`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMIVHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
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`
`
`
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`14/003,256
`
`09/05/2013
`
`Toshiaki Murai
`
`MAT—10597US
`
`2235
`
`RATNERPRESTIA
`PO. BOX 980
`VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482-0980
`
`LEE,YMY QUACH
`
`ART UNIT
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`2875
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`PAPER NUIVIBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`08/04/2015
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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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`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 14/003,256 MURAI ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`Y M. LEE first“ 2875
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR1. 136(a).
`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).
`
`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
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`-
`-
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`Status
`
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`1)IXI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 3/30/15.
`[I A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)|:| This action is non-final.
`a)IXl 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)IXI Claim(s) 1,2 and 4-12 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`6)|XI Claim(s)_2is/are allowed.
`7)IZ| Claim(s) 1and4 to 12is/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
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`
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`://www.usoto. ov/ atents/init events"
`h/index.‘s orsend an inquiry to PF"I-Ifeedback{<‘buspto.qov.
`
`htt
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|:I The drawing(s) filed on _ is/are: a)I:I accepted or b)I:I 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)I:I 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)I:I All
`1.|:| 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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`
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`3) D Interview Summary (PT0_413)
`1) D Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date. 1.
`.
`.
`4) I:I Other'
`2) E InformatIon DIscIosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date 3/30/15.
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20150723
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/003,256
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`1.
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`The present application is being examined under the pre—AIA first to invent provisions.
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Response to Arguments
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`2.
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`Applicant’s arguments and amendments with respect to claim 2 filed March 30, 2015
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`have been considered and are persuasive. Applicant’s arguments and amendments with respect
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`to claims 1 and 4 to 12 have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to
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`the references being used in the current rejection.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`3.
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre—AIA 35 USC. 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 ,
`(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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`4.
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`Claims 1, 4, 5, 7 and 9 to 11 are rejected under pre—AIA 35 USC. 102(b) as being
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`anticipated by Hiroyuki (JP2003—3 15881, prior art cited by applicant).
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`With regards to claim 1, a strobe device comprising a cylindrical flashtube (18), a
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`reflector (210) for reflecting light coming from the flashtube, a trigger circuit (inherent known
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`feature, paragraph 0016, line 3, not shown) for applying a trigger voltage to the reflector, and a
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`conductive abutting section (210c) disposed on at least one of the flashtube and the reflector, the
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`conductive abutting section abutting on at least the other of the flashtube and the reflector (figure
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`2) , wherein the conductive abutting section is disposed intermittently in an aXial direction of the
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`flashtube (figures 2, 3), the trigger voltage is applied to the flashtube via the conductive abutting
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`section without use of a conductive film on the flashtube (figure 2, paragraph 0033, lines 1 to 2
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`of the English translation copy).
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`With regards to claim 4, wherein the reflector is molded of a metal plate (paragraph 0018,
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`line 1 of the English translation copy), and the conductive abutting section is formed linearly in
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`the aXial direction of the flashtube (figure 3) in a projecting state (paragraph 0018, line 5 of the
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`English translation copy) on a reflecting surface side of the reflector (figures 2, 3).
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`With regards to claim 5, wherein the conductive abutting section includes a plurality of
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`protrusions (figures 2, 3, paragraph 0018, line 5 of the English translation copy), and the
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/003,256
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`protrusions are disposed discretely in the axial direction of the flashtube between a reflecting
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`surface of the reflector and the flashtube (figures 2, 3).
