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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 28 January 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Interpretation
Claim(s) 1-10 and 16-25 do not use “means for” (or “step for”) language, or generic placeholders for "means” coupled with functional language without recitation of sufficient structure for carrying out the claimed functions and therefore do not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) (pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph).
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) 16-19 and 21-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baldwin et al. (US 2005/0213960 A1).[claim 16]
Regarding claim 16, Baldwin discloses an image capture apparatus, comprising:
a housing assembly defining a window (Figure 1, housing 10 including upper enclosure 18 having window 24);
an external heat sink supported by the housing assembly (Figure 1, 52); and
an internal heat sink supported by the housing assembly (Figure 1, 46),
wherein the external heat sink and the internal heat sink are positioned on opposite sides of the window (Figure 1; Paragraph 0019; not one heatsink is internal and the other is external relative to the enclosure with Peltier module 28 positioned in window 24 between the heat sinks), and
whereby heat flows from the internal heat sink through the window to the external heat sink for distribution across an exterior surface of the housing assembly (Paragraphs 0023; heat is transferred via the Peltier module 50 from the internal heat sink to the external heat sink through aperture 24).[claim 17]
Regarding claim 17, Baldwin discloses wherein the external heat sink overlies the window (Figure 1).[claim 18]
Regarding claim 18, Baldwin discloses wherein the housing assembly includes:
a front housing defining the window and extending between the internal heat sink and the external heat sink such that the front housing insulates the external heat sink from the internal heat sink to moderate heat transfer therebetween (Figure 1, 18);
and a rear housing connected to the front housing (Figure 1, 20).
Note that the claim as written does not define “front” and “rear” as being any particular directions.[claim 19]
Regarding claim 19, Baldwin discloses wherein the housing assembly, the external heat sink, and the internal heat sink are configured as discrete components of the image capture apparatus (Figure 1, note each component is a discrete component of the apparatus).[claim 21]
Regarding claim 21, Baldwin discloses an image capture apparatus, comprising:
a front housing (Figure 1, 18);
a first heat sink connected to an exterior surface of the front housing (Figure 1, 52);
a rear housing connected to the front housing to define an internal cavity therebetween (Figure 1, 20); and
a second heat sink connected to the front housing and located within the internal cavity (Figure 1, 46),
wherein the first heat sink and the second heat sink are devoid of any direct thermal connection (Figure 1, 50; note that Peltier module 50 is disposed between the first and second heat sinks and thus no direct thermal connection between the two heat sinks is present).
Further note that the claim as written does not define “front” and “rear” as being any particular directions.[claim 22]
Regarding claim 22, Baldwin discloses wherein the front housing defines a window (Figure 1, 24)[claim 23]
Regarding claim 23, Baldwin discloses wherein the first heat sink and the second heat sink are positioned on opposite sides of the window (Figure 1, heat sinks 52 and 46 are positioned on opposite sides of window 24).[claim 24]
Regarding claim 24, Baldwin discloses wherein the front housing, the first heat sink, the rear housing, and the second heat sink are configured such that heat flows from the second heat sink to the first heat sink through the window (Paragraphs 0023; heat is transferred via the Peltier module 50 from the internal heat sink to the external heat sink through aperture 24).
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) 1-4, 6-9 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vitale et al. (US 2021/0111210 A1) in view of Baldwin et al. (US 2005/0213960 A1).[claim 1]
Regarding claim 1, Vitale discloses an image capture apparatus, comprising:
a front housing (Figure 1, 150; Figure 2, 250; Paragraph 0141);
a rear housing connected to the front housing to define an internal cavity therebetween (Figure 2, 252; Paragraph 0141);
a front integrated sensor-lens assembly (ISLA) extending through the front housing (Figure 1, 147a; Paragraph 0084);
a rear ISLA extending through the rear housing (Figure 1, 147b; Paragraph 0084); and
a second heat sink connected to the front housing within the internal cavity (Figure 7, 754; Paragraph 0124).
However, Vitale does not disclose a window;
a first heat sink connected to an exterior surface of the front housing such that the first heat sink is located exterior to the window with respect to the internal cavity; or
wherein the first heat sink and the second heat sink are devoid of any direct thermal connection.
Baldwin discloses an image capture apparatus including a front housing defining a window (Figure 1, 18 defining window 24);
a first heat sink connected to an exterior surface of the front housing such that the first heat sink is located exterior to the window with respect to the internal cavity (Figure 1, 52);
a second heat sink located interior to the window (Figure 1, 46); and
wherein the first heat sink and the second heat sink are devoid of any direct thermal connection (Figure 1, 50; note that Peltier module 50 is disposed between the first and second heat sinks and thus no direct thermal connection between the two heat sinks is present).
