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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: COMIVHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
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`
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`
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`14/385,863
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`09/17/2014
`
`Hiroyuki Yoshioka
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`MAT-10632US
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`5496
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`“HO/2016 —RATNERPRESTIA m
`7590
`52473
`2200 RENAISSANCE BLVD
`ENDO’ JAMES M
`SUITE 350
`KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 19406
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`2875
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`11/10/2016
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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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`pcorrespondence @ratnerprestia.c0m
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`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 14/385,863 YOSHIOKA ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`2875JAMES ENDO first“
`
`-- 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 0137 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, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`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 09/17/2014.
`[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.
`2a)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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`3) I] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`.
`.
`2) E Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date 09/17/2014.
`4) D Other: —-
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`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20161031
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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 III Claim s) _ is/are allowed.
`s E is/are rejected.
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`is/are objected to.
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`) )
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`_
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)|:l 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
`htt
`://www.usoto. ov/ atents/init events"
`h/index.‘s
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`
`
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`, or send an inquiry to PF"I-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 09/17/2014 is/are: a)IXI 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)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.IZI Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.I: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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`Attach ment(s)
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`
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/385,863
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`DETAILED ACTION
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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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`Response to Amendment
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`2.
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`Applicant’s preliminary amendment filed on 09/ l 7/2014 has been entered. Claim 1 has
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`been amended. No claims have been cancelled or added. Claims 1—3 are still pending in this
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`application, with claim 1 being independent.
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`Priority
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`3.
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`Acknowledgement is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on the certified
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`copy of the 2012—095336 application filed in Japan on 04/19/2012. However, in compliance with
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`35 U.S.C. 119(a)—(d), a statement claiming foreign priority must be indicated in the first
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`sentences of the specification following the title as follows —— This application is a US. National
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`Phase Application of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2013/002363, filed on Apr. 05, 2013, which
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`claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2012—095336, filed on Apr. 19, 2012, which is
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`hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety ——.
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`Information Disclosure Statement
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`4.
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`The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/ 17/2014 is in compliance
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`with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been
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`considered by the examiner.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/385,863
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`5.
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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 ,
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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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`6.
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`Claims l—3 are rejected under pre—AIA 35 USC. 102(b) as being anticipated by ANDO
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`(JP 2006—259467).
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`7.
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`Regarding independent claim 1, ANDO discloses a strobe deVice comprising: a light
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`source (ll, Fig.4) formed longitudinally in one direction (as seen in Fig.4 and para[OOl4], the
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`light source ll is an arc tube haVing a cylindrical shape and Fig.4 shows the cross—sectional View
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`of the light source ll; thus, the light source ll was considered to be formed longitudinally in the
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`longitudinal axis), an optical element (not shown) disposed in parallel with the light source (as
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`seen in para[OOl5], an optical element is disposed in front of the reflector 13 and parallel with
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`the light source ll), and a reflector (13, Fig.4) formed longitudinally in a longitudinal direction
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`of the light source (since the light source ll is formed longitudinally in the longitudinal
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`direction, the reflector 13 was also considered to be formed longitudinally in the longitudinal
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`direction) and haVing a reflecting surface that reflects light from the light source toward the
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`optical element, wherein the reflecting surface includes a first reflecting surface formed closer to
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`the reflector than from a specific reflecting region in the reflecting surface and a second
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`reflecting surface formed closer to the optical element (as seen in Fig.4, the first reflecting
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`surface of the reflector 13 was considered to be a convex—like reflecting surface haVing radius
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`R10; the second reflecting surface of the reflector 13 was considered to be a concave—like
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`Application/Control Number: 14/385,863
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`reflecting surface near the light source 11; as seen in Fig.6, the specific reflecting region was
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`considered to be a general reflecting area where the reflected light is reflected), wherein the first
