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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2015/0288858 A1 to Fee.
With respect to claim 1 Fee discloses, in Fig. 1-63, a shoulder adapter system (10) that makes a camera for broadcasting and filming attachable to and detachable from a tripod attachment for broadcasting (paragraph 62 and 107; where the camera is not part of the claim and the shoulder adapter system must merely be capable of attaching such a camera, one of ordinary skill would recognize it can), comprising: a shoulder adapter main body (42); and a front attachment adapter (530), wherein the shoulder adapter system is configured to allow the camera to be attached to at least one of the front attachment adapter and the shoulder adapter main body to make the camera placeable on a shoulder and attachable to and detachable from a tripod (paragraph 99).
With respect to claim 4 Fee discloses, in Fig. 1-63, the shoulder adapter system of Claim 1, wherein the front attachment adapter (530) includes a lens support rod attachment portion (542, 546) to which a lens support rod (22, 26) is attachable (paragraph 77).
With respect to claim 5 Fee discloses, in Fig. 1-63, the shoulder adapter system of Claim 1, wherein the shoulder adapter system is configured to allow the camera to be attached to both of the front attachment adapter and the shoulder adapter main body (Fig. 54; where the legs of the shoulder mount could be the accessory attachment and as seen in the figure formed to attach the camera mount also).
With respect to claim 6 Fee discloses, in Fig. 1-63, the shoulder adapter system of Claim 1, wherein the shoulder adapter system is configured to allow the camera to be attached to the front attachment adapter (Fig. 54; where the legs of the shoulder mount could be the accessory attachment and as seen in the figure formed to attach the camera mount also).
With respect to claim 7 Fee discloses, in Fig. 1-63, the shoulder adapter system of Claim 1, wherein the shoulder adapter system is configured to allow the camera to be attached to the shoulder adapter main body (paragraph 68-69).
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.
Claim(s) 2-3 and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2015/0288858 A1 to Fee.
With respect to claim 2 Fee discloses, in Fig. 1-63, the shoulder adapter system of Claim 1 (see above), further comprising: an optical transmission device attachment adapter (534), wherein the optical transmission device attachment adapter is attached to the shoulder adapter main body in such a way to extend rearward of the shoulder adapter main body (paragraph 77 and 91; where the back mount could be for accessory attachment).
Fee additionally discloses the optical transmission device attachment adapter is attached to accessories such as “battery plates, video recorders, or other related components” (paragraph 91) but does not expressly disclose the accessory is an optical transmission device accompanying the camera.
However, Official Notice (MPEP § 2144.03) is taken that both the concepts and advantages of a shoulder used video camera comprising an accessory that is an optical transmission device are well known and expected in the art. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to have included an optical transmission device as the accessory of Fee at it would merely be a combining of prior art elements according to the known methods (i.e. attachment to a cheese plate of Fee) to yield predictable results.
With respect to claim 3 Fee further discloses wherein the optical transmission device attachment adapter includes an air hole (paragraph 91; where it is a cheese plate with multiple air holes).
Claim 8 is rejected for similar reasons as already addressed above with respect to claims 1, 2 and 4.
Claim 9 is rejected for similar reason as claim 3 above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL M PASIEWICZ whose telephone number is (571)272-5516. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 AM - 5:30 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, George Eng can be reached at (571)272-7495. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL M PASIEWICZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2699
June 3, 2026
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