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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10/07/2024 and 02/06/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Spiering (5,900,942, of record).
Regarding claim 1, Spiering discloses a beam splitter system (Figure 1, 10, system) comprising: a recording lens (20, primary lens assembly), at least two cameras (14, first CCD video camera, 16, second CCD video camera, 18, third CCD video camera) and a relay unit with at least one beam splitter element (32, first beam splitter, 34, second beam splitter), a first relay lens (28, collimating lens) and at least two second relay lenses (at least 66, first camera lens, 68, second camera lens, 70, third camera lens), wherein the recording lens provides a real intermediate image which is imaged by the first relay lens (at least Abstract, col 3 lines 1-4), the at least one beam splitter element divides the imaging beam path of the first relay lens into at least two imaging paths (at least 35, first image beam, 36, second image beam), and the at least two second relay lenses in the at least two imaging paths each image the intermediate image onto a sensor of the at least two cameras (at least 14, first CCD video camera, 16, second CCD video camera), and the beam splitter system further comprises a device to selectively modify the image to be imaged in at least one of the at least two imaging paths (at least 72, first filter, 74, second filter).
Spiering discloses substantially all the limitations of the claim(s) except for the focal length of the first relay lens does not differ from the focal lengths of the at least two second relay lenses by more than 10%. However, Examiner notes that it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to adjust the focal length of the first relay lens and the focal length of the at least two second relay lenses such that they do not differ by more than 10%, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art (In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233). Doing so would allow for adequate co-registration of the images, thus maintaining image quality.
Regarding claim 2, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, wherein the beam splitter element is detachably mounted in the relay unit in a predetermined position in the imaging beam path (col 4 lines 16-19 teach 10, system, is a modular assembly that facilitates easy reconfiguration, thus interpreted as the components being detachably mounted).
Regarding claim 3, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, wherein the beam splitter element splits the imaging beam path of the first relay lens according to a predetermined intensity ratio and/or according to a polarization of the imaging beam and/or a desired spectral range of the imaging beam (col 3 line 66 - col 4 line 4).
Regarding claim 4, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one filter arranged behind the beam splitter element in at least one of the two imaging paths (at least 72, first filter, 74, second filter).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one filter is arranged interchangeably between the beam splitter element and the at least one second relay lens (col 4 lines 16-19 teach 10, system, is a modular assembly that facilitates easy reconfiguration, thus interpreted as the components being detachably mounted).
Regarding claim 6, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one filter is mounted rotatably about an optical axis of the imaging path and its rotational position can be adjusted from outside (col 3 lines 29-38; col 3 line 66 - col 4 line 4; col 4 lines 16-19).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one filter is a gray filter, a polarization filter and/or a long-pass or short-pass filter (at least col 3 lines 58-62).
Regarding claim 8, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 7, wherein a cutoff wavelength of the long-pass or short-pass filter is in the range of 700 nm-780 nm (col 5 lines 23-26 teach 72, first filter, transmits only light at 700 nm, thus the cutoff wavelength is between 701 and 780 nm).
Regarding claim 9, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, but fails to teach wherein the first relay lens and the at least two second relay lenses are designed to transmit an image circle of at least 32 mm diameter.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to adjust the image circle to be at least 32 mm, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). Doing so would allow for versatile focal length of both wide and medium images without needing to change lenses as often.
Regarding claim 10, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, but fails to teach wherein the first relay lens and the at least two second relay lenses are designed to transmit a light intensity of at least aperture 2.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to adjust the light intensity to be at least aperture 2, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). Doing so would allow for low noise and grain in the image captured.
Regarding claim 11, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the second relay lenses is displaceable and fixable along an optical axis in order to adjust a focus of this lens to a sensor plane (col 4 lines 16-19 teach 10, system, is a modular assembly that facilitates easy reconfiguration, thus interpreted as the components being detachably mounted; col 4 lines 35-43; col 5 lines 5-13).
Regarding claim 12, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 11, wherein the displacement of the at least one second relay lens with respect to the other second relay lens is adjustable such that a depth of field ranges of two images partially overlap (at least col 5 lines 5-13 teach co-registration of the images; col 5 lines 1-4 teach matching focal lengths).
Regarding claim 13, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, wherein the recording lens and/or at least one of the cameras is separably connected to the relay unit (col 4 lines 16-19 teach 10, system, is a modular assembly that facilitates easy reconfiguration, thus interpreted as the components being detachably mounted).
Regarding claim 14, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 13, wherein the recording lens and/or at least one of the cameras is connected to the relay unit by a camera mount (78, 80, 82, clamping collars).
Regarding claim 15, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 14, but fails to teach wherein the mount is a PL or LPL mount.
However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use a PL or LPL mount, since applicant has not disclosed that the specific mount solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally as well with any other mount. Using a PL or LPL mount would allow for precise mechanics for focus and iris control.
Regarding claim 16, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, wherein the sensors of the cameras are synchronized with each other in time (at least Abstract teaches automatic co-registration of the images generated by the video cameras).
Regarding claim 17, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, wherein the beam splitter system has a displacement device which is designed to displace at least one of the cameras parallel to its sensor plane in a horizontal and/or vertical direction (at least col 5 lines 14-22).
Regarding claim 18, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, wherein the beam splitter system comprises a device which rotates at least one of the cameras about an optical axis with respect to a predetermined starting position (at least col 5 lines 14-22).
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have a rotation by 90°, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). Doing so would allow for improved compensation for angular deviations in order to maintain co-registration of the images captured.
Regarding claim 19, the modified Spiering discloses the beam splitter system according to claim 1, wherein the sensors of the cameras are set so that they record the same image sections and/or have the same exposure times (at least Abstract teaches automatic co-registration of the images generated by the video cameras; col 6 lines 9-14).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Spiering (5,900,942, of record) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of von Cramon (2017/0155852).
Regarding claim 20, the modified Spiering teaches the beam splitter system according to claim 1, but fails to teach wherein the beam splitter system further comprises an illumination device to emit light of a predetermined polarization direction and/or light of a specific spectral range and/or pulsating light which is synchronized to the frame. The modified Spiering and von Cramon are related because both teach a beam splitter system.
von Cramon teaches a beam splitter system wherein the beam splitter system further comprises an illumination device to emit light of a predetermined polarization direction and/or light of a specific spectral range and/or pulsating light which is synchronized to the frame (at least Abstract; [0018, 0019]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have further modified Spiering to incorporate the teachings of von Cramon and provide wherein the beam splitter system further comprises an illumination device to emit light of a predetermined polarization direction and/or light of a specific spectral range and/or pulsating light which is synchronized to the frame. Doing so would allow for adequate exposure at practical sensitivity and aperture settings.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Oshima (2002/0024635) discloses a relevant beam splitter system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BALRAM T PARBADIA whose telephone number is (571)270-0602. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at (571) 272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BALRAM T PARBADIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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