DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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 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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/10/2026, 2/10/2026, 6/5/2025, 1/31/2025 and 12/12/2024 comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the examiner considered the information disclosure statement.
Claim Objections
Claims 23-24 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 23, The term “the image plane” (line 5) should be “an image plane”.
Regarding claim 24, The term “the image plane” (line 4) should be “an image plane”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 16-17, 19-20 and 23-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mori (US4426137), and in view of Hoshi (US20030156336).
Regarding claim 16, Mori teaches an optical system (Mori, figs. 1-2C, abstract, a Gauss type photographic lens) comprising, in order from an object side to an image side (see fig.1A to fig. 2A, Mori’s claim 5, Gauss type photographic lens comprising, in succession from the object side), a first lens unit (see Mori, fig. 1A, the first L1 and second lens components L2 has been referred to as a first lens unit) having a positive refractive power (see Mori, col. 3, lines 25-40, the numerical data of fig. 1A-1B, focal length of lens components L1+L2 is approximately 153.55 mm), a second lens unit (fig. 1A, lens component L3 has been referred to as a second lens unit), and a third lens unit (fig. 1A, lens component L4 has been referred to as a third lens unit) having a positive refractive power (see col. 1, lines 65-66, “fourth lens component L4 which is a positive lens”),
wherein a distance between adjacent lens units changes when focusing (see fig.1A to fig. 1B, col. 1, lines 66-68 to col. 2, line 1, “the first L1 and second lens components L2 being fixed relative to the image plane and the third L3 and fourth lens components L4 being movable to thereby effect focusing”; thus, a distance between adjacent lens units, L3 and L4, changes when focusing),
wherein an aperture stop (Mori, fig. 1A, diaphragm) is disposed between the first lens unit (L1+ L2) and the second lens unit (L3),
wherein for focusing from infinity to a short distance, the first lens unit (L1+L2) is fixed (see fig.1A to fig. 1B, col. 1, lines 66-68 to col. 2, line 1, “the first L1 and second lens L2 components being fixed relative to the image plane and the third L3 and fourth lens L4 components being movable to thereby effect focusing”), and the second lens unit and the third lens unit move toward the object side so that a distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit changes (see fig.1A to fig. 1B, col. 1, lines 66-68 to col. 2, lines 1-5, the first L1 and second lens L2 components being fixed relative to the image plane and the third L3 and fourth lens L4 components being movable to thereby effect focusing. More specifically, to form the lens for an object at a shorter distance from the image plane, the fourth lens component L4 is moved toward the object side while, at the same time, the third lens component L3 is also moved toward the object side, FIG. 1B),
wherein the second lens unit (fig. 1A, third lens component L3) consists of, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative meniscus lens with a concave surface facing toward the object side and a positive lens (see Mori, fig. 1A, and col. 3, lines 25-40, the numerical data of fig. 1A-1B, third lens component L3 including, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative meniscus lens with a concave surface facing toward the object side and a positive lens; col. 1, lines 69-65, “a third lens component L3 which is a meniscus lens having its convex surface facing the image side”).
But Mori does not explicitly disclose wherein a lens disposed closest to the object side in the first lens unit has a negative refractive power.
However, Hoshi teaches the analogous imaging lens (Hoshi, fig. 1, abstract, this specification discloses an imaging lens system having a front lens component disposed forwardly and a rear lens component of positive power disposed rearwardly with an aperture stop interposed therebetween), and further teaches wherein
a lens (see Hoshi, fig. 1, lens G1) disposed closest to the object side in the first lens unit (Hoshi, fig. 1, the front lens component FL has been referred to as the first lens unit) has a negative refractive power (see paragraph [0027] “The front lens component FL is comprised, in succession from the object side, of a meniscus-shaped negative lens G1”).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the first lens unit of Mori to have the specific lens as taught by Hoshi for the purpose to have a wide angle of view and yet has had its distortion and curvature of image field corrected well (Hoshi paragraph [0027]).
Regarding claim 17, combination Mori-Hoshi discloses the invention as described in Claim 16 and Mori further teaches wherein the following inequality is satisfied:
0.01 < sk/f < 1.00 (0.61; Mori, sk/f = 60.42/100)
where sk is a backfocus of the optical system in an in-focus state on infinity (see Mori, col. 3, lines 25-40, the numerical data of fig. 1A-1B, sk = Bf = back focal length in the short distance in-focus = 60.42), and f is a focal length of the optical system in the in-focus state on infinity (see Mori, col. 3, lines 25-40, the numerical data of fig. 1A-1B, focal length of the optical system in the in-focus state on infinity = f = 100).
