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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application Number 17/595,851, filed on May 27, 2020.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on November 25, 2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains more than 150 words. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 (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 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.
Claims 23, 24, 29-35 and 37-39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Imaoka (U.S. Patent Publication 2016/0209632).
With regard to independent claim 23, Imaoka teaches a zoom optical system (Figure 1, element [0002] and Figure 13A) comprising a plurality of lens groups (Figure 13A, elements G3, G4 and G5), wherein distances between adjacent lens groups among the plurality of lens groups change upon zooming (page 6, paragraph [0135] and Figure 42, Object Distance data for d5, d13, d28, d31, d33 and d35), the plurality of lens groups include: a first focusing lens group (Figure 13A, element G4) that moves upon focusing (page 6, paragraph [0136]); and a second focusing lens group that is disposed closer to an image surface than the first focusing lens group (Figure 13A, element G5), and moves on a trajectory different from a trajectory of the first focusing lens group upon focusing (page 6, paragraph [0136], wherein, during focusing, G4 moves toward the image side and G5 moves toward the object side), the first focusing lens group and the second focusing lens group are placed next to each other (Figure 13A, elements G4 and G5 are disposed next to each other),the first focusing lens group has a negative refractive power (Figure 13A, element G4 (-)), the first focusing lens group or the second focusing lens group includes at least one lens having a positive refractive power (page 6, paragraphs [0131] and [0132] and Figure 13A, elements L16 and L18, wherein by definition, a biconvex lens has positive refractive power), and the following conditional expression is satisfied, 1.40 < fFP/(-fFN) < 3.50 where fFP: a focal length of a lens having a strongest positive refractive power among lenses constituting the first focusing lens group and the second focusing lens group, and fFN: a focal length of a lens having a strongest negative refractive power in the first focusing lens group or the second focusing lens group (Figure 40, wherein fFP = 81.92 (calculated); fFN = -32.16 (calculated); and fFP/(-fFN) = 2.55).
With regard to dependent claim 24, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, and further teaches such a zoom optical system wherein the first focusing lens group moves in a direction toward the image surface upon focusing from an infinity object to a short distant object (page 6, paragraph [0136]).
With regard to dependent claim 29, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, and further teaches such a zoom optical system wherein the plurality of lens groups include a succeeding lens group disposed closer to the image surface than the second focusing lens group, and the succeeding lens group consists of at least one lens group (Figure 13A, element G6).
With regard to dependent claim 30, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, and further teaches such a zoom optical system wherein the plurality of lens groups include a succeeding lens group disposed closer to the image surface than the second focusing lens group (Figure 13A, element G6), and the following conditional expression is satisfied,-2.00 < (-fFs)/fR < 2.00 where fFs: a focal length of either the first focusing lens group or the second focusing lens group which has a stronger refractive power than the other, and fR: a focal length of the succeeding lens group (Figure 43, wherein fFs = fG5 = 64.00714; fR = Fg6 = -48.52312; and (-fFs)/fR = 1.32).
With regard to dependent claim 31, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, and further teaches such a zoom optical system wherein the plurality of lens groups include a preceding lens group disposed closer to an object than the first focusing lens group (Figure 13A, element G2), and the preceding lens group comprises at least one lens group (Figure 13A).
With regard to dependent claim 32, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, and further teaches such a zoom optical system wherein the plurality of lens groups include a preceding lens group disposed closer to an object than the first focusing lens group (Figure 13A, element G2), and the following conditional expression is satisfied, 0.30 < (-fFs)/fF < 3.00 where fFs: a focal length of either the first focusing lens group or the second focusing lens group which has a stronger refractive power than the other, and fF: a focal length of a lens group adjacent to the first focusing lens group among lens groups constituting the preceding lens group (Figure 43, wherein fFs = fG5 = 64.00714; fF = Fg2 = -23.84464; and (-fFs)/fR = 2.78).
With regard to dependent claim 33, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, and further teaches such a zoom optical system wherein the plurality of lens groups include a preceding lens group disposed closer to an object than the first focusing lens group, and the preceding lens group includes a first lens group that has a positive refractive power and the first lens group is disposed closest to an object (Figure 13A, element G1(+)).
With regard to dependent claim 34, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to dependent claim 33, and further teaches such a zoom optical system wherein the preceding lens group includes a second lens group that has a negative refractive power and is disposed adjacent to an image side of the first lens group (Figure 13A, element G2(-)).
