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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
The claimed conditional expression of 2.600 ≤ ImgH/AAGF is not disclosed by the closest prior art and would require undue experimentation with no guarantee of success in order to discover a workable lens arrangement due to the sensitive nature of optical systems.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities: “six lens element” should be “sixth lens element”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-4 and 6-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (PGPUB 20150350503) in view of Chen et al. (PGPUB 20190302416, hereinafter Chen’2416).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses an optical imaging lens comprising a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, and a sixth lens element sequentially from an object side to an image side along an optical axis, each of the first lens element to the sixth lens element having an object-side surface facing toward the object side and allowing imaging rays to pass through as well as an image-side surface facing toward the image side and allowing the imaging rays to pass through, wherein:
the first lens element has negative refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 510);
the second lens element has positive refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 520);
the third lens element has positive refracting power and an optical-axis region of the object-side surface of the third lens element is convex (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 530);
the fourth lens element has negative refracting power and a periphery region of the object-side surface of the fourth lens element is concave (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 540);
the fifth lens element has positive refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 550); and
the sixth lens element has negative refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 560);
wherein lens elements included by the optical imaging lens are only the six lens elements described above to satisfy the relationship:
a thickness of the fourth lens element along the optical axis is larger than an air gap between the fifth lens element and the sixth lens element along the optical axis (Fig. 20).
Chen does not disclose wherein an Abbe number of the first lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element, an Abbe number of the fifth lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element.
However, Chen’2416 teaches a six-lens optical system arranged -, +, +, -, +, - (Fig. 32) wherein an Abbe number of the first lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element, an Abbe number of the fifth lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element (Fig. 32).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date of the invention to combine Chen and Chen’2416 such that the Abbe number of the lenses satisfied the above conditions motivated by improving chromatic aberration correction ([0216]).
Regarding claim 2, modified Chen discloses wherein AAG is a sum of five air gaps from the first lens element to the sixth lens element along the optical axis, Fno is an f-number of the entire optical imaging lens and T6 is a thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
AAG*Fno/T6 ≤ 5.700 (Fig. 20 of Chen where AAG = 0.648, Fno = 2.4 and T6 = 0.374, which gives 4.16).
Regarding claim 3, modified Chen discloses wherein ALT24 is a sum of three thicknesses from the second lens element to the fourth lens element along the optical axis, T6 is a thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis and G34 is an air gap between the third lens element and the fourth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
ALT24/ (T6+G34) ≤3.200 (Fig. 20 of Chen where ALT24 = 1.0, T6 = 0.374 and G34 = 0.058, which gives 2.31).
Regarding claim 4, modified Chen discloses wherein T3 is a thickness of the third lens element along the optical axis, T5 is a thickness of the fifth lens element along the optical axis, G12 is an air gap
between the first lens element and the second lens element along the optical axis and G56 is the air gap between the fifth lens element and the sixth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
(T3+G12+G56) / T5 ≤ 2.000 (Fig. 20 of Chen where the expression gives 0.963 / 0.535 = 1.8).
Regarding claim 6, modified Chen discloses wherein AAGB is a sum of five air gaps from the first lens element to the sixth lens element and a distance from the image-side surface of the sixth lens element to an image plane along the optical axis, T4 is the thickness of the fourth lens element along the optical axis and T6 is a thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging
lens satisfies the relationship:
AAGB/(T4+T6)≤3.100 (Fig. 20 of Chen where AAGB = 0.648, T4 = 0.375 and T6 = 0.374 giving 0.866).
Regarding claim 7, modified Chen discloses wherein ALT14 is a sum of four thicknesses from the first lens element to the fourth lens element along the optical axis, T6 is a thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis and G45 is an air gap between the fourth lens element and the fifth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
ALT14/(T6+G45)≤3.100 (Fig. 20 of Chen where the expression gives 0.663 / 0.456 = 1.45).
