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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s communication filed on 16 May 2025. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-20 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement(s)
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 12/8/2025 and 9/23/2026 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the heating module must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
See also the 112 rejection below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 7 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
With respect to claim 7, it is unclear how the pressing ring is mounted at two ends of at least one of the first lens group and the second lens group. Fig. 5, which is described as showing the pressing ring 1035, only shows the ring at the “front” end of the lens group, and is not shown at all at the other end. Even if this were the case, it is unclear how a ring would be located at both ends simultaneously and not be designed as a cylinder instead.
This claim will be rejected as shown in Fig. 5, where the pressing ring is only described on a single side, or at best, there are two separate pressing rings.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "first light" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For purposes of continued prosecution, it will be assumed that this claim is dependent on claim 2.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
With respect to claim 15, there is insufficient written description with respect to the “heating module”. The specification only states that it exists as heating module 1102 and is specifically stated to not be shown in the drawings (see above drawing objection). There is no structure or function described to give one of ordinary skill in the art to what the heating module encompasses, where it is positioned in relation to the adapter module and illumination modules (the only thing described is ‘any position of the adapter module 110’), or what its function is (is it to pull heat away from the illumination module, to heat it up, etc.).
For purposes of continued prosecution, any limitation regarding this heating module will be ignored.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5, 10-11, 14-15, 17, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Doring et al. (Publication No.: Us 2020/0014909 A1, herein known as D1).
With respect to claim 1, D1 discloses a three-dimensional imaging module (Fig. 2), comprising:
a first camera module (first camera 111; Fig. 2),
a second camera module (second camera 112; Fig. 2),
a lens mount (overall body housing, see Fig. 3 for example),
a first lens group (lenses within camera system 111; see Fig. 9 which is an adjustable lens system for any of cameras 111, 112, and 113), and
a second lens group (lenses within camera system 112; see Fig. 9 which is an adjustable lens system for any of cameras 111, 112, and 113),
wherein the lens mount is provided with a first accommodating cavity and a second accommodating cavity, the first camera module is integrated at a bottom of the first accommodating cavity, the first lens group is integrated in the first accommodating cavity, the second camera module is integrated at a bottom of the second accommodating cavity, and the second lens group is integrated in the second accommodating cavity (see Fig. 3, the cavities are where the cameras are arranged to be able to obtain light from the outside).
With respect to claim 2, D1 further discloses a module wherein the lens mount further comprises a third accommodating cavity provided between the first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity; the three-dimensional imaging module further comprises a first light source integrated at a bottom of the third accommodation cavity, which is used to emit a first light toward an object to be scanned, so that the first camera module and the second camera module respectively receive, through the first lens group and the second lens group, a light reflected by the object to be scanned; and the light reflected by the object to be scanned at least comprises a light reflected by the object to be scanned from the first light (either the cavity comprising camera 113 and LEDs 114/115, with the LEDs emitting light that is to be reflected back by the object to be scanned; [0047], [0060]; or projector 121 which projects a pattern onto the object to be imaged; [0050], [0053], Fig. 1 and 8).
With respect to claim 5, D1 further discloses a module wherein the lens mount further comprises a third accommodating cavity provided between the first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity; the three-dimensional imaging module further comprises a texture imaging module and a third lens group; the texture imaging module is integrated at a bottom of the third accommodating cavity; and the third lens group is integrated in the third accommodating cavity, and is used to project an image of the object to be scanned onto the texture imaging module (camera 113 and associated lens structure such as the one seen in Fig. 9).
With respect to claim 10, D1 further discloses a module wherein the first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity are symmetrically arranged relative to an axis of the third accommodating cavity (see Fig. 2, cameras 111 and 112 they are symmetrical around the center axis where either 113 or 121, which can be considered the third cavity are arranged).
With respect to claim 11, D1 further discloses a module wherein the first light is one of a line-structured light, a surface-structured light, a laser light, a blue light, and an infrared light (light source 121a of projector 121 emits in the infrared range; [0053]).
