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 .
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Igeta et al., US 2023/0236454, in view of Ono, US 2021/0019899.
In regard to claim 1, Igeta et al., US 2023/0236454, discloses a camera module comprising:
an imaging device (see figure 1, element IS and para 29-31);
a liquid crystal panel (see figure 1, element PNL) comprising an incident light control area including first to fourth light transmissive areas provided at positions where light is made incident on the imaging device, a liquid crystal layer provided at a position overlapping with the incident light control area, and a driver driving the liquid crystal layer to transmit light through each of the first to fourth light transmissive areas (see para 33-35); and
a lens (see figure 1, element OS) located between the imaging device and the liquid crystal panel (see para 29), wherein
a size of the third and fourth light transmissive areas is smaller than a size of the first and second light transmissive areas (see para 34; figures 2 and 3, elements TA1 and TA2: TA1 is a 1st light transmissive area and TA2 is a 3rd light transmissive area ).
Igeta et al., US 2023/0236454, does not specifically disclose a first distance to a subject in first and second images is calculated based on the first and second images, the first image being based on the light transmitted through the first light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer, and the second image being based on the light transmitted through the second light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer, and a second distance to a subject in third and fourth images is calculated based on the third and fourth images, the third image being based on the light transmitted through the third light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer, and the fourth image being based on the light transmitted through the fourth light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer.
Ono, US 2021/0019899, discloses and imaging device with four image acquisition units that acquire four images used in determining a first distance to a subject in first and second images is calculated based on the first and second images, the first image being based on the light transmitted through the first light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer, and the second image being based on the light transmitted through the second light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer (see figure 6; para 16 and 110-116), and a second distance to a subject in third and fourth images is calculated based on the third and fourth images, the third image being based on the light transmitted through the third light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer, and the fourth image being based on the light transmitted through the fourth light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer (see figure 6; para 16, 110-114, and 130).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention (AIA ) to have been motivated to modify Igeta et al., US 2023/0236454, in view of Ono, US 2021/0019899, to have imaging acquisition units and distance calculations units to determine a first distance to a subject in first and second images is calculated based on the first and second images, the first image being based on the light transmitted through the first light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer, and the second image being based on the light transmitted through the second light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer, and a second distance to a subject in third and fourth images is calculated based on the third and fourth images, the third image being based on the light transmitted through the third light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer, and the fourth image being based on the light transmitted through the fourth light transmissive area and the lens and made incident on the imaging device by driving the liquid crystal layer, in order to accurately measure the distance to the subject for focusing and creating clearer images.
In regard to claim 2, Igeta et al., US 2023/0236454, in view of Ono, US 2021/0019899, discloses the camera module of claim 1. The Ono reference discloses wherein the first and second light transmissive areas are provided side by side in a first direction, and the third and fourth light transmissive areas are provided side by side in a second direction different from the first direction (see figure 3).
In regard to claim 3, Igeta et al., US 2023/0236454, in view of Ono, US 2021/0019899, discloses the camera module of claim 1. The Ono reference discloses camera module of claim 1, wherein the first and second light transmissive areas are provided side by side in a first direction, the third and fourth light transmissive areas are provided side by side in the first direction, the first and third light transmissive areas are provided such that a center of the first light transmissive area corresponds to a center of the third light transmissive area, and the second and fourth light transmissive areas are provided such that a center of the second light transmissive area corresponds to a center of the fourth light transmissive area (see figure 3).
In regard to claim 4, Igeta et al., US 2023/0236454, in view of Ono, US 2021/0019899, discloses the camera module of claim 1. The Ono reference discloses camera module of claim 1, wherein the first to fourth light transmissive areas have a circular shape (see figure 2 and 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2022/0368785, discloses an imaging device with a liquid crystal panel. US 2021/0318569, discloses an image sensor with a liquid crystal variable iris
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/GEVELL V SELBY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2638
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