CTNF 19/083,216 CTNF 82640 DETAILED ACTION This office action is responsive to application 19/083,216 filed on March 18, 2025. Claims 1-14 are pending in the application and have been examined by the Examiner. Information Disclosure Statement The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on March 18, 2025 was received and has been considered by the Examiner. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: Lack of clarity and precision. Claim 12 recites “the axis” and should be amended to instead recite “the optical axis” in order to correspond with the language used in parent claim 1 . Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1, 2, 4, 6-9, 11, 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Matsumoto (US 7,885,022) . Consider claim 1, Matsumoto teaches: A device (figures 1-8B) comprising: an optical system (Perspective Control (PC) lens, 20, figure 3) that includes a plurality of optical elements (see figure 3, column 4, lines 53-59); a movement unit (lens holding frame, 33) configured to move at least one of the plurality of optical elements (tilting lens, 30) in a first direction (i.e. in a tilt direction) including a component perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical system (e.g. including an up (U) component (figures 7A and 7B) or a down (D) component (figure 8A and 8B), see column 6, line 61 through column 7, line 5, column 8, lines 45-67); an operation unit (second operation ring, 58, figure 4) that allows rotational operation (“A” or “B” in figures 7A and 8A) about the optical axis (see column 8, lines 7-12, column 6, line 61 through column 7, line 5, column 8, lines 45-67, figures 7A and 8A); and a conversion unit (rotary ring, 35, figure 5) that is coupled to the operation unit (58, column 8, lines 7-12) and the movement unit (33, see figures 5 and 6A-8B) and configured to convert the rotational operation (“A” or “B” in figures 7A and 8A) of the operation unit (58) into a movement of the movement unit (33) in the first direction (“U” or “D” in figures 7B and 8B, see column 8, lines 7-12, column 6, line 61 through column 7, line 5, column 8, lines 45-67), wherein the at least one optical element (30) moves in the first direction (i.e. tilt direction) to produce one of a tilt effect (see figures 7B and 8B, column 6, line 61 through column 7, line 5, column 8, lines 45-67). Consider claim 2, and as applied to claim 1 above, Matsumoto further teaches that the conversion unit (35) and the movement unit (33) are coupled together by a first cam groove (tilting guide grooves, 50) that is provided in one of the conversion unit (35, see figures 6A-8B) and a first roller member (guide members, 37) that is provided in the other of the movement unit (33, see figures 5-8B) and slides in the first cam groove (50, see column 6, line 49 through column 7, line 5, column 8, lines 45-67). Consider claim 4, and as applied to claim 1 above, Matsumoto further teaches that the movement unit (33) has a first guide member (guide members, 37) that guides the at least one optical element (30) in the first direction (see column 6, line 49 through column 7, line 5, column 8, lines 45-67). Consider claim 6, and as applied to claim 1 above, Matsumoto further teaches that the conversion unit (35) and the movement unit (33) are coupled together by a gear (gear portion, 45, column 6, lines 31-38, figures 5, 6A, 7A and 8A). Consider claim 7, and as applied to claim 1 above, Matsumoto further teaches that the conversion unit (35) and the operation unit (58) are coupled together by a gear (gear portion, 45, column 6, lines 31-38, figures 5, 6A, 7A and 8A). Consider claim 8, Matsumoto teaches: An apparatus comprising: the device according to claim 1 (see claim 1 rationale); and an element configured to capture an image of a subject via the device (“an imager device such as a CCD or CMOS array”, column 4, lines 36-40). Consider claim 9, and as applied to claim 8 above, Matsumoto further teaches that the conversion unit (35) and the movement unit (33) are coupled together by a first cam groove (tilting guide grooves, 50) that is provided in one of the conversion unit (35, see figures 6A-8B) and a first roller member (guide members, 37) that is provided in the other of the movement unit (33, see figures 5-8B) and slides in the first cam groove (50, see column 6, line 49 through column 7, line 5, column 8, lines 45-67). Consider claim 11, and as applied to claim 8 above, Matsumoto further teaches that the movement unit (33) has a first guide member (guide members, 37) that guides the at least one optical element (30) in the first direction (see column 6, line 49 through column 7, line 5, column 8, lines 45-67). Consider claim 13, and as applied to claim 8 above, Matsumoto further teaches that the conversion unit (35) and the movement unit (33) are coupled together by a gear (gear portion, 45, column 6, lines 31-38, figures 5, 6A, 7A and 8A). Consider claim 14, and as applied to claim 8 above, Matsumoto further teaches that the conversion unit (35) and the operation unit (58) are coupled together by a gear (gear portion, 45, column 6, lines 31-38, figures 5, 6A, 7A and 8A) . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 3, 5, 10 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 . 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Consider claim 3, the prior art of record does not teach nor reasonably suggest that the conversion unit and the operation unit are coupled together by a second cam groove that is provided in one of the conversion unit and the operation unit and a second roller member that is provided in the other of the conversion unit and the operation unit and slides in the second cam groove, in combination with the other elements recited in parent claim 1. Consider claim 5, the prior art of record does not teach nor reasonably suggest that the conversion unit has a second guide member that guides the movement of the conversion unit in the direction along the optical axis, in combination with the other elements recited in parent claim 1. Consider claim 10, the prior art of record does not teach nor reasonably suggest that the conversion unit and the operation unit are coupled together by a second cam groove that is provided in one of the conversion unit and the operation unit and a second roller member that is provided in the other of the conversion unit and the operation unit and slides in the second cam groove, in combination with the other elements recited in parent claim 8. Consider claim 12, the prior art of record does not teach nor reasonably suggest that the conversion unit has a second guide member that guides the movement of the conversion unit in the direction along the optical axis, in combination with the other elements recited in parent claim 8 . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Schottner et al. (US 2019/0273849) teaches an adapter for pivoting a lens (see Abstract, figures 1, 2, 10-15). Shono et al. (US 6,318,912) teaches an adapter having a tilt and shift mechanism (see Abstract, figures 1, 3, 4 and 7). Hara (US 6,285,831) teaches a mechanism for adjusting a vertical position of a lens (see figure 4). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALBERT H CUTLER whose telephone number is (571)270-1460. The examiner can normally be reached approximately Mon - Fri 8:00-4:30. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sinh Tran can be reached at (571)272-7564. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ALBERT H CUTLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637 Application/Control Number: 19/083,216 Page 2 Art Unit: 2637 Application/Control Number: 19/083,216 Page 3 Art Unit: 2637 Application/Control Number: 19/083,216 Page 4 Art Unit: 2637 Application/Control Number: 19/083,216 Page 5 Art Unit: 2637 Application/Control Number: 19/083,216 Page 6 Art Unit: 2637 Application/Control Number: 19/083,216 Page 7 Art Unit: 2637 Application/Control Number: 19/083,216 Page 8 Art Unit: 2637 Application/Control Number: 19/083,216 Page 9 Art Unit: 2637
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