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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 – 4, 8, 12, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102b as being anticipated by Yasutake US Publication 2022/0236624.
Regarding claim 1 Yasutake discloses of Fig. 1 – 7b of applicant’s an imaging device (paragraph 0016 imaging device) comprising: a plurality of lens units (paragraph 0019 lens barrel 902 includes a lens group for each imaging unit 9, is a plurality of lens units); a plurality of lighting units (paragraph 0020 infrared illumination unit 12 includes an infrared illumination 12a for each imaging unit 9, is a plurality of lighting units); a lens holder that detachably supports a lens unit of the plurality of lens units and a lighting unit of the plurality of lighting units (paragraph 0022 lens barrel holder 904 that detachably supports a lens barrel unit 902 of the plurality of lens barrel holder units 902 and a lighting infrared illumination unit 12 of the plurality of lighting infrared illumination units 12); and a circular guide member that guides an imaging unit including the lens holder in a circumferential direction (paragraph 0019 – 0023 shift base 10 is a circular guide member that guides an imaging unit, made up of lens barrel 902, lens barrel holder 904, and front cover 903, including the lens barrel holder 904 in a circumferential shifting direction).
Regarding claim 2 Yasutake further discloses of applicant’s wherein the lighting unit and the lens unit are detachable integrally from the lens holder (paragraph 0022 – 0024 the lighting infrared illumination unit 12 and the lens barrel unit 902 are detachable integrally from the lens barrel holder 904).
Regarding claim 3 Yasutake further discloses of applicant’s further comprising a light blocking member that is detachable from the lens unit and blocks light incident from the outside (paragraph 0040 light-shielding unit 901 is a light blocking member that is detachable from the lens barrel unit 902 and blocks light incident from the outside).
Regarding claim 4 Yasutake further discloses of applicant’s wherein the lighting unit, the lens unit, and the light blocking member are detachable integrally from the lens holder (paragraph 0024 the infrared illumination unit 12 is connected to the lens barrel 902 and connected to the lens barrel holder 904 where (paragraph 0030) the light-shielding unit 901 is disposed between the lens barrel 902 and the infrared illumination 12 such that the infrared illumination unit 12, the lens barrel unit 902, and the light-shielding unit blocking member 901 are detachable integrally from the lens barrel holder 904).
Regarding claim 8 Yasutake further discloses of applicant’s wherein the lens holder includes an imaging element (paragraph 0019 the lens barrel holder 904 includes an imaging element, in lens barrel unit 902, when lens barrel unit 902 is in inside lens barrel holder 904).
Regarding claim 12 Yasutake further discloses of applicant’s wherein the imaging unit including the lens unit, the lighting unit, and the lens holder is capable of pan rotation and tilt rotation (paragraph 0023 - 0024 the infrared illumination unit 12 is connected to the lens barrel 902 and connected to the lens barrel holder 904 where lens barrel holder 904 including a helical gear 904a for tilting. Paragraph 0030 the light-shielding unit 901 is disposed between the lens barrel 902 and the infrared illumination 12 where (paragraph 0040) the light-shielding unit 901 has a stepping motor for panning for rotation about an optical axis such that the imaging unit including the lens barrel unit 902, the lighting infrared illumination unit 12, and the lens barrel holder 904 is capable of pan rotation and tilt rotation).
Regarding claim 13 Yasutake further discloses of applicant’s wherein the imaging unit is supported by a base member (paragraph 0019 – 0023 the imaging unit, including the lens barrel unit 902, the lighting infrared illumination unit 12, and the lens barrel holder 904, is supported by a tilting base 907 member).
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.
Claim(s) 5 – 7 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasutake US Publication 2022/0236624 in view of Su US Publication 2014/0078467.
