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 Objections
Claims 1 and 4 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 sets forth “a camera protrusion”, however the claim does not recite required structural relationship of said camera protrusion. It is unclear in what direction or manner it protrudes. Additionally it is unclear how the camera is coupled to the camera protrusion.
Claim 4 has a number of typographical errors.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 4, 6, 10 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites “the at least one LED”. This does not have clear antecedent reference to “at least one LED ring” previously set forth in claim 1.
Claim 4 recites “the controller has at least on[e] of a main printed circuit board coupled to camera module having an… lens module”. The main pcb, camera module, and lens module are previously set forth in claim 1. The claim therefore has unclear antecedent basis for said limitations.
Claim 6 recites “the first electrical contact… the second electrical contact… the circuit between the main PCB and the three rings”. The limitations do not have antecedent basis in claims 5 and 1 from which they depend.
Claim 6 has been interpreted as being dependent on claim 3.
Claim 10 recites “the camera is able to use light from the entire spectrum”. The “entire spectrum” is not defined, specifically what spectrum it is referring to. The Examiner has interpreted the limitation as “the entire visible spectrum”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 1, 2, 5, 7, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (U.S. 11,550,204) in view of Olsson (U.S. 8,587,648).
Regarding claim 1, Chen teaches a light emitting device having a camera assembly (camera body 3) comprising:
a cover section (light source unit 10, see fig. 3) having a LED cover housing (adjustment module 2) that is coupled to a back cover housing (surface 12) wherein at least one LED ring (LED ring with light source 15) is coupled between the LED housing and the back cover housing;
a top section (see figure 1, housing 30) having a base top housing (top surface, with camera lens 32) coupled to a base bottom housing (bottom surface of housing 30, see fig. 1) wherein the base top housing and the base bottom housing encapsulates a lens module (lens 32) and at least one controller (inherent structure to control or drive camera),
wherein the cover section is removably attached to the top section encapsulating the at least one LED ring (see fig. 3, shows removed light source).
Chen does not specifically teach that the housing encapsulates a main PCB and at least one controller, wherein the base bottom has a camera protrusion and the camera is coupled to the camera protrusion and the at least one controller.
Olsson teaches that the housing encapsulates a main PCB (circuit board assemblies 36, 38, 40) and at least one controller (electronic processing circuit 224), wherein the base bottom has a camera protrusion (see fig. 2b, image sensor 18 protrudes from camera module 16) and the camera is coupled to the camera protrusion and the at least one controller (see fig. 2b, see col. 8).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have incorporated the control structures, PCB, and circuit boards as taught by Olsson into the housing of Chen to provide a more compact device with full camera capabilities, as is known in the art.
It is unclear if Olsson and Chen teach that the cover section is removably attached to the top section.
The Examiner takes official notice that “removably attached” is well known in the art.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use a structure in Olsson and Chen to enable the cover section being removably attached to the top section to provide access for repairs, replacement, or adjustments as needed.
The Examiner further notes that “removably attached” is a recited function. It is unclear what structure Applicant is setting forth to enable the removability of the structure.
Regarding claim 2, Chen teaches that the cover section (10) is partially or fully transparent (contains transparent substrate 28).
Regarding claim 5, Chen teaches that the cover section has at least one hole for the camera protrusion to protrude through (see fig. 3, aperture 13).
Regarding claim 7, Chen teaches that the camera protrusion has a lens (lens 32) removably coupled to it.
It is unclear if Olsson and Chen teach that the lens is removably attached.
The Examiner takes official notice that “removably attached” is well known in the art.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use a structure in Olsson and Chen to enable the lens being removably attached to the top section to provide access for repairs, replacement, or adjustments as needed.
The Examiner further notes that “removably attached” is a recited function. It is unclear what structure Applicant is setting forth to enable the removability of the structure.
Regarding claim 10, Chen teaches that the camera is able to use light from the entire spectrum (analog camera, see col. 3 lines 12-26, visible light camera).
Claim(s) 3, 4, 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Olsson, further in view of Burkhardt (U.S. 2004/0212996).
Regarding claim 3, Chen and Olsson do not teach that the at least one LED is three rings increases in diameter size having at least one first electrical contact wherein the LED emits at least one of green, red, or yellow light.
Burkhardt teaches that the at least one LED is three rings (see p. 0018) increases in diameter size having at least one first electrical contact (conductor paths see fig. 2) wherein the LED emits at least one of green, red, or yellow light (see p. 0025, red, yellow, blue).
Regarding claim 4, Chen and Olsson teach that the controller has at least one of a main printed circuit board (“PCB”) coupled to camera module having an image sensor (camera has image sensor) and lens module.
Regarding claim 6, Burkhardt teaches that the first electrical contact is removably connectable with the second electrical contact completing the circuit between the main PCB and the three rings (completes circuits through contacts 19, 20, etc).
It is unclear if Olsson and Chen teach that the first electrical contact is removably attached.
The Examiner takes official notice that “removably attached” is well known in the art.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use a structure in Olsson and Chen to enable the first electrical contact being removably attached to the top section to provide access for repairs, replacement, or adjustments as needed.
The Examiner further notes that “removably attached” is a recited function. It is unclear what structure Applicant is setting forth to enable the removability of the structure.
Claim(s) 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Olsson, further in view of Fu (U.S. 11,304,274).
Regarding claim 8, Chen does not teach that the lens is a bubble lens.
Fu teaches that the lens is a bubble lens (wide angle lens, see col. 10 lines 60-65).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used a wide angle lens as taught by Fu to enable a wider angle of observation for the camera device as established by Fu.
Regarding claim 9, Chen does not teach that the base section is coupled to a mounting adapter plate.
Fu teaches that the vase section is coupled to a mounting adapter plate (adapter plate 104).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used an adapter plate as taught by Fu to enable the structure of Chen to be securely mounted in a variety of locations and applications.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J PEERCE whose telephone number is (571)272-6570. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4pm EST.
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/Matthew J. Peerce/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875