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 .
Amendment
The Response, filed on July 24, 2026, has been received and made of record. In response to the Non-Final Office Action dated April 28, 2026, the title and claims 1 and 2 have been amended, claim 3 has been cancelled, and no claims have been newly added.
Response to Amendment
Regarding the objection to the title, Applicant has amended the title, but the amended title is not found to be clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. Therefore, the outstanding objection to the title is maintained.
Regarding the objection to the drawings, the claims have been amended to address the outstanding objection. Therefore, the objection to the drawings is withdrawn.
Regarding the 35 U.S.C. 112(a) rejection of claims 1-6, Applicant has amended the claims to cancel the subject matter identified as failing to comply with the written description requirement. Therefore, the outstanding 35 U.S.C. 112(a) rejection of claims 1-6 is withdrawn.
Regarding the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claims 1-6, Applicant has amended the claims to address the previously identified indefinite subject matter. Therefore, the outstanding 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claims 1-6 is withdrawn.
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Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested:
LENS APPARATUS INCLUDING BASE MEMBER POSITIONING STRUCTURE AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME WHEREIN THE BASE MEMBER INCLUDES FIRST AND SECOND OPENINGS POSITIONED AT DISTANCES FROM FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONING PORTIONS ACCORDING TO TWO EQUATIONS AND A SATISFIED INEQUALITY
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.
Claims 2 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-201408 to Toru, in view of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0043934 to Sun et al. (hereinafter “Sun”).
Regarding claim 2, Toru teaches a lens apparatus comprising a base member (e.g., fig. 6A, element 51) having a first opening corresponding to a first optical system (e.g., fig. 6A, opening corresponding to element 61) and a second opening corresponding to a second optical system (e.g., fig. 6A, opening corresponding to element 71), and a lens barrel that holds the base member (e.g., fig. 6A, element 10), wherein the first opening and the second opening are arranged in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction (e.g., figs. 3A-6A), wherein contact between the base member and the lens barrel in the optical axis direction determines a position and an angular orientation of the base member relative to the lens barrel in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (e.g. 6A, via at least element 83a), wherein the base member includes a second positioning portion configured to restrict the base member from rotating relative to the lens barrel about an optical axis extending in the optical axis direction (e.g. 6A, via at least element 83a). Toru, however, has not been found by the Examiner to expressly disclose wherein the lens barrel includes receivers that function as third positioning portions that contact an outer circumferential surface of the base member at at least three locations and provide the base member with a virtual rotational center.
Nevertheless, Sun teaches the concept of receivers that function as third positioning portions that contact an outer circumferential surface of a base member at at least three locations and provide the base member with a virtual rotational center (e.g., fig. 4, anti-rotation elements of assembly; the Examiner notes that the term “receivers” is merely a label). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to have adapted the base member as taught by Toru with the teachings related to receiver elements as taught by Sun, resulting in the lens barrel includes receivers that functions as third positioning portions that contact an outer circumferential surface of the base member at at least three locations and provide the base member with a virtual rotational center, for the purpose of guiding and/or aligning the elements while preventing rotation during assembly of elements, making the assembly easier.
Regarding claim 6, Toru and Sun teach all of the elements of claim 6, in that Toru and Sun teach an image pickup apparatus (e.g., ‘408 – figs. 1-6D) comprising the lens apparatus according to claim 2 (see the 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claim 2, supra)
And an image sensor configured to photoelectrically convert an object image formed by the lens apparatus (e.g., ‘408 – [0026]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4 and 5 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claims 1, 4 and 5, the prior art has not been found by the Examiner to teach or fairly suggest the claimed combination a lens apparatus comprising a base member having a first opening corresponding to a first optical system and a second opening corresponding to a second optical system, and a lens barrel that holds the base member, wherein the first opening and the second opening are arranged in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction, wherein contact between the base member and the lens barrel in the optical axis direction determines a position and an angular orientation of the base member relative to the lens barrel in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, wherein the base member includes a first positioning portion formed at a position distant from a center of the first opening and a center of the second opening, and a second positioning portion formed at a position opposite to the first positioning portion with respect to a midpoint between the center of the first opening and the center of the second opening, and configured to restrict the base member from rotating relative to the lens barrel about an axis extending in the optical axis direction, and wherein in a case where the lens apparatus is viewed from the optical axis direction, B is a distance [mm] between the center of the first opening and the center of the second opening, (S, T) is coordinates of the center of the first positioning portion in a case where the center of the base member is an origin, r1 is a distance [mm] from the center of the first positioning portion to the center of the first opening and is expressed by the following equation, r2 is a distance [mm] from the center of the first positioning [AltContent: connector]portion to the center of the second opening and is expressed by the following equation,
[AltContent: connector]r1=√(B/2 - S) 2 +T2 (1)
r2=√(B/ 2- S) 2 +T2 (2)
[AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector]the following inequality is satisfied: r2-r1 × tan θ < 0.05
where θ is an angle tolerance [°] of the base member relative to the lens barrel about the axis extending in the optical axis direction.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY C VIEAUX whose telephone number is (571)272-7318. The examiner can normally be reached Increased Flex.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lin Ye can be reached at 571-272-7372. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GARY C VIEAUX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2638
