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 with traverse of Species A in the reply filed on September 15, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the species are so inextricably interrelated, there should be no serious burden to examine them all together.
At this time, all claims appear to be generic to all the species. However, during prosecution, the claims could potentially be drawn to different specific species. Thus, the requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL. Accordingly, no claims have been withdrawn; claims 1-20 have been examined as follows.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10, last line – “the image sensor).” is presumed to be intended as “the image sensor.”
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 1-20 are 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.
Claims 1 and 16 recite in part “EPD is an entrance pupil” in the last line. However, the recited entrance pupil appears to be missing a defining numerical characteristic. For examination purposes, and in accordance with para. [0124], the limitation is considered to be “EPD is an entrance pupil diameter.”
Claim 5 recites in part “[Formula 7] N1 ≤ 1.6 wherein, N2 in [Formula 7] is a refractive index of the second lens”. However, for consistency, and in accordance with para. [0133] and claim 18, the limitation is considered to be “[Formula 7] N1 ≤ 1.6 wherein N1 in [Formula 7] is a refractive index of the first lens”.
Claims 2-4, 6-15 and 17-20 are also rejected by virtue of their dependency.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 6-16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim et al. (US 2025/0362485) in view of Naoi (US 2011/0025903), of record in IDS.
Regarding claim 1, Shim discloses an electronic device (Figs. 1, 35) comprising:
a lens assembly (1000, Fig. 1) comprising:
a lens group (100) comprising a first lens (101), a second lens (102), a third lens (103), and a fourth lens (104) sequentially arranged along an optical axis (OA) in a direction from an object side to an image side (Fig. 1);
an aperture (ST); and
an image sensor (300) comprising an imaging surface on which an image is formed (paras. [0006, 0060]),
wherein the first lens (101) has positive refractive power, and the second lens (102) has negative refractive power, the third lens (103) has a convex shape toward the image side (Fig. 1), and the fourth lens (104) has negative refractive power (paras. [0008, 0094]), and
wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 1], [Formula 3], and [Formula 4] below,
[Formula 1]
IH ≥ 2.8mm (Equation 57; para. [0225])
[Formula 3]
L2MED/L1S1ED ≤ 1.05 (Fig. 1; Equation 15; paras. [0100, 0354])
[Formula 4]
f/EPD ≤ 2.5 (Equations 70, 78; paras. [0238, 0431])
wherein, in [Formula 1], IH is half a diagonal length of the image sensor, in [Formula 3], L1S1ED is an effective diameter of the object-side surface (S3) of the first lens, and L2MED is a larger value between an effective diameter of an object-side surface (S5) of the second lens and an effective diameter of a surface of an image-side surface (S6) of the second lens, in [Formula 4], f is a composite focal length of the lens assembly, and EPD is an entrance pupil.
Shim fails to explicitly disclose [Formula 2] TTL-ASL ≤ 0.01mm, wherein TTL in [Formula 2] is a distance from an object-side surface (S3) of the first lens to the imaging surface of the image sensor, and ASL is a distance from the aperture to the imaging surface of the image sensor.
However, Naoi discloses an electronic device (50, Figs. 1-2), wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 2] below,
[Formula 2]
TTL-ASL ≤ 0.01mm (Figs. 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19; Table 1)
wherein TTL in [Formula 2] is a distance from an object-side surface (S3) of the first lens (L1) to the imaging surface of the image sensor (51), and ASL is a distance from the aperture (S) to the imaging surface of the image sensor (Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate [Formula 2] TTL-ASL ≤ 0.01mm, wherein TTL in [Formula 2] is a distance from an object-side surface (S3) of the first lens to the imaging surface of the image sensor, and ASL is a distance from the aperture to the imaging surface of the image sensor, as in Naoi, into the electronic device of Shim to position the aperture closest to the object side, thus positioning the exit pupil farther from the image sensor and suppressing angle of light flux (Naoi, para. [0022]).
