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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 6, 7, 10-12, 16, 17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (2022/0236513).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses an imaging device (Fig. 37) comprising: a heating element (462); a lens unit (110); a heat transfer element (464) interposed between the heating element and the lens unit and configured to receive heat transferred from the heating element; and a first heat exchanger plate (220-15) interposed between the lens unit and the heat transfer element, and including a first main surface (note area closed to 830 of 220-15) in contact with the heat transfer element and a second main surface (note area closed to 112 of 220-15) in contact with the lens unit; wherein a first contact area between the first heat exchanger plate and the heat transfer element is larger than a second contact area between the first heat exchanger plate and the lens unit (see the contact areas in Fig. 37).
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the first heat exchanger plate extends outward beyond the lens unit in a normal direction of a main surface of the first heat exchanger plate (note 220-15 and lens 110 in Fig. 37).
Regarding claim 6, Kim discloses the heat transfer element includes a first opening including an optical axis of the lens unit, and the first heat exchanger plate includes a second opening including the optical axis of the lens unit (note Fig. 37).
Regarding claim 7, Kim discloses the heat transfer element is an elastic solid (note par. 407-408), and a portion near the second opening of the first heat exchanger plate is inclined toward the heating element (note the L-shape of the 220-15 at 810).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses a second heat exchanger plate (500-1) surrounding the heating element in a direction crossing an optical axis of the lens unit, wherein the second heat exchanger plate is in direct or indirect contact with the first heat exchanger plate, and the heating element is an electronic component (see Fig. 37).
Regarding claims 11 and 12, Kim inherently discloses a display device configured to display an image captured by the imaging device (note the vehicle in par. 409 inherently includes display device).
Regarding claim 16, Kim discloses the heat transfer element includes a first opening including an optical axis of the lens unit, and the first heat exchanger plate includes a second opening including the optical axis of the lens unit (note Fig. 37).
Regarding claim 17, Kim discloses the heat transfer element is an elastic solid (note par. 407-408), and a portion near the second opening of the first heat exchanger plate is inclined toward the heating element (note the L-shape of the 220-15 at 810).
Regarding claim 20, Kim discloses a second heat exchanger plate (500-1) surrounding the heating element in a direction crossing an optical axis of the lens unit, wherein the second heat exchanger plate is in direct or indirect contact with the first heat exchanger plate, and the heating element is an electronic component (see Fig. 37).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 8, 9, 13-15, and 18-19 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL LEE whose telephone number 571-272-7349. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, John Miller, can be reached on 571-272-7353. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL LEE/ Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 2422
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