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 .
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-20 are currently pending in the present application. Claims 1-18 and 20 are original; and claim 19 is currently amended. The amendment dated November 29, 2024 has been entered into the record.
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 1-3, 10-11, 13-16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tonar et al. (US 20120243093, hereinafter “Tonar”).
Regarding claim 1, Tonar discloses an image capturing device (Figs. 2-5 and 30C; see Paras. [0011]-[0014] and [0050] identifying the embodiment shown in Figs. 2-5 and 30C), comprising:
a device housing (a device 10 including 14; Para. [0080] “The piezoelectric device 10 includes a housing 14 adapted to support the light sensor device 12 therein”);
a lens (a lens cover 20, including the viewing pane 60 and the front face 56; see Paras. [0082]-[0083] teaching the lens cover 20 being the outermost lens), disposed within the device housing (Paras. [0080]-[0081]);
a vibration unit (a piezoelectric transducer 16; Para. [0080]), configured to vibrate the lens; and
a temperature modulation unit (58, 59 and/or a conductive coating on 20; see Fig. 30C and Paras. [0109] and [0122] teaching electrical connections 58, 59 made directly to the lens cover 20 to drive resistive heating, and see [Claim 7] teaching a conductive coating disposed on the forward face of the lens cover for heating), configured to modulate the temperature of the lens.
Regarding claim 2, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the lens comprises a first surface and a second surface (20 having a lower surface and an upper surface; Para. [0083]), the second surface is opposite the first surface, and the vibration unit is directly or indirectly connected to the second surface to vibrate the lens (Paras. [0122], [0125]).
Regarding claim 3, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 2 above, and further discloses wherein the temperature modulation unit is a thermoelectric cooling unit (Para. [0125]), the temperature modulation unit comprises a hot end and a cold end (Fig. 4, choose the lens cover side of 58, 59 being a hot end, and the opposite side of 58, 59 being a cold end; Para. [0122]), and the hot end is thermally connected to the lens to modulate the temperature of the lens (Fig. 4 and Para. [0122]).
Regarding claim 10, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 3 above, and further discloses wherein the temperature modulation unit is disposed on the device housing (Figs. 2-5), the device housing is directly or indirectly connected to at least a portion of the first surface (Figs. 2-5), and the heat generated by the temperature modulation unit is transmitted to the lens via the device housing (10 further includes a rim 62 extending around the viewing pane 60 and adapted for connection with the housing 14 of the piezoelectric device 10; Para. [0083]).
Regarding claim 11, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 10 above, and further discloses, further comprising a thermally conductive material (see [Claim 7]), wherein the thermally conductive material is disposed in the device housing and is directly connected to at least a portion of the first surface (a conductive coating disposed on the upper surface of the lens), and the thermally conductive material thermally connects the temperature modulation unit to the lens (Paras. [0109] and [0122]).
Regarding claim 13, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 2 above, and further discloses wherein the temperature modulation unit is a heating wire unit (Para. [0123]) and the temperature modulation unit is disposed outside the imaging area of the lens (16 formed outside of the aperture 140).
Regarding claim 14, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 13 above, and further discloses wherein the lens further comprises a side surface (60; Para. [0083]), and the temperature modulation unit is disposed on either the first surface or the side surface (the conductive coating formed on the upper surface of 20; see [Claim 7]).
Regarding claim 15, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 2 above, and further discloses wherein the temperature modulation unit is a heating wire unit (Para. [0123]), and the temperature modulation unit is disposed within the imaging area of the lens (a conductive coating disposed on a forward face of the lens cover; see [Claim 7]).
Regarding claim 16, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 15 above, and further discloses wherein the temperature modulation unit is disposed on the first surface of the lens (a conductive coating disposed on a forward face of the lens cover; see [Claim 7]).
Regarding claim 20, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the vibration unit is a piezoelectric vibration unit (Para. [0125]).
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.
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tonar in view of Yano (US 20220338310).
Regarding claim 17, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 15 above.
Tonar does not explicitly disclose the temperature modulation unit comprises a plurality of heating wires, and each heating wire has a line width of less than 1.5 mm.
However, Yano teaches a temperature modulation unit (6 in Fig. 5; Para. [0126]) comprises a plurality of heating wires (61, 62), and each heating wire has a line width of less than 1.5 mm (see Para. [0133] teaching a line width being 1 to 400 μm).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at a time before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the temperature modulation unit as disclosed by Tonar with the teachings of Yano, wherein the temperature modulation unit comprises a plurality of heating wires, and each heating wire has a line width of less than 1.5 mm, for the purpose of forming a heating body (Yano: Para. [0133]).
Regarding claim 18, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 16 above.
Tonar does not explicitly disclose at least some of the heating wires are arranged in a parallel manner, and between each two adjacent heating wires there is a space of more than 1.5 mm.
