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 .
Priority
1. Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) documents submitted on August 8, 2025, Oct 2,2025, June 4, 2026, August 21,2026 are 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 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) 1,2,3,10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Yamamoto et al. (US Pub. No.: US 2021/0055512 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yamamoto et al. discloses an image pickup apparatus (Para 31; Figs. 1A, 1B; image capturing apparatus) comprising:
an image sensor (Para 32; image sensor 1007) configured to capture an object image;
and a first fan (Para 51; Fig. 3B; fan 1140 ) configured to cool the image sensor the fan being disposed above the image sensor when viewed from an optical axis direction of the image pickup apparatus in a normal position (Fig 3B; wherein the figure shows that the fan being disposed above the image sensor when viewed from an optical axis direction of the image pickup apparatus in a normal position ; Para 70-71; The image sensor 1007 and the main circuit board 1110, which are the main heat sources of the image capturing apparatus body 1000, are cooled by the above-described forced air-cooling structure.), wherein the first fan is a centrifugal fan to blow air in a direction different from a direction of an inlet (Fig. 3B; Para 68,69; wherein the fan 110 is e.g. a centrifugal fan. Negative pressure is generated by the fan 1140 at an inlet thereof, whereby air taken in from the first air inlet port 1101 and the second air inlet port 1102 is excellently sent to the fan 1140. Fig. 3B shows that the fan blows air in a direction different from a direction of air that goes in to inlet 1101 and 1102),
wherein the first fan blows the air to a down side in the normal position of the image pickup apparatus (Fig. 3B; Para 65-71; he fan 1140 for causing air to flow from the first air inlet port 1101 and the second air inlet port 1102 to the air outlet port 1103).
Regarding claim 2, Yamamoto et al. discloses the image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first fan blows air in a direction that overlaps with a space opposite to an imaging plane in the optical axis direction of the image sensor (Fig. 3B; Para 70, The merged air formed by the air warmed while flowing through the image sensor duct structure 1120 and the air warmed while flowing through the main circuit board duct structure 1130 is taken into the fan 1140 and sent to the air outlet duct 1150. The air sent to the air outlet duct 1150 is discharged out of the image capturing apparatus body 1000 through the air outlet port 1103.).
Regarding claim 3, Yamamoto et al. discloses The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first fan blows air sucked from an opening provided to include the optical axis direction ( Para 69,70;Fig.3B; Negative pressure is generated by the fan 1140 at an inlet thereof, whereby air taken in from the first air inlet port 1101 and the second air inlet port 1102 is excellently sent to the fan 1140.).
Regarding claim 10, Yamamoto et al. discloses The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first fan is disposed in a space that is not airtight for an image sensor unit including the image sensor (Fig. 3B; Para 69; The air warmed while flowing through the image sensor duct structure 1120 and the air warmed while flowing through the main circuit board duct structure 1130 merge together and the merged air is sent to the fan 1140. The fan 1140 is e.g. a centrifugal fan. Negative pressure is generated by the fan 1140 at an inlet thereof, whereby air taken in from the first air inlet port 1101 and the second air inlet port 1102 is excellently sent to the fan 1140.).
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 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.
3. Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto et al. (US Pub. No.: US 2021/0055512 A1), in view of Makara (Pub. No.: US 2012/0050608 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Yamamoto et al. does not disclose The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second fan disposed opposite to the first fan with respect to the image sensor when viewed from the optical axis direction in the normal position.
Makara discloses a second fan (Fig. 5A-7; Para 31-35; blower fan 33) disposed opposite to the first fan (Fig. 5A-7; Para 31-35; blower fan 32) with respect to the image sensor (Para 29; image pickup element 41) when viewed from the optical axis direction in the normal position.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilizes two blower fans as disclosed in Makara for the camera disclosed in Yamamoto et al. to create separate cooling zones for the camera to prevent recirculating hot air and improve heat dissipation.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto et al. (US Pub. No.: US 2021/0055512 A1), in view of Huo et al. (Patent. No.: US 11,218,824 B1).
Regarding claim 12, Yamamoto et al. does not disclose The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to reduce the number of rotations of the second fan when the case of the image pickup apparatus is in a silent mode, compared to the case of the image pickup apparatus is not in the silent mode.
