UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`__________________
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`__________________
`
`ABILITY OPTO-ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD,
`
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`LARGAN PRECISION CO., LTD.,
`
`Patent Owner.
`__________________
`
`U.S. Patent No. 8,988,796
`
`Filing Date: December 13, 2013
`Issue Date: March 24, 2015
`
`Title: Image Capturing Lens System, Imaging Device and Mobile Terminal
`__________________
`
`PETITION FOR INTER PARTES REVIEW
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`

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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
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`Page
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`I.
`II.
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`Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 
`The ’796 Patent ............................................................................................... 2 
`
`Prosecution History ............................................................................... 7 
`
`Person of Ordinary Skill ....................................................................... 7 
`III. Standing .......................................................................................................... 8 
`IV. Grounds ........................................................................................................... 8 
`V.
`Claim Construction ......................................................................................... 9 
`VI. Prior Art ........................................................................................................ 10 
` U.S. Patent No. 9,097,860 (“Yu”) ...................................................... 10 
` U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0012861
`(“Yamaguchi”) ................................................................................... 12 
`VII. How the Challenged Claims are Unpatentable ............................................. 15 
` Ground 1: Yu Renders Claims 1–11, and 15–25 Obvious. ............... 15 
`1.
`Claim 1 ..................................................................................... 15 
`2.
`Claim 2: “The image capturing lens system of claim 1,
`wherein the fourth lens element has the object-side
`surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof.” ................ 33 
`Claim 3: “The image capturing lens system of claim 2,
`wherein the focal length of the image capturing lens
`system is f, a focal length of the first lens element is f1,
`and the following condition is satisfied: -
`0.25<f/f1<0.75.” ....................................................................... 34 
`Claim 4: “The image capturing lens system of claim 2,
`wherein the axial distance between the object-side
`surface of the first lens element and the image-side
`surface of the fourth lens element is Td, and the
`following condition is satisfied: 0.8 mm<Td<2.5 mm.” ......... 34 
`
`3.
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`4.
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`(continued)
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`Page
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`5.
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`6.
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`7.
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`8.
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`9.
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`Claim 6: “The image capturing lens system of claim 2,
`wherein a curvature radius of the object-side surface of
`the second lens element is R3, a curvature radius of the
`image-side surface of the second lens element is R4, and
`the following condition is satisfied: 0.5<(R3+R4)/(R3-
`R4)<2.5.” .................................................................................. 35 
`Claim 7: “The image capturing lens system of claim 2,
`wherein the focal length of the image capturing lens
`system is f, and the following condition is satisfied: 0.5
`mm<f<2.0 mm.” ....................................................................... 35 
`Claim 8: “The image capturing lens system of claim 1,
`wherein the first lens element has a convex object-side
`surface in a paraxial region thereof.” ....................................... 36 
`Claim 9: “The image capturing lens system of claim 8,
`wherein the axial distance between the object-side
`surface of the first lens element and the image-side
`surface of the fourth lens element is Td, half of the
`maximal field of view of the image capturing lens system
`is HFOV, and the following condition is satisfied: 1.2
`mm<Td/tan(HFOV)<2.75 mm.” .............................................. 37 
`Claim 10: “The image capturing lens system of claim 8,
`wherein a sum of the central thicknesses of the first lens
`element, the second lens element, the third lens element,
`and the fourth lens element is ∑CT, the axial distance
`between the object-side surface of the first lens element
`and the image-side surface of the fourth lens element is
`Td, and the following condition is satisfied:
`0.80<∑CT/Td<0.95.” ............................................................... 38 
`10. Claim 11: “The image capturing lens system of claim 8,
`wherein an Abbe number of the first lens element is V1,
`and the following condition is satisfied: 45<V1.” ................... 39 
`11. Claim 15 ................................................................................... 40 
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`(continued)
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`Page
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`12. Claim 16: “The image capturing lens system of claim 15,
`wherein an Abbe number of the first lens element is V1,
`and the following condition is satisfied: 45<V1.” ................... 41 
`13. Claim 17: “The image capturing lens system of claim 15,
`wherein the focal length of the image capturing lens