With regard to dependent claim 35, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, and further teaches such a zoom optical system wherein the plurality of lens groups include, in order closest from an object: a first lens group having a positive refractive power (Figure 13A, element G1(+)); and a second lens group having a negative refractive power (Figure 13A, element G2(-), and the following conditional expression is satisfied, 4.00 < f1/(-f2) < 8.00 where f1: a focal length of the first lens group, andf2: a focal length of the second lens group (Figure 43, wherein f1 = 128.96217); f2 = -23.84464; and f1/(-f2) = 5.41).
With regard to dependent claim 37, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, and further teaches such a zoom optical system wherein the following conditional expression is satisfied, 0.10 < BFw/fw < 1.00 where BFw: a back focus of the zoom optical system in a wide- angle end state, and fw: a focal length of the zoom optical system in the wide angle end state (Figure 42, wherein BFw = d35 = 20.7449; fw = 24.7429; and BFw/fw = 0.84).
With regard to dependent claim 38, Imaoka teaches al of the claimed limitations of the instant invention as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, and further teaches an optical apparatus mounted with such a zoom optical system (page 13, paragraph [0246]).
With regard to independent claim 39, Imaoka teaches a method for manufacturing a zoom optical system (Figure 1, element [0002] and Figure 13A) comprising a plurality of lens groups (Figure 13A, elements G3, G4 and G5), wherein distances between adjacent lens groups among the plurality of lens groups change upon zooming (page 6, paragraph [0135] and Figure 42, Object Distance data for d5, d13, d28, d31, d33 and d35), the plurality of lens groups include: a first focusing lens group (Figure 13A, element G4) that moves upon focusing (page 6, paragraph [0136]); and a second focusing lens group that is disposed closer to an image surface than the first focusing lens group (Figure 13A, element G5), and moves on a trajectory different from a trajectory of the first focusing lens group upon focusing (page 6, paragraph [0136], wherein, during focusing, G4 moves toward the image side and G5 moves toward the object side), the first focusing lens group and the second focusing lens group are placed next to each other (Figure 13A, elements G4 and G5 are disposed next to each other),the first focusing lens group has a negative refractive power (Figure 13A, element G4 (-)), the first focusing lens group or the second focusing lens group includes at least one lens having a positive refractive power (page 6, paragraphs [0131] and [0132] and Figure 13A, elements L16 and L18, wherein by definition, a biconvex lens has positive refractive power), and the following conditional expression is satisfied, 1.40 < fFP/(-fFN) < 3.50 where fFP: a focal length of a lens having a strongest positive refractive power among lenses constituting the first focusing lens group and the second focusing lens group, and fFN: a focal length of a lens having a strongest negative refractive power in the first focusing lens group or the second focusing lens group (Figure 40, wherein fFP = 81.92 (calculated); fFN = -32.16 (calculated); and fFP/(-fFN) = 2.55).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 25-28 and 36 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: The prior art taken either singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the independent claims, in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. §102 or §103 would be proper. Although Imaoka teaches a zoom optical system, as outlined above with respect to independent claim 23, Imaoka fails to teach such a zoom optical system: wherein the second focusing lens group moves in a direction toward the image surface upon focusing from an infinity object to a short distant object, as claimed in dependent claim 25; simultaneously satisfying the conditional expression: 1.00 < (-fFs)/fw < 4.00, as defined and claimed in dependent claim 26; wherein the plurality of lens groups comprise, in order closest from an object, a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, the first focusing lens group and the second focusing lens group, as claimed in dependent claim 27; simultaneously satisfying the conditional expression: 0.20 < βWF1/β$WF2 < 5.00, as defined and claimed in dependent claim 28; or simultaneously satisfying the conditional expression: 2ωw > 75.0°, as defined and claimed in dependent claim 36.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yamashita et al (U.S. Patent Publication 2023/0258914), Machida (U.S. Patent Publication 2017/0184828), Wada (U.S. Patent Publication 2011/0134538), Hayakawa (U.S. Patent Publication 2010/0284092) and Ishii (U.S. Patent Publication 2005/0041305) all teach zoom lens systems comprising a plurality of lens groups and two focusing lens groups.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DARRYL J COLLINS whose telephone number is (571) 272-2325. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 5:30 a.m. - 4:00 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 L 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.
/DARRYL J COLLINS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
06 August 2026
Prosecution Insights