Our feature story in last month's newsletter, "Shades of Grey—Determining Patent Quality", has attracted much attention and debate among our readers. In order to give readers a better understanding of how this Patent Quality Test can affect their work, this month we will apply the test to a random patent from the USPTO archives (US Patent #7,012,235). We have invited U.S. Patent Attorney James Long to provide a design-around assessment and non-infringement analysis, and to apply the test to the patent to demonstrate the method of assessing patent quality.
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1. United States Patent #7,012,235
2. Title: Image sensor
3. Summary:
In designing a long image sensor, it is necessary to use a dedicated rod lens array whose length suits an intended reading width. However, such a rod lens array is expensive. Additionally, the length and non-one-dimensional arrangement of the rod lens array negatively affects reading/sensing of an image.
Patent #7,012,235 describes an image sensor comprising of: a light source for illuminating an object with light; a plurality of rod lens arrays arranged adjacent to each other and continuously in such a manner that rod lenses for focusing light reflected from the object are separated from each other and form a linear arrangement and that end rod lenses located at the ends of the rod lens arrays are in contact with each other; light-receiving elements for receiving image-forming light produced by the rod lenses over a prescribed reading width; and a frame to which the rod lens arrays are fixed over the prescribed reading width.
This configuration makes it possible to use short, general-purpose rod lens arrays that provide a longer but less expensive image sensor.
4. Artwork:
5. The ProposedSolutions:
A. Solving the Stress Problem
The patent proposes a solution that resolves the stress problem primarily through three methods. One is to fill each of the gaps between the end rod lenses with a sealing agent. The second is affixing the rod lens arrays to the frame with an adhesive applied so as to cover the sealing agent that fills in each of the gaps between the end rod lenses. The third is to affix the continuously arranged rod lens arrays to the frame via buffer components.
B. Solving the Blurred Images Problem
As a gap exists between the rod lens, filling in this gap with sealant prevents light from leaking outside the rod array, thereby solving the problem of blurred images.
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