`system is f, a focal length of the first lens element is f1,
`and the following condition is satisfied: -
`0.25<f/f1<0.75.” ....................................................................... 41 
`14. Claim 18: “The image capturing lens system of claim 15,
`wherein a maximal field of view of the image capturing
`lens system is FOV, and the following condition is
`satisfied: 80 degrees<FOV<110 degrees.” .............................. 41 
`15. Claim 19: “The image capturing lens system of claim 15,
`wherein the axial distance between the object-side
`surface of the first lens element and the image-side
`surface of the fourth lens element is Td, and the
`following condition is satisfied: 0.8 mm<Td<2.5 mm.” ......... 41 
`16. Claim 20: “The image capturing lens system of claim 15,
`wherein a focal length of the second lens element is f2,
`the focal length of the third lens element is f3, and the
`following condition is satisfied: f2/f3<-0.75.” ........................ 42 
`17. Claim 5: “The image capturing lens system of claim 2,
`wherein an f-number of the image capturing lens system
`is Fno, and the following condition is satisfied:
`1.40<Fno≤2.25.” ...................................................................... 42 
`18. Claim 21 ................................................................................... 49 
`19. Claim 22: “The image capturing lens system of claim 21,
`wherein a focal length of the second lens element is f2, a
`focal length of the third lens element is f3, and the
`following condition is satisfied: f2/f3<-0.65.” ........................ 50 
`20. Claim 23: “The image capturing lens system of claim 21,
`wherein an Abbe number of the first lens element is V1,
`and the following condition is satisfied: 45<V1.” ................... 50 
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`(continued)
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`Page
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`21. Claim 24: “The image capturing lens system of claim 21,
`wherein the first lens element has positive refractive
`power, the focal length of the image capturing lens
`system is f, a focal length of the first lens element is f1,
`and the following condition is satisfied: 0.25<f/f1<0.75.” ...... 50 
`22. Claim 25: “The image capturing lens system of claim 21,
`wherein a maximal field of view of the image capturing
`lens system is FOV, and the following condition is
`satisfied: 80 degrees<FOV<110 degrees.” .............................. 51 
` Ground 2: Yamaguchi in View of Yu Renders Claims 1-11, 15-
`16, and 19-24 Obvious. ...................................................................... 52 
`1.
`Scaling Yamaguchi is Obvious. ............................................... 52 
`2.
`Adjusting Yamaguchi’s F-Number is Obvious. ...................... 58 
`3.
`Claim 1 ..................................................................................... 62 
`4.
`Claim 2 ..................................................................................... 73 
`5.
`Claim 3 ..................................................................................... 75 
`6.
`Claim 4 ..................................................................................... 75 
`7.
`Claim 5 ..................................................................................... 75 
`8.
`Claim 6 ..................................................................................... 76 
`9.
`Claim 7 ..................................................................................... 76 
`10. Claim 8 ..................................................................................... 77 
`11. Claim 9 ..................................................................................... 78 
`12. Claim 10 ................................................................................... 79 
`13. Claim 11 ................................................................................... 80 
`14. Claim 15 ................................................................................... 81 
`15. Claim 16 ................................................................................... 82 
`16. Claim 19 ................................................................................... 83 
`17. Claim 20 ................................................................................... 83 
`18. Claim 21 ................................................................................... 83 
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`(continued)
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`Page
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`19. Claim 22 ................................................................................... 84 
`20. Claim 23 ................................................................................... 84 
`21. Claim 24 ................................................................................... 84 
`IX. Mandatory Notices ........................................................................................ 87 
`
`Real Parties-in-Interest ....................................................................... 87 
`
`Related Matters ................................................................................... 87 
`
`Service Information ............................................................................ 87 
`Fees ............................................................................................................... 88 
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`X.
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`I. Introduction
`
`Ability requests review of claims 1–11 and 15–25 of U.S. Patent No.
`
`8,988,796. The ’796 patent discloses a lens system for image capture, e.g., on a
`
`smartphone, comprising four lens elements. It discloses well-known properties for
`
`the individual lens-elements and provides lens data in table format for ten
`
`embodiments. Neither the design of the lens elements, nor the four-lens system
`
`were new at the time of the ’796 patent.