Regarding claim 5 Yasutake further discloses of applicant’s wherein the light blocking member includes a first opening through which external light passes (paragraph 0040, Fig. 3 and 4, light-shielding unit 901 shields the reflected light of the infrared illumination 12a so that the reflected light does not arrive at the lens barrel 902 where (paragraph 0019) imaging unit 9 includes a lens barrel 902 (imaging unit) that includes an image sensor and a lens group (neither of which is illustrated) such that the light-shielding unit blocking member 901 includes a first opening through which external light passes to the lens barrel 902 image sensor);
Yasutake discloses an image sensor in a lens that receives light from an infrared illumination in an opening in a light-shielding unit but does not expressively disclose a first opening through which external light passes and a second opening through which light emitted from the lighting unit passes;
Su teaches an imaging apparatus that has an optical window is exposed from the shell of the imaging apparatus with its center as the entrance for the imaging optics and its peripheral as the window for projecting the illumination light. Su teaches of Fig. 1 – 23 of applicant’s a first opening through which external light passes and a second opening through which light emitted from the lighting unit passes (paragraph 0029 imaging apparatus, in FIG. 5, is for captured images where the front part of its imaging and lighting optics 501 is removed or replaced with other functioning modules which contain different optics. A special optical window is exposed from the shell of the imaging apparatus with its center 503 as the entrance for the imaging optics and its peripheral 504 as the window for projecting the illumination light such that a first opening through which external light passes through center 503 as the entrance for the imaging optics and a second opening through which light emitted at the peripheral 504 as the window for projecting the illumination light from the lighting unit passes). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the circuitry of Yasutake in a manner similar to Su. Doing so would result improving Yasutake invention in a similar way as Su - namely the ability to provide imaging apparatus that has an optical window is exposed from the shell of the imaging apparatus with its center as the entrance for the imaging optics and its peripheral as the window for projecting the illumination light, in Su invention, to the image sensor in a lens that receives light from an infrared illumination in an opening in a light-shielding unit in Yasutake invention.
Regarding claim 6 of the combination of Yasutake in view of Su, Su further teaches of applicant’s wherein the first opening has a shape that does not block light passing through the lens unit (paragraph 0029 imaging apparatus, in FIG. 5, is for captured images where the front part of its imaging and lighting optics 501 is removed or replaced with other functioning modules which contain different optics. A special optical window is exposed from the shell of the imaging apparatus with its center 503 as the entrance for the imaging optics and its peripheral 504 as the window for projecting the illumination light such that the first opening of special optical window is exposed from the shell of the imaging apparatus with its center 503 has a shape that does not block light passing through the peripheral 504 as the window for projecting the illumination of the lens unit imaging and lighting optics 501).
Regarding claim 7 of the combination of Yasutake in view of Su, Su further teaches of applicant’s wherein the second opening has a shape that does not block light emitted from the lighting unit (paragraph 0029 imaging apparatus, in FIG. 5, is for captured images where the front part of its imaging and lighting optics 501 is removed or replaced with other functioning modules which contain different optics. A special optical window is exposed from the shell of the imaging apparatus with its center 503 as the entrance for the imaging optics and its peripheral 504 as the window for projecting the illumination light such that the second opening of the peripheral 504 as the window for projecting the illumination has a shape that does not block light emitted from the lighting unit inside imaging and lighting optics 501).
Regarding claim 9 the combination of Yasutake in view of Su further teaches of applicant’s wherein the lighting unit includes a light emitting element fixed to the lens holder and a lighting lens that is detachable from the lens holder (Yasutake in paragraph 0024 the infrared illumination unit 12 with the infrared illumination 12a is connected to the lens barrel holder 904. Su in paragraph 0029 imaging apparatus, in FIG. 5, is for captured images where the front part of its imaging and lighting optics 501 is removed or replaced with other functioning modules which contain different optics. A special optical window is exposed from the shell of the imaging apparatus with its center 503 as the entrance for the imaging optics and its peripheral 504 as the window for projecting the illumination light such that the infrared illumination lighting unit 12 includes a light infrared emitting element 12a fixed to the lens barrel holder 904, in Yasutake inventio, and the peripheral 504 as the window for projecting the illumination light is a lighting lens, in Su invention, that is detachable from the imaging and lighting optics 501 lens holder).