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`reflecting surface has a shape curved so as to have a center of curvature inside the reflector (as
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`seen in Fig.4, the first reflecting surface or the concave—like reflecting surface of the reflector 13
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`near the light source 11 has a center of curvature inside the reflector 13), wherein the second
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`reflecting surface has a shape curved so as to have a center of curvature outside the reflector (as
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`seen in Fig.4, the second reflecting surface or the convex—like reflecting surface having radius
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`R10 has a center of curvature outside the reflector 13) and to be more remote from an optical
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`aXis with decreasing distance to the optical element (as seen in Fig.5, since the optical element is
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`disposed in front of the reflector 13, the second reflecting surface becomes more remote from the
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`optical aXis because the second reflecting surface bends away from the optical aXis as the second
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`reflecting surface approaches the optical element), wherein the strobe device is configured so
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`that at least either one of the light source and the reflector is displaced relative to the optical
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`element along a direction of the optical aXis (as seen in Fig.4, since the optical element is
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`disposed in front of the reflector 13, the light source 11 was considered to be displaced relative to
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`the optical element along the direction of the optical axis; in other words, there is a separation
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`between the light source 11 and the optical element), and wherein the specific reflecting region is
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`configured so that reflected light in the specific reflecting region is reflected towards a center of
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`the optical element when the light source is most remote from a bottom of the reflector (“most
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`remote from a bottom of the reflector” was interpreted to be an arbitrary distance from the
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`bottom of the reflector since no specific/relative distance has been given; as seen in Fig.6, the arc
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`tube 11 has a protective cylindrical outer shell with the light source inside the outer shell as
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`Application/Control Number: 14/385,863
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`indicated by the light rays emitting from the center of the outer shell; thus, the light source was
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`considered to be the source at which the light rays emit from the center of the outer shell of the
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`arc tube ll; this light source was considered to be most remote from the bottom of the reflector
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`13; as seen in Fig.6, since the light rays are bouncing within the reflector 13, the specific
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`reflecting region was considered to reflect reflected light towards the center of the optical
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`element) .
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`8.
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`Regarding dependent claim 2, ANDO as discussed above for claim 1 discloses wherein
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`the specific reflecting region of the reflecting surface is a region at which, among reflected light
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`emitted when the light source is in a position most remote from the reflecting surface at a bottom
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`of the reflector, the reflected light reflected toward a center of the optical element intersects the
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`reflecting surface (“the reflected light reflected toward a center of the optical element intersects
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`the reflecting surface” was interpreted to be the reflected light strikes the reflecting surface; as
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`seen in Fig.6, the reflected light reflected toward a center of the optical element was considered
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`to intersect or strike the reflecting surface of the reflector 13).
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`9.
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`Regarding dependent claim 3, ANDO as discussed above for claim 1 discloses the strobe
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`deVice configured so that at least either one of the light source and the reflector is displaced with
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`respect to the optical element along a direction of the optical aXis (as seen in Fig.4, since the
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`optical element is disposed in front of the reflector 13, the light source ll was considered to be
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`displaced with respect to the optical element along the direction of the optical axis; in other
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`words, there is a separation between the light source ll and the optical element),
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/385,863
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`Relevant Prior Art
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`10.
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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:
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`0 Holten (US 2002/0141182), Wang (US 2007/0247856), and Fallahi (US 5,406,462)
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`discloses a light source, an optical element, a reflector including a first reflecting surface
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`having a center of curvature inside the reflector and a second reflecting surface having a
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`center of curvature outside the reflector.
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`Conclusion
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`11.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to JAMES ENDO Whose telephone number is 571—272—2782. The
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`examiner can normally be reached on Monday—Wednesday 8:30AM—6:00PM.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, J ong—Suk (James) Lee can be reached on 571—272—7044. The fax phone number for
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`the organization Where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571—273—8300.
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`12.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent
`
`Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications
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`may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished
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`applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR
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`system, see http://pair—direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/385,863
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`Page 7
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`Art Unit: 2875
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`system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866—217—9197 (toll—free). If you would
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`like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated
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`information system, call 800—786—9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571—272—1000.
`
`/J. E./
`
`Examiner, Art Unit 2875
`
`/Jong—Suk (James) Lee/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
`
`