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) was filed September 17, 2025. The submission is 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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Agawa et al., US 20200195822 A1 (hereinafter referred to as “Agawa”) in further view of Kim et al., US 20220066290 A1 (hereinafter referred to as “Kim”).
Regarding claim 1, Agawa discloses a vehicular camera (Agawa: In FIG. 37, a vehicle including imaging units. ¶ [0265]) comprising: a lens unit (Agawa: Lens unit 30. Fig. 2, ¶ [0064]) including a lens barrel (Agawa: Lens barrel 33. Fig. 2, ¶ [0064]) having a first tubular portion along an optical axis and including a first end portion of the first tubular portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, at least one lens disposed in the lens barrel, and a flange portion (Agawa: lens holder 32 at the end of the lens unit 30. Fig. 2, ¶ [0064]) formed at the second end portion of the lens barrel to spread outward in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis (Agawa: Fig. 2);
an imaging element disposed (Agawa: image sensor 51. Fig. 2, ¶ [0066]) on the optical axis and closer to the second end portion than the first end portion of the first tubular portion of the lens barrel (Agawa: Fig. 2);
a circuit board including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the imaging element being disposed on the first surface (Agawa: image sensor 51 and sensor substrate 50. ¶ [0068]); a housing accommodating the imaging element and the circuit board (Agawa: Housing 20. Figs. 1-2, ¶ [0062]), having a second tubular portion along the optical axis, including a third end portion of the second tubular portion and a fourth end portion opposite to the third end portion and disposed farther, than the third end portion of the second tubular portion, away from the first end portion of the first tubular portion of the lens barrel, the third end portion of the second tubular portion supporting the flange portion of the lens unit (Figs.1-2); and
a shield made of metal and attached to a third surface of the flange portion of the lens unit (Agawa: Lens shield 40 includes conductive, for example, metal fixing portions 42. ¶ [0090]. Fig. 2 shield 40), the third surface facing the imaging element, wherein the flange portion of the lens unit has a rectangular shape in a plan view orthogonal to the optical axis, and has a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side (Agawa: Shield 40 is rectangular. Fig. 2), the shield has a rectangular shape in the plan view orthogonal to the optical axis and has a fifth side, a sixth side, a seventh side, and an eighth side, the fifth side corresponds to the first side of the flange portion, the sixth side corresponds to the second side of the flange portion, the seventh side corresponds to the third side of the flange portion, and the eighth side corresponds to the fourth side of the flange portion (Agawa: Shield 40 is rectangular and corresponds to a portion of lens holder 32 (i.e., flange). Fig. 2), and the shield includes a first hook portion (Agawa: fixing portions 42 of shield 40. Fig 8. Also illustrated in Fig. 2. Also see fixing portions 221B. Fig. 8 ) that is provided at a position corresponding to the sixth side, is elastically deformable, and engages with the flange portion of the lens unit, and a second hook portion that is provided at a position corresponding to the eighth side facing the sixth side, is elastically deformable, and engages with the flange portion of the lens unit (Agawa: The lens shield 40 is fixed to the lens unit 30 by fitting the fixing portions 42 into the lower portion (bottom surface side) of the lens barrel 33. Figs. 2 and 8, ¶ [0094]).
Agawa does not disclose the flange portion includes a reference rib provided at a position corresponding to the first side of the third surface and configured to determine a reference position of the lens unit relative to the housing when the lens unit is attached to the third end portion of the housing, and a crush rib provided at a position corresponding to the third side facing the first side of the third surface, the crush rib being at least partially crushed when the lens unit is attached to the third end portion of the housing.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kim discloses a flange portion includes a reference rib provided at a position corresponding to the first side of the third surface and configured to determine a reference position of the lens unit relative to the housing when the lens unit is attached to the third end portion of the housing (Kim: Flange 220 with grooves 224. Figs. 1, 5. ¶ [0057]), and a crush rib provided at a position corresponding to the third side facing the first side of the third surface, the crush rib being at least partially crushed when the lens unit is attached to the third end portion of the housing (Kim: Buffer member 402. The buffer member 402 may be fitted into the groove 224 of the flange portion 220. The buffer member 402 is configured to reduce impact energy between the lens barrel 200 and the housing 100 or the shield cover 800. ¶ [0072]. Fig. 5. Also see Buffer member 400 and first buffer portion 410. ¶¶ [0060]- [0061] and Figs. 1, and 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Agawa with the flange portion including a reference rib provided at a position corresponding to the first side of the third surface and configured to determine a reference position of the lens unit relative to the housing when the lens unit is attached to the third end portion of the housing, and a crush rib provided at a position corresponding to the third side facing the first side of the third surface, the crush rib being at least partially crushed when the lens unit is attached to the third end portion of the housing, as taught by the Kim, in order to improve the coupling force of the flange portion as suggested by Kim ¶ [0062].
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Agawa and Kim disclose the vehicular camera according to claim 1, wherein the fifth side and the seventh side of the shield have no hook portions other than the first hook portion and the second hook portion (Agawa: The lens shield 40 includes fixing portions 42 on two of four sides. Figs. 2 and 8, ¶ [0094]).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Agawa and Kim disclose the vehicular camera according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion of the lens unit has hook portion engaging ribs provided at positions respectively corresponding to the second side and the fourth side facing the second side of the third surface and configured to respectively engage with the first hook portion and the second hook portion of the shield, and the first hook portion and the second hook portion of the shield include engagement holes engaging with the hook portion engaging ribs (Agawa: Shield fixing portions 42 fixed to the lens unit 30 by fitting the convex portion of the lens barrel 33. ¶ [0102] Figs. 2 and 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-10 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEIRDRE L BEASLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-0452. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8 a.m. -5 p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chris Kelley can be reached at (571) 272-7331. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DLB/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2482
/BEHROOZ M SENFI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2482
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