Regarding claim 19, combination Mori-Hoshi discloses the invention as described in Claim 16 and Hoshi further teaches wherein the following inequality is satisfied:
0.01 < TG2/f2 < 0.10 (0.04; Hoshi, TG2/f2 = 3.795/84.56)
where TG2 is a thickness of the second lens unit (Hoshi, fig. 1, G3+G4; see paragraph [0052] “data of First Numerical Embodiment”, TG2 = thickness of r7 to r9 = 3.795) in an optical axis direction (see Hoshi, fig. 1, paragraph [0052] “optical axis”), and f2 is a focal length of the second lens unit (see paragraph [0052] “data of First Numerical Embodiment”, focal length of lens G3+lens G4 is approximately 84.56 mm).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the second lens unit of Mori to have the specific 0.01 < TG2/f2 < 0.10 as taught by Hoshi for the purpose to compact and high in performance and has a wide angle of view and further suffers little from the deterioration of performance due to a manufacturing error (Hoshi paragraph [0011]).
Regarding claim 20, combination Mori-Hoshi discloses the invention as described in Claim 16 and Hoshi further teaches wherein the following inequality is satisfied:
0.10 < TG2/TG3 < 3.00 (Hoshi, TG2/TG3 = 3.795/2.62)
where TG2 is a thickness of the second lens unit in an optical axis direction (see paragraph [0052] “data of First Numerical Embodiment”, TG2 = 3.795), and TG3 is a thickness of the third lens unit in the optical axis direction (see paragraph [0052] “data of First Numerical Embodiment”, TG3 = 2.62).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify thickness of the second lens unit of Mori to have the specific 0.10 < TG2/TG3 < 3.00 as taught by Hoshi for the purpose to compact and high in performance and has a wide angle of view and further suffers little from the deterioration of performance due to a manufacturing error (Hoshi paragraph [0011]).
Regarding claim 23, combination Mori-Hoshi discloses the invention as described in Claim 16 and Mori further teaches wherein the following inequality is satisfied:
1.00 < FL2/FL3 < 3.00 (is approximately 1; see Mori, col. 3, lines 25-40, the numerical data of fig. 1A-1B, FL2 = Δd5= 5.623, FL3 = Δd8 = 5.623, thus, FL2/FL3 is approximately 1)
where FL2 (Mori, col. 3, lines 25-40, the amount of variation Δd5) and FL3 (Mori, col. 3, lines 25-40, the amount of variation Δd8 ) are moving amounts of the second lens unit and the third lens unit from focusing on infinity to focusing on an object 500 mm apart from the image plane, respectively (see Mori, col. 3, lines 25-40, the numerical data of fig. 1A-1B, although FL2 and FL3 are moving amounts of the second lens unit L3 and the third lens unit L4 from focusing on infinity to focusing on an object 100 mm apart from the image plane; further, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum range or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.05 Section II, Subsection A, citing In re Aller,105 USPQ 233 (C.C.P.A. 1955); thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the lens of Mori to change that the FL2 and FL3 are moving amounts of the second lens unit and the third lens unit from focusing on infinity to focusing on an object 500 mm apart from the image plane for a purpose of the influence on various aberrations becomes small (Mori, col. 2, lines 46-47).
Regarding claim 24, combination Mori-Hoshi discloses the invention as described in Claim 16 and Mori further teaches wherein the following inequality is satisfied:
0.05 < f/X1 < 3.00 (1.21; Mori, f/X1= 100/82.6)
where X1 is a distance from the aperture stop (fig. 1A, diaphragm) to the image plane during focusing on infinity (see Mori, col. 3, lines 25-40, the numerical data of fig. 1A-1B, X1 is approximately 82.6), and f is a focal length of the optical system in an in-focus state on infinity (see Mori, col. 3, lines 25-40, the numerical data of fig. 1A-1B, focal length of the optical system in the in-focus state on infinity = f = 100).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mori (US4426137) in view of Hoshi (US20030156336), and further in view of Morooka (US8654448, of record, see IDS dated 12/12/2024).
Regarding claim 18, combination Mori-Hoshi discloses the invention as described in Claim 16, Mori does not explicitly disclose wherein the following inequality is satisfied:
0.01 < sk/f2 < 0.30
where sk is a backfocus of the optical system in the in-focus state on infinity, and f2 is a focal length of the second lens unit.
