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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313- 1450
`www.uspto.gov
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`APPLICATION NO.
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` F ING DATE
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
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`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
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`CONF {MATION NO.
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`13/504,271
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`04/26/2012
`
`Toshiaki Murai
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`MAT—10554US
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`2687
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`EXAMINER
`RATNERPRESTIA —
`””0”“ —
`7590
`52473
`PO BOX 980
`RAABE, CHRISTOPHER M
`VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482-0980
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`ART UNIT
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`2879
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`NOT *ICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`10/10/2013
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e—mail address(es):
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`ptocorrespondence @ratnerprestia.c0m
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`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

`

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`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 13/504,271 MURAI, TOSHIAKI
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`
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Art Unit
`Examiner
`Office Action Summary
`
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`CHRISTOPHER RAABE first“ 2879
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
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`
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTH(S) OR THIRTY (30) DAYS,
`WHICHEVER IS LONGER, FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`In no event however may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX () MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`-
`-
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`Status
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`1)I:I Responsive to communication(s) filed on
`[I A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)lX| This action is non-final.
`a)I:| This action is FINAL.
`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)|:I Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under EX parte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims
`5)|XI Claim(s) flis/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`6)|:l Claim(s) _ is/are allowed.
`7)IZ| CIaim(s)_1-3is/are rejected.
`8)I:I Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
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`9)|:l Claim((s)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`htt
`://www.usoto. ov/ atentS/init events"
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`
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`h/index.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-Ifeedback{<‘buspto.qov.
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`Application Papers
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`10)I:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|Z| The drawing(s) filed on 4/26/12 is/are: a)lZl accepted or b)|:l objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
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`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)IZI Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`b)I:I Some * c)I:I None of the:
`a)le All
`1.|ZI Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.|:| Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.|:I Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
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`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`3) I] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
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`Paper NOISI/Ma” Date —
`PTO/SB/08
`t
`St t
`I
`D'
`t'
`f
`2 IXI I
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`4) I:I Other:
`a emen (s)(
`Isc osure
`n orma Ion
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`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date 4/26/12.
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 08-13)
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20130928
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`Office Action Summary
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 13/504,271
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`Art Unit: 2879
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that
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`form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country
`or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application
`for patent in the United States.
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`Claims 1-3 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by Sakurai
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`(USPN 5641218).
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`With regard to claim 1,
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`Sakurai discloses in at least figure 6 a strobe device comprising: an electric discharge
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`tube having a cylindrical glass bulb (1) and a reflective coating (left portion of 2) formed on an
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`exterior surface of the glass bulb; and a reflection member (right portion of 2) formed into a
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`cylindrical shape having an entrance opening (adjacent 1) for letting in light radiated from the
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`electric discharge tube, an exit opening (opposite 1) for radiating the light entered from the
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`entrance opening, and an inner peripheral surface for reflecting the light, wherein the reflective
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`coating has an opening (at right half of 1) at one side of the glass bulb for radiating the light to
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`the outside of the electric discharge tube, the entrance opening of the reflection member has a
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`shape formed to correspond with a shape of the opening in the reflective coating, and abuts on
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`the exterior surface of the glass bulb, and the inner peripheral surface of the reflection member
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`is formed by a curved line in cross section orthogonal to a direction of the axis of the electric
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`discharge tube so that a space therein expands toward the exit opening from the entrance
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 13/504,271
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`Art Unit: 2879
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`Page 3
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`opening, and two lines tangent to the inner peripheral surface at end points of the entrance
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`opening of the reflection member intersect with each other at a point on a rear side of the axis of
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`the electric discharge tube and on a front side of the exterior surface of the glass bulb (see
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`figure 6), wherein the front side is defined as one side of the glass bulb where the opening is
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`formed in the reflective coating and the reflection member abuts upon, and the rear side is
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`defined as another side of the electric discharge tube opposite the front side.
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`With regard to claim 2,
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`Sakurai discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the inner peripheral surface of
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`the reflection member is so formed that two lines tangent to the inner peripheral surface at end
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`points of the exit opening of the reflection member are substantially parallel with an optical axis
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`of the light radiated from the electric discharge tube, in the cross section orthogonal to the
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`direction of the axis of the electric discharge tube (see figure 6).
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`With regard to claim 3,
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`Sakurai discloses an image-capturing device comprising: the strobe device of claim 1;
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`an image pickup unit; and a controller unit for operating the image pickup unit and making the
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`strobe device radiate light in synchronization with an exposure sequence of the image pickup
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`unit (camera, claim 8).
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`Conclusion
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 13/504,271
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`Art Unit: 2879
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`Page 4
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`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
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`disclosure. USPN 5884104, 5160192, 6850375, 6575582.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
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`should be directed to CHRISTOPHER RAABE whose telephone number is (571)272-8434. The
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`examiner can normally be reached on m-f 7am-3:30pm.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Nimesh Patel can be reached on 571-272—2457. The fax phone number for the
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`organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -273-8300.
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`would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the
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`automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272—1000.
`
`/Christopher Raabe/
`Examiner, Art Unit 2879
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`