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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the application 18/894,024 filed on 09/24/2024.
Claims 1 – 20 have been examined and are pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/26/2025 and 10/23/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 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.
Claim 1, 15, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gan et al. (US 2018/0188354 A1) in view of Jing et al. (CN 117641075 A).
Regarding claim 1, Gan discloses: ”a multi-mode handheld optical device, characterized by comprising a visible light assembly (10) [see para: 0004; The observation/receiving optical system 91], a laser assembly (20) [see para: 0004; The emission assembly 96 comprises a laser diode 961], an infrared assembly (30) [see para: 0004; The emission assembly 96 comprises a laser diode 961 and a lens group 962, and emits infrared light rays. The infrared light rays pass through the second lens 98 and travel to the target object], and a display module (40) [see para: 0031; The display unit 8 is a light emitting LCD or a lighted OLED/LED display, positioned in front of the second input and output surface 502], the display module (40) being separately connected with the laser assembly (20) and the infrared assembly (30) [see Fig. 2, display unit 8];
the visible light imaging module comprising an objective lens group and a beamsplitter (15) arranged in sequence along a corresponding visible light path [see para: 0026; With reference to FIGS. 2-7, a distance meter telescope according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a telescope lens 1, a laser receiver 6, a display unit 8, a laser emission module 10, a beam splitter assembly and an eyepiece 2; the beam splitter assembly makes a light beam passing through the telescope lens 1, a light beam received by the laser receiver 6 and a light beam from the display unit 8 coaxial];
wherein when a visible light mode is turned on, a visible light of a target field of view is received by the objective lens group and then travels along the corresponding visible light path to transmit through the beamsplitter (15) to then form a visible light image at a rear end of the corresponding visible light path [see para: 0004; The observation/receiving optical system 91 comprises a first lens 94, a light splitting and merging prisms group 20, a display module 95, a detector 99 and an eyepiece 97. The optical emission system 92 comprises a second lens 98 and an emission assembly 96. Light rays which are within the visible light spectrum representing an image of the target object emit towards the optical distance measurement device from the first lens 94; next, the visible light rays emit to the light splitting and merging prisms group 20 via a first light input/output surface 213. In the light splitting and merging prisms group 20, the light rays travel along a path of a first wavelength beam r1 and leave from the second light input/output surface 223];
the laser assembly (20) comprising a laser emitting module [see para: 0026; a laser emission module 10] and a laser receiving module [see para: 0026; a laser receiver 6], wherein when a laser ranging mode is turned on, the laser emitting module emits a pulsed laser toward a detection target, and a laser reflected back by the detection target is received by the objective lens group to then travel along a corresponding visible light path and is subjected to separation by the beamsplitter (15) to deviate from the corresponding visible light path, further for use in the laser receiving module to calculate distance information of the detection target to be displayed on the display module (40) [see para: 0003; Distance meter telescope is a branch of laser distance meter. Distance meter telescope may be called a long distance laser distance meter, which generally uses pulse ranging method to measure distance. Said pulse ranging method is that, laser emitted from a distance meter is reflected by the target object and again received by the distance meter, and the distance meter simultaneously records the laser travelling time to and from the target object. The distance between the distance meter and the target object is half of the product of the speed of laser times the total laser travelling time to and from the target object. Distance measurement by pulse ranging method has a general accuracy of around +/− one meter];
Gan does not explicitly disclose: “the visible light assembly (10) comprising at least one visible light imaging module;
wherein when an infrared mode is turned on, the infrared assembly (30) collects an infrared light of the target field of view for conversion into an infrared image to be displayed on the display module (40);
the distance information and/or the infrared image displayed on the display module (40) finally transmitting to the rear end of the visible light path to fuse with the visible light image”.
However, Jing, from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: “the visible light assembly (10) comprising at least one visible light imaging module [see page: 1; lines: 25 – 27; Embodiments of the present application provide a combined infrared thermal imaging product and a thermal imaging optimization method therefor],
wherein when an infrared mode is turned on, the infrared assembly (30) collects an infrared light of the target field of view for conversion into an infrared image to be displayed on the display module (40) [see page:9; lines: 10 - 15; The infrared objective lens assembly is arranged on one side of the light incident surface of the infrared thermal imager 21, and is used to receive the infrared light signal in the target scene, so that the infrared light signal converges and is emitted to the infrared detector in the infrared core module, and the infrared detector converts the infrared light signal into an electrical signal for forming an infrared image];
the distance information and/or the infrared image displayed on the display module (40) finally transmitting to the rear end of the visible light path to fuse with the visible light image [see page: 8; lines: 24 - 31; In the above embodiment, the laser distance measuring module 22 and the infrared thermal imager 21 can be combined. They are then assembled together on the same display terminal 11, and the infrared image captured by the infrared thermal imager 21 when the calibration signal module 223 emits an indication light is used to calibrate the optical axes of the infrared thermal imager 21 and the laser ranging module 22 by keeping the position of the aiming cursor in the infrared image consistent with the position of the indication light emitted by the calibration signal module 223 toward the target object].