Regarding claim 3, Shim discloses wherein the object-side surface of the first lens (101) has a convex shape toward the object side (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Shim fails to explicitly disclose wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 6] below, [Formula 6] N2 ≥ 1.66, wherein, N2 in [Formula 6] is a refractive index of the second lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
However, Naoi discloses wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 6] below,
[Formula 6]
N2 ≥ 1.66 (paras. [0039-0040])
wherein, N2 in [Formula 6] is a refractive index of the second lens (L2) at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 6] below, [Formula 6] N2 ≥ 1.66, wherein, N2 in [Formula 6] is a refractive index of the second lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm, as in Naoi, into the electronic device of Shim to correct for aberrations (Naoi, para. [0041]).
Regarding claim 6, Shim discloses wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 8] below,
[Formula 8]
N4 ≤ 1.6 (Fig. 3)
wherein, N4 in [Formula 8] is a refractive index of the fourth lens (104) at a wavelength of 587.6 nm (para. [0332]).
Regarding claim 7, Shim discloses wherein the second lens has negative refractive power and satisfies [Formula 9] below,
[Formula 9]
CT2 ≥ 0.15 mm (Fig. 3)
wherein, CT2 in [Formula 9] is a central thickness of the second lens (102).
Regarding claim 8, Shim discloses wherein the second lens has negative refractive power, and the image-side surface of the second lens (102) has a concave shape toward the image side (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Shim discloses wherein at least one of an object-side surface or an image-side surface of the fourth lens (104) comprises at least one inflection point (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Shim discloses wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 10] below,
[Formula 10]
SD/TTL ≤ 0.9 (Fig. 3)
wherein, SD in [Formula 10] is a distance from the object-side surface (S3) of the first lens (101) to an image-side surface (S10) of the fourth lens (104), and TTL is a distance from the object-side surface (S3) of the first lens to the image forming surface of the image sensor (300)).
Regarding claim 11, Shim discloses wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 11] below,
[Formula 11]
1.0 < TTL/f (Equation 75; para. [0428])
wherein, TTL in [Formula 11] is the distance from the object-side surface (S3) of the first lens (101) to the imaging surface of the image sensor (300), and f is the composite focal length of the lens assembly.
Regarding claims 12-14, Shim fails to explicitly disclose further comprises a display comprising a through hole, and wherein the first lens and at least a portion of the second lens are disposed in the through hole; wherein the display further comprises: a support panel; a display panel disposed on a surface of the support panel facing a first direction; and a cover glass disposed on a surface of the display panel facing the first direction; and wherein the through hole is formed through a surface of the support panel, facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, to a surface of the display panel facing the first direction.
However, Naoi discloses a display (Fig. 3; para. [0097]) comprising a through hole (in 53 or 55), and
wherein the first lens (L1) and at least a portion of the second lens (L2) are disposed in the through hole (Fig. 2),
wherein the display further comprises:
a support panel (55 or 53);
a display panel (51; para. [0094]) disposed on a surface of the support panel facing a first direction (Fig. 2); and
a cover glass (52a) disposed on a surface of the display panel facing the first direction (Fig. 2), and
wherein the through hole is formed through a surface of the support panel (Fig. 2), facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, to a surface of the display panel facing the first direction (Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate further comprises a display comprising a through hole, and wherein the first lens and at least a portion of the second lens are disposed in the through hole; wherein the display further comprises: a support panel; a display panel disposed on a surface of the support panel facing a first direction; and a cover glass disposed on a surface of the display panel facing the first direction; and wherein the through hole is formed through a surface of the support panel, facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, to a surface of the display panel facing the first direction, as in Naoi, into the electronic device of Shim to provide and house an image pickup lens assembly within an image pickup apparatus for a cell phone, for example.
Regarding claim 15, Shim fails to explicitly disclose wherein the aperture is disposed to face the object-side surface of the first lens.
However, Naoi discloses wherein the aperture (S) is disposed to face the object-side surface of the first lens (L1) (Figs. 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein the aperture is disposed to face the object-side surface of the first lens, as in Naoi, into the electronic device of Shim to position the exit pupil farther from the image sensor and suppressing angle of light flux (Naoi, para. [0022]).
