the lens can be movably screwed into the threaded opening in the degree of freedom of the circumferential direction of the threaded tube and in the degree of freedom of the screwing direction of the lens aligned in the direction of the optical axis of the lens, and a locking element for fixing the lens screwed into the threaded opening in the camera housing, wherein the locking element has a fixing contour which is designed to engage in one of the threads of the threaded opening or of the threaded tube, and in that the locking element is displaceable in a direction other than the degree of freedom in the circumferential direction and the degree of freedom in the insertion direction of the lens, wherein the locking element is arranged on the camera to engage the thread in the position displaced at an angle to the degrees of freedom, wherein the thread of the threaded opening of the camera housing is interrupted by a recess, the locking element being displaceably arranged in the recess, wherein the fixing contour of the locking element being curved corresponds to the contour of the thread of the threaded opening and continues said thread in the interrupted recess. The prior art fails to specifically disclose a camera and a threaded lens barrel configured in the exact configuration disclosed in the claims and specification.
Re claim 7, the prior art fails to teach or suggest a camera having the specific configurations disclosed in claim 7, wherein the camera comprises: a camera housing having a threaded opening for receiving a lens, a lens with an optical axis having a threaded tube for threaded engagement with the threaded opening of the camera housing, wherein the lens can be movably screwed into the threaded opening in the degree of freedom of the circumferential direction of the threaded tube and in the degree of freedom of the screwing direction of the lens aligned in the direction of the optical axis of the lens, and a locking element for fixing the lens screwed into the threaded opening in the camera housing, wherein the locking element has a fixing contour which is designed to engage in one of the threads of the threaded opening or of the threaded tube, and in that the locking element is displaceable in a direction other than the degree of freedom in the circumferential direction and the degree of freedom in the insertion direction of the lens, wherein the locking element is arranged on the camera to engage the thread in the position displaced at an angle to the degrees of freedom, wherein the locking element is coupled with a clamping element movably mounted on or in the camera housing and coupled with the locking element for linear displacement of the locking element, wherein the clamping element comprises a lever arm pivotably mounted on the camera housing, said clamping element comprising an eccentric-shaped actuating section, the actuating section being designed to exert a force causing the displacement of the locking element by the clamping element when the lever arm is pivoted. The prior art fails to specifically disclose a camera and a threaded lens barrel configured in the exact configuration disclosed in the claims and specification.
Re claims 8 and 10-11, the prior art fails to teach or suggest a camera having the specific configurations disclosed in claims 8 and 10-11, wherein the camera comprises: a camera housing having a threaded opening for receiving a lens, a lens with an optical axis having a threaded tube for threaded engagement with the threaded opening of the camera housing, wherein the lens can be movably screwed into the threaded opening in the degree of freedom of the circumferential direction of the threaded tube and in the degree of freedom of the screwing direction of the lens aligned in the direction of the optical axis of the lens, and a locking element for fixing the lens screwed into the threaded opening in the camera housing, wherein the locking element has a fixing contour which is designed to engage in one of the threads of the threaded opening or of the threaded tube, and in that the locking element is displaceable in a direction other than the degree of freedom in the circumferential direction and the degree of freedom in the insertion direction of the lens, wherein the locking element is arranged on the camera to engage the thread in the position displaced at an angle to the degrees of freedom, wherein the locking element is coupled with a clamping element movably mounted on or in the camera housing and coupled with the locking element for linear displacement of the locking element, wherein the locking element comprises a threaded bore, and that the clamping element is a clamping screw rotatably mounted in the threaded bore of the locking element, wherein the clamping screw is arranged to be supported on the camera housing for applying force to the locking element. The prior art fails to specifically disclose a camera and a threaded lens barrel configured in the exact configuration disclosed in the claims and specification.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Percival et al. US 2021/0197733 discloses a camera for a vehicle including a threaded camera lens and a screw locking device.
Danicich et al. US 2021/0152715 discloses a fluid resistant lens mount including a threaded bore.
Feng US 2020/0028996 discloses an image focusing adjustment module including a threaded lens barrel.
Nakamura et al. US 2017/0223243 discloses an imaging device including a threaded lens barrel and a locking screw.
Contacts
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kelly L. Jerabek whose telephone number is (571) 272-7312. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, George Eng can be reached at (571) 272-7495. The fax phone number for submitting all Official communications is (571) 273-7300. The fax phone number for submitting informal communications such as drafts, proposed amendments, etc., may be faxed directly to the Examiner at (571) 273-7312.
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/KELLY L JERABEK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2699