Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 04, 2026
Application No. 18/921,056

INFRARED THERMAL IMAGING DEVICE AND BUILT-IN RANGE-FINDING INFRARED CAMERA LENS THEREOF

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Oct 21, 2024
Priority
Nov 09, 2023 — CN 202311486954.3
Examiner
GROSS, ALEXANDER P
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Raytron Technology Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
59%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
8m
Est. Remaining
80%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 59% of resolved cases
59%
Career Allowance Rate
333 granted / 563 resolved
-0.9% vs TC avg
Strong +21% interview lift
Without
With
+20.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
30 currently pending
Career history
584
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.5%
-39.5% vs TC avg
§103
60.3%
+20.3% vs TC avg
§102
17.9%
-22.1% vs TC avg
§112
17.9%
-22.1% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 563 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Allowable Subject Matter Claims 5-7 and 9-14 are 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 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 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (DE202023103202U1, with reference made to provided machine translation, Wang) in view of Zhang (CN219016578U, with reference made to provided machine translation). As per claim 1, Wang teaches (in figures 1-4) a built-in range-finding infrared camera lens, comprising a lens barrel (barrel of optical module 3 and mounting frame 203), an infrared lens (optical lens 303), a laser distance measuring device (laser distance measuring device 305, see paragraph 22, wherein an outer edge of the infrared lens is provided with a notch (notch in which laser distance measuring device 305 is placed, see figures 2-3); the infrared lens and the laser distance measuring device are both fixedly mounted at a front end of the lens barrel, and the laser distance measuring device is embedded in the notch; and a laser ranging optical axis of the laser lens is parallel to an infrared optical axis of the infrared lens (paragraph 26). Wang does not specifically teach that the laser distance measuring device comprises a laser transceiver and laser lens wherein the laser lens is fixedly mounted at a front end of the lens barrel, and the laser lens is embedded in the notch; the laser transceiver is fixedly mounted at a rear end of the lens barrel. However, Zhang teaches (in figures 3-7) providing a laser distance measuring device (shown in figures) comprising a laser transceiver (sensor 33 and laser source 21) and a laser lens (large transmitting lens 24 and receiving lens 31) wherein the laser lens is fixedly mounted at a front end of the laser distance measuring device; and the laser transceiver is fixedly mounted at a rear end of the laser distance measuring device. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention modify the invention of Wang to use the laser distance measuring device of Zhang. The motivation would have been to reduce the outer diameter of the entire laser ranging adjustment module as taught by Zhang (paragraph 14). As per claim 2, Wang in view of Zhang teaches a partition (cylindrical body 1 from Zhang corresponding to the outer surfaces of the laser distance measuring device 305 in Wang) arranged in the lens barrel (barrel of optical module 3 and mounting frame 203 in Wang), wherein the partition is configured to divide an internal space of the lens barrel into two portions (region of the lens barrel of optical module 3 occupied by the laser distance measuring device 305 in Wang replaced by the laser distance measuring device of Zhang under the combination, and the region of the lens barrel of optical module 3 not occupied by the laser distance measuring device 305 in Wang replaced by the laser distance measuring device of Zhang under the combination) separated from each other (by the cylindrical body 1 from Zhang corresponding to the outer surfaces of the laser distance measuring device 305 in Wang), one of the two portions has a shape matching a shape of the notch (shown in figures 2 and 3 in Wang) and is configured for mounting the laser lens, and the other of the two portions has a shape matching a shape of the infrared lens and is configured for mounting the infrared lens (see paragraph 22 in Wang). As per claim 3, Wang in view of Zhang teaches that a rear end of the partition (cylindrical body 1 from Zhang corresponding to the outer surfaces of the laser distance measuring device 305 in Wang) is provided with a first mounting groove (shown as R1 in the annotated figure from Zhang below) for mounting the laser transceiver (sensor 33 and laser source 21 from Zhang), and a front end of the partition is provided with a second mounting groove (shown as R2 in the annotated figure from Zhang below) for mounting the laser lens (large transmitting lens 24 and receiving lens 31 from Zhang); and wherein mounting surfaces (shown as R3 in the annotated from Zhang below) of the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove are both parallel to a cross section of the lens barrel; and a laser through hole (emission cavity 12 and receiving cavity 13 from Zhang) for laser light to pass through is provided between the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove for communication. PNG media_image1.png 585 777 media_image1.png Greyscale PNG media_image2.png 587 783 media_image2.png Greyscale As per claim 4, Wang in view of Zhang teaches that the laser lens (large transmitting lens 24 and receiving lens 31 from Zhang) comprises an exit lens (large transmitting lens from Zhang) configured for transmitting exited laser light and an incident lens (receiving lens 31 from Zhang) configured for transmitting incident laser