`
`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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`
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`CONF {MATION NO.
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`13/496,516
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`03/16/2012
`
`Yasushi Ogino
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`MAT—10549US
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`1674
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`52473
`7590
`10’0”“
`W
`RATNERPRESTIA —
`
`LOTTER, DAV ) E
`PO. BOX 980
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`VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482-0980
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`2844
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`
`
`
`10/09/2013
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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
`
`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 13/496,516 OGINO ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`DAVID LOTTER its“ 2821
`
`-- 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).
`
`Status
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`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 3/16/2012.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)|ZI This action is non-final.
`2a)|:l This action is FINAL.
`3)|: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)|:| Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
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`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims
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`5)IZI Claim(s) 1-10 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`is/are allowed.
`6)|:I Claim(s)
`7)|Z| Claim(s)_1-10 is/are rejected.
`8)|:I Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)|:I Claim((s)
`* 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
`hit
`I/'/\WII‘IN.USOIO. ovI’ atentS/init events/
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`
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`hI/index.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
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`Application Papers
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`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|Xl The drawing(s) filed on 3/16/2012is/are: a)lX| 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
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`12)IXI 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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`a)IZl All
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`b)|:l Some * c)I:l None of the:
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`1.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.|:l Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.IX| 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) D Interview Summary (PTO-413)
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`Paper N°(5)/Ma" Date' —
`PTO/SB/08
`t
`1
`St
`I
`D'
`t'
`r
`2 IZI 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 10/12/2012.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL—326 (Rev. 08-13)
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20130925
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`Office Action Summary
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 13/496,516
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Priority
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`Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C.
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`119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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`Information Disclosure Statement
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`The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/12/2012 is in
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`compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure
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`statement is being considered by the examiner.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 1 12
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
`(b) CONCLUSION—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly
`pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor
`regards as the invention.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph:
`The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly
`claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
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`Claim 1 recites the limitation "the predetermined area” in the last sentence.
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`There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Dependent claims
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`2-10 are likewise rejected.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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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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`

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`Application/Control Number: 13/496,516
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`Claims 1-10, as best understood, are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as
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`being anticipated by Haruhiko (JP 2003-288861).
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`Regarding claim 1 Haruhiko discloses a flash discharge tube (Fig. 1 at 10 - flash
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`discharge tube); a plurality of external triggering electrodes (Fig. 1, at 5, 6 - electrodes)
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`formed on an outer surface of the flash discharge tube (Fig. 1 at 1); a trigger circuit (Fig.
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`3, at 16, 17) that outputs a trigger signal to the external triggering electrodes making the
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`flash discharge tube emit light at predetermined timing; and a control unit (Fig. 3, see
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`also paragraph 22, “and with a predetermined actuating signal...”) that controls and
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`directs the trigger circuit to switch between a first mode in which a voltage is applied to
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`any of the plurality of external triggering electrodes having a predetermined attachment
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`area to the flash discharge tube, and a second mode in which a voltage is applied to
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`another of the external triggering electrodes having an area larger than the
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`predetermined area (paragraph 22, “and with a predetermined actuating signal...”).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 13/496,516
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`Regarding claim 2 Haruhiko discloses a switching unit that switches the first and
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`second modes (paragraph 22, “and with a predetermined actuating signal...”, see also
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`paragraph 25).
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`Regarding claim 3 Haruhiko discloses wherein the control unit applies the voltage
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`to the external triggering electrode after switching the first and second modes
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`(paragraph 22, “and with a predetermined actuating signal...”, see also paragraph 25).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 13/496,516
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`Regarding claim 4 Haruhiko discloses wherein the control unit switches to the
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`first mode when making the flash discharge tube emits a small quantity of light and
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`switches to the second mode when making the flash discharge tube emits a large
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`quantity of light (paragraph 22, “and with a predetermined actuating signal...”, see also
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`paragraph 25).
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`Regarding claim 5 Haruhiko discloses strobe device comprising: a flash
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`discharge tube (Fig. 1 at 10 - flash discharge tube); a plurality of external triggering
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`electrodes formed on an outer surface of the flash discharge tube (Fig. 1, at 5, 6 -
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`electrodes); a first trigger circuit (Fig. 3, at 16 — 1St trigger circuit) that outputs a trigger
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`signal so as to apply a voltage to the external triggering electrode having a
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`predetermined attachment area to the flash discharge tube among the plurality of
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`external triggering electrodes for making the flash discharge tube emit light at
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`predetermined timing; a second trigger circuit (Fig. 3, at 17 — 2nd trigger circuit) that
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`outputs the trigger signal so as to apply a voltage to the external triggering electrode
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`having an attachment area larger than the predetermined area to the flash discharge
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`tube among the plurality of external triggering electrodes; and a control unit (Fig. 3, see
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`also paragraph 22, “and with a predetermined actuating signal...”, see also paragraph
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`25) that switches between a first mode in which the voltage is applied to the external
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`triggering electrode connected to the first trigger circuit, and a second mode in which
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`the voltage is applied to the external triggering electrode connected to the second
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`trigger circuit and controls the trigger signal of the first and second trigger circuits (see
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`paragraph 22, “and with a predetermined actuating signal...”, see also paragraph 25).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 13/496,516
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`Regarding claim 6 Haruhiko discloses wherein the control unit applies the voltage
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`to the external triggering electrode through the first or second trigger circuit after
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`switching the first and second modes (Fig. 3, see also paragraph 22, “and with a
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`predetermined actuating signal...”, see also paragraph 25).
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`Regarding claim 7 Haruhiko discloses wherein the control unit switches to the
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`first mode when making the flash discharge tube emit a small quantity of light and
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`switches to the second mode when making the flash discharge tube emit a large
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`quantity of light (Fig. 3, see also paragraph 22, “and with a predetermined actuating
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`signal...”, see also paragraph 25).
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`Regarding claim 8 Haruhiko discloses mobile device comprising the strobe
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`device of claim 1 (see for example paragraph 1, “artificial source for photography...”).
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`Regarding claim 9 Haruhiko discloses wherein the control unit switches to the
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`first mode when the flash discharge tube emits a small quantity of light and switches to
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`the second mode when the flash discharge tube emits a large quantity of light (Fig. 3,
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`see also paragraph 22, “and with a predetermined actuating signal...”, see also
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`paragraph 25).
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`Regarding claim 10 Haruhiko discloses mobile device comprising the strobe
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`device of claim 5 (see for example paragraph 1, “artificial source for photography...”).
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to DAVID LOTTER whose telephone number is (571 )270-
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`