`
`Petitioner Ability’s own Yu patent (Ex.1003), filed before the ’796 patent,
`
`discloses all elements of sixteen claims, and with a minor and obvious size selection
`
`for one non-lens component, renders the remaining six claims obvious. The design
`
`of the ’796 patent’s lens system was known even earlier. Yamaguchi (Ex.1006), an
`
`application disclosing the same lens design, published nine years before the ’796
`
`patent. Pixels and sensors were larger then, so it was larger, but over the interim
`
`nine years, sensor technology advanced. As sensors got smaller, so did the
`
`associated lenses. The process of scaling a lens design is not complicated; it could
`
`be performed easily in software in use at the time of the ’796 patent. Such simple
`
`adjustments were obvious (and routine) to a person of ordinary skill.
`
`Examination of the ’796 patent’s application was not robust. This Petition
`
`demonstrates that the challenged claims should not have issued. Trial should be
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`instituted and they should be cancelled.
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`-1-
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`II. The ’796 Patent
`
`The ’796 patent “relates to a compact image capturing lens system applicable
`
`to a mobile terminal.” Ex.1001, 1:14–16. It recites that demand driven by “the
`
`popularity of mobile terminals having camera functionalities” and reductions in “the
`
`pixel size of sensors” has increased demand for smaller optical systems. Id., 1:18–
`
`25. It asserts that its lens system is an improvement over “conventional compact
`
`optical systems provid[ing] a four-element lens structure.” Id., 1:34–41.
`
`The ’796 patent’s lens system comprises four lens elements. Id., 1:45–48.
`
`The lens system is described with reference to the object-side (to the left) and image-
`
`side (to the right). In order from the object side to the image side, it comprises first,
`
`second, third, and fourth lens elements. Id., 1:45–48. The first lens element 110,
`
`second lens element 120, third lens element 130, and fourth lens element 140 are
`
`shown in Fig. 1A’s first embodiment. Id., 7:10–11, 7:17–23.
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`-2-
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`One property of lenses is their refractive power, which can be positive or
`
`negative. A lens with positive refractive power causes light to converge upon its
`
`central axis and is thicker near its central axis. Ex.1007 ¶ 34. A lens with negative
`
`refractive power causes light to spread through a wider angle and is thinner near its
`
`central axis. Id. The ’796 patent discloses that “[t]he first lens element has
`
`refractive power”; it is positive in eight embodiments and negative in two
`
`embodiments. Ex.1001, 1:48–49, 7:24–28, 10:65–11:2, 14:4–8, 16:23–27, 18:36–
`
`40, 20:38–42, 22:38–42, 24:38–42, 26:38–42, 28:37–41. The second lens element
`
`has positive refractive power, and the third lens element has negative refractive
`
`power. Id., 1:49–54. The fourth lens element has refractive power, which is
`
`positive in all ten embodiments. Id., 1:54–59, 7:39–43, 11:13–12:3, 14:21–25,
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`16:39–43, 18:52–56, 20:53–57, 22:53–57, 24:53–57, 26:53–57, 28:52–56.
`
`A lens has an object-side surface (on the left) and an image-side surface (on
`
`the right). A lens surface can be convex or concave. A convex surface protrudes
`
`outward, and a concave surface protrudes inward. Ex.1007 ¶ 35. By convention,
`
`this is defined by the shape of the surface near its central axis, i.e., “in the paraxial
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`region” in the language of the ’796 patent. Id. The ’796 patent discloses that the
`
`second lens element “has a convex image-side surface,” the third lens element “has a
`
`concave object-side surface” and “a convex image-side surface,” and the fourth lens
`
`element “has a concave image-side surface.” Ex.1001, 1:48–59. For example, it is
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`-3-
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`easy to see the concave object-side surface (131) and the convex image-side surface
`
`(132) of the third lens element (130) in Fig. 1A. Ex.1007 ¶ 35.
`
`
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`The concave or convex shape of a lens surface can be identified from other
`
`information in the ’796 patent. For each embodiment, the ’796 patent provides a
`
`table of “detailed optical data.” E.g., Ex.1001, 9:5–6. Table 1 for the first
`
`embodiment is reproduced below. The first column identifies the surface number.
`
`Ex.1007 ¶ 36. Some surfaces are lenses, while others indicate the object (Surface
`
`No. 0), aperture stop (Surface No. 3), IR-cut filter (Surface No. 10), or image
`
`(Surface No. 12). Id. The numbering begins with the object (Surface No. 0) and
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`increases from left to right (object-side to image-side), ending with the image
`
`(Surface No. 12). Id. The second column lists the curvature radius. Id. “Plano”
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`
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`-4-
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`denotes a flat surface. Id. Each lens surface has a curvature radius in millimeters.
