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 .
Claim Interpretation
Claim(s) 1-5 do not use “means for” (or “step for”) language, or generic placeholders for "means” coupled with functional language without recitation of sufficient structure for carrying out the claimed functions and therefore do not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) (pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph).
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kijima et al. (JP 2001268453 A) in view of Kaku (US 6,903,778 B1).[claim 1]
Regarding claim 1, Kijima discloses an imaging device comprising:
a mechanical shutter that is located between an optical system and an imaging sensor and controls light exposure and light shielding of the imaging sensor (Figure 1, mechanical shutter 104 located between optical system 101 and imaging sensor 106);
a shutter driver that drives the mechanical shutter and operates the mechanical shutter in a continuous shooting mode in which the imaging sensor is repeatedly exposed to light and a single shooting mode in which the imaging sensor is exposed to light for each shot (Figure 1, 201 controlling mechanical shutter 104 to open or close during a single shooting mode or continuous shooting mode; Paragraphs 0041-0043, 0062-0066, 0076-0081);
a driving electric power supplier that supplies driving electric power to the shutter driver with electric power supplied from a power supply (Paragraphs 0042, 0064-0066, 0078-0080; note that the shutter is energized/de-energized in driving with power supplied from a battery, thus a power supplier of some variety which transfers power from the battery to the mechanical shutter driver must be present); and
an undercut controller that stops operation of the imaging device when the power supply supplied from the power supply becomes lower than a predetermined undercut threshold (Paragraphs 0078-0080), wherein
in the single shooting mode, the driving electric power supplier supplies a driving electric power lower than that in the continuous shooting mode (Paragraphs 0062-0066 and 0076-0081; note that the power consumption is lower in the single shooting mode compared to the continuous shooting mode).
However, Kijima does not explicitly disclose that the undercut threshold is a voltage or wherein in the single shooting mode, the undercut controller stops operation of the imaging device at an undercut voltage lower than that in the continuous shooting mode.
Kaku discloses a similar imaging device which includes a single shooting mode and a continuous shooting mode (Figure 2; still image recording mode or motion image recording mode). Kaku discloses setting a first threshold voltage for the still image shooting mode (Figure 2, S6; c. 4, l. 63 – c. 5, l. 10, c. 5, l. 38 – c. 6, l. 6; c. 6, ll. 25-39; c. 7, ll. 29-45) and a second voltage threshold for continuous shooting set at a higher voltage than the single shooting threshold (Figure 2, S9; c. 4, l. 63 – c. 5, l. 10, c. 5, l. 38 – c. 6, l. 6; c. 7, l. 58 – c. 8, l. 15). Kaku ensures a proper level of battery remains to perform imaging in both single shooting and continuous shooting modes without unduly restricting operation in the single shooting mode by setting separate undercut voltage thresholds. Therefore, it would have been obvious to set separate voltage thresholds for single and continuous shooting operations as taught by Kaku in the imaging device of Kijima to ensure sufficient battery is present for shooting in each mode without unduly restricting operation in the single shooting mode.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kijima et al. (JP 2001268453 A) in view of Kaku (US 6,903,778 B1) in view of Official Notice.[claim 2]
Regarding claim 2, Kijima discloses wherein in the single shooting mode, the driving electric power supplier supplies a driving power lower than that in the continuous shooting mode (Paragraphs 0062-0066 and 0076-0081). However, Kijima in view of Kaku does not explicitly teach the amount of current applied in each mode.
Official Notice is taken that it is well known in the art to provide a fixed amount of current/voltage to a mechanical shutter in order to affect an opening/closing operation. By providing a fixed amount of current/voltage the mechanical shutter may be opened and closed in a consistent manner each time. Therefore, it would have been obvious to provide a fixed amount of current/power for each opening/closing operation of the shutter of Kijima.
Note that since the shutter is opened/closed repeatedly in the continuous shooting operation (e.g. N times, where N > 1) compared to only once in the single shooting operation. If the current applied in one single operation is I, then the total current in the continuous shooting operation would be N*I which would be greater than that applied in the single shooting operation, i.e. N*I > 1*I since N > 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 4 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.
Claim 5 is allowed.[claims 3-5]
Regarding claims 3-5, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest wherein
the driving electric power supplier lowers a driving voltage to be supplied to the shutter driver by a predetermined amount from start of operation of the mechanical shutter until a predetermined time has elapsed and sets the predetermined time longer in the single shooting mode than in the continuous shooting mode.
For example, Stephenson (US 8,851,768 B1) teaches a shutter driver wherein an actuator is energized at an initial high voltage, and a decay circuit is provided so that the drive voltage is initially high enough and is then reduced over time as the shutter blade moves closer to its second position (c. 6, ll. 4-24). However, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest setting the predetermined time longer in the single shooting mode than in the continuous shooting mode as recited in claims 3-5.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references show additional prior art systems having similar features to those claimed:
Itoi et al. US 2024/0048865 A1
Suzuki et al. US 2023/0370715 A1
Gandhi et al. US 2020/0221008 A1
Kurihara JP 2012133222 A
Furubayashi JP 2004153475 A
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/Timothy J Henn/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639