DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Information Disclosure Statement
As required by M.P.E.P. 609, the applicant’s submissions of the Information Disclosure Statement dated 12/06/2024, 8/13/2025, 8/19/2025 and 6/11/2026 is acknowledged by the examiner and the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
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Claims 1-21 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-28 of U.S. Patent No. 12,204,075. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because both claim sets include the same or similar limitations such that an anticipatory or obviousness relationship exists between the limitations. In this case all of the limitations of both document's claims are present in both claim sets and although the language is not identical the limitations are substantially similar within the broadest reasonable interpretation standard.
It is noted that the claim language of the instant application 18/972534 within claims 2-9 and 11-21 repeats the same claim language of U.S. Patent No. 12,204,075.
Instant application 18/972534
U.S. Patent No. 12,204,075
Explanation as needed
Claim 1: An imaging lens system, comprising: a lens barrel element; and an imaging lens assembly, disposed on the lens barrel element, and the imaging lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first imaging lens element, having a first image-side contact surface; a spacer element, having a second object-side contact surface and a second image-side contact surface, and the second object-side contact surface corresponding to the first image-side contact surface; and a second imaging lens element, having a third object-side contact surface, and the third object-side contact surface corresponding to the second image-side contact surface; wherein the lens barrel element and the spacer element together form a buffer structure located farther away from an optical axis of the imaging lens assembly than the first image-side contact surface to the optical axis, and the buffer structure comprises: a first gap, wherein the first gap at least partially overlaps the third object-side contact surface in a direction parallel to the optical axis; and a second gap, wherein a step difference is between the first gap and the second gap, and the second gap is located closer to the optical axis than the first gap to the optical axis; wherein a width of the first gap is g1, a width of the second gap is g2, an inner diameter of the first image-side contact surface is Φi1, an inner diameter of the first gap is Φg1, and the following conditions are satisfied: 0.01 ≤ g1/g2 ≤ 0.9; and 0.5 ≤ 1000×g1/(Φg1-Φi1) ≤ 15.
Claim 1: An imaging lens system, comprising: a lens barrel element; and an imaging lens assembly, disposed on the lens barrel element, and the imaging lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first imaging lens element, having a first image-side contact surface; a spacer element, having a second object-side contact surface and a second image- side contact surface, and the second object-side contact surface corresponding to the first image-side contact surface; and a second imaging lens element, having a third object-side contact surface, and the third object-side contact surface corresponding to the second image-side contact surface; wherein the second imaging lens element comprises a mark structure, the mark structure is an annular tapering protrusion, the mark structure surrounds an optical axis of the imaging lens system, and the mark structure is located closer to the optical axis than the third object-side contact surface to the optical axis; wherein the lens barrel element and the spacer element together form a buffer structure located farther away from the optical axis than the first image-side contact surface to the optical axis, and the buffer structure comprises: a first gap, wherein the first gap at least partially overlaps the third object-side contact surface in a direction parallel to the optical axis; and a second gap, wherein a step difference is between the first gap and the second gap, and the second gap is located closer to the optical axis than the first gap to the optical axis; wherein a width of the first gap is g1, a width of the second gap is g2, and the following condition is satisfied: 0.01 <g1/g2 < 0.9.
One ordinarily skilled in the art would recognize the similarities of both inventions disclosing an imaging lens system that includes a lens barrel element.
Claim 10: An imaging lens system, comprising: a lens barrel element; and an imaging lens assembly, disposed on the lens barrel element, and the imaging lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first imaging lens element, having a first image-side contact surface; a spacer element, having a second object-side contact surface and a second image-side contact surface, and the second object-side contact surface corresponding to the first image-side contact surface; and a second imaging lens element, having a third object-side contact surface, and the third object-side contact surface corresponding to the second image-side contact surface; wherein the lens barrel element and the spacer element together form a buffer structure located farther away from an optical axis of the imaging lens assembly than the first image-side contact surface to the optical axis, and the buffer structure comprises: a first gap, wherein the first gap at least partially overlaps the third object-side contact surface in a direction parallel to the optical axis; and a second gap, wherein a step difference is between the first gap and the second gap, and the second gap is located closer to the optical axis than the first gap to the optical axis; wherein an inner diameter of the first gap is Φg1, an outer diameter of the first image-side contact surface is Φo1, an outer diameter of the second image-side contact surface is Φo2, a width of the first gap is g1, an inner diameter of the first image-side contact surface is Φi1, and the following conditions are satisfied: 0.3 < (Φg1-Φo1)/(Φo2-Φo1) < 0.9; and 0.5 ≤ 1000×g1/(Φg1-Φi1) ≤ 15.
