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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/28/2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
.
Claims 1, and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Ichikawa (US 5,642,235).
Regarding claim 1 Ichikawa teaches (figs. 1-5) a lens piece, comprising:
a lens body (20), having a cylindrical shape and comprising a lens sidewall (21) parallel to an optical axis of the lens piece (col. 4, lines 5-19);
and a single wing, configured for being gripped by a positioning apparatus in moving the lens piece, and transversely protruding from only one side of the lens sidewall of the lens body, and comprising a throughhole from top to bottom of the single wing (col. 4, lines 5-19).
Regarding claim 4 Ichikawa teaches (figs. 1-5) a lens piece, where the lens body and the single wing are formed integrally (col. 1, line 48-52).
Regarding claim 5 Ichikawa teaches (figs. 1-5) a lens piece, where the throughhole has a semicircle shape (see fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The primary reason for allowance is the lens and lens barrel structure.
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.”
Claims 2-3, and 6 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Further lens and lens barrel systems include Normura et. al. (US 6,055,111) and Worst et. al. (US 5,192,319).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT E TALLMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3958. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10 a.m. -6 p.m..
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, Ricky Mack can be reached at 571-272-2333. 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.
/Robert E. Tallman/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
Prosecution Insights