Regarding claim 16, Shim discloses a lens assembly (1000, Fig. 1) comprising:
a lens group (100) comprising a first lens (101), a second lens (102), a third lens (103), and a fourth lens (104) sequentially arranged along an optical axis (OA) in a direction from an object side to an image side (Fig. 1);
an aperture (ST); and
an image sensor (300) comprising an imaging surface on which an image is formed (paras. [0006, 0060]),
wherein the first lens (101) has positive refractive power, an object-side surface of the first lens has a convex shape toward an object (Fig. 1), the second lens (102) has negative refractive power, the third lens (103) has a convex shape toward the image side (Fig. 1), and the fourth lens has negative refractive power (paras. [0008, 0094]), and
wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 1], [Formula 3], and [Formula 4] below,
[Formula 1]
IH ≥ 2.8mm (Equation 57; para. [0225])
[Formula 3]
L2MED/L1S1ED ≤ 1.05 (Fig. 1; Equation 15; paras. [0100, 0354])
[Formula 4]
f/EPD ≤ 2.5 (Equations 70, 78; paras. [0238, 0431])
wherein, in [Formula 1], IH is half a diagonal length of the image sensor, in [Formula 3], L1S1ED is an effective diameter of the object-side surface (S3) of the first lens, and L2MED is a larger value between an effective diameter of an object-side surface (S5) of the second lens and an effective diameter of a surface of an image-side surface (S6) of the second lens, in [Formula 4], f is a composite focal length of the lens assembly, and EPD is an entrance pupil.
Shim fails to explicitly disclose [Formula 2] TTL-ASL ≤ 0.01mm, wherein TTL in [Formula 2] is a distance from an object-side surface (S3) of the first lens to the imaging surface of the image sensor, and ASL is a distance from the aperture to the imaging surface of the image sensor.
However, Naoi discloses lens assembly (10, Figs. 1-2), wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 2] below,
[Formula 2]
TTL-ASL ≤ 0.01mm (Figs. 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19; Table 1)
wherein TTL in [Formula 2] is a distance from an object-side surface (S3) of the first lens (L1) to the imaging surface of the image sensor (51), and ASL is a distance from the aperture (S) to the imaging surface of the image sensor (Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate [Formula 2] TTL-ASL ≤ 0.01mm, wherein TTL in [Formula 2] is a distance from an object-side surface (S3) of the first lens to the imaging surface of the image sensor, and ASL is a distance from the aperture to the imaging surface of the image sensor, as in Naoi, into the lens assembly of Shim to position the aperture closest to the object side, thus positioning the exit pupil farther from the image sensor and suppressing angle of light flux (Naoi, para. [0022]).
Regarding claim 19, Shim discloses wherein the second lens (102) has negative refractive power and satisfies [Formula 9] below, and the image-side surface (S6) of the second lens has a concave shape toward the image side (Fig. 1), and
at least one of an object-side surface S9 or an image-side surface (S10) of the fourth lens (104) is formed to have at least one inflection point (Fig. 1),
[Formula 9]
CT2 ≥ 0.15 mm (Fig. 3)
wherein, CT2 in [Formula 9] is a central thickness of the second lens (102).
Regarding claim 20, Shim discloses wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 10] and [Formula 11] below,
[Formula 10]
SD/TTL ≤ 0.9 (Fig. 3)
[Formula 11]
1.0 < TTL/f (Equation 75; para. [0428])
wherein, in [Formula 10], SD is a distance from the object-side surface (S3) of the first lens (101) to the image-side surface (S10) of the fourth lens (104), TTL is a distance from the object-side surface (S3) of the first lens to the image forming surface of the image sensor (300), and in [Formula 11], TTL is the distance from the object-side surface (S3) of the first lens to the imaging surface of the image sensor, and f is a composite focal distance of the lens assembly.
