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 .
Acknowledgements
Applicants’ arguments filed on 05/11/2026 are acknowledged. Amended Claim 18 is acknowledged by the examiner. Accordingly, claims 1-20 remain pending and have been examined.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed on 05/11/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
As per claim 1, Applicant respectfully submits that the "exposure time" in Noftsker does not correspond to an "exposure time for a low-light autofocus procedure", as in claim 1. Therefore, the cited portions of Noftsker fail to disclose "generating a timer that is presented on a display, wherein a value of the timer is based at least on the extended exposure time", as recited in claim” (see remarks, page 7, 3rd para.)."
The Examiner maintains that Chen teaches exposure time for low light condition, wherein a value of the exposure time is based at least on the extended exposure time.
(See para. 0040-0041 for more details), however, Examiner agrees that it does not teach generating a timer that is presented on a display based at least on the extended exposure time.
Noftsker teaches measuring the desirable to time to the actual exposure, so the timer 48 measures the time the user is exposed to the display screen, therefore generating a timer that is presented on a display (See Para.0031-0032 for more details)
Therefore, Chen in view of Noftsker teach generating a timer that is presented on a display, wherein a value of the timer is based at least on the extended exposure time.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6, 12-13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2016/0127628) hereinafter Chen in view of Noftsker et al. (US 2020/0139078 A1) hereinafter Noftsker.
Regarding Claim 1, Chen teaches a method comprising: receiving an indication of a low-light condition for a camera system (Para.0025 and 0040; “frame 120 is dark which consider as low light); determining an extended exposure time for a low-light autofocus procedure of the camera system (fig.1 and 7; Para.0025, 0040 and 0045; longer exposure time and auto focus for a low-light condition); and performing the low-light autofocus (Para.0025, 0040 and 0045) procedure by: capturing, by the camera system (fig.7; camera 790), an extended frame using the extended exposure time (Para.0045); and determining, based on the extended frame, an in-focus lens setting for a lens of the camera system (fig.1 and 7; Para.0032-0033; lens system 108).
Chen does not teach generating a timer that is presented on a display, wherein a value of the timer is based at least on the extended exposure time;
Noftsker teaches generating a timer that is presented on a display, wherein a value of the timer is based at least on the extended exposure time (fig.4; Para.0030-0032; timer 48 on display 44 measures actual exposure);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen to include: generating a timer that is presented on a display, wherein a value of the timer is based at least on the extended exposure time as taught by Noftsker to improve image capturing (see background).
Regarding Claim 2, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the method of claim 1, wherein the value of the timer indicates how much time remains in the low-light autofocus procedure (Chen: fig.1 and 7; Para.0025, 0040 and 0045; longer exposure time and auto focus for a low-light condition).
Regarding Claim 3, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the method of claim 1, wherein the extended exposure time is user-selectable (Noftsker: fig.4; Para.0030-0032; timer 48 measures actual exposure by user).
Regarding Claim 4, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the method of claim 1, further comprising: capturing, by the camera system (fig.1-2), a plurality of additional frames (fig.1-2; Para.0025, 0040 and 0045; longer or shorter exposures time), wherein each of the additional frames is captured by the camera system using a secondary exposure time, and wherein the secondary exposure time is shorter than the extended exposure time (fig.1 and 7; Para.0025, 0040 and 0045; longer or shorter exposures time); aligning the additional frames such that similar objects in the additional frames are in similar pixel locations within each of the additional frames; and forming a composite image based on the additional frames (Chen: fig.1-2; Para.0024-0025; integration period to generate first or second pixels data).
Regarding Claim 6, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the lens based on the in-focus lens setting (Chen: Para.0030-0033; setting lens 108).
Regarding Claim 12, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the method of claim 1, wherein performing the low-light autofocus (Chen: Para.0025 and 0040; “frame 120 is dark which consider as low light) procedure further comprises: capturing, by the camera system, a plurality of extended frames (Chen: fig.1 and 7; Para.0032-0033; lens system 108 for frame capturing), wherein determining the in-focus lens setting for the lens of the camera system is based on the plurality of extended frames (Chen: fig.1 and 7; Para.0032-0033; lens system 108 setting based on exposures frames).
Regarding Claim 13, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the method of claim 1, wherein the camera system is a component of a mobile device (Chen: Para.0022; mobile phone in fig.1).
Regarding Claim 15, Chen in view of Noftsker teach same reason as Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 16, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the value of the timer indicates how much time remains in the low-light autofocus procedure (Chen: fig.1 and 7; Para.0025, 0040 and 0045; longer exposure time and auto focus for a low-light condition).
Regarding Claim 17, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the extended exposure time is user-selectable (Noftsker: fig.4; Para.0030-0032; timer 48 measures actual exposure by user).
Regarding Claim 18, Chen in view of Noftsker teach same reason as Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 19, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the device of claim 18, wherein the value of the timer indicates how much time remains in the low-light autofocus procedure (Chen: fig.1 and 7; Para.0025, 0040 and 0045; longer exposure time and auto focus for a low-light condition).
Regarding Claim 20, Chen in view of Noftsker teach the device of claim 18, wherein the extended exposure time is user-selectable (Noftsker: fig.4; Para.0030-0032; timer 48 measures actual exposure by user).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen and Noftsker as applied to claims 1-4, 6, 12-13 and 15-20 above, and further in view of Gordon et al. (US 2020/0092453 A1) hereinafter Gordon.
Chen and Noftsker do not teach determining the extended exposure time is based on a motion-blur tolerance and the low-light condition.
Gordon teaches determining the extended exposure time is based on a motion-blur tolerance and the low-light condition (fig.1; Para.0003; “Extending exposure time can result in motion blur from camera shake, shearing artifacts in rolling shutter systems, and object motion blur”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen and Noftsker to include determining the extended exposure time is based on a motion-blur tolerance and the low-light condition as taught by Gordon to improve image capturing (see background).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-11 and 14 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
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicants are 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 FAYEZ A BHUIYAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1562. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 - 6:00 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lin Ye can be reached at 571-272-7372. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FAYEZ A. BHUIYAN/
Examiner
Art Unit 2639
/LIN YE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2638