Regarding claim 8, Chen discloses an optical imaging lens comprising a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, and a sixth lens element sequentially from an object side to an image side along an optical axis, each of the first lens element to the sixth lens element having an object-side surface facing toward the object side and allowing imaging rays to pass through as well as an image-side surface facing toward the image side and allowing the imaging rays to pass through, wherein:
the first lens element has negative refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 510);
the second lens element has positive refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 520);
the third lens element has positive refracting power and an optical-axis region of the object-side surface of the third lens element is convex (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 530);
the fourth lens element has negative refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 540);
the fifth lens element has positive refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 550); and
the sixth lens element has negative refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 560);
wherein lens elements included by the optical imaging lens are only the six lens elements described above to satisfy the relationship:
a thickness of the fourth lens element along the optical axis is larger than an air gap between the fifth lens element and the sixth lens element along the optical axis (Fig. 20), and
a thickness of the second lens element along the optical axis is larger than an air gap between the fourth lens element and the fifth lens element along the optical axis (Fig. 20).
Chen does not disclose wherein an Abbe number of the first lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element, an Abbe number of the fifth lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element.
However, Chen’2416 teaches a six-lens optical system arranged -, +, +, -, +, - (Fig. 32) wherein an Abbe number of the first lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element, an Abbe number of the fifth lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element (Fig. 32).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date of the invention to combine Chen and Chen’2416 such that the Abbe number of the lenses satisfied the above conditions motivated by improving chromatic aberration correction ([0216]).
Regarding claim 9, modified Chen discloses wherein ALT is a sum of thicknesses of six lens elements from the first lens element to the sixth lens element along the optical axis, T6 is a thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis and BFL is a distance from an image-side surface of the sixth lens element to an image plane along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
ALT/(T6+BFL)≤2.400 (Fig. 20 of Chen where ALT = 2.291, T6 = 0.374 and BFL = 0.71, which gives 1.1).
Regarding claim 10, modified Chen discloses wherein ALT13 is a sum of thicknesses of three lens elements from the first lens element to the third lens element along the optical axis, T6 is a thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis and G23 is an air gap between the second lens element and the third lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
ALT13/ (T6+G23)≤3.600 (Fig. 20 of Chen where ALT13 = 1.01, T6 = 0.374 and G23 = .048, which gives 0.42).
Regarding claim 11, modified Chen discloses wherein D11t32 is a distance from an object-side surface of the first lens element to an image-side surface of the third lens element along the optical axis and D32t52 is a distance from an image-side surface of the third lens element to an image-side surface of the fifth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
D11t32/D32t52≤1.600 (Fig. 20 of Chen where D11t32 = 1.465 and D32t52 = 1.05, which gives 1.4).
Regarding claim 12, modified Chen does not disclose wherein ALT is a sum of thicknesses of six lens elements from the first lens element to the sixth lens element along the optical axis and D51t62 is a distance from an object-side surface of the fifth lens element to an image-side surface of the sixth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
ALT/D51t62≤2.300.
However, Chen teaches in Fig. 20 wherein ALT/D51t62 = 2.388, which is a difference of 0.088 and is close but not overlapping. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to adjust ALT and/or D51t62 such that the above expression was satisfied since the claimed ranges and the prior art ranges are close enough that one skilled in the art would have expected them to have the same properties, Titanium Metals Corp. of America v. Nabber, 778 F.2d 775, 227 USPQ 773 (Fed. Cir. 1985) and further being motivated to reduce the size of the optical system.
Regarding claim 13, modified Chen discloses wherein T1 is a thickness of the first lens element along the optical axis, G45 is the air gap between the fourth lens element and the fifth lens element along the optical axis, T6 is a thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis and G56 is the air gap between the fifth lens element and the sixth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
(T1+G45+G56)/T6 ≤ 2.100 (Fig. 20 where 0.385 / 0.374 = 1.03).
Regarding claim 14, modified Chen discloses wherein AAG is a sum of five air gaps from the first lens element to the sixth lens element along the optical axis, T4 is the thickness of the fourth lens element along the optical axis and T6 is a thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
AAG/ (T4+T6) ≤1.300 (Fig. 20 where 0.648 / (0.375+0.374) = 0.749).