Baldwin discloses that the image capture apparatus may transfer heat from the interior heat sink to the exterior heat sink by way of the Peltier module to pump heat to the external heat sink to be expelled to the environment and maintain a cooler temperature inside the housing of the camera (e.g. Paragraph 0023).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to provide a window, Peltier module and external heatsink as taught by Baldwin in the image capture apparatus of Vitale so that heat may be expelled from the housing to provide a cooler temperature inside the housing.[claim 2]
Regarding claim 2, Vitale in view of Baldwin discloses wherein the front housing and the rear housing are formed from a non-metallic material (Vitale, Paragraph 0125), and the first heat sink and the second heat sink are formed from a metallic material (Vitale, Paragraph 0125; Baldwin, Paragraph 0019).[claim 3]
Regarding claim 3, Vitale in view of Baldwin discloses wherein at least one of the first heat sink and the second heat sink includes a surface finish configured to increase thermal emissivity thereof (Baldwin, Paragraph 0019, see FH100 datasheet and note that a clear anodized finish is present).[claim 4]
Regarding claim 4, Vitale in view of Baldwin discloses wherein the front housing and the first heat sink are configured as discrete components of the image capture apparatus (Vitale, Figure 7; Baldwin, Figure 1; note the components are discrete).[claim 6]
Regarding claim 6, Vitale in view of Baldwin discloses wherein the front housing extends between the first heat sink and the second heat sink to thereby insulate the second heat sink from the first heat sink (Baldwin, Figures 1 and 3; Paragraph 0024; note that the window 24 is interposed between internal and external heatsinks and thus serves to insulate the two heat sinks form each other).[claim 7]
Regarding claim 7, Vitale in view of Baldwin discloses herein the first heat sink extends across the window to distribute heat along an exterior surface of the front housing (Baldwin, Figure 3; note the first heat sink covers the window and distributes heat along an exterior surface of the housing).[claim 8]
Regarding claim 8, Vitale in view of Baldwin discloses an electronics assembly connected to second heat sink and configured to support operation of the image capture apparatus (Vitale, Figures 1 and 7; Paragraphs 0054-0057, 0124).[claim 9]
Regarding claim 9, Vitale in view of Baldwin discloses wherein the electronics assembly includes a main processor (Vitale, Paragraphs 0055, 0059).[claim 25]
Regarding claim 25, see the rejection of claim 1 above.
Claim(s) 5 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vitale et al. (US 2021/0111210 A1) in view of Baldwin et al. (US 2005/0213960 A1) in view of Official Notice.[claim 5]
Regarding claim 5, Vitale in view of Baldwin disclose a first heat sink which is connected to the front housing (Baldwin, Figure 1, 52), but does not disclose the use of an adhesive to bond the heat sink to the housing.
Official Notice is taken that it is well known in the art to use adhesives to connect components an imaging system. The use of an adhesive provides for a simple, cheap and permanent connection between the components which prevents the components from shifting relative to each other.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to use an adhesive to connect the first heat sink and the front housing of Vitale in view of Baldwin so that a simple, cheap and permanent connection may be made therebetween which prevents the components from shifting relative to each other.[claim 10]
Regarding claim 10, Vitale in view of Baldwin discloses wherein the electronics assembly is connected to the second heat sink material such that heat flows from the electronics assembly to the second heat sink to the first heat sink (Vitale, Figures 1 and 7; Paragraphs 0054-0057, 0124), thereby improving a run time of the image capture apparatus (note by reducing heat present in the camera device, the camera device is prevented from overheating and run time is increased).
However, Vitale in view of Baldwin does not disclose the use of a thermal interface material between the electronics assembly and the second heat sink.
Official Notice is taken that it is well known in the art to provide a thermal interface material between an electronics assembly and a heat sink to increase heat transfer. Therefore, it would have been obvious to provide a thermal interface material as claimed so that heat transfer from the electronics assembly to the heat sink may be increased.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 20 is 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.[claim 20]
Regarding claim 20, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest wherein the external heat sink is adhesively bonded to the housing assembly, and wherein the internal heat sink is mechanically connected to the housing assembly via at least one mechanical fastener.
While it would be obvious to use adhesives to connect components (see rejection of claim 5 above) or to use mechanical fasteners (see e.g. Baldwin, Paragraph 0019-0020), the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest the particular combination of adhesives and mechanical fasteners to connect the external heat sink and the housing assembly and the internal heat sink and the housing assembly as claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following reference show similar systems including internal or external heat sinks:
Amano et al. US 12,432,431 B2
Vitale et al. US 2024/0422413 A1
Gunji et al. EP 3985959 A1
Sharma US 2020/0351419 A1
Samuels et al. US 9,910,342 B2
Sramek et al. US 5,864,365
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY J HENN whose telephone number is (571)272-7310. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday ~10-6.
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/Timothy J Henn/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639