light respectively, and an outer edge of the exit lens and an outer edge of the incident lens abut against each other (through the barrel of optical module 1 in Zhang as shown in figure 6); the number of the laser through hole is two (emission cavity 12 and receiving cavity 13 from Zhang), and the two laser through holes are configured for the exited laser light and the incident laser light to pass through, respectively. As per claim 15, Wang in view of Zhang teaches an infrared thermal imaging device (device as shown in figures 1-4 of Wang as modified by Zhang, see paragraph 26 in Wang), comprising an infrared camera lens (optical lens 303 in Wang as modified by Zhang) for receiving infrared light, an infrared detector (infrared detection and sensing module 204 in Wang) for infrared imaging and a ranging calculation module (Circuitry located in the laser distance measuring device of Zhang and the circuit processing module 2 in Wang see paragraph 23 in Wang) for laser ranging, wherein the infrared camera lens is the built-in range-finding infrared camera lens according to claim 1 (see rejection above). As per claim 16, Wang in view of Zhang teaches an infrared thermal imaging device (device as shown in figures 1-4 of Wang as modified by Zhang, see paragraph 26 in Wang), comprising an infrared camera lens (optical lens 303 in Wang as modified by Zhang) for receiving infrared light, an infrared detector (infrared detection and sensing module 204 in Wang) for infrared imaging and a ranging calculation module (Circuitry located in the laser distance measuring device of Zhang and the circuit processing module 2 in Wang see paragraph 23 in Wang) for laser ranging, wherein the infrared camera lens is the built-in range-finding infrared camera lens according to claim 2 (see rejection above). As per claim 17, Wang in view of Zhang teaches an infrared thermal imaging device (device as shown in figures 1-4 of Wang as modified by Zhang, see paragraph 26 in Wang), comprising an infrared camera lens (optical lens 303 in Wang as modified by Zhang) for receiving infrared light, an infrared detector (infrared detection and sensing module 204 in Wang) for infrared imaging and a ranging calculation module (Circuitry located in the laser distance measuring device of Zhang and the circuit processing module 2 in Wang see paragraph 23 in Wang) for laser ranging, wherein the infrared camera lens is the built-in range-finding infrared camera lens according to claim 3 (see rejection above). As per claim 18, Wang in view of Zhang teaches an infrared thermal imaging device (device as shown in figures 1-4 of Wang as modified by Zhang, see paragraph 26 in Wang), comprising an infrared camera lens (optical lens 303 in Wang as modified by Zhang) for receiving infrared light, an infrared detector (infrared detection and sensing module 204 in Wang) for infrared imaging and a ranging calculation module (Circuitry located in the laser distance measuring device of Zhang and the circuit processing module 2 in Wang see paragraph 23 in Wang) for laser ranging, wherein the infrared camera lens is the built-in range-finding infrared camera lens according to claim 4 (see rejection above). Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (DE202023103202U1, with reference made to provided machine translation, Wang) and Zhang (CN219016578U, with reference made to provided machine translation) as applied to claim 1 above and in further view of Deng et al. (US Pub. 20210144281, Deng). As per claim 8, Wang in view of Zhang teaches that the lens barrel (barrel of optical module 3 and mounting frame 203 in Wang) comprises an inner barrel (barrel of optical module 3 in Wang) and an outer barrel (mounting frame 203) nested with each other, an outer wall of the inner barrel is in detachable connection with an inner wall of the outer barrel (see paragraph 23 in Zhang), and the infrared lens (optical lens 303 in Wang as modified by Zhang), the laser lens (large transmitting lens 24 and receiving lens 31 from Zhang) and the laser transceiver (sensor 33 and laser source 21 from Zhang) are all mounted in the inner barrel. does not teach that the outer wall of the inner barrel is in threaded connection with an inner wall of the outer barrel. However, Deng teaches (in figures 1-4) forming an inner barrel (first barrel 110) and an outer barrel (second lens barrel 120) to be in threaded connection with each other in order to allow for easy focusing of the imaging device (paragraph 28). It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the inner and outer barrels of Wang to be in threaded connection as suggested by Deng. The motivation would have been to allow for easy focusing of the imaging device. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yang et al. (US Pub. 20230341661) is cited for teaching a laser range finder with a first lens (1) which is provided with a cutout to fit a second lens (8). Tang et al. (US Pub. 20260086315) is cited for teaching an infrared imaging device having a laser lens (201) nested in the infrared imaging lens (203). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER P GROSS whose telephone number is (571)272-5660. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-6pm EST. 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, Jennifer Carruth can be reached at (571) 272-9791. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ALEXANDER P GROSS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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Prosecution Timeline

Oct 21, 2024
Application Filed
Sep 22, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
59%
Grant Probability
80%
With Interview (+20.9%)
2y 7m (~8m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 563 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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