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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on 12/6/2024 has been acknowledged and considered by the examiner. Initialed copies of supplied IDS(s) forms are included in this correspondence.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, claim states the limitation “consisting of”, which is closed to anything not recited in the claim, in terms of a zoom lens with “a middle group including one or more lens groups”. This is an open-ended range combined with a closed transitional phrase, which renders these claims unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP §2111.03 (II). For purposes of compact prosecution, examiner will interpret this as comprising.
Also, claims 2-18 are rejected by virtue of their dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1-5, 7-9, 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iijima et. al US 20170153430 (hereinafter “Iijima”) in view of Komatsu et. al US 20150301319 (hereinafter “Komatsu”).
Regarding claim 1, Iijima teaches a zoom lens consisting of a first lens group having a negative refractive power (Iijima fig. 7 – B1, see also claim 6 and paras. 0050, 0053, 0074), a second lens group having a positive refractive power (Iijima fig. 7 – B2, see also claim 6 and paras. 0050, 0053, 0074), a third lens group having a positive refractive power (Iijima fig. 7 – B3, see also claim 6 and paras. 0050, 0053, 0074), a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power (Iijima fig. 7 – B4, see also claim 6 and paras. 0050, 0053, 0074), a middle group including one or more lens groups (Iijima fig. 7 – B5), and a final lens group having a positive refractive power (Iijima fig. 7 – B6, see also claim 6 and paras. 0050, 0054, 0074) in order from an enlargement side to a reduction side (Iijima fig. 7),
wherein the first lens group (B1) consists of a first A partial group having a negative refractive power (Iijima fig. 7 – L1), a first B partial group (Iijima fig. 7 – L12), and a first C partial group (Iijima fig. 7 – L13 and L14) in order from the enlargement side to the reduction side (Iijima fig. 7),
during changing magnification, the first lens group (B1) and the final lens group (B6) do not move (Iijima fig. 7, see also para. 0053 and 0074) and the second lens group (B2), the third lens group (B3), the fourth lens group (B4), and all the lens groups in the middle group (B5) move along an optical axis while changing spacings in an optical axis direction between adjacent lens groups (Iijima fig. 7, see also para. 0053 and 0074), and
a spacing between the second lens group (B2) and the third lens group (B3) at a telephoto end is shorter than a spacing between the second lens group (B2) and the third lens group (B3) at a wide angle end (Iijima fig. 7).
Iijima does not teach during focusing, a spacing between the first A partial group and the first B partial group changes and a spacing between the first B partial group and the first C partial group changes.
In the same field of endeavor, Komatsu teaches during focusing, a spacing between the first A partial group (Komatsu fig. 1 – G1A) and the first B partial group (Komatsu fig. 1 – G1B) changes (Komatsu para. 0069 – G1B moves during focusing, G1A is fixed) and a spacing between the first B partial group (G1B) and the first C partial group (Komatsu fig. 1 – G1C) changes (Komatsu para. 0069 - G1B moves during focusing, G1C remains fixed during focusing) for the purpose of suppressing a fluctuation of aberrations and a fluctuation of magnification ratio during focusing (Komatsu para. 0069). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have during focusing, a spacing between the first A partial group and the first B partial group changes and a spacing between the first B partial group and the first C partial group changes as taught by Komatsu in the zoom lens of Iijima in order to suppress a fluctuation of aberrations and a fluctuation of magnification ratio during focusing (Komatsu para. 0069).
Regarding claim 2, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein in a case where a spacing between the second lens group (B2) and the third lens group (B3) at the telephoto end is represented by D23t and
a spacing between the second lens group (B2) and the third lens group (B3) at the wide angle end is represented by D23w,
Conditional Expression (1) represented by
D23t/D23w<1(1) (Iijima table 4 – 1/17.04 ≈ 0.06)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 3, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1.
Iijima and Komatsu do not teach lateral magnification values, however both Ijima and Komatsu teach variable magnification projection systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have wherein in a case where a combined lateral magnification of the second lens group (B2) and the third lens group (B3) at the telephoto end is represented by β23t and a combined lateral magnification of the second lens group (B2) and the third lens group (B3) at the wide angle end is represented by β23w, Conditional Expression (2) represented by 1.4<β23t/β23w<3(2) is satisfied for the purpose of having variable magnification and high zoom capabilities (Iijima para. 0008), since it has been held that where the claimed and prior art products are identical or substantially identical in structure or composition, or are produced by identical or substantially identical processes, a prima facie case of either anticipation or obviousness has been established. In re Best, 562 F.2d 1252, 1255, 195 USPQ 430, 433 (CCPA 1977).
