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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/28/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to claim 1 Applicant argues, on pages 7-8 Cha Soo does not teach the limitations of the claims. This argument is moot at the limitations argued are to those taught by the secondary reference Kraemer.
On pages 9-10 Applicant argues Kraemer “fails to disclose or suggest a “light diffuser head, including the translucent optical lens and a rim of the light diffuser head, adjusts at least one optical property of light entering through the translucent optical lens based on an angle at which light enters the diffuser head and the translucent optical lens” stating “[t]he mere inclusion of a filter as a possible optical effect does not remedy the deficiencies of Cha Soo”.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicant’s argument. As stated in paragraph 22 of the Office Action mailed 3/23/2026 Soo states their invention is not limited to those mentioned explicitly and various modification can be made by anyone with ordinary knowledge in the field to which the invention belongs. Kraemer is clearly one of those persons with knowledge in the filed as it also discloses a similar clip based application for adding additional optics to a cellphone (see Fig. 2A). Kraemer then discloses various different optical arrangements for their clip which includes “two or more optical elements including, but not limited to, polarization filters, solid or gradient colorized filters, diffraction filters, UV filters, neutral density filters, diffusion filters, long exposure filters, 3-dimensional geometric shapes, prisms, and/or other optical elements” in paragraph 21. One of ordinary skill in the art would acknowledge a diffusion filter is translucent.
Additionally, Applicant’s specification states a diffuser use within a rim of varying height with respect to the diffuser is how the light diffuser head adjusts the light based on angles (paragraph 22, 24, 26 of Applicant’s specification). Both Soo (Fig. 2) and Kraemer (Fig. 2A) include a rim around the optical portion with Kraemer stating theirs is a plastic housing holding the filter in paragraph 45-46. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize these rims would also affect light angles in similar manner as Applicant’s rim and therefore the Examiner finds it unpersuasive the combination of Soo in view of Kraemer do not teach the limitations of the claim as amended.
The Examiner notes other filters discussed by Kraemer like a prism or polarization filter also effect the light in a manner based upon its angle.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-10, 12 and 15-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR 10-2015-0058867 to Cha Sam Soo in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2019/0253589 to Kraemer et al.
With respect to Claim 1 Soo discloses, in Fig. 1-7, a light diffuser device (paragraph 25), comprising: a first arm (330) including a first pin connector and a second pin connector (Fig. 2 and paragraph 25); a second arm (360) including a first pin connector and a second pin connector (Fig. 2 and paragraph 25); a light diffuser head (334) connected to the first arm (paragraph 25); and an optical lens (700) disposed in the light diffuser head (paragraph 25), wherein the first pin connector and the second pin connector of the first arm and first pin connector and the second pin connector of the second arm each include a pin aperture (Fig. 2), wherein a cross pin (357) is disposed in the pin aperture connecting the first pin connector and the second pin connector to the first arm to first pin connector and the second pin connector of the second arm (paragraph 25), wherein spring pressure is applied by a spring disposed on the cross pin to the first arm and the second arm which biases the bottom end of the first arm and the bottom end of the second arm towards each other, the cross pin acting as a pivot point to form a clip (paragraph 28), wherein the light diffuser head includes a retainer which selectively retains the optical lens in the light diffuser head (Fig. 2 and paragraph 26), wherein the light diffuser head includes a connector, which allows the light diffuser head to connect to the first arm (Fig. 2), and wherein the optical lens adjusts at least one optical property of light entering through the optical lens (paragraph 37); a rim around optical element on the light diffuser head (Fig. 2) and that their invention is not limited to those mentioned explicitly various modification can be made by those of ordinary skill in the art (paragraph 21 and 39)..
Soo does not explicitly disclose their optical lens is translucent and wherein the light diffuser head, including the translucent optical lens and a rim of the light diffuser head, adjusts at least one optical property of light entering through the translucent optical lens based on an angle at which light enters the diffuser head and the translucent optical lens.
However, in analogous art, Kraemer teaches a clampable device for a placing optics of a mobile phone camera (Fig. 2A) where the device can place a lens or filter over the camera (paragraph 11 and 15); where the lens or filter can be attached by screwing it into the clip (paragraph 45); where the filter can be a diffuser for diffusion adjustment and filtering (paragraph 21) and where a rim is provided around the diffuser (Fig. 2A and paragraph 45-46). Therefore, Kraemer teaches the optical lens is translucent and wherein the light diffuser head, including the translucent optical lens and a rim of the light diffuser head, adjusts at least one optical property of light entering through the translucent optical lens based on an angle at which light enters the diffuser head and the translucent optical lens.