However, in the analogous optical system, Morooka teaches an optical system (col. 12, lines 1-6, as shown in FIG. 3A, the inner focus lens system according to the fifth example includes, in order from the object side, a first lens unit G1 having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop S, a second lens unit G2 having a positive refractive power, and a third lens unit G3 having a positive refractive power), and further teaches wherein the following condition is satisfied:
0.01< sk/f2 < 0.30 (0.78 = 14.73/18.89, col 20, Example 5, Unit focal length, f2= 18.89, col 20, data of unit mm, fb=14.73)
where sk is a backfocus of the optical system in the in-focus state on infinity (Morooka, col. 13, Lines 61-65, fb, back focus, is the distance from the rearmost lens surface to the paraxial image plane represented by an equivalent air distance, in the focusing state data, “Infinity” refers to the state in which the lens system is focused on an object at infinity; and see fig. 3A, Example 5, col. 20, data of unit mm, fb =14.73).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the optical system of Mori in view of Hoshi with the specific back focus as taught by Morooka for a purpose to provide a large diameter and a wide angle of view can be achieved in the lens system (Morooka, col. 5, lines 19-22).
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mori (US4426137) in view of Hoshi (US20030156336), and further in view of Kato et al. (US6014265, of record, see IDS dated 12/12/2024).
Regarding claim 21, combination Mori-Hoshi discloses the invention as described in Claim 16, Mori does not explicitly disclose wherein the following inequality is satisfied:
0.20 < DG12/f1 < 1.00
where DG12 is a distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit, and f1 is a focal length of the first lens unit.
However, in the analogous optical system, Kato teaches an optical system (Kato, abstract, an optical system composed, in order from the object side, a first lens unit which has a positive power, a second lens unit which has a positive power, a third lens unit which has a positive power), further, Kato teaches wherein the following inequality is satisfied:
0.20 <DG12/f1 <1.00 (0.2 = 26.87/134.48, Kato, fig. 7, col. 22, data of embodiment 4, DG12 = D1 (tele) = 26.87, f1= fT/0.87= 117/0.87= 134.48)
where DG12 is a distance between the first lens unit (Kato, fig. 7, lens group G1) and the second lens unit (Kato, fig. 7, lens group G2, Kato, fig.7, col.22, data of embodiment 4, DG12 = D1 (tele) = 26.87).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the optical system of Mori in view of Hoshi with the specific the distance as taught by Kato for a purpose to provide a zoom optical system which is composed of a small number of lens elements and allows aberrations to be varied little when the optical system is focused onto an object located at an extremely short distance (Kato, col. 3, lines 7-11).
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mori (US4426137) in view of Hoshi (US20030156336), and further in view of Matsuzawa et al. (US20120147251, of record, see IDS dated 12/12/2024).
Regarding claim 22, combination Mori-Hoshi discloses the invention as described in Claim 16, Mori does not explicitly disclose wherein the following inequality is satisfied: 0.01 < FL2/f2 < 0.20
where FL2 is a moving amount of the second lens unit from focusing on infinity to focusing on an object 500 mm apart from an image plane, and f2 is a focal length of the second lens unit.
However, Matsuzawa teaches the analogous optical system (Matsuzawa, paragraph [0058], fig. 2, fig. 3, fig. 5, and fig. 6, the optical system 301 has a first lens group G1 having a positive refracting power, a second lens group G2 having a positive refracting power and a third lens group G3 having a positive refracting power. The second lens group G2 is a focus lens group for focusing on a subject, which is an inner focus lens.), and further teaches wherein the following inequality is satisfied:
0.01 < FL2/f2 < 0.20 (0.014 = FL2/f2 = 0.5/34.63, see Matsuzawa, paragraph [0128], data of table 2 and described below)
where FL2 (Matsuzawa, fig. 5A, d9) is a moving amount of the second lens unit from focusing on infinity to focusing on an object 500 mm apart from an image plane (Matsuzawa, paragraph [0005], a first mode that focuses on a first close object from an infinite object and a second mode that focuses on a third close object from a second close object, the second close object being closer to the imaging apparatus than the infinite object, second mode that focuses on a third close object from a second close object ; paragraph [0131], data of table 3, close object 1 is 251.8mm, close object 2 is 266.8mm, the second lens unit from focusing on infinity to focusing most close on an object 500 mm is 251+266 = 517 apart from an image plane; para 128, data of table 2, d9 = 0.5).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the second lens unit of Mori in view of Hoshi to satisfy: 0.01 < FL2/f2 < 0.20, as taught by Matsuzawa, to advantageously increase focusing speed, save power consumption and achieve silence noise during photographing (Matsuzawa, paragraph [0066]).
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoshi (US20030156336), and in view of Nishio et al. (US5815320).