Huo et al. discloses the control unit (Col 7, lines 45-50; controller 170) is configured to reduce the number of rotations of the second fan when the case of the device is in a silent mode, compared to the case of the device is not in the silent mode (Col 10, lines 30-48; Col11, lines 1-36; a speed can be selected to produce a fan noise sound level that is below the ambient noise sound level; wherein that can be considered as quiet or silent mode; however when the demand for cooling increases, the fan speed can also be adjusted based on the demand ).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust operational speed of the cooling fans as disclosed in Huo et al. for the camera/image sensor disclosed in Yamamoto et al. to balance effective thermal regulation with quiet operation during video or audio recordings to improve video quality.
Claims 5,6,7,8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto et al. (US Pub. No.: US 2021/0055512 A1), in view of Makara (Pub. No.: US 2012/0050608 A1) and further in view of Shige (Pub. No.: US 2018/0284691A1).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Yamamoto et al. and Makara teaches wherein the second fan sucks air from an upper side of the second fan in the correct position of the image pickup apparatus (Makara; Figs.5A,5B; 6.7; intake port 36 through which air is sucked in by the blower fan 33.).
However, the combination of Yamamoto et al. and Makara does not teach the
second fan is a centrifugal.
Shige discloses the second fan is a centrifugal (Para 18; a second centrifugal fan
that is provided on a side of the second air inlet compared to the second air passage filter in the second air passage, and sucks the air through the second air inlet and pressure-feeds the air to the second air passage filter.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize centrifugal fan for the second fan as disclosed in Shige for the fans disclosed in the combination of Yamamoto et al. and Makara in order to provide high static pressure to push air efficiently through ductwork with quieter performance.
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Yamamoto et al., Makara and Shige teaches
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising
an exhaust port for discharging by the second fan on a surface of the image pickup
apparatus other than a back side (Makara; Fig. 7; Para 31; The blower fan 33 has an exhaust port 37, and is tightly fixed to the fan duct 31.).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Yamamoto et al., Makara and Shige teaches The image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising
an exhaust port for discharging by the second fan on a side surface of the image
pickup apparatus (Makara; Fig. 7; Para 31; The blower fan 33 has an exhaust port 37, and is tightly fixed to the fan duct 31; wherein duct 31 is on one side surface of the image pickup apparatus ) .
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Yamamoto et al., Makara and Shige teaches The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the
second fan is a centrifugal (Shige; Para 18; a second centrifugal fan
that is provided on a side of the second air inlet compared to the second air passage filter in the second air passage, and sucks the air through the second air inlet and pressure-feeds the air to the second air passage filter ), and wherein the second fan generates a vertical airflow in the image pickup apparatus ( Makara; Fig. 7; Para 31-34; The air that has been blown onto the heat dissipating portion 42a and whose temperature has been increased is dispersed in the fan duct 31, and is then discharged out of the fan duct 31 through the second air flow channel B.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 11 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.
Regarding claim 9, prior art on record Makara discloses wherein the
second fan is disposed internally of a duct, wherein the duct is thermally connected to an electronic device configured to perform processing relating to imaging (Fig. 7; Para 31-35; The blower fan 33 has an exhaust port 37, and is tightly fixed to the fan duct 31. Heat generated by the image pickup element 41 is transmitted through the heat dissipating member 42 to the heat dissipating portion 42a by heat conduction (see the dotted line in FIG. 7). As illustrated in FIG. 7, when the cooling unit 30 is attached to the lens unit 20, the discharge port 35 is opposed to the opening 25. The air that has been blown onto the heat dissipating portion 42a and whose temperature has been increased is dispersed in the fan duct 31, and is then discharged out of the fan duct 31 through the second air flow channel B.).
However, the prior art does not disclose wherein the first fan is disposed of the outside of the duct.
Regarding claim 11, prior art on record Huo et al. discloses The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit (Col 7, lines 45-50; controller 170) is configured to reduce the number of rotations of the first fan (Col 10, lines 30-48; Col11, lines 1-36; a speed can be selected to produce a fan noise sound level that is below the ambient noise sound level; wherein that can be considered as quiet or silent mode; however when the demand for cooling increases, the fan speed can also be adjusted based on the demand).
However, the prior art does not disclose a control unit is configured to reduce the number of rotations of the first fan when the case of an image quality obtained by the image sensor is a first image quality, compared to the case of an image quality obtained by the image sensor is a second
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XI WANG whose telephone number is 469-295-9155. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday -Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sinh Tran can be reached on 571-272-7564. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XI WANG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637
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