Claim(s) 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasutake US Publication 2022/0236624 in view of Su US Publication 2014/0078467 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wei US Publication 2005/0237625.
Regarding claim 10 of the combination of Yasutake in view of Su, Yasutake further teaches of applicant’s wherein the lens holder includes an optical path through which external light passes (paragraph 0019 - 0022 imaging unit 9 includes a lens barrel 902 (imaging unit), connected to lens barrel holder 904, that includes an image sensor and a lens group (neither of which is illustrated) where (paragraph 0002) the imaging devices on which illuminations are mounted captures videos such that the lens barrel holder 904 includes an optical path through which external light passes to the image sensor in the lens barrel 902 unit);
The combination of Yasutake in view of Su teaches an image sensor in a lens barrel that receives light from an infrared illumination in an opening in the lens barrel but do not expressively teach the lens holder includes an optical filter unit capable of inserting and removing at least one optical filter into and from an optical path through which external light passes;
Wei teaches a special effect lens mounted in the open frame that is placed in the light path in a slot in a lens holder base. Wei teaches of Fig. 1 – 2 of applicant’s the lens holder includes an optical filter unit capable of inserting and removing at least one optical filter into and from an optical path through which external light passes (paragraph 0011 – 0012 special effect unit 2 comprises an open frame 21 and a special effect lens 22 mounted in the open frame 21. The open frame 21 can be inserted into the insertion slot 11 of the holder base 1 through a plurality of retaining portions 23 corresponding to the retaining portions 12 in the insertion slot 11. After the open frame 21 is inserted into the insertion slot 11, the special effect lens 22 is then placed in the light path 100 to deflect light and to further produce a special image effect. A casing 31 and a zoom lens 32 mounted in the casing 31. The casing 31 is connectable to the first end 101 of the holder base 1 such that holder base 1 is the lens holder that holds a zoom lens 32 mounted in the casing 31 and includes an special effect lens 22, taken as an optical filter unit, in open frame 21 that is capable of being inserted and removed, from holder base 1, at least one special effect lens 22 optical filter is placed into and from an optical path 100 through which external light passes). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the circuitry of Yasutake in a manner similar to Wei. Doing so would result improving Yasutake invention in a similar way as Wei - namely the ability to provide special effect lens mounted in the open frame that is placed in the light path in a slot in a lens holder base, in Wei invention, to the image sensor in a lens that receives light from an infrared illumination in an opening in the lens barrel in Yasutake invention.
Regarding claim 11 the combination of Yasutake in view of Su further in view of Wei further teaches of applicant’s wherein at least a portion of a range of wavelengths of light of the lighting unit overlaps at least a portion of a range of wavelengths of light transmitted by the optical filter (Yasutake in paragraph 0019 - 0024 imaging unit 9 includes a lens barrel 902 (imaging unit), connected to lens barrel holder 904, that includes an image sensor and a lens group (neither of which is illustrated) where (paragraph 0002) the imaging devices on which illuminations are mounted captures videos. The infrared illumination unit 12 with the infrared illumination 12a is connected to the lens barrel holder 904. Wei in paragraph 0011 – 0012 special effect unit 2 comprises an open frame 21 and a special effect lens 22 mounted in the open frame 21. The open frame 21 can be inserted into the insertion slot 11 of the holder base 1 placing the special effect lens 22 is then placed in the light path 100 to deflect light through the special effect lens 22 such that wherein at least a portion of a range of wavelengths of the infrared illumination 12a light of the infrared illumination lighting unit 12, in Yasutake invention, overlaps at least a portion of a range of light path 100 wavelengths of light transmitted through the through the special effect lens 22 optical filter in Wei invention for the light wavelengths that are received by the image sensor as part of the desired function in both Yasutake and Wei inventions).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARK T MONK whose telephone number is (571)270-7454. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday 8am to 4pm.
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/MARK T MONK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637