Regarding claim 25, Hoshi teaches an image pickup apparatus (Hoshi, figs. 1-11B, abstract, “This specification discloses an imaging lens system”) comprising: an optical system (fig. 1, the optical system); and
an image sensor (paragraph [0026] “IP denotes an image plane on which is disposed the light receiving surface of a solid state image pickup element such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor”) configured to receive an image formed by the optical system (see paragraph [0055] “FIG. 11A is a front view of the digital still camera, and FIG. 11B is a side cross-sectional view thereof. In these figures, the reference numeral 10 designates the main body (housing) of the digital still camera, the reference numeral 11 denotes a photographing optical system using one of the imaging lens systems of the first to fifth numerical embodiments, the reference numeral 12 designates a finder optical system, and the reference numeral 13 denotes a solid state image pickup element, photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor”),
wherein the optical system includes, in order from an object side to an image side (see fig. 1, paragraph [0026] “the front lens component FL and the rear lens component RL are disposed on the object side, at the left in the figures, i.e., “forwardly”, and the image side, at the right in the figures, i.e., “rearwardly”, respectively”), a first lens unit (fig. 1, front lens component FL) having a positive refractive power (paragraph [0026] “The front lens component FL is of positive power”), a second lens unit having a positive refractive power (see Hoshi, fig. 1, lenses G3+G4 has been referred to as second lens unit, and see paragraph [0052] “data of First Numerical Embodiment”, focal length of lens G3+lens G4 is approximately 84.56 mm; thus, the second lens unit having a positive refractive power), and a third lens unit (fig. 1, lens G5 has been referred to as a third lens unit) having a positive refractive power (see paragraph [0028] “positive lens G5”),
wherein a distance between adjacent lens units changes when focusing (see Hoshi, fig. 1, paragraph [0031] “the rear lens component RL is moved to thereby effect focusing. In this case, the front lens component FL or the aperture stop SP is made stationary to thereby realize a stout and compact imaging lens”; thus, a distance between adjacent lens units, FL and RL, changes when focusing),
wherein an aperture stop (fig. 1, paragraph [0031] “the aperture stop SP) is disposed between the first lens unit (FL) and the second lens unit (G3+G4),
wherein for focusing from infinity to a short distance, the first lens unit is fixed (see paragraph [0031] “in the present embodiment, the rear lens component RL is moved to thereby effect focusing. In this case, the front lens component FL or the aperture stop SP is made stationary to thereby realize a stout and compact imaging lens”), and the second lens unit and the third lens unit move toward the object side so that a distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit changes,
wherein a lens (see fig. 1, lens G1) disposed closest to the object side in the first lens unit (fig. 1, FL) has a negative refractive power (see paragraph [0027] “the negative lens G1 disposed on the object side”), and
wherein the second lens unit (fig. 1, lens G3+lens G4) consists of, in order from the object side to the image side (see fig. 1, in order from the object side to the image side), a negative meniscus lens with a concave surface facing toward the object side (paragraph [0028] “in succession from the object side, of a meniscus-shaped negative lens G3 having its concave surface facing the object side”) and a positive lens (paragraph [0028] “positive lens G4”).
Hoshi does not explicitly disclose wherein for focusing from infinity to a short distance, the second lens unit and the third lens unit move toward the object side so that a distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit changes.
However, Nishio teaches the analogous lens (Nishio, fig. 39, col. 24, lines 54-60, FIGS. 39 to 42, where a first lens unit I of positive refractive power, a second lens unit II of positive refractive power, a third lens unit III of positive refractive power and a fourth lens unit IV of negative refractive power are arranged in this order from the object side), and further teaches wherein for focusing from infinity to a short distance (see Nishio, col. 26, lines 19-26: the focusing method employed in the examples of this embodiment… to effect focusing down to Shorter object distances),
the second lens unit (Nishio, fig. 39, second lens unit II has been referred to as the second lens unit; see col. 24, line 57, “a second lens unit II of positive refractive power”) and the third lens unit (fig. 39, third lens unit III has been referred to as the third lens unit; see col. 24, line 58, “a third lens unit III of positive refractive power”) move toward the object side (see Nishio, col. 26, lines 19-26: the focusing method employed in the examples of this embodiment is to move the Second lens unit II and the third lens unit III in unison forward to effect focusing down to Shorter object distances) so that a distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit changes (see Nishio, fig. 39, and col. 26, data of NUMERICAL EXAMPLE 17, a distance D9 = Variable, between the second lens unit II and the third lens unit III changes).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the lens units of Hoshi to have the specific focusing method as taught by Nishio for the purpose of having good stability of optical performance over the focusing range and suited to minimization of the size thereof (Nishio, col. 1, lines 49-51).