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the distance measuring telescope system disclosed by Gan to add the teachings of Jing as above, in order to provide a means for improving visible-light imaging and laser ranging into one handheld device while sharing optical paths where possible. The laser return path and laser emission path is made coaxial with the visible-light path, and a beamsplitter separates or combines the light as needed. Infrared image data and laser distance data are displayed on a module and then fused back into the visible-light viewing path by the projector [Jing see page:9; lines: 10 – 15; page: 8; lines: 24 - 31].
Regarding claims 15 and 18, the limitations of these claims is only a matter of design choice because it only requires certain features such as having a lens cap or light filter capability to filter out infrared light and having different fusion mode to turn on or off in different time which can be provided by the computer instructions or controller, it is generally executed by the computer algorithms.
Regarding claim 19, claim 19 is rejected under the same art and evidentiary limitations as determined for the method of claim 1.
Claim 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al. (CN 113654514 A) in view of Li et al. (CN 207380369 U).
Regarding claim 2, Sun discloses: “characterized in that the multi-mode handheld optical device is a monocular handheld optical device, and the visible light assembly (10) is a monocular visible light assembly, which comprises a visible light imaging module [see page:1; lines: 17 – 19; The invention discloses a monocular ranging telescope, comprising a casing, a telephoto module, a transmitting module, a receiving module, an imaging module and a control module]; and
the projection module (50) is used to project the distance information and/or the infrared image displayed on the display module (40) in the form of an optical signal toward the beamsplitter (15) to be reflected by the beamsplitter (15) toward the rear end of the visible light path [see page: 7; lines: 7 – 11; The distance measuring information is transmitted to the LCD transmission screen 4 through the data communication module on the mainboard 11, and the measurement information can be observed by human eyes through the eyepiece group 6, so that the functions of telescopic observation and rapid and accurate distance measuring information imaging display which are only achieved by using one tube can be achieved].
Sun does not explicitly disclose: “the display module (40) is arranged at a light entry side of the beamsplitter (15), and the multi-mode handheld optical device further comprises a projection module (50) arranged between the beamsplitter (15) and the display module (40)”.
However, Li, from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: “the display module (40) is arranged at a light entry side of the beamsplitter (15), and the multi-mode handheld optical device further comprises a projection module (50) arranged between the beamsplitter (15) [see fig. 1; page: 2; lines: 42- 43; page: 3; lines: 1 – 7; The specific implementation of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1-2, a dual-channel, multispectral fusion optical system includes a main optical path, a projection splitting path, a laser emission splitting path, a laser receiving splitting path, and an infrared thermal image system. The main light routes the objective lens 1. , the prism 2, the trapezoidal prism 3, the combining prism 4, the reticle 5 and the eyepiece 6 are composed of the projection-split eyepiece 6, the reticle 5, the combining prism 4, the projection lens 9 and the microdisplay 10] and the display module (40) [see page:3; lines: 30; The video image of the infrared system is output to the microdisplay 10 through a cable], and
It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the distance measuring telescope system disclosed by Sun to add the teachings of Li as above, in order to provide a means for improving visible-light imaging, infrared imaging, and laser ranging into one handheld device while sharing optical paths where possible. The laser return path and laser emission path is made coaxial with the visible-light path, and a beamsplitter separates or combines the light as needed. The components of this device will be arrange in a particular way so that distance can be measured by the signal processor accurately [Li see fig. 1; page: 2; lines: 42- 43; page: 3; lines: 1 – 7].
Claim 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al. (CN 113654514 A) in view of Li et al. (CN 207380369 U) and further in view of Jing et al. (CN 117641075 A).
Regarding claim 3, Sun and Li disclose all the limitation of claim 2 and are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Sun and Li does not explicitly disclose: “characterized in that the laser receiving module comprises a photoelectric detector (24) arranged at one side of the beamsplitter (15) and a laser signal processor (23) connected to the photoelectric detector (24); and the laser emitting module emits the pulsed laser toward he detection target, and the laser reflected back by the detection target, after being received by the objective lens group, transmits along the corresponding visible light path toward the beamsplitter (15) to be reflected by the beamsplitter (15) toward the photoelectric detector (24), and the photoelectric detector (24) converts the laser reflected back by the detection target into an electrical signal transmitted to the laser signal processor (23) to allow the laser signal processor (23) to calculate and obtain the distance information with respect to the detection target”.
However, Jing, from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: “characterized in that the laser receiving module comprises a photoelectric detector (24) arranged at one side of the beamsplitter (15) and a laser signal processor (23) connected to the photoelectric detector (24); and the laser emitting module emits the pulsed laser toward he detection target, and the laser reflected back by the detection target, after being received by the objective lens group, transmits along the corresponding visible light path toward the beamsplitter (15) to be reflected by the beamsplitter (15) toward the photoelectric detector (24), and the photoelectric detector (24) converts the laser reflected back by the detection target into an electrical signal transmitted to the laser signal processor (23) to allow the laser signal processor (23) to calculate and obtain the distance information with respect to the detection target [see page:7; lines:329 - 334 ; The infrared objective lens assembly is located on the light incident side of the infrared thermal imaging camera 21 and is used to receive infrared light signals in the target scene, so that the infrared light signals are converged and emitted to the infrared detector in the infrared movement module, and the infrared detector The infrared light signal is converted into an electrical signal used to form an infrared image].
