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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group 1: Species A and Group 2: Species B, readable on Claims 1-12 in the reply filed on 04/17/2026 is acknowledged.
Examiner’s Comments
The present rejection(s) reference specific passages from cited prior art. However, Applicant is advised that the rejections are based on the entirety of each cited prior art. That is, each cited prior art reference “must be considered in its entirety”. (See MPEP 2141.02(VI)) Therefore, Applicant is advised to review all portions of the cited prior art if traversing a rejection based on the cited prior art.
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.
Claims 3-4 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 3-4 recites the limitation of “grip part includes at least one projecting portion or recessed portion” which are already established components in claim 1 and do not need to be reiterated unless the intended structure is multiple of each of these components, nonetheless, the examiner is interpreting these as the same component but suggests amending to provide clarity as to the invention as intended.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuchimaru et al. (US 20100063361 A1, hereinafter Kuchimaru).
Regarding Claim 1, Kuchimaru discloses
An endoscope imaging device (image pickup unit 30, FIGS. 2-5) that acquires an image of an observation target (par. 43 discloses image pickup functions of image pick up unit), comprising:
at least one movement group (movable lens unit 32, FIG. 3) including a movable lens (movable lens 39, FIG. 3) that is movable along an optical axis (photographic optical axis O, FIG. 3, par. 56 discloses movement of movable lens along optical axis);
a plurality of fixed groups (front lens group 35 + rear lens group 33, FIG. 3) including a fixed lens (rear lens group 33, FIG. 3) whose position is fixed with respect to the optical axis (FIGS. 2-5, par. 51 disclose rear lens group unit is a fixed lens unit);
a sensor (solid-state image pickup device unit 46, FIG. 3) that receives light which has passed through the movable lens of the movement group and the fixed lens of the fixed group and that images the observation target (par. 51 discloses solid-state image pickup device unit includes CMOS; FIG. 3, par. 50 discloses image attributes are adjusted via lenses, i.e. focus and zoom);
a lens drive portion (actuator 62, FIG. 3) that moves the movement group along the optical axis (par. 65 discloses actuator moves the movable lens unit forward and backward, i.e. along optical axis); and
a lens barrel body (front lens group frame 34 + rear lens group frame 36, FIG. 3) provided with the movement group, the fixed group, and the lens drive portion (depicted in FIG. 3),
wherein at least one of the plurality of fixed groups is an adjustment group (rear lens group 33, FIG. 3, par. 55 discloses rear lens group configured for adjusting focus),
the adjustment group includes a cylindrical holding part (solid-state image pickup device holding frame 41, FIG. 5) inside which the fixed lens is provided (FIG. 5, par. 55 disclose rear lens group frame inserted in holding frame),
the holding part includes a grip part provided at one end part of the holding part and an end surface provided at the other end part opposite to the one end part in an optical axis direction (par. 55 discloses holding frame includes a portion that acts as a grip part, Modified FIG. 5 below depicts grip part, one end part, and end surface), and
the grip part includes a projecting portion or a recessed portion whose diameter changes with respect to a radial direction of the holding part (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 below), and
the adjustment group is configured such that the end surface provided at the other end part of the holding part is disposed at a position spaced apart from the lens barrel body or the fixed group in the optical axis direction (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 below), and
the grip part is disposed at a position spaced apart from the lens barrel body or the fixed group in the optical axis direction and protrudes from the lens barrel body or the fixed group (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 below), and
a side surface of the holding part is fixed to the lens barrel body or the fixed group (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 below).
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Modified FIG. 5 (US 20100063361 A1)
Regarding Claim 2, Kuchimaru discloses
The endoscope imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment group is provided at an end part (rear lens group frame 36, FIG. 3) of the lens barrel body on an observation target side or at an end part of the lens barrel body on a sensor side (depicted in FIGS. 3-5).
Regarding Claim 3, Kuchimaru discloses
The endoscope imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein the grip part includes at least one projecting portion or recessed portion (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 above), or
at least one hole, each of which is provided in a circumferential direction of the holding part (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 above),
the at least one projecting portion or recessed portion having a diameter that changes with respect to the radial direction of the holding part (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 above).
Regarding Claim 4, Kuchimaru discloses
The endoscope imaging device according to claim 2,
wherein the grip part includes at least one projecting portion or recessed portion (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 above), or
at least one hole, each of which is provided in a circumferential direction of the holding part (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 above),
the at least one projecting portion or recessed portion having a diameter that changes with respect to the radial direction of the holding part (depicted in Modified FIG. 5 above).
Regarding Claim 5, Kuchimaru discloses
The endoscope imaging device according to claim 1,
wherein, among the plurality of fixed groups, a fixed group (front lens group 35, FIG. 5) other than the adjustment group is mechanically positioned in the optical axis direction (depicted in FIGS. 3-5).
Regarding Claim 6, Kuchimaru discloses
The endoscope imaging device according to claim 2,
wherein, among the plurality of fixed groups, a fixed group (front lens group 35, FIG. 5) other than the adjustment group is mechanically positioned in the optical axis direction (depicted in FIGS. 3-5).
Regarding Claim 7, Kuchimaru discloses
The endoscope imaging device according to claim 3,
wherein, among the plurality of fixed groups, a fixed group (front lens group 35, FIG. 5) other than the adjustment group is mechanically positioned in the optical axis direction (depicted in FIGS. 3-5).
Regarding Claim 8, Kuchimaru discloses
The endoscope imaging device according to claim 2,
wherein the fixed group is provided at the end part (front lens group frame 34, FIG. 3) of the lens barrel body on the observation target side (depicted in FIGS. 3-5), and
the adjustment group is provided at the end part of the lens barrel body on the sensor side (depicted in FIGS. 3-5).
Regarding Claim 9, Kuchimaru discloses
The endoscope imaging device according to claim 4,
wherein the fixed group is provided at the end part (front lens group frame 34, FIG. 3) of the lens barrel body on the observation target side (depicted in FIGS. 3-5), and
the adjustment group is provided at the end part of the lens barrel body on the sensor side (depicted in FIGS. 3-5).
Regarding Claim 10, Kuchimaru discloses
The endoscope imaging device according to claim 6,
wherein the fixed group is provided at the end part (front lens group frame 34, FIG. 3) of the lens barrel body on the observation target side (depicted in FIGS. 3-5), and
the adjustment group is provided at the end part of the lens barrel body on the sensor side (depicted in FIGS. 3-5).
Regarding Claim 11, Kuchimaru discloses
An endoscope (electronic endoscope apparatus 2, FIG. 1) comprising:
the endoscope imaging device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 rejection above).
Regarding Claim 12, Kuchimaru discloses
An endoscope (electronic endoscope apparatus 2, FIG. 1) comprising:
the endoscope imaging device according to claim 2 (see claim 2 rejection above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDUL HADI ABBASI whose telephone number is (571)272-4076. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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, Anhtuan Nguyen can be reached at (571) 272-4963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDUL HADI ABBASI/Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/RYAN N HENDERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3795
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