DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
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 .
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, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nichol (US 2020/0211227 A1) in view of Sharp et al (US 2018/0210223 A1).
As per claim 1, Nichol discloses a switching mechanism applied to being assembled with an assembly mechanism (fig. 21, mobile device case 450, lens assembly 2100, lens cover 2102), comprising:
a body provided with a lens hole, wherein the lens hole is configured for mounting (fig. 21, mobile device case 450, comprises a lens hole for mounting (optic(s)/ lens); and
at least one disassembly structure provided on the body, wherein the disassembly structure comprises a sliding portion configured to be detachably and slidably connected to the assembly mechanism (fig. 21, lens assembly 2100, lens cover 2102, lens assembly 2100 has guide channels 2402 and 2404, and lens cover 2102 slides and connected to lens assembly 2100).
Nichol fails to teach a filter. However, Sharp discloses an external lens system which may be mounted to a mobile phone, wherein external lens is a filter (Sharp, fig. 3, color enhancement filter 20, para 0055).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, by integrating the external filter as taught by Sharp, into the lens assembly as taught by Nichol, because doing so would provide a more efficient way of filtering light, thus enhancing the images being captured.
As per claim 2, the combined teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, further discloses the switching mechanism of claim 1, wherein the sliding portion is in a concave and convex fit with the assembly mechanism, so as to be detachably and slidably connected to the assembly mechanism (Nichol, fig. 21, lens assembly 2100, lens cover 2102 has a convex/concave fit, and slidably connects).
As per claim 8, the combined teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, further discloses the switching mechanism of claim 1, wherein the disassembly structure is provided with at least one positioning structure, and the positioning structure is cooperated and positioned with the assembly mechanism (Nichol, fig. 21, lens assembly 2100, lens cover 2102, guide channels 2402 and 2404, magnet for closed position 2408).
As per claim 9, the combined teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, further discloses the switching mechanism of claim 8, wherein the positioning structure is a positioning member configured to retract and protrude, or the positioning structure is a positioning groove (Nichol, fig. 21, lens assembly 2100, lens cover 2102, guide channels 2402 and 2404, magnet for closed position 2408, i.e. positioning groove).
As per claim 11, the combined teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, further discloses an assembly mechanism applied to mounting a switching mechanism, comprising:
a mounting member provided with an avoidance hole (Nichol, fig. 24, lens assembly 2100, mounting member will be considered shell of lens assembly 2100, integrating sphere 203 will be considered “avoidance hole”), wherein an area of the mounting member without the avoidance hole is provided with a cooperation portion cooperated and limited with the sliding portion of the switching mechanism of claim 1 (Nichols, fig. 24, lens assembly 2100, space/hole where magnet for open position 2406 and magnet for closed position 2408 will be considered “cooperation portion”, and is limited with guide channel 2402 and 2404, where sliding portion for lens cover 2102 lies).
As per claim 12, the combined teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, further discloses the assembly mechanism of claim 11, wherein the cooperation portion is in a concave and convex fit with the switching mechanism, so as to be detachably and slidably connected to the switching mechanism (Nichols, figs. 24 and 25, lens assembly 2100, hole where magnet for open position 2406 and closed position 2408 (i.e. cooperation portion) is of convex and concave fit, which is detachable and slidably connected to lens cover 2102).
As per claim 15, the combined teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, further discloses the assembly mechanism of claim 11, further comprising:
a positioning component configured to position the switching mechanism (Nichols, fig. 24, lens assembly 2100, magnet for open position 2406 and closed position 2408 position(s) lens cover 2102).
As per claim 17, the combined teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, further discloses the assembly mechanism of claim 12, wherein the cooperation portion (Nichol, fig. 24, lens assembly 2100) comprises a second ridge structure (Nichol, fig. 24, lens assembly 2100, guide channel 2404) provided on at least one side of the avoidance hole (Nichol, fig. 24, lens assembly 2100, integrating sphere 203) and extended in a first direction (Nichol, fig. 24, lens assembly 2100, guide channel 2404 extends in a first direction);
the second ridge structure is configured to limit the switching mechanism in a second direction, so that the switching mechanism is configured to slide along the first direction (Nichol, fig. 24, lens assembly 2100, guide channel 2404 is configured to limit lens cover/filter 2102 to slide in a first direction and second direction).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nichol (US 2020/0211227 A1) and Sharp et al (US 2018/0210223 A1), in further view of Kaminaga (US 10,409,050 B2).
As per claim 3, the switching mechanism of claim 1, wherein the sliding portion is provided with a bayonet configured to be clamped with the assembly mechanism.
The combined teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, fail to teach the limitations as recited above in claim 3. However, Kaminaga teaches an adapter for attaching to a portable terminal, comprising a first adaptor 1 and a second adaptor 2, wherein first adaptor 1 slides and connects to adaptor 2 which is of a bayonet type for attaching optical member 6 (Kaminaga, fig. 9, case 5, first adaptor 1, second adaptor 2, optical member 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Nichol and Sharp, in further view of Kaminaga, by integrating the bayonet type connection as taught by Kaminaga, into the lens assembly as taught by Nichol and Sharp, because doing so would provide a more efficient way of clamping lens cover/filter to lens assembly.
Claims 5 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nichol (US 2020/0211227 A1) and Sharp et al (US 2018/0210223 A1), in further view of Wang et al (US 2024/0284023 A1).