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`With regards to claim 7, a strobe device comprising a cylindrical flashtube (220), a
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`reflector (210) for reflecting light coming from the flashtube, a trigger circuit (inherent known
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`feature, not shown paragraph 0016, line 3 of English translation copy) for applying a trigger
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`voltage to the reflector, a conductive abutting section (210c) disposed on at least one of the
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`flashtube and the reflector, the conductive abutting section abutting on at least the other of the
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`flashtube and the reflector (figure 2), and a fixing section (figure 5) fixing the flashtube on the
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`reflector, wherein the conductive abutting section is disposed in an axial direction of the
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`flashtube (figure 2), wherein the reflector includes a reflecting section (210a), and sidewalls
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`(210b), wherein the fixing section includes a pair of insertion sections (figure 5, the insertion
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`sections at the end of the connecting section 230) into which the flashtube can be inserted (figure
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`2) and which are disposed outside the sidewalls (figure 2), and a connecting section (230, figure
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`5) that interconnects the pair of insertion sections (figure 5), and wherein each of the sidewalls
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`includes a pair of sidewall sections (figures 2, 3, 5, the side section where reference numeral
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`210b is pointing) that are arranged vertically in a side view and are connected to each of the
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`longitudinal ends of the reflecting section (figures 2, 3, 5), and an opening (211) into which the
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`flashtube can be inserted that is disposed in a part where the sidewall sections face each other.
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`With regards to claim 9, wherein the conductive abutting section is disposed
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`intermittently in the axial direction of the flashtube (figure 3).
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`With regards to claim 10, wherein the reflector is molded of a metal plate (paragraph
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`0018, line 1 of the English translation copy), and the conductive abutting section is formed
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`linearly in the axial direction of the flashtube (figure 3) in a projecting state (paragraph 0018,
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`line 5 of the English translation copy) on a reflecting surface side of the reflector (figures 2, 3).
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`With regards to claim 11, wherein the conductive abutting section includes a plurality of
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`protrusions (figures 2, 3, paragraph 0018, line 5 of the English translation copy), and the
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`protrusions are disposed discretely in the axial direction of the flashtube between a reflecting
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`surface of the reflector and the flashtube (figures 2, 3).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: l4/003,256
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`5.
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`The following is a quotation of pre—AIA 35 USC. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and
`the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the
`invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.
`Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
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`6.
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`Claim 8 is rejected under pre—AIA 35 USC. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Hiroyuki
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`in View of Thomas (6030086).
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`Hiroyuki discloses the invention substantially as claimed with the exception of disclosing
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`that the conductive abutting section is disposed continuously in the aXial direction of the
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`flashtube.
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`Thomas teaches the conductive abutting section (64) disposed continuously in the aXial
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`direction of the flashtube (figure 5) to guide and control the position of the arc within the flash
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`tube to provide continuous electrical potential and stable connection between the reflecting
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`section and the flash tube.
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`It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to dispose the conductive abutting
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`section of Hiroyuki continuously in the aXial direction of the flash tube, as shown by Thomas, to
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`guide and control the position of the arc within the flash tube to provide continuous electrical
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`potential and stable connection between the reflecting section and the flash tube.
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`7.
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`Claims 6 and 12 are rejected under pre—AIA 35 USC. 103(a) as being unpatentable over
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`Hiroyuki.
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`Hiroyuki discloses the invention substantially as claimed with the exception of disclosing
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`the plurality of protrusions arranged in a staggered pattern along the aXial direction of the
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`flashtube. Note that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the
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`invention was made to increase and arrange the protrusions of the conductive abutting section in
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`a staggered pattern along the aXial direction of the flashtube to increase and secure the stable
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`light emission brightness along the aXial direction since it has been held that rearranging and
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`duplicated of essential working parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re
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`Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 and St. Regis Paper C0. v. Bemis C0., 193 USPQ 8.
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`8.
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`Claim 2 is allowed.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/003,256
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`Conclusion
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`9.
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`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this
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`Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a).
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`Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR l.l36(a).
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`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
`MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed Within TWO
`MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after
`the end of the THREE—MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period
`Will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37
`CFR l.l36(a) Will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event,
`however, Will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this
`final action.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`examiner should be directed to Y Quach Lee Whose telephone number is 571—272—2373. The
`examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
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`Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding
`should be directed to the customer service 571—272—28 15.
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`Y. Q.
`July 23, 2015
`
`/Y M. Lee/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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`