Claim 12: An imaging lens system, comprising: a lens barrel element; and an imaging lens assembly, disposed on the lens barrel element, and the imaging lens assembly comprising, in order from an object side to an image side: a first imaging lens element, having a first image-side contact surface; a spacer element, having a second object-side contact surface and a second image- side contact surface, and the second object-side contact surface corresponding to the first image-side contact surface; and a second imaging lens element, having a third object-side contact surface, and the third object-side contact surface corresponding to the second image-side contact surface; wherein the second imaging lens element comprises a mark structure, the mark structure is an annular tapering protrusion, the mark structure surrounds an optical axis of the imaging lens system, and the mark structure is located closer to the optical axis than the third object-side contact surface to the optical axis; wherein the lens barrel element and the spacer element together form a buffer structure located farther away from the optical axis than the first image-side contact surface to the optical axis, and the buffer structure comprises: a first gap, wherein the first gap at least partially overlaps the third object-side contact surface in a direction parallel to the optical axis; and a second gap, wherein a step difference is between the first gap and the second gap, and the second gap is located closer to the optical axis than the first gap to the optical axis; wherein an inner diameter of the first gap is ɸg1, an outer diameter of the first image-side contact surface is ɸo1, an outer diameter of the second image-side contact surface is ɸo2, and the following condition is satisfied: 0.3 < (ɸg1- ɸo1)/( ɸo2- ɸo1) < 0.9.
One ordinarily skilled in the art would recognize the similarities of both inventions disclosing an imaging lens system that includes a lens barrel element.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-21 are allowed, pending applicant’s overcoming of the obvious double patenting rejection above.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: with respect to the allowable subject matter, none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose or teach of the claimed combination of limitations to warrant a rejection under 35 USC 102 or 103.
Specifically regarding the allowability of independent claim 1: The prior art of record does not disclose or suggest an imaging lens system comprising “ a lens barrel element; and an imaging lens assembly, disposed on the lens barrel element, and the imaging lens assembly comprising, having a third object-side contact surface, and the third object-side contact surface corresponding to the second image-side contact surface; wherein a step difference is between the first gap and the second gap, and the second gap is located closer to the optical axis than the first gap to the optical axis; wherein a width of the first gap is g1, a width of the second gap is g2, an inner diameter of the first image-side contact surface is Φi1, an inner diameter of the first gap is Φg1, and the following conditions are satisfied: 0.01 ≤ g1/g2 ≤ 0.9; and 0.5 ≤ 1000×g1/(Φg1-Φi1) ≤ 15”, along with other claim limitations, is not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record. Claims 2-9 are allowable due to pendency on independent claim 1.
Specifically regarding the allowability of independent claim 10: The prior art of record does not disclose or suggest an imaging lens system comprising “a lens barrel element; and an imaging lens assembly, wherein the first gap at least partially overlaps the third object-side contact surface in a direction parallel to the optical axis; and a second gap, wherein a step difference is between the first gap and the second gap, and the second gap is located closer to the optical axis than the first gap to the optical axis; wherein an inner diameter of the first gap is Φg1, an outer diameter of the first image-side contact surface is Φo1, an outer diameter of the second image-side contact surface is Φo2, a width of the first gap is g1, an inner diameter of the first image-side contact surface is Φi1, and the following conditions are satisfied: 0.3 < (Φg1-Φo1)/(Φo2-Φo1) < 0.9; and 0.5 ≤ 1000×g1/(Φg1-Φi1) ≤ 15”, along with other claim limitations, is not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record. Claims 11-21 are allowable due to pendency on independent claim 10.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Watanabe (20200285029) and Yang (20190174032) are examples of camera lens systems incorporating a lens module with a spacer to decrease performance degradation.
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Sharrief I. Broome
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2872
/SHARRIEF I BROOME/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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