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 07/19/2024, 12/13/2024 and 01/12/2026. The submission is following the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(l) 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.
4. Claims 1, 2, 6, 8 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LV (US 2008/0284897 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 2, and 8, LV discloses (Fig.1) a sensor module (100) comprising: a lens unit (12); a base portion (30) on which a sensor (20) for receiving light from the lens unit (10)(Paragraph [0015], “in order to improve light transmittance of the lens 12”, and [0017], “The image sensor 20 can convert optical signals to digital image signals; and the image sensor 20 is optically aligned with the lens 12”, showing the light is not simply passing through the lens, it is being transmitted to the sensor 20 which “has an optically sensitive area 21 on a surface facing the lens module 10”, [0017]) is installed (see Fig.1 and paragraph [0013], “The image sensor 20 is mounted on the circuit board 30 and received between the lens module 10 and the circuit board 30”, showing the image sensor is mounted/installed on the board 30),a mount portion (13) installed on the base portion (30, see Fig.1); and an attachment portion (131 including the 1311/1312, Fig.1 or 315, Fig.3) that aligns the mount portion (13) with the lens unit (12)(see Fig.1 and [0016], “The holder 13 defines a cavity 131. The cavity 131 includes a first receiving portion 1311 and a second receiving portion 1312 communicating with the first receiving portion 1311”; and [0017], The image sensor 20 is received in the second receiving portion 1312 and is optically aligned with the lens 12”).
LV also discloses at least any one of a first sliding portion (internal thread of the mount portion or holder 13, see [0016], “The inner surface of the holder 13 around the first receiving portion 1311 is internally threaded”) that causes the mount portion (13) to slidably support the attachment portion (131) (see Fig.1, and [0015], The barrel 11 is externally threaded”, [0016], “the barrel 11 can be moved along a long/central axis of the cavity 131”, showing the internal and external threads are slidably support the connection of all structures), and a second sliding portion (“externally threaded 11”, [0015) that causes the attachment portion (131) to slidably support the lens unit (see Fig.1 and [0016]), or comprising both of the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion ( [0016], “The inner surface of the holder 13 around the first receiving portion 1311 is internally threaded (the first sliding portion) for engaging with the external thread of the barrel 11 (the second sliding portion), [0015], “the barrel 11 can be moved along a long/central axis of the cavity 131”, the “moved along” is a sliding motion).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, LV as discussed in claims 1 and 2, discloses the mount portion (13, Fig.1) being provided with a dustproof filter (40) that protects the sensor from dust (paragraph [0018], “The filter 40 is applied to prevent dust from migrating from the circuit board 30 along the inner surface of the holder 13 to eventually come to rest on the image sensor 20”, “The filter 40 traps any dust that would otherwise have bounced off the inner surface to land on the image sensor 2”).
Claims 1-5, 8-10,12-15, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masanori (JP 2003114308 A).
Regarding claims 1, 2, 8, Masanori discloses (Fig.7) a sensor module comprising:
a lens unit (120 includes 122);
a base portion (210) on which a sensor (220) for receiving light from the lens unit (120) is installed (Fig.8, the solid-state imaging element chip 220 is disposed inside a package 210, and the system describe an imaging optical system and an imaging camera device for filtering imaging light [0001], where light passes through the lens to the chip);
a mount portion (110B) installed on the base portion (210); and
an attachment portion (110A) that aligns the mount portion (110B) with the lens unit (120, see Fig.8, the 110A holds the lens and fits into 110B).
Masanori also discloses at least any one of a first sliding portion (inner wall of 110B, Fig.8) that causes the mount portion to slidably support the attachment portion and a second sliding portion (the screw threads on the 110A) that causes the attachment portion to slidably support the lens unit, or comprising both of the first sliding portion (the inner wall of 110B) and the second sliding portion (the screw threads on the 110A)(see Fig.8 and paragraph [0022], “two cylinder portions 110A and 110B are screwed together with a screw” and [0021], “the two cylinder parts 110A and 110B are detachable so that the imaging optical system and the solid-state imaging unit can be easily separated”, indicating the “sliding”, they slide together during assembly) .
