`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`www .uspto.gov
`
`APPLICATION NO.
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`14/380,950
`
`
`
`
` FILING DATE
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`08/26/2014
`
`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKETNO.
`
`CONFIRMATIONNO.
`
`Takashi Umehara
`
`MAT-10629US
`
`3689
`
`RAI
`
`RATNERPRESTIA
`
`TH
`
`meee
`
`P.O. BOX 980
`VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482-0980
`
`Le
`
`BLACKMAN,ROCHELLE ANN J
`
`ART UNIT
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`2852
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`08/13/2015
`
`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.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`ptocorrespondence @ratnerprestia.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`
` 14/380,950 UMEHARA, TAKASHI
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`ROCHELLE-ANN J. BLACKMAN|2852 No
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address--
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`after SIX (6) 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, evenif 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
`
`-
`-
`
`Status
`1) Responsive to communication(s)filed on 8/26/2014.
`L] A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filedon___
`2a)L] This action is FINAL.
`2b)X] This action is non-final.
`3)L] An election was made bythe applicant in responseto a restriction requirementset forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)L] Sincethis application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordancewith the practice under Ex parte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`5)K] Claim(s) 1-9 is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`6)L] Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`7) Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected.
`8)L] Claim(s)___ is/are objectedto.
`
`9)L] Claim(s)
`are subjectto 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
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`hito-//Awww.usoto.gov/oatenis/init events/
`
`
` nvindex.isp or send an inquiry to PPHfeecback@uspto.aoy.
`
`Application Papers
`10) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)KX] The drawing(s)filed on 8/26/14 is/are: a)X] accepted or b)[_] 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).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`a)X] All
`b)[-] Some** c)L] None ofthe:
`1.X] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.L] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.L] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`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.
`
`
`
`Attachment(s)
`3) TC Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) X Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date.
`.
`.
`4) O Other
`—_
`2) X Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 8/26/14.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20150804
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
`Art Unit: 2852
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Claim Objections
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`Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 9 recites “a
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`first distance measuring section”, “first distance information”,
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`“a distance”,
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`“a subject”, “a
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`second distance measuring section”, “a light emitting section”, “second distance
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`information”, and “a bounce surface”. These limitations have already beencited in
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`claim 1, from which claim 9 indirectly depends from. If these limitations in claim 9 are
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`different from the limitations recited in claim 1, then a distinction needs to be made
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`between them, if these limitations are the same, then the limitations need to be
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`amended, removing the "a" in front of the applicable limitations and inserted - -the- -.
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`Appropriate correction is required.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AlA 35 U.S.C.
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`102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section madein this Office action:
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`A personshall 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 yearprior to the date of application
`for patent in the United States.
`
`Claims 1-9 are rejected under pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by
`
`Khuntia (US 2009/02081 98).
`
`Regarding claim 1, Khuntia discloses a strobe device (FIGS. 1-17) for performing
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`bounce photographybyradiating a strobelight (26a, 26b, 26e, 26d, 26f, 26h) toa
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
`Art Unit: 2852
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`Page 3
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`bounce surface (27) and radiating a reflected light from the bounce surface to a subject
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`(30, 30a, 30b), the strobe device comprising:
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`a strobe main body(5, 39);
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`a light emitting section (20a, 21a, 22a) coupled to the strobe main bodyvertically
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`rotatably;
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`a variable mechanism (38) capable of varying an angle in a vertical direction of
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`the light emitting section;
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`a driving section (M) for driving the variable mechanism;
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`a first distance measuring section (20a, 31) for acquiring, asfirst distance
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`information, information of a distance betweenthe strobe device and the subject;
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`a second distance measuring section (21a, 32) for acquiring, as second distance
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`information, information of a distance between the strobe device and the bounce
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`surface (27);
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`a distance measurement computing section (35, paragraphs 0055) for computing
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`a bounceirradiation angle (theta 1) in the vertical direction of the light emitting section
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`on the basis of the first distance information and the seconddistance information;
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`a vertical angle detecting section (60) for acquiring angle information in the
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`vertical direction of the light emitting section; and
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`a control device (also 35) for controlling the driving section so that the angle in
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`the vertical direction of the light emitting section becomes equal to the bounce
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`irradiation angle on the basis of the bounceirradiation angle and the angle information
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`in the vertical direction of the light emitting section (see theta 1
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`in Figs. 4 and 5).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
`Art Unit: 2852
`
`Page 4
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`Regarding claim 2, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`first distance measuring section and the second distance measuring section are
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`disposed in the light emitting section (see location of 20a, 31 and 21a,32).
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`Regarding claim 3, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 2, wherein the
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`first distance measuring section acquires the first distance information in a state where
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`the light emitting section points to the subject, and the second distance measuring
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`section acquires the second distance information in a state wherethe light emitting
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`section points to the bounce surface (see Fig. 3).
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`Regarding claim 4, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`first distance measuring section is disposedin the strobe main body, and the second
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`distance measuring section is disposedin the light emitting section (see location of 20a,
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`31 and 21a, 32).
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`Regarding claim 5, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`control device comprising: an A/D converting section (not shown but considered internal
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`to 35) for A/D-converting a detection signal of the vertical angle detecting section; an
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`angle computing section (not shown but considered internal to 35) for calculating a tilt
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`angle of the light emitting section with respect to the bounceirradiation angle on the
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`basis of the bounceirradiation angle and a converted value obtained by the A/D
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`converting section; and a control section (not shown but consideredinternal to 35) for
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`controlling the driving section so thatthe tilt angle of the light emitting section is
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`eliminated (see paragraphs 0034-0036 — 35 is considered to have the above-mentioned
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
`Art Unit: 2852
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`Page 5
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`limitations to process the signal from the position sensor 60 and output the orientation of
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`camera 5 and/or compartment 39).
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`Regarding claim 6, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`vertical angle detecting section is formedofa triaxial acceleration sensor (60, paragraph
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`0035, 0036).
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`Regarding claim 7, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`vertical angle detecting section is disposed in one of the strobe main body and thelight
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`emitting section (see location of 60).
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`Regarding claim 8, Khuntia discloses an imaging device (5) comprising the
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`strobe device of claim 1.
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`Regarding claim 9, Khuntia discloses the imaging device of claim 8, wherein a
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`first distance measuring section is disposedin the imaging device, and acquires, asfirst
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`distance information, information of a distance between the imaging device and a
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`subject, and a second distance measuring section is disposed in a light emitting section,
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`and acquires, as second distance information, information of a distance between the
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`light emitting section and a bouncesurface (see Figs. 3-5).
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`Conclusion
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`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to ROCHELLE-ANN J. BLACKMANwhosetelephone
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`number is (571)272-2113. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-4:30.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
`Art Unit: 2852
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`Page 6
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Clayton E. LaBalle can be reached on (571) 272-1594. The fax phone
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`numberfor the organization where this application or proceeding is assignedis 571 -
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`273-8300.
`
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`
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`
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`
`/ROCHELLE-ANN J. BLACKMAN/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
`
`RB
`
`