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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/24/2025 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
1: Claim(s) 1, 2, 10-12 and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2022/0294991 A1 Hoshino.
2: As for Claim 1, Hoshino teaches an information processing apparatus that determines a target parameter for use in focus adjustment when shooting a subject (Paragraph [0043] teaches The CPU 216 is a processor that includes a CPU and peripheral circuits for the CPU, and performs overall control of the camera body 200 in accordance with programs stored in a body side storage section 230. If tracking results for a main subject are input from the tracking circuit 234, the CPU 216 outputs control signals for driving the focus lens 102a, based on phase difference detection signals from AF areas in which this main subject is contained, to the lens CPU 106), comprising: at least one processor (CPU 216 depicted in Figure 1) and/or circuit; and at least one memory (element 230) storing a computer program, which causes the at least one processor (106) and/or circuit to function (Paragraph 0044 teaches “functions are realized by the CPU 216 based on programs stored in the body side storage section 230”) as following units: a first acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to a distribution of subject areas in a captured image view angle (Paragraphs [0074 and 0075] teaches the tracking circuit detects position of the main object and tracking targets are a body and parts of the tracking target, and as subject information, center XY coordinates and size (width, height) of a body, and center XY coordinates and size (width, height) of parts, are acquired.); a second acquisition unit configured to acquire focus detection results (focus deviation amounts) of a plurality of focus detection areas (Correlation calculation is the respective generation of two-image interval values corresponding to phase difference, for AF areas, based on focus detection (phase difference) pixel data within a plurality of specified AF areas (focus detection regions) provided for the captured image view angle (Paragraphs [0076-0078] teaches calculating a focus deviation amount); Paragraph [0027] teaches an inference unit configured to infer a range in a depth direction in which the subject exists ( the imaging device acquires information on subject range from a tracking block.), based on the information relating to the distribution of the subject areas (The control section generates a depth map by converting defocus amount to lens position LDP (Lens Defocus Pulse) corresponding to distance, in respective regions of a body range and an outer range.) and the focus detection results of the plurality of focus detection areas (If a depth map is created, the control section extracts regions, made up of close-up end AF areas that have average LDP that is greater, by a predetermined value or more, than average LDP within a body range); Paragraph [0027] a determination unit (control section for executing focus adjustment) configured to determine the target parameter (determined focal position) based on the inference range in the depth direction (The control section executes focus adjustment using lens position LDP (or defocus amount) of AF areas that have not been excluded and remain, within a body range), wherein the determination unit (control section for executing focus adjustment) switches a method of determining the target parameter (the calculated target parameter (lens AF position) is changed based on the number of AF areas excluded) according to the range in the depth direction.
3: As for Claim 2, Hoshino further teaches In Paragraphs [0027 and 0074-0075] wherein the determination unit (control section for executing focus adjustment) extracts focus detection results (defocus amount is detected in each AF area) included in the inference range in the depth direction (subject rang from tracking block) from the focus detection results of the plurality of focus detection areas (each AF area), and determines the target parameter (lens AF position) based on the extracted focus detection results (The control section executes focus adjustment using lens position LDP (or defocus amount) of AF areas that have not been excluded and remain, within a body range.).
4: As for Claim 10, Hoshino further teaches In Paragraphs [0027] wherein the target parameter is a defocus amount (desired defocus amount based on lens position), the focus detection results of the plurality of focus detection areas are defocus amounts of the respective focus detection areas (Defocus amount is detected in each AF area), and the inference unit infers a range of defocus amounts as the range in the depth direction ( the imaging device acquires information on subject range from a tracking block.).
5: As for Claim 11, Hoshino further teaches In Paragraphs [0039-0042 and 0054] wherein the computer program further causes the at least one processor (216) and/or circuit to function as a third acquisition unit (performing image capture using image sensor 208) configured to acquire captured image signals in the captured image view angle, the first acquisition unit (Paragraphs [0074 and 0075] teaches the tracking circuit detects position of the main object and tracking targets are a body and parts of the tracking target, and as subject information, center XY coordinates and size (width, height) of a body, and center XY coordinates and size (width, height) of parts, are acquired.) acquires the information relating to the distribution of the subject areas (center XY coordinates and size (width, height) of a body, and center XY coordinates and size (width, height) of parts, are acquired.) based on the image signals acquired by the third acquisition unit (based on data captured by image sensor 208), and the second acquisition unit (focus deviation amounts are calculated) acquires the focus detection results of the plurality of focus detection areas (AF areas) based on the image signals acquired by the third acquisition unit (based on image data captured by image sensor 208).
6: As for Claim 12, Hoshino further teaches In Paragraphs [0067-0075] wherein the information relating to the distribution of the subject areas (head, face, nose, etc.) contains information on positions and sizes of areas (X/Y coordinates of the areas is determined) for each predetermined part of the subject (head, face, nose etc) within the captured image view angle.
7: As for Claim 14, Hoshino further teaches In Paragraphs [0067-0075] and depicts in Figure 1 an image capturing apparatus comprising: an imaging optical system including a focus lens (100); an image capturing unit (208); a control unit (CPU 216) configured to control the imaging optical system (100); and the information processing apparatus (200) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (CPU 216) drives the focus lens (100 is driven by 104) based on the target parameter (determined focal position) determined by the determination unit (control section for executing focus adjustment), and the image capturing unit (208) shoots an image for recording on the condition that the focus lens (100) is driven based on the target parameter (determined focal position).
8: As for Claim 15, Claim 15 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 1.
9: As for Claim 16, Hoshino teaches in Paragraphs [0034 and 0043] A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to function as the units of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 and 13 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2019/0238757 A1 Sugaya teaches a focus adjusting method based on image data related to the depth of field of a detected object; US 2009/0116830 A1 Kumagai teaches an imaging apparatus to detect information of a face of a subject from captured image data, estimate the distance to the subject (subject distance) based on the detected information of the face, and change a driving range of a focus lens in accordance with the subject distance and a depth-of-field.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES M HANNETT whose telephone number is (571)272-7309. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Monday thru Thursday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Twyler Haskins can be reached at 571-272-7406 The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES M HANNETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639
JMH
September 16, 2026
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