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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 8-11, 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Epple (US 20080002265).
Regarding claim 8, Epple discloses an imaging lens system (fig. 3) comprising:
a first lens comprising positive refractive power (LG1 has five lenses, ¶0084, second one has a concave shape on the second surface toward imaging side, fig. 3. Concave shape is understood providing positive refractive power, - ¶0009.
first lens group LG1 immediately following the object surface having positive refractive power provided by five lenses acts as an imaging subsystem to form the first intermediate image IMI1. – ¶0084);
a second lens comprising a refractive power (third lens in LG1, fig. 3, ¶0084);
a third lens comprising a refractive power (fourth lens in LG1, fig. 3, ¶0084);
a fourth lens comprising a refractive power (fifth lens in LG1, fig. 3, ¶0084);
a first reflective surface (M1, fig. 3);
a second reflective surface (M2, fig. 3); and
a third reflective surface (M3, fig. 3);
wherein the first lens, the second lens, the third lens, the fourth lens, the second reflective surface, and the third reflective surface are disposed in this order from an object side along an optical axis (evident form fig. 3, OS is object side and IS is image side in fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Epple discloses the imaging lens system of claim 8, wherein the first lens has a convex object-side surface (evident from fig. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Epple discloses the imaging lens system of claim 8, wherein the first lens has a concave image-side surface (evident from fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, Epple discloses the imaging lens system of claim 8, wherein the second lens has a convex object-side surface (evident from fig. 3).
Regarding claim 13, Epple discloses the imaging lens system of claim 8, wherein the third lens has a convex object-side surface (evident from fig. 3).
Regarding claim 14, Epple discloses the imaging lens system of claim 8, wherein the fourth lens has a convex image-side surface (evident from fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, Epple discloses an imaging lens system (fig. 3) comprising:
a first lens comprising positive refractive power (LG1 has five lenses, ¶0084, second one has a concave shape on the second surface toward imaging side, fig. 3. Concave shape is understood providing positive refractive power, - ¶0009.
first lens group LG1 immediately following the object surface having positive refractive power provided by five lenses acts as an imaging subsystem to form the first intermediate image IMI1. – ¶0084);
a second lens comprising a refractive power (third lens in LG1, fig. 3, ¶0084);
a third lens comprising a refractive power (fourth lens in LG1, fig. 3, ¶0084);
a first reflective surface (M1, fig. 3);
a second reflective surface (M2, fig. 3); and
a third reflective surface (M3, fig. 3);
wherein the first lens, the second lens, the third lens, the second reflective surface, and the third reflective surface are disposed in this order from an object side along an optical axis (evident form fig. 3, OS is object side and IS is image side in fig. 3).
However, Epple is not found disclosing the limitation of, wherein 15 mm < TTL < 26 mm, where TTL is a distance from an object-side surface of the first lens to an imaging plane.
Claims 2-7 are allowed for being dependent on allowable claim 1
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claim(s) 12 is/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:
Prior arts of record taken alone or in combination fails to reasonably disclose or suggest,
Regarding claim 12, wherein the second lens has a concave image-side surface.
Conclusion
The prior and/or pertinent art(s) made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, are –Dodoc et al. (US 8913316 B2), Shafer et al. (US 8199400 B2), Hudyma et al. (US 20060109559 A1), Hatakeyama (US 20040174611 A1), Kamo (US 6643062 B1), Kamo (US 20020176175 A1), Kato (US 5323264 A), Kato (US 5231534 A), and Kato et al. (US 5144349 A) – who disclose different lens systems of interest.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAHBAZ NAZRUL whose telephone number is (571)270-1467. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 9.30 am-3 pm, 6.30 pm-9 pm, F: 9.30 am-1.30 pm, 4 pm-8 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lin Ye can be reached on 571-272-7372. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAHBAZ NAZRUL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2638