Claim 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishio et al. (US5815320), and in view of Morooka (US8654448, of record, see IDS dated 10/10/2024).
Regarding claim 26, Nishio teaches a lens apparatus (see fig. 39, a lens apparatus) comprising an optical system (col. 1, lines 8-9, “This invention relates to compact zoom lenses and, more particularly, to zoom lenses of high range suited to leaf shutter cameras”),
wherein the optical system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a third lens unit having a positive refractive power (see Nishio, fig. 39, col. 24, lines 54-60, FIGS. 39 to 42, where a first lens unit I of positive refractive power, a second lens unit II of positive refractive power, a third lens unit III of positive refractive power are arranged in this order from the object side),
wherein a distance between adjacent lens units changes when focusing (see Nishio, fig. 39, col. 26, lines 19-26: the focusing method employed in the examples of this embodiment is to move the Second lens unit II and the third lens unit III in unison forward to effect focusing down to Shorter object distances, and see col. 26, data of NUMERICAL EXAMPLE 17, a distance D4 = Variable, between a first lens unit I and the second lens unit II changes),
wherein an aperture stop (Nishio, fig. 39, Stop) is disposed between the first lens unit and the second lens unit (see fig. 39, and col. 26, data of NUMERICAL EXAMPLE 17, the aperture stop is disposed between the first lens unit I and the second lens unit II),
wherein for focusing from infinity to a short distance, the first lens unit is fixed, and the second lens unit and the third lens unit move toward the object side so that a distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit changes (see Nishio, col. 26, lines 19-26: the focusing method employed in the examples of this embodiment is to move the Second lens unit II and the third lens unit III in unison forward to effect focusing down to Shorter object distances; and see col. 26, data of NUMERICAL EXAMPLE 17; thus, for focusing from infinity to a short distance, the first lens unit I is fixed, and the second lens unit II and the third lens unit III move toward the object side) so that a distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit changes (see Nishio, fig. 39, and col. 26, data of NUMERICAL EXAMPLE 17, a distance D9 = Variable, between the second lens unit II and the third lens unit III changes).
wherein a lens disposed closest to the object side in the first lens unit (Nishio, fig. 39, lens unit I) has a negative refractive power (see Nishio, fig. 39, col. 26, a lens disposed closest to the object side in the first lens unit I has a negative refractive power, and see col. 26, data of NUMERICAL EXAMPLE 17, the focal length of the lens is approximately -199.3),
wherein the second lens unit consists of, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative meniscus lens with a concave surface facing toward the object side (“the second lens unit II has a front most or first lens surface of concave curvature facing the object side”; “this first lens surface has a strong negative power”) and a positive lens (the second lens unit II has “a rearmost or last lens surface of convex curvature facing the image side”; “The aforesaid last lens surface has a positive power”),
But Nishio does not explicitly disclose wherein the first lens unit includes a plurality of negative lenses.
However, in the analogous optical system, Morooka teaches an optical system (col. 12, lines 1-10, as shown in FIG. 3A, the inner focus lens system according to the fifth example includes, in order from the object side, a first lens unit G1 having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop S, a second lens unit G2 having a positive refractive power, and a third lens unit G3 having a positive refractive power; During focusing from an infinite object distance to a close object distance, the first lens unit G1 is fixed, the aperture stop S is fixed, the second lens unit G2 moves toward the object side, and the third lens unit G3 is fixed), and further teaches wherein the first lens unit (Morooka, fig. 3A, the first lens unit G1 has been referred to as the first lens unit) includes a plurality of negative lenses (see Morooka, fig. 3A, col. 12, lines 12-16, the first lens unit G1 is composed of a negative meniscus lens L1; a biconcave negative lens L4 ).
Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the lens unit of Nishio with the specific lenses as taught by Morooka for a purpose to provide a large diameter and a wide angle of view can be achieved in the lens system (Morooka, col 5, lines 19-22).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Momiyama US3815974 teaches features of instant invention, such as wherein the second lens unit consists of, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative meniscus lens with a concave surface facing toward the object side and a positive lens (see Fig. 1, fig. 3, fig. 5 and fig. 7 and their descriptions).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KUEI-JEN LEE EDENFIELD whose telephone number is (571) 272-3005. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. -Thurs 8:00 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sun, Pinping can be reached on (571) 270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273- 8300.
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/KUEI-JEN L EDENFIELD/
Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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