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
Claims 12-15 remain withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08 January 2026.
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009/0219435 A1) in combination with Deng et al (CN 107193064 A).
Regarding claim 1, Yuan (see the entire document, in particular, paragraphs [0002] and [0019]-[0021]; Figures 1 and 2) teaches a process (see paragraphs [0002] (optical elements (e.g., composite lens)) of Yuan), including (i) at least one preparation step, wherein the preparation step includes providing at least one substrate having at least one first surface and at least one second surface, wherein the second surface is located opposite with respect to the first surface (see Figure 1, paragraph [0019] (substrate 112a (part of optical filter 112)) of Yuan); (ii) at least one step, wherein the step includes applying at least one first layer to the first surface of the substrate, wherein the first layer includes at least one of an optical filter and an anti-reflection coating (see Figure 1, paragraph [0019] (first filter film 112b is disposed on the surface of substrate 112a; first filter film is an infrared cut filter) of Yuan; and (iii) at least one molding step, wherein the molding step includes molding at least one optical lens onto the first layer, wherein the optical lens is molded onto the first layer by using injection molding (see Figure 1, paragraph [0020] (injection molding is utilized to form the composite lens 11; material for body 111 is injected at high pressure into a mold) of Yuan). Yuan does not teach (1) a deposition step (claim 1(ii)). Deng et al (see the entire document, in particular, paragraphs [0002], [0021] and [0034] of the translation) teaches a process (see paragraph [0002] (process of making a lens) of Deng et al), including a deposition step (see paragraph [0021] (a light-shielding material is deposited on one side of a transparent substrate by magnetron sputtering (i.e., a physical vapor deposition technique)) of Deng et al), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a deposition step in the process of Yuan in view of Deng et al in order to improve uniformity and intensity of lighting (see paragraph [0034] of Deng et al).
Regarding claim 2, see paragraph [0019] (substrate 112a includes glass) of Yuan.
Regarding claim 3, see Figure 1, paragraph [0019] (first filter film 112b is an infrared cut filter (i.e., a band pass filter)) of Yuan.
Regarding claim 4, see Figure 2, paragraph [0021] (optical filter 11 can include a second filter film 112c disposed on an opposite surface of substrate 112b from first filter film 112a) of Yuan.
Regarding claim 5, see Figure 1, paragraph [0021] (second filter film 112c can also be an infrared cut filter (i.e., a band pass filter)) of Yuan.
Regarding claim 6, see paragraph [0021] (a light-shielding material is deposited on one side of a transparent substrate by magnetron sputtering (i.e., a physical vapor deposition technique)) of Deng et al.
Regarding claim 7, see paragraph [0020] (molten plastic) of Yuan.
Claim(s) 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuan (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009/0219435 A1) in combination with Deng et al (CN 107193064 A) as applied to claims 1-7 above, and further in view of Shimada et al (WO 2012/046826 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Yuan (in combination with Deng et al) does not teach (1) a molding step including generating at least one mold in between a first layer and at least one molding tool applied onto the first layer, wherein the molding step includes introducing a liquefied molding material into the mold. Shimada et al (see the entire document, in particular, paragraphs [0001], [0136], [0137], [0145], [0161], [0162] and [0164]-[0168]; Figures 1-4C) teaches a process (see paragraph [0001] (forming a wafer level lens array) of Shimada et al), including a molding step including generating at least one mold in between a first layer and at least one molding tool applied onto the first layer, wherein the molding step includes introducing a liquefied molding material into the mold (see Figures 3, 4A-4C, paragraphs [0164]-[0168] (mold 60, concave portions 62) of Shimada et al), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a molding step including generating at least one mold in between a first layer and at least one molding tool applied onto the first layer, wherein the molding step includes introducing a liquefied molding material into the mold in the process of Yuan (in combination with Deng et al) in view of Shimada et al in order to manufacture a lens array.
Regarding claim 9, see paragraph [0145] (transfer suitability) of Shimada et al.
Regarding claim 10, see Figures 1-2, (plural lenses 12) of Shimada et al.
Regarding claim 11, see paragraph [0136] (separated into lens modules by dicing) of Shimada et al.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-8 of the reply, filed 21 April 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-11 under 35 U.S.C. §103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Yuan (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009/0219435 A1) and Deng et al (CN 107193064 A).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEO B. TENTONI whose telephone number is (571)272-1209. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-4:00 ET M-F.
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LEO B. TENTONI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1742
/LEO B TENTONI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742
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