`
`Id.
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`
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` A radius is positive if its center is to the right of the surface and negative if its
`
`center is to the left of the surface. Id. ¶ 37. For an object-side (left) surface of a
`
`lens, a positive radius denotes a convex surface that protrudes outward to the left and
`
`a negative radius denotes a concave surface that protrudes inward to the right. Id.
`
`For an image-side (right) surface of a lens, a positive radius denotes a concave
`
`surface that protrudes inward to the left and a negative radius denotes a convex
`
`surface protrudes outward to the right. Id.
`
`The ’796 patent’s third lens element 130 has a concave object-side surface
`
`131 and a convex image-side surface 132. Ex.1001, 1:51–54. In Table 1, the radius
`
`for both surfaces (6 and 7) is negative. Id., Table 1. Table 1 confirms the ’796
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`patent’s text because a negative radius denotes a concave object-side surface and a
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`convex image-side surface. Ex.1007 ¶ 38.
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`Other specified values include thickness, material, Abbe number, and focal
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`length. E.g., Ex.1001, Table 1. Thickness for a lens surface specifies either the
`
`thickness of the lens at its center if specified for the object-side surface or the
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`distance from the image-side surface to the next surface. For example, the third lens
`
`in Table 1 comprises object-side surface 6 and image-side surface 7. Id. The
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`thickness of 0.230 mm for surface 6 means the third lens is 0.230 mm thick at the
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`center, and the thickness of 0.030 mm for surface 7 means that there is a space of
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`0.030 mm from the center of the image-side surface of the third lens to the object-
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`side surface of the fourth lens (8). Id.; Ex.1007 ¶ 39. The 0.019 mm thickness of
`
`the aperture stop (3) in Table 1 denotes the space between it and the object-side
`
`surface of the second lens (4). Ex.1001, Table 1; Ex.1007 ¶ 39. The material
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`column indicates if a lens is glass or plastic; the index column provides the refractive
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`index, which describes how fast light travels through the material; the Abbe number
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`is a measure of how the material’s refractive index changes with the wavelength of
`
`light; and the focal length is a measure of how strongly the lens converges (positive)
`
`or diverges (negative) light. Ex.1007 ¶ 39.
`
`The ’796 patent discloses aspheric lenses. A spherical lens has a surface that
`
`has the shape of the surface of a sphere; an aspherical lens is non-spherical. Id. ¶ 40.
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`The ’796 patent includes the following “equation of the aspheric surface profiles”
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`and includes tables showing “the aspheric surface data,” which, along with the
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`curvature radius defines the shape of the lens surface:
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`
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`Id.; Ex.1001, 7:52–8:2, Tables 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20.
`
`
`Prosecution History
`U.S. Patent Application No. 14/105,811 was filed on December 13, 2013,
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`claiming priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 102139029. Ex.1001, [21], [22];
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`Ex.1002, 1, 4. The claims were allowed in an initial office action without rejection
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`and without a substantive explanation of the reasons for allowance. Ex.1002, 208–
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`14. The prior art in this Petition was not before the Examiner.
`
`
`Person of Ordinary Skill
`The ’796 patent’s earliest claimed priority date is October 29, 2013. Ex.1001,
`
`1:6–8. A person of ordinary skill in the art (“POSITA”) as of October 29, 2013,
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`-7-
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`
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`would have had a bachelor’s degree in optical engineering, mechanical engineering,
`
`electrical engineering, optics, or physics with at least three years of experience
`
`working in optical engineering; a master’s degree in one of the above disciplines
`
`with at least two years of experience working in optical engineering; a Ph.D. in one
`
`of the above disciplines focusing on optical engineering; or equivalent experience.
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`Ex.1007 ¶¶ 62–63.
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`III. Standing
`
`Ability certifies that the ’796 patent is available for IPR and Ability is not
`
`barred or estopped from requesting IPR of the challenged claims on the identified
`
`grounds. This Petition is being filed within one year of the October 8, 2019 service
`
`of Largan’s Complaint upon Petitioner in Largan Precision Co. v. Ability Opto-
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`Electronics Tech. Co., No. 4:19-cv-00696-ALM (E.D. Tex.).
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`IV. Grounds
`
`Ability requests review and cancellation of the challenged claims on the
`
`following grounds:
`
`Ground
`Ground 1
`
`Ground 2
`
`Claims
`1–11, 15–25
`
`Basis
`35 U.S.C. § 103 based on U.S. Patent No.