With respect to claim 14, D1 discloses a three-dimensional scanner, comprising: a housing; and a three-dimensional imaging module according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional imaging module is accommodated in the housing (housing of Fig. 1).
With respect to claim 15, D1 further discloses a scanner wherein the three-dimensional scanner further comprises an adapter module and a texture imaging module (projector 121 and camera 113, respectively);
the texture imaging module is used to collect a color information of an object to be scanned, and the three-dimensional imaging module can be connected with the adapter module (see Fig. 2, whole device is interconnected, color information is discussed in [0040] as a non-limiting example);
the adapter module comprises an illumination module (Fig. 8 and associated structure); the illumination module comprises a second light source (light source 121a), a bracket (unreferenced), and a cover plate (102c); the second light source is used to provide an illumination environment for the texture imaging module ([0044]);
the bracket is used to fix a position of the second light source; and the cover plate is used to fix the second light source and the bracket in the adapter module (see Fig. 3 which shows how the device is secured, the brackets can be considered any of the elements that secure the lighting element 121a in the bottom section of the overall device).
With respect to claim 17, D1 further discloses a scanner wherein the lens mount further comprises a third accommodating cavity provided between the first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity; the three-dimensional imaging module further comprises a first light source integrated at a bottom of the third accommodation cavity, which is used to emit a first light toward an object to be scanned, so that the first camera module and the second camera module respectively receive, through the first lens group and the second lens group, a light reflected by the object to be scanned; and the light reflected by the object to be scanned at least comprises a light reflected by the object to be scanned from the first light (see rejection of claim 2 above).
With respect to claim 20, D1 further discloses a scanner wherein the lens mount further comprises a third accommodating cavity provided between the first accommodating cavity and the second accommodating cavity; the three-dimensional imaging module further comprises a texture imaging module and a third lens group; the texture imaging module is integrated at a bottom of the third accommodating cavity; and the third lens group is integrated in the third accommodating cavity, and is used to project an image of the object to be scanned onto the texture imaging module (see the rejection of claim 5 above).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1.
With respect to claim 6, D1 does not explicitly disclose a module wherein the lens mount comprises a plurality of diagonal positioning pins; and the diagonal positioning pins are used to fix diagonals of components to limit movements of at least one of the first camera module and the second camera module, as well as at least one of the first lens group and the second lens group relative to the lens mount.
However, D1 appears to show at least eight unreferenced securing means arranged on the back of the device shown in Fig. 1. D1 also does not indicate that the camera modules are able to be moved in any way (see also the design of the camera modules in Fig. 3, which are secured to what appears to be a common board).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the module of D1 by utilizing diagonal pins, known securing means, for the four corner securing mechanisms to secure the two halves of the device together and to ensure the device remains fixed and secured.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Aono (Publication No.: US 2018/0332271 A1, herein known as D2).
With respect to claim 7, D1 does not explicitly disclose a module wherein the lens mount comprises a pressing ring and a spacer ring; the spacer ring is mounted between two lenses of at least one of the first lens group and the second lens group, and is used to axially position the lenses of at least one of the first lens group and the second lens group; and the pressing ring is mounted at two ends of at least one of the first lens group and the second lens group, and is used to fix at least one of the first lens group and the second lens group (Fig. 9 of D1 only shows the lenses in abstract, without any physical structure attached).
D2 teaches a 3D camera system with a detailed view of the lens unit (Fig. 3, [0034]), which shows commonly used barrels surrounding the lenses that provide the ability to allow movement for and/or retain the positions of the lenses. In D3, as an example, rear group lens frame 34 would qualify as a spacer ring as being positioned between lenses 35 and 36 and serves to axially position the lenses, securing the lenses 35 in place with relation to movable lenses 37. Both front group lens frame 32 and image pickup holding frame 38 ([0037]) can be considered pressing frames that are mounted at either end of the lens groups and used to fix the device overall within the total module.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the module of D1 by utilizing lens frames/barrels as commonly known in the art to provide fixing/securing mechanisms for the lens groups within the modules/lens mount as is known in the art and shown as an example in D2.