As per claim 5, the switching mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:
a soft layer, wherein the soft layer is sandwiched between the switching mechanism and the assembly mechanism after the switching mechanism is assembled with the assembly mechanism.
The combined teachings of Nichol in view of Sharp, as a whole, fail to teach the limitation as recited above in claim 5. However, Wang discloses a filter assembly for mounting onto mobile phone, comprising a buffer 200 that is sandwiched between a mounting bracket 100 and the imaging device to avoid scratching and collision (Wang, fig. 4, mounting bracket 100, buffer 200, para 0046).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Nichol and Sharp, in further view of Wang, as a whole, by incorporating a buffer type as taught by Wang, into the lens assembly as taught by Nichol and Sharp, because doing so would provide a more efficient way of opening and closing the lens cover/filter without damaging lens assembly.
As per claim 19, the combined teachings of Nichol and Sharp, in further view of Wang, as a whole, further discloses the assembly mechanism of claim 11, further comprising:
a soft layer, wherein the soft layer is sandwiched between the switching mechanism and the assembly mechanism after the switching mechanism is assembled with the assembly mechanism (claim limitations have been discussed and rejected, see claim 5 above).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nichol (US 2020/0211227 A1) in view of Wang et al (US 2024/0284023 A1).
As per claim 20, Nichol discloses a rabbit cage apparatus (fig. 21, mobile device case 450), comprising:
a cage frame (fig. 21, mobile device case 450);
an assembly mechanism provided at the cage frame (fig. 21, mobile device case 450, lens assembly 2100);
a switching mechanism detachably assembled with the assembly mechanism through a disassembly structure (fig. 21, mobile device case 450, lens assembly 2100, lens cover 2102).
Nichol fails to teach a soft layer wherein the soft layer is sandwiched between the switching mechanism and the assembly mechanism after the assembly mechanism is assembled with the switching mechanism. fail to teach the limitation as recited above in claim 5. However, Wang discloses a filter assembly for mounting onto mobile phone, comprising a buffer 200 that is sandwiched between a mounting bracket 100 and the imaging device to avoid scratching and collision (Wang, fig. 4, mounting bracket 100, buffer 200, para 0046).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Nichol in further view of Wang, as a whole, by incorporating a buffer type as taught by Wang, into the lens assembly as taught by Nichol, because doing so would provide a more efficient way of opening and closing the lens cover/filter without damaging lens assembly.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6, 7, 10, 13, 14, 16-18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 4, none of the prior art cited alone or in combination provides the motivation to teach the following claimed limitations, with emphasis that it is each claim, taken as a whole, including the interrelationships and interconnections between various claimed elements make them allowable over the prior art of record, the switching mechanism of claim 3, wherein the sliding portion comprises: a connection section, wherein one end of the connection section is connected to the body; and a limit section provided at the other end of the connection section, wherein the connection section, the limit section and the body are enclosed to form the bayonet.
Regarding claim 6, none of the prior art cited alone or in combination provides the motivation to teach the following claimed limitations, with emphasis that it is each claim, taken as a whole, including the interrelationships and interconnections between various claimed elements make them allowable over the prior art of record, the switching mechanism of claim 2, wherein the sliding portion comprises a first ridge structure extending in a first direction, and the first ridge structure is configured to limit the switching mechanism in a second direction; the first ridge structure is a sliding guide component, and the second direction is intersected with the first direction.
Regarding claims 7 and 10, claims depend from claim 6, and are allowable for the same reasons above.
Regarding claim 13, none of the prior art cited alone or in combination provides the motivation to teach the following claimed limitations, with emphasis that it is each claim, taken as a whole, including the interrelationships and interconnections between various claimed elements make them allowable over the prior art of record, the assembly mechanism of claim 11, wherein the mounting member is provided with an assembly chamber with an opening, and the assembly chamber is configured to slidably cooperate with the sliding portion of the switching mechanism; a section is provided at an edge of the assembly chamber, and the section is configured to be snapped into the bayonet of the switching mechanism.
Regarding claim 14, claim depends from claim 13, and is allowable for the same reasons above.
Regarding claim 16, none of the prior art cited alone or in combination provides the motivation to teach the following claimed limitations, with emphasis that it is each claim, taken as a whole, including the interrelationships and interconnections between various claimed elements make them allowable over the prior art of record, the assembly mechanism of claim 11, further comprising: a positioning component, wherein the mounting member is provided with an accommodation groove, and the positioning component comprises: an elastic member provided in the accommodation groove; and a positioning member, wherein the elastic member is configured to drive the positioning member to elastically abut against the switching mechanism.
Regarding claim 17, none of the prior art cited alone or in combination provides the motivation to teach the following claimed limitations, with emphasis that it is each claim, taken as a whole, including the interrelationships and interconnections between various claimed elements make them allowable over the prior art of record, the assembly mechanism of claim 12, wherein the cooperation portion comprises a second ridge structure provided on at least one side of the avoidance hole and extended in a first direction; the second ridge structure is configured to limit the switching mechanism in a second direction, so that the switching mechanism is configured to slide along the first direction.
Regarding claim 18, claim depends from claim 17, and is allowable for the same reasons above.
Conclusion
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/JOHN H MOREHEAD III/Examiner, Art Unit 2639
/TWYLER L HASKINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2639