Regarding claims 3, 5 and 9, 12, 15, Masanori as discussed in claims 1 and 8, discloses the attachment portion (110A, Fig.7) including a diaphragm portion (140) that reduces an amount of light received (see Fig. 7 and [0015], “An optical diaphragm 140 is provided on one side of the optical filter element 130…in the outer peripheral portion that is a portion that does not affect the imaging light”, and with restricting portions 122A and 122B showing that by placing the diagram 140 on the periphery, the light from the center of the lens is allowed through, indicating that with restricting portions 122A and 122B, the amount of light is reduced) from the lens unit (122) in the attachment portion (110A, see Fig.7), and the attachment portion (110A) includes a filter portion (130) integrally including an optical filter (130) in a diaphragm portion (140, [0024], “ the imaging element, the optical filter element, and the optical diaphragm are fixed together with an adhesive”, and [0015], “An optical diaphragm 140 is provided on one side of the optical filter element 130. It is installed”) that reduces an amount of light received from the lens unit (122)( Fig.7, showing the optical diaphragm 140 and the optical filter element 130 together as a unit, and
[0015], “An optical diaphragm 140 is provided on one side of the optical filter element 130…in the outer peripheral portion that is a portion that does not affect the imaging light”, the light from the center of the lens is allowed through, which is reduction of light).
Regarding claims 4, 10, 13, 14 and 17, Masanori as discussed above, discloses the attachment portion (110A, Fig.7) including an optical filter (130) that allows light from the lens unit (122) to pass through the optical filter (130)(see Fig.7, the optical filter is placed along the optical axis between the lens 122 and the sensor 220, the light is from the lens unit to the sensor passing through the filter).
Masanori – Figure 7
PNG
media_image1.png
488
494
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Claims 1, 3, 7, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Honda et al., (US 2003/0071342 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Honda et al., disclose (Fig.5) a sensor module comprising:
a lens unit (3); a base portion (inherently included) on which a sensor (10A) for receiving light from the lens unit (3) is installed (paragraph [0131], “a light incident on the lens 3 for photographing is focused by the lens 3 for photographing and is incident on the light-receiving surface 10Aa of the solid-state image sensing chip 10A” and “The lens 3 for photographing is provided on the opposite side of the solid-state image sensing chip 10A”);
a mount portion (14A) installed on the base portion (where the sensor 10A disposed); and
an attachment portion (“a step part of the 14A”, [0130], and Fig. 5, the step part of the 14A where the IR filter 5 is arranged on) that aligns the mount portion (14A) with the lens unit (3)(see Fig.5).
Regarding claim 3, Honda et al., as discussed in claim 1, disclose the attachment portion(the step part of the through opening of the housing 14A, [0130]) including a diaphragm portion (5a, Fig.5) that reduces an amount of light received from the lens unit ([0130], “an aperture 5 a having an opening of a designated size on the lens 3 side of the IR filter 5”, and Fig.5 shows that the “designated size” restricts the light, or reduces the light volume reaching the sensor).
Regarding claim 7, Honda et al., as discussed in claim 3, disclose an opening diameter of the diaphragm portion (5A. Fig.5) being larger than an image circle diameter of the lens unit, or substantially the same diameter or the same diameter as the image circle diameter (paragraph [0131], “a light incident on the lens 3 for photographing is focused by the lens 3 for photographing and is incident on the light-receiving surface 10Aa of the solid-state image sensing chip 10A through the aperture 5 a and the IR filter 5”, and Fig.5 showing opening diameter is match or larger the image circle diameter of the lens unit) .
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 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LV, Masanori, or Honda et al., in view of Lee et al., (US 2021/0181349 A1).
Regarding claim 11, LV, Masanori, or Honda et al., as discussed in claim 1, do not disclose at least reflected light being received from a subject, and distance information is acquired using the reflected light as claimed. Lee et al., disclose at least reflected light being received from a subject (paragraph [0059], “The light receiver 120 may be a component for acquiring reflected light reflected from the object”), and distance information is acquired using the reflected light (paragraph [0065], “the object distance acquisition module 174 may acquire distance information on an object included in the depth image”, “acquire a depth value of a pixel corresponding to the detected object as a distance to the object”). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify LV, Masanori, or Honda et al., by utilizing the teaching of Lee et al., so that the system can be applied to a wide range of product and use cases, including direct measurement of a subject distance.
Conclusion
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAI THI NGOC TRAN whose telephone number is (571) 272- 3456. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9:00-5:30pm.
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, GEORGIA EPPS can be reached on (571) 272-2328. 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. Visithttps://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.
/M.T.T./Examiner, Art Unit 2878
/GEORGIA Y EPPS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2878