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 with traverse of Group I, claims 1-11 in the reply filed on 08 January 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) set forth on pages 6 and 7 of the reply. This is not found persuasive because the Examiner is not bound by any conclusions or decisions of the International Searching Authority (e.g., determination of lack of unity) and the common technical feature of the groups is not a special technical feature.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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) 1-3 and 7-11 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimada et al (WO 2012/046826 A1) in combination with Wu et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0309537 A1).
Regarding claim 1, 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 (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 3, paragraph [0164] (substrate 10 (i.e., substrate 10 has opposed first and second surfaces)) of Shimada et al); (ii) at least one deposition step, wherein the deposition 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 paragraph [0162] (infrared filter may be formed on surface of substrate 10) of Shimada et al); and (iii) at least one deposition step, wherein the deposition step includes depositing at least one optical lens onto the first layer, wherein the optical lens is deposited onto the first layer by deposition (see Figure 3, paragraph [0165] (molding material M is deposited on substrate 10 to form lenses 12) of Shimada et al). Shimada et al does not teach (1) a molding step, wherein the optical lens is molded by injection molding. Wu et al (see the entire document, in particular, paragraphs [0002] and [0022]; Figures 1 and 2) teaches a process (see paragraph [0002] (injection molding method for fabricating lenses) of Wu et al), including a molding step, wherein the optical lens is molded by injection molding (see Figures 1 and 2, paragraph [0022] (silica gel is injection molded onto substrate 22) of Wu 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 injection mold an optical lens onto a substrate in the process of Shimada et al in view of Wu et al because the substitution of one known element (i.e., injection molding) for another known element (i.e., deposition) would have yielded predictable results (e.g., formation of an optical lens on a substrate) to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 2, see paragraph [0161] (substrate 10 is formed of a transparent material such as glass) of Shimada et al.
Regarding claim 3, see paragraph [0162] (infrared filter (e.g., a band pass filter)) of Shimada et al.
Regarding claim 7, see paragraph [0137] (material for forming lens 12 includes glass) of Shimada et al.
Regarding claim 8, see Figures 3, Figures 4A – 4C, paragraphs [0164] – [0168] (mold 60, concave portions 62) of Shimada et al.
Regarding claim 9, see paragraph [0145] (transfer suitability) of Shimada et al.
Regarding claim 10, see Figures 1 and 2 (plural lenses 12) of Shimada et al.
Regarding claim 11, see paragraph [0136] (separated into lens modules by dicing) of Shimada et al.
Claim(s) 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimada et al (WO 2012/046826 A1) in combination with Wu et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0309537 A1) as applied to claims 1-3 and 7-11 above, and further in view of Shi et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2016/0025932 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Shimada et al (in combination with Wu et al) does not teach (1) applying at least one second layer to a second surface of a substrate, wherein the second layer includes at least one of an optical filter and an anti-reflection coating. Shi et al (see the entire document, in particular, paragraphs [0004], [0007] and [0041]; Figures 8 and 9) teaches a process (see paragraph [0007] (method of forming an optical device on a wafer level) of Shi et al), including applying at least one second layer to a second surface of a substrate, wherein the second layer includes at least one of an optical filter and an anti-reflection coating (see Figures 8 and 9, paragraph [0041] (glass substrate having first and second surfaces; partial-transparent, partial-reflecting coating on first surface; anti-reflection coating on second surface) of Shi 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 apply at least one second layer to a second surface of a substrate, wherein the second layer includes at least one of an optical filter and an anti-reflection coating in the process of Shimada et al (in combination with Wu et al) in view of Shi et al in order to reduce the cost of fabrication of a lens (see paragraph [0004] of Shi et al).
Regarding claim 5, see Figures 8 and 9, paragraph [0041] (glass substrate having first and second surfaces; partial-transparent, partial-reflecting coating on first surface; anti-reflection coating on second surface) of Shi et al.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimada et al (WO 2012/046826 A1) in combination with Wu et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0309537 A1) as applied to claims 1-3 and 7-11 above, and further in view of Attar et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0335621 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Shimada et al (in combination with Wu et al) does not teach (1) that the first layer is applied by a recited deposition method. Attar et al (see the entire document, in particular, paragraphs [0003], [0108] and [0114]; Figure 23) teaches a camera system with multiple lenses (see paragraph [0003] of Attar et al), wherein a first layer is applied by a deposition method (see Figure 23, paragraphs [0108] (polymer-based lenses are provided on transparent substrates 1508, 1509) and [0114] (infrared filters are formed on substrates or lens surfaces by chemical vapor deposition or physical vapor deposition) of Attar 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 apply a layer by a recited deposition method in the process of Shimada et al (in combination with Wu et al) in view of Attar et al in order to provide a technique for applying an optical filter to a substrate.
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