Claims 2, 5, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shim et al. (US 2025/0362485) in view of Naoi (US 2011/0025903), as applied to claims 1 and 16 above, and further in view of Zou et al. (US 2022/0260809).
Regarding claim 2, Shim in view of Naoi fails to explicitly disclose wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 5] below, [Formula 5] 17 < V2 < 25, wherein, V2 in [Formula 5] is the Abbe number of the second lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
However, Zou discloses an electronic device (Figs. 1-7), wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 5] below,
[Formula 5]
17 < V2 < 25 (Table 1)
wherein, V2 in [Formula 5] is the Abbe number of the second lens (L2) at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 5] below, [Formula 5] 17 < V2 < 25, wherein, V2 in [Formula 5] is the Abbe number of the second lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm, as in Zou, into the electronic device of Shim and Naoi to adjust the chromatic dispersion as desired.
Regarding claim 5, Shim in view of Naoi fails to explicitly disclose wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 7] below, [Formula 7] N1 ≤ 1.6, wherein, N2 in [Formula 7] is a refractive index of the second lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm (note rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112 above).
However, Zou discloses wherein the lens assembly (110, Figs. 1-7) satisfies [Formula 7] below,
[Formula 7]
N1 ≤ 1.6 (Table 1)
wherein, N2 [N1] in [Formula 7] is a refractive index of the second [first] lens (L1) at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 7] below, [Formula 7] N1 ≤ 1.6, wherein, N2 [N1] in [Formula 7] is a refractive index of the second [first] lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm, as in Zou, into the electronic device of Shim and Naoi to adjust the transmission of light as desired.
Regarding claim 17, Shim fails to explicitly disclose wherein the second lens satisfies [Formula 5] and [Formula 6] below, [Formula 5] 17 < V2 < 25, [Formula 6] N2 ≥ 1.66, wherein, V2 in [Formula 5] is an Abbe number of the second lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm, and N2 in [Formula 6] is a refractive index of the second lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
However, Naoi discloses wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 6] below,
[Formula 6]
N2 ≥ 1.66 (paras. [0039-0040])
wherein, N2 in [Formula 6] is a refractive index of the second lens (L2) at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 6] below, [Formula 6] N2 ≥ 1.66, wherein, N2 in [Formula 6] is a refractive index of the second lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm, as in Naoi, into the lens assembly of Shim to correct for aberrations (Naoi, para. [0041]).
Further, Zou discloses a lens assembly (Figs. 1-7), wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 5] below,
[Formula 5]
17 < V2 < 25 (Table 1)
wherein, V2 in [Formula 5] is the Abbe number of the second lens (L2) at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 5] below, [Formula 5] 17 < V2 < 25, wherein, V2 in [Formula 5] is the Abbe number of the second lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm, as in Zou, into the lens assembly of Shim and Naoi to adjust the chromatic dispersion as desired.
Regarding claim 18, Shim discloses wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 8] below,
[Formula 8]
N4 ≤ 1.6 (Fig. 3)
wherein, N4 in [Formula 8] is a refractive index of the fourth lens (104) at a wavelength of 587.6 nm (para. [0332]).
Shim in view of Naoi fails to explicitly disclose wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 7] N1 ≤ 1.6, wherein, N1 in [Formula 7] is a refractive index of the first lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
However, Zou discloses wherein the lens assembly (110, Figs. 1-7) satisfies [Formula 7] below,
[Formula 7]
N1 ≤ 1.6 (Table 1)
wherein, N2 [N1] in [Formula 7] is a refractive index of the second [first] lens (L1) at a wavelength of 587.6 nm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate wherein the lens assembly satisfies [Formula 7] below, [Formula 7] N1 ≤ 1.6, wherein, N2 [N1] in [Formula 7] is a refractive index of the second [first] lens at a wavelength of 587.6 nm, as in Zou, into the lens assembly of Shim and Naoi to adjust the transmission of light as desired.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAISLEY L WILSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5023. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm ET.
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, MICHAEL CALEY can be reached at 571-272-2286. 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.
/PAISLEY L WILSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