See also the rejection of claim 7 under 112 above.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 and D2 as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Taki et al. (Publication No.: CN 101713855 B, herein known as D3, a machine translation is provided herewith).
With respect to claim 8, the combination of D1 and D2 does not disclose a module wherein a lens of the first lens group and/or the second lens group comprises an adhesive dispensing position; the lens mount further comprises an adhesive injection hole; the adhesive injection hole corresponds to the adhesive dispensing position; and the adhesive injection hole is used to allow adhesive to flow into the adhesive dispensing position.
D3 teaches using adhesive dispensing positions (K1, K2, Fig. 3, or H1 and H2 of Fig. 2) around the lens barrel to inject adhesive for securing the lenses (abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to further modify the module of the combination of D1 and D2 by utilizing holes in the frames/barrels of the combination for injecting adhesive to secure the lenses of the lens groups to the frames as taught by D3. It would have been further obvious that to facilitate the injection into the frames a hole would also be required in the lens mount as well.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of D1, D2, and D3 as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Nakamura et al. (Publication No.: US 2019/0208094 A1, herein known as D4).
With respect to claim 9, the combination of D1, D3, and D3 does not explicitly disclose a module wherein the adhesive is a low-expansion structural adhesive (D3 does not specify the type of adhesive).
D4 teaches that expansion of the adhesive in barrels can result in defocusing of the camera device ([0005]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize a low-expansion structural adhesive as adhesive expansion is a known issue within camera structures that can cause defocusing of the imaging device as taught by D4.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 as applied to claims 1 and 14 above, and further in view of Qin et al. (Publication No.: US 2018/0074519 A1, herein known as D5).
With respect to claim 16, D1 further discloses a scanner further comprising a core bracket, a main control board, and a flexible circuit board, wherein the three-dimensional imaging module and the main control board are electrically connected through the flexible circuit board; the three-dimensional imaging module and the main control board are fixed on the core bracket (see Fig. 3, the core bracket can be any of the physical structures holding the cameras 111, 112, and 113 in place, the control board 118 described in [0041] which is mounted on and shown to be on a flexible circuit board which is connected to the remaining camera elements).
D1 does not disclose that the core bracket is made of a high thermal conductivity material (D1 is silent as to the construction materials of the device, and it is to be noted that “high” is considered a relative term of degree).
D5 teaches a housing body for three-dimension scanners that uses a thermally conductive material to cause it to function as an auxiliary heat sink ([0037]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to further modify the scanner of D1 by utilizing a thermally conductive material for the housing/casing materials of the device to function as auxiliary heat sinks as taught by D5 to prevent overheating of the device which uses multiple electronics and illumination means.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 12-13, and 18-19 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.
While the prior art (see Hillman Fig. 1B and Wolke et al. Fig. 9A-9C, both cited below) teach three-dimensional scanning cameras that utilize a beam splitter to direct light from a laser out of the device towards and object, and direct reflected light towards an image sensor, incorporating the design of these cameras into the central camera of Doring, is considered to be non-obvious, as both structures are to obviate the need for the two side cameras, and have significant more structural requirements that will be needed to be modified into the device.
For instance, Fig. 9A-9C of Wolke is a separate embodiment to the one described in Fig. 6A-6B, which is identical to the structure of D1, and there is no indication or motivation for combining or modifying the elements and embodiments together.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hillman (Publication No.: US 2019/0167081 A1)
Wolke et al. (Publication No.: US 2018/0224270 A1)
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIANA HANCOCK whose telephone number is (571)270-7547. The examiner can normally be reached on 10AM-6PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephanie Bloss can be reached on (571) 272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/D.H/Examiner, Art Unit 2852
9/24/2026
/STEPHANIE E BLOSS/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
