CTNF 19/284,156 CTNF 93787 DETAILED ACTION 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. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 07/29/2025 and 04/08/2026 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner. Double Patenting 08-33 AIA The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg , 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman , 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi , 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum , 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel , 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington , 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b). The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA/25, or PTO/AIA/26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp. 08-36 AIA Claim (s) 1-15 is/are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim (s) 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12432433 in view of Shirotori et al. (US 20200301092) (hereinafter Shirotori) . Regarding claim 1, Instant Application U.S. Patent No. 12432433 Claim 1 A vehicular camera comprising: An in-vehicle camera comprising: a lens barrel including at least one lens and being tubular; a lens barrel including at least one lens and being tubular; a circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; an imaging element disposed on the first surface of the circuit board and on an optical axis of the at least one lens; an imaging element disposed on the first surface of the circuit board and on an optical axis of the at least one lens; a ring member comprising a first resin having a first light transmittance with respect to a predetermined wavelength, disposed to protrude in a direction away from the optical axis over an entire periphery of the lens barrel, and having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a ring member made of a first resin having a first light transmittance with respect to a predetermined wavelength, disposed to protrude in a direction away from the optical axis over an entire periphery of the lens barrel, and having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a housing portion accommodating at least the circuit board, in which at least a part of the housing portion having a tubular shape, and at least one end surface of the tubular shape comprises a second resin having a second light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance with respect to the predetermined wavelength, a housing portion accommodating at least the circuit board, in which at least a part of the housing portion having a tubular shape, and at least one end surface of the tubular shape is made of a second resin having a second light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance with respect to the predetermined wavelength, wherein the one end surface of the tubular shape of the housing portion is fixed with the second surface of the ring member, and wherein the one end surface of the tubular shape of the housing portion is fixed with the second surface of the ring member, and the vehicular camera further comprises a light shielding element disposed in the tubular shape of the housing portion over an entire periphery around the optical axis, away from the second surface of the ring member, and between the second surface of the ring member and the imaging element in a direction of the optical axis, and having a third light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance with respect to the predetermined wavelength. the in-vehicle camera further comprises a third resin disposed on an inner side of the tubular shape of the housing portion over an entire periphery around the optical axis and between the second surface of the ring member and the imaging element in a direction of the optical axis, and having a third light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance with respect to the predetermined wavelength. Although claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12432433 does not specify that the element with a third light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance is a light shielding element, Shirotori paragraph 4 and 63 teaches consideration of lenses, barrels, and shielding elements that would teach one of ordinary skill in the art, in combination with the invention of U.S. Patent No. 12432433 that the element with a third light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance may be a light shielding element. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the invention disclosed by claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12432433 with the light shield of Shirotori in order to have the element with a third light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance be a light shielding element. Claim(s) 2-15 is/are rejected for their dependence on claim(s) 1 . Allowable Subject Matter Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under non-statutory double patenting rejections as detailed above, but would be allowable if those rejections were overcome, due to containing subject matter allowable for similar reasons as noted in parent application 18/528415 (US 12432433). 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claim 1 contains the limitations regarding a ring member with a first resin with a first light transmittance with respect to a predetermined wavelength that protrudes around a periphery of a lens barrel with a first and second surface, a housing with a tubular shape made of a second resin with a second light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance, where one end of the tubular shape is fixed with the second surface of the ring member, and a light shielding element disposed in the tubular shape of the housing over the entire periphery around the optical axis and between the second surface of the ring member and an imaging element in a direction of the optical axis, where the third resin has a third light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance. At the time of the effective filing date of the application, these limitations had not been fully anticipated and it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine elements of the prior art to meet this limitation. The claim(s) depending on these claim(s) contain allowable subject matter for the reasons concerning these claim(s) . The closest prior art, Shirotori et al. (US 20200301092), He et al. (US 20230226987), Jung et al. (US 20230164251), Wang (US 20220388458), Jia (US 20220137391), Tanaka et al. (US 20220003901), Horibe et al. (US 20210373428), Hong et al. (US 20210199953), Kang et al. (US 20200399467), Furutake (US 20170064175), Chen (US 20110096163), Kim et al. (US 20080100910), Sensui (US 6292629) either singularly or in combination fail to anticipate or render obvious the above described limitations. The prior art contains teachings regarding various first and second light transmittances for different applications on camera components, but is silent regarding a ring member with a first resin with a first light transmittance with respect to a predetermined wavelength that protrudes around a periphery of a lens barrel with a first and second surface, a housing with a tubular shape made of a second resin with a second light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance, where one end of the tubular shape is fixed with the second surface of the ring member, and a light shielding element disposed in the tubular shape of the housing over the entire periphery around the optical axis and between the second surface of the ring member and an imaging element in a direction of the optical axis, where the third resin has a third light transmittance smaller than the first light transmittance. Therefore, at the time of the effective filing date of the application, these limitations had not been fully anticipated and it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine elements of the prior art to meet this limitation. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew D Kim whose telephone number is (571)272-3527. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 9:30am - 5:30pm EST. 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, Joseph Ustaris can be reached at (571) 272-7383. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /MATTHEW DAVID KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2483 Application/Control Number: 19/284,156 Page 2 Art Unit: 2483 Application/Control Number: 19/284,156 Page 3 Art Unit: 2483 Application/Control Number: 19/284,156 Page 4 Art Unit: 2483 Application/Control Number: 19/284,156 Page 5 Art Unit: 2483 Application/Control Number: 19/284,156 Page 6 Art Unit: 2483
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