`
`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
`
`2875
`
`PAPER NUIVIBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
`
`01/20/2015
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`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`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):
`
`ptocorrespondence @ratnerprestia.c0m
`
`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 14/003,256 MURAI ET AL.
`
`
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Art Unit
`Examiner
`Office Action Summary
`
`
`Y M. LEE its“ 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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`Status
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`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 9/5/13.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)|Z| This action is non-final.
`2a)|:l 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)|:| 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) gas/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:I Claim(s)
`7)|Z| CIaim(s)_1-5is/are rejected.
`8)|:I Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
`
`
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)I: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’vaIW.usnI‘.0. ovI’ atentS/init events/
`
`
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`iindex.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)I:l 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).
`
`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.IXI Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.|:l Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.|:| 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)
`
`
`
`3) D Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`.
`.
`4) I:I Other'
`2) E InformatIon DIsclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date 9/5/13.
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL—326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20141224
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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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`l.
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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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`Priority
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`2.
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`Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)—
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`(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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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 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 ,
`(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 and 3 to 5 are rejected under pre—AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by
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`Yamada et al.
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`Yamada et al. show a strobe device comprising a cylindrical flashtube (6), a reflector (7,
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`column 3, lines 13 to 14) for reflecting light coming from the flashtube, a trigger circuit (column
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`3, lines 20, 21, 25, 59, 60) for applying a trigger voltage to the reflector, a conductive abutting
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`section (7b) disposed on at least one of the flashtube and the reflector (figure 2), the conductive
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`abutting section abutting on at least the other of the flashtube and the reflector (figure 1), and
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`wherein the conductive abutting section is disposed in an aXial direction of the flashtube (figure
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`2).
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`With regards to claim 3, wherein the conductive abutting section is disposed
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`intermittently in the aXial direction of the flashtube (figure 2).
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`With regards to claim 4, wherein the reflector is molded of a metal plate (column 3, line
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`13), and the conductive abutting section is formed linearly in the aXial direction of the flashtube
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`in a projecting state (embossed portions, figure 2) on a reflecting surface side of the reflector.
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`With regards claim 5, wherein the conductive abutting section includes a plurality of
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`protrusions (figure 2), and the protrusions are disposed discretely in the aXial direction of the
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`flashtube (figure 2) between a reflecting surface of the reflector and the flashtube (figure 1).
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`5.
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`Claims 1, 2, 4 and 5 are rejected under pre—AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by
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`Thomas.
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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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`Thomas shows a strobe device comprising a cylindrical flashtube (18), a reflector (58) for
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`reflecting light coming from the flashtube, a trigger circuit (44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56) for
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`applying a trigger voltage to the reflector, a conductive abutting section (64) disposed on at least
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`one of the flashtube and the reflector (figure 5), the conductive abutting section abutting on at
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`least the other of the flashtube and the reflector (figure 6), and wherein the conductive abutting
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`section is disposed in an axial direction of the flashtube (figures 5, 6, 8).
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`With regards to claim 2, wherein the conductive abutting section is disposed continuously
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`in the axial direction of the flashtube (figure 5).
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`With regards to claim 4, wherein the reflector is molded of a metal plate (column 8, line
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`5, column 9, lines 39 to 40 and 47 to 49), and the conductive abutting section is formed linearly
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`in the axial direction of the flashtube in a projecting state (figure 5) on a reflecting surface side of
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`the reflector (figure 6).
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`With regards claim 5, wherein the conductive abutting section includes a plurality of
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`protrusions (68), and the protrusions are disposed discretely in the axial direction of the flashtube
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`(figure 5, lines 22 to 26, longitudinal axis of the flash tube) between a reflecting surface of the
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`reflector and the flashtube (figures 6, 7).
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`Conclusion
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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.
`
`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—2815.
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`Y. Q.
`December 24, 2014
`
`/Y M. Lee/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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`