Before the invention was effectively filed it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have includes a translucent diffusing filter with a surrounding rim as taught by Kraemer to the device of Soo as it would merely be combing prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results as they similarly both provide screw on optical elements to a clamp.
With respect to Claim 2 Soo further discloses wherein the light diffuser head includes one or more grip enhancements (Fig. 2 and 4 and paragraph 25-26; where 332 is provided which a circular grip enhancement).
With respect to Claim 3 Soo further discloses wherein the one or more grip enhancements include a texturing (Fig. 2 and 4 and paragraph 25-26; where 332 is provided which a circular grip enhancement).
With respect to Claim 4 Soo further discloses wherein the retainer is disposed on the rim of the light diffuser head (Fig. 2 and paragraph 26).
With respect to Claim 5 Soo further discloses wherein the connector is implemented as machine threads (paragraph 26).
With respect to Claims 6 Soo further discloses wherein the first arm is tapered such that a top end of the first arm is wider than a bottom end of the first arm (Fig. 2 and 5; where because of the pin portion the top of the arms are wider than the bottom in the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 5).
With respect to Claims 7 Soo further discloses wherein the second arm is tapered such that a top end of the second arm is wider than a bottom end of the second arm (Fig. 2 and 5; where because of the pin portion the top of the arms are wider than the bottom in the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 5).
With respect to Claim 8 Soo in view of Kraemer teaches the light diffuser device of claim 1, wherein an exterior surface of the translucent optical lens is disposed to be flush with a rim of the light diffuser head (Fig. 2 and 7 of Soo and Fig. 2A of Kraemer; where the lens is screwed in and bottom of lens is flush with top of rim).
With respect to Claim 9 Soo in view of Kraemer teaches wherein an exterior surface of the optical lens is disposed below a rim of the light diffuser head (Fig. 2 of Soo; where the exterior screw surface of the lens is below the rim of the head).
With respect to Claim 10 Soo in view of Kraemer teaches wherein an exterior surface of the optical lens is disposed above a rim of the light diffuser head (Fig. 2 and 7 of Soo; where the top portion of the lens is above the rim of the light diffuser head).
With respect to Claim 12 Soo in view of Kraemer teaches the light diffuser device of claim 1, wherein the translucent optical lens is made of either plastic, quartz, or glass (paragraph 30 and 39 of Kraemer).
With respect to Claim 15 Soo in view of Kraemer teaches the light diffuser device of claim 1, wherein the translucent optical lens is sized to be applied over a camera lens of a camera in a mobile device (Fig. 1 and paragraph 20 of Soo and Fig. 2A of Kraemer).
With respect to Claim 16 Soo in view of Kraemer teaches the light diffuser device of claim 15, wherein the spring pressure on the first arm and the second arm causes the clip to attach to the mobile device such that the translucent optical lens of the light diffuser device is installed over the camera lens of the camera in the mobile device (paragraph 20 of See).
With respect to Claim 17 Soo in view of Kraemer teaches the light diffuser device of claim 1, wherein the first arm is longer than the second arm (Fig. 2 of Soo; where the first arm is longer in the vertical direction then the second arm is in the horizontal direction).
With respect to Claim 18 Soo in view of Kraemer teaches the light diffuser device of claim 1, wherein when the first arm and the second arm are squeezed above the pivot point, the top of the first arm and the top of the second arm are pushed closer together (Fig. 2 and paragraph 28 of See).
With respect to Claim 19 Soo in view of Kraemer teaches the light diffuser device of claim 18, wherein when the first arm and the second arm are squeezed above the pivot point, the bottom of the first arm and the bottom of the second arm are separated by an increased distance (Fig. 2 and paragraph 28 of Soo).
With respect to Claim 20 Soo further discloses wherein the first pin connector and the second pin connector of the first arm extend from a rear surface of the first arm and the first pin connector and the second pin connector of the second arm extend from a rear surface of the second arm (Fig. 2).
Claim 21 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 1 as it is fully encompassed by and broader than claim 1.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL M PASIEWICZ whose telephone number is (571)272-5516. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 AM - 5:30 PM EST.
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/DANIEL M PASIEWICZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2699
July 28, 2026
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