`9,097,860 (“Yu”).
`1–11, 15–16, 19–24 35 U.S.C. § 103 based on U.S. Patent
`Application Publication No. 2004/0012861
`(“Yamaguchi”) and Yu.
`
`The ’796 patent is subject to the first-inventor-to-file provisions of 35 U.S.C.
`
`
`
`§§ 102, 103. Yu was filed on December 27, 2013, and issued on August 4, 2015.
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`Yu claims priority to Taiwanese Application No. 102131525, which was filed on
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`September 2, 2013. Yu is prior art as of its September 2, 2013 foreign filing date
`
`pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2), (d)(2). Yu is entitled to claim a right of priority
`
`under 35 U.S.C. § 119 and Taiwanese Application No. 102131525 describes the
`
`same subject matter as Yu. 35 U.S.C. § 102(d)(2); Ex.1007 ¶¶ 71–79; see generally
`
`Ex.1003, Ex.1005. In accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 119 and 37 C.F.R. § 1.55,
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`Taiwan is a WTO member, the U.S. application was filed within twelve months of
`
`the Taiwan application, and a claim of priority was filed with the Patent Office.
`
`MPEP § 213.01 (9th ed. Rev. 10.2019, June 2020); Ex.1003, [22], [30]; Ex.1004, 9,
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`58–86, 170; Ex.1005, 2. Yamaguchi was published on January 22, 2004, and is
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`prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1).
`
`V. Claim Construction
`
`The Board gives claims their ordinary and customary meaning, or “the
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`meaning that the term would have to a [POSITA] at the time of invention.” Phillips
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`v. AWH Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1312–13 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en banc). At this time,
`
`Ability proposes no terms for construction, but Ability reserves the right to respond
`
`to any constructions proposed by Largan. Ability does not waive, and expressly
`
`reserves, the claim scope arguments, constructions, and evidence it may raise in
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`other proceedings.
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`VI. Prior Art
` U.S. Patent No. 9,097,860 (“Yu”)
`Petitioner’s prior art reference Yu relates to “a compact wide-angle four-piece
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`imaging lens assembly.” Ex.1003, 1:12–14. Yu discloses “a four-piece imaging
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`lens assembly which has compact and thin dimensions and which has a wider angle
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`of view for improving resolving power thereof.” Id., 1:41–44. It “comprises a lens
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`set and a non-adjustable diaphragm.” Id., 1:45–46. “The lens set includes a first
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`lens, a second lens, a third lens and a fourth lens arranged in sequence from an
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`object side to an image side along an optical axis of the lens assembly.” Id., 1:46–
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`49.
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`Yu’s first lens has “a positive optical power adjacent to the optical axis” and
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`“a convex object-side surface.” Id., 1:49–52, 2:58–61. Yu’s second lens has “a
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`positive optical power adjacent to the optical axis” and “a convex image-side
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`surface.” Id., 1:54–57, 2:63–66. Yu’s third lens has “a negative optical power
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`adjacent to the optical axis,” “a concave object-side surface,” and “a convex image-
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`side surface.” Id., 1:59–62, 3:1–5. Yu’s fourth lens has “a positive optical power
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`adjacent to the optical axis,” a concave image-side surface, and “[e]ach of the
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`object-side surface and the image-side surface … is an aspherical surface.” Id.,
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`1:64–2:4, 3:7–18. “At least one of the object-side surface and the image-side
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`surface of the fourth lens has an inflection point located between the optical axis and
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`the peripheral surface.” Id., 2:4–7.
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`Figs. 1, 4, and 7 show first, second, and third preferred embodiments of Yu’s
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`lens assembly. Id., 2:24–26, 2:37–39, 2:40–42. The lens assembly “comprises a
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`lens set 1, a non-adjustable diaphragm 2, and a filter lens 2.” Id., 2:52–54. “The
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`lens set 1 includes a first lens 11, a second lens 12, a third lens 13 and a fourth lens
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`14 arranged in sequence from an object side to an image side along an optical axis L
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`of the lens assembly.” Id., 2:55–58.