Regarding claim 15, Chen discloses an optical imaging lens comprising a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, and a sixth lens element sequentially from an object side to an image side along an optical axis, each of the first lens element to the sixth lens element having an object-side surface facing toward the object side and allowing imaging rays to pass through as well as an image-side surface facing toward the image side and allowing the imaging rays to pass through, wherein:
the first lens element has negative refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 510);
the second lens element has positive refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 520);
the third lens element has positive refracting power and an optical-axis region of the object-side surface of the third lens element is convex (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 530);
the fourth lens element has negative refracting power and a periphery region of the object-side surface of the fourth lens element is concave (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 540);
the fifth lens element has positive refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 550); and
the sixth lens element has negative refracting power (Figs. 18, 20 and 21, 560);
wherein lens elements included by the optical imaging lens are only the six lens elements described above to satisfy the relationship:
a thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis is larger than an air gap between the fifth lens element and the sixth lens element along the optical axis (Fig. 20).
Chen does not disclose wherein an Abbe number of the first lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element, an Abbe number of the fifth lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element.
However, Chen’2416 teaches a six-lens optical system arranged -, +, +, -, +, - (Fig. 32) wherein an Abbe number of the first lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element, an Abbe number of the fifth lens element is larger than an Abbe number of the sixth lens element (Fig. 32).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date of the invention to combine Chen and Chen’2416 such that the Abbe number of the lenses satisfied the above conditions motivated by improving chromatic aberration correction ([0216]).
Regarding claim 16, modified Chen discloses wherein AAG is a sum of five air gaps from the first lens element to the sixth lens element along the optical axis, T1 is a thickness of the first lens element
along the optical axis, T4 is a thickness of the fourth lens element along the optical axis and T6 is the thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens
satisfies the relationship:
(AAG+T1) / (T4+T6) ≤1.600 (Fig. 20 where the expression gives 1.203).
Regarding claim 17, Chen discloses wherein HFOV is the half field of view of the entire optical imaging lens and AAGF is a distance from an object-side surface of the first lens element to an object-side surface of the second lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
85.000°/mm≤HFOV/AAGF (Fig. 20 where 60/(0.253+0.41) = 90.5).
Regarding claim 18, modified Chen discloses wherein TL is a distance from the object-side surface of the first lens element to the image-side surface of the sixth lens element along the optical axis, T4 is a thickness of the fourth lens element along the optical axis and T6 is the thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
TL/(T4+T6)≤5.500 (Fig. 20 of Chen where TL = 2.939 which gives 3.9).
Regarding claim 19, modified Chen does not disclose wherein T2 is a thickness of the second lens element along the optical axis, T6 is the thickness of the sixth lens element along the optical axis and G12 is an air gap between the first lens element and the second lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
(G12+T2)/T6≤1.600.
However, Chen teaches in Fig. 20 wherein (G12+T2)/T6 =1.77, which is a difference of 0.177 and is close but not overlapping. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to adjust any of G12, T2 and T6 such that the above expression was satisfied since the claimed ranges and the prior art ranges are close enough that one skilled in the art would have expected them to have the same properties, Titanium Metals Corp. of America v. Nabber, 778 F.2d 775, 227 USPQ 773 (Fed. Cir. 1985) and further being motivated to reduce the size of the optical system.
Regarding claim 20, modified Chen discloses wherein TTL is a distance from the object-side surface of the first lens element to an image plane along the optical axis and ALT46 is a sum of three thicknesses from the fourth lens element to the sixth lens element along the optical axis, and the optical imaging lens satisfies the relationship:
TTL/ALT46<3.200 (Fig. 20 where TTL = 3.649 and ALT46 = 1.284, which gives 2.8419).
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAVIS S FISSEL whose telephone number is (313)446-6573. The examiner can normally be reached on 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephone Allen can be reached on (571) 272-2434. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRAVIS S FISSEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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