In this case, since this is for a variable magnification (zooming) projection system, given the motivation of having variable magnification with high zoom capabilities (Iijima para. 0008) and In re Best, one of ordinary skill would have been motivated to have a lateral magnification value of 1.4<β23t/β23w<3, since Iijima and Komatsu disclose the structure of claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein in a case where a focal length of the fourth lens group (B4) is represented by fG4 and a focal length of the zoom lens at the wide angle end is represented by fw,
Conditional Expression (3) represented by
-15<fG4/fw<-1(3) (Iijima table 4, fG4 ≈ -32.96 as calculated, -32.96/21.82 ≈ 1.5)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 5, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein in a case where a focal length of the first A partial group (L1) is represented by fG1A and
a focal length of the first C partial group (L13, L14) is represented by fG1C,
Conditional Expression (4) represented by
-0.5<fG1A/fG1C<0.5(4) (Iijima table 4, fG1A ≈ -115.22 and fG1C ≈ 421.88 as calculated, -115.22/421.88 ≈ -0.3)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 7, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein in a case where a focal length of the first lens group (B1) is represented by fG1 and
a focal length of the zoom lens at the wide angle end is represented by fw,
Conditional Expression (6) represented by
-4<fG1/fw<-1(6) (Iijima table 4, fG1 ≈ -48.85 as calculated, -48.85/21.82 ≈ -2.2)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 8, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and they further teach wherein during focusing, the first C partial group (Iijima L13, L14; Komatsu G1C) does not move (Komatsu para. 0069).
Regarding claim 9, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein in a case where the first C partial group (L13, L14) includes at least one negative lens (Iijima fig. 4 – L13) and
an average value of Abbe numbers of all negative lenses in the first C partial group (L13, L14) with respect to a d line is represented by vave,
Conditional Expression (7) represented by
vave>50(7) (Iijima table 4, vave for L13 = 81.5 > 50)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 11, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein in a case where a focal length of the second lens group (B2) is represented by fG2 and
a focal length of the zoom lens at the wide angle end is represented by fw,
Conditional Expression (8) represented by
2<fG2/fw<10(8) (Iijima table 4, fG2 ≈ 173.29 as calculated, 173.29/21.82 ≈ 7.9)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 12, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein in a case where a focal length of the third lens group (B3) is represented by fG3 and
a focal length of the zoom lens at the wide angle end is represented by fw,
Conditional Expression (9) represented by
4<fG3/fw<12(9) (Iijima table 4, fG3 ≈ 94.95 as calculated, 94.95/21.82 ≈ 4.4)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 13, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein in a case where a focal length of the final lens group (B6) is represented by fGE and
a focal length of the zoom lens at the wide angle end is represented by fw,
Conditional Expression (10) represented by
3<fGE/fw<8(10) (Iijima table 4, fGE ≈ 168.78 as calculated, 168.78/21.82 ≈ 7.7)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 14, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein in a case where a back focus of the zoom lens on the reduction side in terms of an air conversion distance is represented by Bf and
a focal length of the zoom lens at the wide angle end is represented by fw,
Conditional Expression (11) represented by
2<Bf/fw(11) (Iijima table 4, Bf ≈ 59.72 as calculated, 59.72/21.82 ≈ 2.7)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 15, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein the middle group (B5) includes, at a position closest to the reduction side, a cemented lens where a negative lens and a positive lens are cemented in order from the enlargement side to the reduction side (Iijima fig. 7 – L21 and L22 form a cemented lens where L21 is negative and L22 is positive, see also para. 0055).
Regarding claim 16, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1, and Iijima further teaches
wherein the first C partial group (L13, L14) consists of a negative lens (L13) and a positive lens (L14) in order from the enlargement side to the reduction side (Iijima fig. 7 – L13 is negative and L14 is positive, see also table 4 – values for L13 and L14 give a negative refractive power for L13 of approximately -198.04 and a positive refractive power for L14 of approximately 144.96).
Regarding claim 17, Iijima and Komatsu teach a projection type display device comprising:
the zoom lens according to claim 1 (Iijima para. 0073 – P1 is a projection lens).
Regarding claim 18, Iijima and Komatsu teach an imaging apparatus comprising:
the zoom lens according to claim 1 (Iijima para. 0009 – invention is an image projection apparatus).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iijima and Komatsu as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ichimura US 20160139382 (hereinafter “Ichimura”).
Regarding claim 10, Iijima and Komatsu teach the zoom lens according to claim 1.
Neither Iijima nor Komatsu teach that the reduction side is telecentric, however both do teach projection systems (Iijima abstract; Komatsu abstract).
In the same field of endeavor, Ichimura teaches wherein the reduction side is telecentric (Ichimura para. 0005) for the purpose of ensuring satisfactory illuminance distribution (Ichimura para. 0005). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the reduction side be telecentric as taught by Ichimura in the zoom lens of Iijima and Komatsu in order to ensure satisfactory illuminance distribution (Ichimura para. 0005).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 6, the prior art of record does not disclose nor teach “the zoom lens according to claim 1,
wherein in a case where a focal length of the first A partial group is represented by fG1A and
a focal length of the first B partial group is represented by fG1B,
Conditional Expression (5) represented by
0<|fG1A/fG1B|<0.3(5)
is satisfied” in combination with all the limitations of claim 1.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Komatsu et. al US Patent 9,535,239, patent of Komatsu et. al US 20150301319;
Ichimura US Patent 9,791,679, patent of Ichimura US 20160139382;
Imai et. al US 20170075094, teaches the power distribution and substantially the same structure as claimed;
Eguchi et. al US 20120134031, teaches similar structure to the instant application including three subgroups in the first group where the middle group is a focusing group.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH M HALL whose telephone number is (703)756-5795. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-5:30 pm PST.
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/ELIZABETH M HALL/Examiner, Art Unit 2872 /ZACHARY W WILKES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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