Therefore, It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system by Sun to add the teachings of Li as above, to further incorporate the teachings of Jing to provide a means for improving visible-light imaging, infrared imaging, and laser ranging into one handheld device while sharing optical paths where possible. The laser return path and laser emission path is made coaxial with the visible-light path, and a beamsplitter separates or combines the light as needed. The photoelectric detector converts the laser reflected back by the detection target into an electrical signal by the signal processor to calculate distance information with respect to the detection target [Jing see page: 7; lines:329 - 334].
Regarding claim 4, Sun and Li disclose all the limitation of claim 3 and are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Sun and Li does not explicitly disclose: “characterized by further comprising a main housing (60) in which the visible light imaging module, the laser assembly (20), and the infrared assembly (30) are received; wherein the main housing (60) is formed, in an interior thereof, with a visible light passageway (11) with the visible light imaging module arranged therein and an infrared passageway (31) with the infrared assembly (30) arranged therein, wherein the visible light passageway (11) and the infrared passageway (31) are arranged parallel as being respectively at upper and lower sides in a height direction of the main housing (60), and a laser emitting window (220) is arranged between the visible light passageway (11) and the infrared passageway (31) at a front side of the main housing (60)”.
However, Jing, from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: “characterized by further comprising a main housing (60) in which the visible light imaging module, the laser assembly (20), and the infrared assembly (30) are received; wherein the main housing (60) is formed, in an interior thereof, with a visible light passageway (11) with the visible light imaging module arranged therein and an infrared passageway (31) with the infrared assembly (30) arranged therein, wherein the visible light passageway (11) and the infrared passageway (31) are arranged parallel as being respectively at upper and lower sides in a height direction of the main housing (60), and a laser emitting window (220) is arranged between the visible light passageway (11) and the infrared passageway (31) at a front side of the main housing (60) [see page: 7; lines: 333 – 336; The infrared light signal is converted into an electrical signal used to form an infrared image. Optionally, the front side of the housing is provided with a window for infrared light signals to enter, and the infrared objective lens assembly is located at a corresponding position of the window].
Therefore, It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system by Sun to add the teachings of Li as above, to further incorporate the teachings of Jing to provide a means for improving visible-light imaging, infrared imaging, and laser ranging into one handheld device while sharing optical paths where possible. The laser return path and laser emission path is made coaxial with the visible-light path, and a beamsplitter separates or combines the light as needed through the window opening [Jing see page: 7; lines: 333 – 336].
Claim 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al. (CN 113654514 A) in view of Li et al. (CN 207380369 U) and further in view of Gan et al. (US 2018/0188354 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Sun and Li disclose all the limitation of claim 2 and are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Sun and Li does not explicitly disclose: “characterized in that the beamsplitter (15) is composed of a Benhain prism and a half-penta prism”.
However, Gan, from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: “characterized in that the beamsplitter (15) is composed of a Benhain prism and a half-penta prism [see para: 0026; a prism separation board, and similarly shaped first semi-penta prism 4 and second semi-penta prism 5].
Therefore, It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system by Sun to add the teachings of Li as above, to further incorporate the teachings of Gan to provide a means for improving visible-light imaging, infrared imaging, and laser ranging into one handheld device including a beamsplitter such as Benhain prism and a half-penta prism based on design requirements [Gan see para: 0026].
Claim 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gan et al. (US 2018/0188354 A1) in view of Jing et al. (CN 117641075 A) and further in view of MRLIK et al. (US 20170074650 A1).
Regarding claim 14, Gan and Jing disclose all the limitation of claim 1 and are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to that claim.
Gan and Jing does not explicitly disclose: “characterized in that the objective lens group is a visible light objective lens group (13); or alternatively, the objective lens group comprises a laser receiving objective lens (25) and a visible light objective lens group (13)”.
However, MRLIK, from the same or similar field of endeavor teaches: “characterized in that the objective lens group is a visible light objective lens group (13); or alternatively, the objective lens group comprises a laser receiving objective lens (25) and a visible light objective lens group (13) [see para: 0021; The first and second observation channel 1, 2 include the observation binocular system comprising the objective 6, the inner moving focusing element 7, the Schmidt-Pechan prism reversion system 8 consisting of the half-pentagonal prism and the Schmidt roof prism 10, and the eyepiece 11].
Therefore, It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system by Gan to add the teachings of Jing as above, to further incorporate the teachings of MRLIK to provide a means for improving multiple modes operate independently or together without adding a separate full-size optical system [see para: 0021].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 – 13, 16, 17 and 20 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Anderson et al (US 6204961 B1)
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/MASUM BILLAH/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2486
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