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`
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`For each embodiment, Yu provides a table listing the “component/surface,”
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`“radius of curvature,” “thickness/interspace,” “refractive index,” “Abbe number,”
`
`and “focal length.” Id., 4:39–43, 4:54–5:20, 5:52–57, 6:58–7:24, 8:36–41, 8:48–
`
`9:14. Yu also provides a table for each embodiment providing the aspheric
`
`coefficients. Id., 5:21–49, 7:25–8:32, 9:16–43.
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` U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0012861
`(“Yamaguchi”)
`Yamaguchi relates to “an image pickup lens preferable as an optical system of
`
`a solid state pickup element such as a CCD type image sensor or a CMOS type
`
`image sensor.” Ex.1006 ¶ 0002. Yamaguchi teaches that the “heightened
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`performance and the miniaturization of an image pickup device,” along with “the
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`miniaturization and the dense arrangement of pixels,” necessitated “the further
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`miniaturization of an image pickup lens mounted on the image pickup device.” Id.
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`¶¶ 0004–0005. Thus, Yamaguchi discloses “an image pickup lens which is
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`composed of a plurality of lenses and is miniaturized.” Id. ¶ 0008.
`
`Yamaguchi’s image pickup lens comprises “four lenses arranged in an order
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`of a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, and a fourth lens from an object side.” Id.
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`¶ 0009. “[T]he first lens has positive refractive power and has a convex surface
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`facing toward the object side ….” Id. ¶ 0010. “[T]he second lens has … positive
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`refractive power ….” Id. “[T]he third lens has negative refractive power and has a
`
`concave surface facing toward the object side to be formed in a meniscus shape, and
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`the fourth lens has … positive or negative refractive power and has a convex surface
`
`facing toward the object side to be formed in the meniscus shape.” Id.
`
`Yamaguchi discloses that “the image side surface of the fourth lens … is
`
`formed in the aspherical surface shape satisfying the formulas (10), (11), and (12),”
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`which are reproduced below:
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`-12-
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`Id. ¶¶ 0036–0039, 0041; see also id. ¶¶ 0054–0057, 0062.
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`Figs. 5 (Examples 1 and 2), 8 (Example 3), and 10 (Example 4) show
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`sectional views of four examples of pickup lenses. Id. ¶¶ 0112, 0115, 0117.
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`For each example, Yamaguchi provides four tables listing various lens data,
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`which includes “f: focal length of the whole image pickup lens,” “F: F number,”
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`“2Y: length of diagonal line on effective image screen,” “R: curvature radius of
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`refractive surface,” “D: interval between refractive surfaces on axis,” and “vd: Abbe
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`number of lens material.” Id. ¶¶ 0154–0162, 0167–0169, 0172–0175, 0178–0181,
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`0185–0188, 0192. In Examples 1–4, “the shape of an aspherical surface is
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`expressed in a rectangular coordinate system,” as indicated below:
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`Id. ¶ 0163–0165.
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`VII. How the Challenged Claims are Unpatentable
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`The following demonstrates where each element of the challenged claims is
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`found in the prior art for each of the above-listed grounds.
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` Ground 1: Yu Renders Claims 1–11, and 15–25 Obvious.
`Yu discloses three embodiments. Ex.1003, 4:39–47, 5:52–6:53, 8:36–44.
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`The analysis below focuses on the first and third embodiments. Yu’s first
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`embodiment renders claims 1–9, 11, and 15–25 obvious, and Yu’s third embodiment
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`renders claims 1, 8, and 10 obvious.
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`1.
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`Claim 1
`(a) Preamble: “An image capturing lens system
`comprising, in order from an object side to an image
`side:”
`Yu discloses a “a compact wide-angle four-piece imaging lens assembly.”
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`Ex.1003, 1:12–14. Yu’s “lens assembly … comprises a lens set and a non-
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`adjustable diaphragm.” Id., 1:45–46. “The lens set includes a first lens, a second
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`lens, a third lens and a fourth lens arranged in sequence from an object side to an
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`image side along an optical axis of the lens assembly.” Id., 1:46–49. Yu’s Fig. 1
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`and Fig. 7 show a first and third embodiment of the lens assembly, respectively. Id.,
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`2:40–42, 2:52–54. To the extent the preamble is limiting, Yu’s lens assembly is
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`“[a]n image capturing lens system.” Ex.1007 ¶¶ 86–90.