However, Yano teaches at least some of the heating wires are arranged in a parallel manner (see 61 and 62 in Fig. 5), and between each two adjacent heating wires there is a space of more than 1.5 mm (see Para. [0127] teaching the space being preferably 5 mm or more).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at a time before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the temperature modulation unit as disclosed by Tonar with the teachings of Yano, wherein at least some of the heating wires are arranged in a parallel manner, and between each two adjacent heating wires there is a space of more than 1.5 mm, for the purpose of forming a heating body (Yano: Para. [0133]).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tonar in view of Chae et al. (US 20170099700, hereinafter “Chae”).
Regarding claim 19, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 16 above.
Tonar does not explicitly disclose, further comprising an image capturing module, wherein the field of view (FOV) of the image capturing device is wider than 60 degrees×60 degrees.
However, Chae teaches an image capturing module comprises a temperature modulation unit (Figs. 5-6A; Para. [0067]), wherein the field of view (FOV) of the image capturing device is wider than 60 degrees×60 degrees (Para. [0066] “the horizontal field of view (F1) is above 180 degrees and the vertical field of view (F2) is 140-150 degrees”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at a time before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the image capturing device as disclosed by Tonar with the teachings of Chae, to have an image capturing module, wherein the field of view (FOV) of the image capturing device is wider than 60 degrees×60 degrees, for the purpose of obtaining a desired field of view for a lens assembly (Chae: Paras. [0066], [0070]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9 and 12 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, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 3 above, and further discloses wherein the temperature modulation unit is directly connected to the first surface (the conductive coating formed on the upper surface of 20; [Claim 7]), and both the vibration unit and the temperature modulation unit are located outside an imaging area of the lens (16, 58 and 59 disposed outside of the aperture 140; see Figs. 2 and 30C).
However, Tonar fails to explicitly disclose, in light of the specification, “the vibration unit is directly connected to the second surface”, since Tonar teaches providing an isolator (22) between the lens and the vibration unit. The examiner further considered Kim et al. (US 20220236513, hereinafter “Kim”), Brown et al. (US 20160227088, hereinafter “Brown”) and Lee et al. (US 20190273847, hereinafter “Lee”). However, Tonar, Yano, Chae, Kim, Brown and Lee, applied alone or in combination fails to teach or suggest the combination and arrangement of elements recited in Applicant's claim 4.
Dependent claim 5 is allowable by virtue of their dependence on claim 4.
Regarding claim 6, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 3 above, and further discloses wherein the temperature modulation unit is directly connected to the second surface (the conductive coating formed on the upper surface of 20; [Claim 7]), the vibration unit is stacked on the temperature modulation unit (Figs. 2-4).
However, Tonar fails to explicitly disclose, in light of the specification, “the vibrations generated by the vibration unit are transmitted to the lens through the temperature modulation unit”, since Tonar teaches the temperature modulation unit is disposed on the second surface of the lens. The examiner further considered the prior art of Kim, Brown and Lee. However, Tonar, Yano, Chae, Kim, Brown and Lee, applied alone or in combination fails to teach or suggest the combination and arrangement of elements recited in Applicant's claim 6.
Dependent claim 7 is allowable by virtue of their dependence on claim 6.
Regarding claim 8, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 3 above, and further discloses wherein the vibration unit and the temperature modulation unit are both disposed outside the imaging area of the lens (16, 58 and 59 disposed outside of the aperture 140; see Figs. 2 and 30C).
However, Tonar fails to explicitly disclose, in light of the specification, “the vibration unit and the temperature modulation unit are both directly connected to the second surface”, since Tonar teaches providing the vibration unit and the temperature modulation unit on opposite sides of the lens. The examiner further considered the prior art of Kim, Brown and Lee. However, Tonar, Yano, Chae, Kim, Brown and Lee, applied alone or in combination fails to teach or suggest the combination and arrangement of elements recited in Applicant's claim 8.
Dependent claim 9 is allowable by virtue of their dependence on claim 8.
Regarding claim 12, Tonar discloses the limitations of claim 3 above, and further discloses, further comprising an image capturing module (Para. [0081] “camera”) and a heat conductive module (see [Claim 7] teaching a conductive coating), wherein the lens further comprises a side surface (56), the hot end of the temperature modulation unit is directly connected to the side surface (the conductive coating provided on the cover lens) to modulate the temperature of the lens.
However, Tonar fails to explicitly disclose, in light of the specification, “the heat conductive module thermally connects the cold end of the temperature modulation unit to the vibration unit and the image capturing module”, since Tonar teaches providing the vibration unit and the temperature modulation unit on opposite sides of the lens. The examiner further considered the prior art of Kim, Brown and Lee. However, Tonar, Yano, Chae, Kim, Brown and Lee, applied alone or in combination fails to teach or suggest the combination and arrangement of elements recited in Applicant's claim 12.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN Y JUNG whose telephone number is (469)295-9076. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael H Caley can be reached on (571)272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JONATHAN Y JUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