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`(b) Element 1a: “a first lens element having refractive
`power;”
`In order from the object side to the image side, Yu’s lens assembly comprises
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`first “a first lens 11.” Ex.1003, 2:55–58, Figs. 1, 7. “The first lens 11 has a positive
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`optical power adjacent to the optical axis L ….” Id., 2:58–61. Positive optical
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`power means positive refractive power. Ex.1007 ¶ 92. Yu’s first lens 11 is a “first
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`lens element having refractive power.” Id. ¶¶ 91–92.
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`(c) Element 1b: “a second lens element with positive
`refractive power having a convex image-side surface
`in a paraxial region thereof;”
`After the first lens 11, from the object side to image side in Yu’s lens
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`assembly, is “a second lens 12.” Ex.1003, 2:55–58, Figs. 1, 7. “The second lens 12
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`has a positive optical power adjacent to the optical axis L, and has a convex image-
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`side surface [122]1 ….” Id., 2:63–66, Figs. 1, 7.
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`1 The labels 121 and 122 are transposed in this sentence, but the image-side surface
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`122 is properly identified in Figs. 1 and 7 and the next sentence. Ex.1007 ¶ 94;
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`Ex.1003, 2:66–3:1, Figs. 1, 7.
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`Positive optical power means positive refractive power, and Yu’s description
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`of the “convex image-side surface [122]” describes the surface in a paraxial region
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`of the second lens 12. Ex.1007 ¶¶ 94–96.
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`Yu’s Figs. 1 and 7 show that the second lens 12 has positive refractive power,
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`because it is thicker in the paraxial region, and that the image-side surface 122 is
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`convex, because it protrudes outward. Id. ¶¶ 35, 97. The negative radius for the
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`image-side surface 122 in Yu’s Tables 1 and 5 also discloses a convex surface. Id.
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`¶ 98.
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`Yu’s second lens 12 is a “second lens element with positive refractive power
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`having a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof.” Id. ¶¶ 93–98.
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`(d) Element 1c: “a third lens element with negative
`refractive power having a concave object-side surface
`in a paraxial region thereof and a convex image-side
`surface in a paraxial region thereof; and”
`After the second lens 12, from the object side to image side in Yu’s lens
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`assembly, is “a third lens 13.” Ex.1003, 2:55–58, Figs. 1, 7. “The third lens 13 has
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`a negative optical power adjacent to the optical axis L, and has a concave object-side
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`surface 131 …, and a convex image-side surface 132 ….” Id., 3:1–5, Figs. 1, 7.
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`Negative optical power means negative refractive power, and Yu’s description of the
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`“concave object-side surface 131” and “convex image-side surface 132” describes
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`the surface in a paraxial region of the third lens 13. Ex.1007 ¶ 100.
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`Yu’s Figs. 1 and 7 show that the third lens 13 has negative refractive power,
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`because it is thinner in the paraxial region. Id. ¶ 101. These figures also show that
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`the object-side surface 131 is concave because it protrudes inward and the image-
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`side surface 132 is convex because it protrudes outward. Id. ¶¶ 35, 101. The
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`negative radius for the object-side surface 131 and the image-side surface 132 in
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`Yu’s Tables 1 and 5 also discloses a concave object-side surface and a convex
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`image-side surface. Id. ¶ 102.
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`Yu’s third lens 13 is a “third lens element with negative refractive power
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`having a concave object-side surface in a paraxial region thereof and a convex
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`image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof.” Id. ¶¶ 99–102.
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`(e) Element 1d: “a fourth lens element with refractive
`power having a concave image-side surface in a
`paraxial region thereof, wherein both of an object-
`side surface and the image-side surface of the fourth
`lens element are aspheric, and the image-side surface
`of the fourth lens element has at least one convex
`shape in an off-axis region thereof;”
`After the third lens 13, from the object side to image side in Yu’s lens
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`assembly, is “a fourth lens 14.” Ex.1003, 2:55–58, Figs. 1, 7. “The fourth lens 14
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`has a positive optical power adjacent to the optical axis L, and has an image-side
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`surface [142]2 … which has a concave portion around the optical axis L ….” Id.,
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`3:7–13, Figs. 1, 7.
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`2 The labels 141 and 142 in this portion of the sentence are transposed, but the
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`image-side surface 142 is properly identified in Figs. 1 and 7, later in the sentence,
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`and in the next two sentences. Ex.1007 ¶ 104; Ex.1003, 3:12–18, Figs. 1, 7.
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