Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is responsive to the Amendment filed on 11/22/2025.
In the Instant Amendment, Claim(s) 1, 16 and 19 has/have been amended; Claim(s) 1, 16 and 19 is/are independent claims. Claims 1-22 have been examined and are pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on 12/5/2025 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/22/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 16 and 19 regarding the new feature “wherein the second magnetic member is disposed externally of the housing, and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member according to a driving of the lens module” have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20200137274) in views of Sekimoto et al (US 20170235095 A1), Li et al (US 20210109367 A1) and Kim et al (KR 20200035522 A).
Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches A camera module (Figs. 2-4, 10), comprising:
a housing (Fig. 2);
a lens module (1210)
a driving magnet (magnet 1241a) disposed on the lens holder (1210) (Figs. 3B, 4, 10);
a driving coil (coil 1241b) opposing the driving magnet in a first direction (X) perpendicular to an optical axis (Z) (Figs. 3B, 4, 10; paras. 0127, 0141);
a first magnetic member (pulling magnet 1216) disposed on the lens holder (1210);
a second magnetic member (pulling yoke 1016) disposed to oppose the first magnetic member in the housing, in a second direction (Y) perpendicular to both the optical axis (Z) and the first direction (X) (Figs. 4, 10; para. 0141); and
three ball members (balls 1215’s) disposed between the lens module and the housing (Fig. 10),
wherein the lens module is pulled to one surface of the housing by a magnetic attraction force arising between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member (Fig. 10; paras. 0140-0141),
wherein the lens module is configured to move in an optical axis direction while supported at three points by the three ball members (1215’s) (Figs. 6, 10),
wherein the first magnetic member is disposed in the lens module such that the first magnetic member is disposed in a triangle formed by virtual lines connecting the three ball members to each other (Figs. 6, 10),
wherein the lens holder (1210) has an asymmetrical structure with regard to the optical axis (Fig. 10), and
but fails to teach
a lens module includes a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens and a lens holder accommodating the lens barrel,
wherein the three ball members are disposed in three separate guide grooves, and
wherein the second magnetic member is disposed externally of the housing, and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member according to a driving of the lens module.
However, in the same field of endeavor Sekimoto teaches
a lens module includes a lens barrel (15) that accommodating at least one lens (1a) and a lens holder (4f, 4b) accommodating the lens barrel (15) (Figs. 2, 9; para. 0085; Using the teaching of Sekimoto, the structure 15 can be added in between Lee’s lens holder 1210 and the lens to form the lens module as claimed).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Sekimoto in the combination to have a lens module includes a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens and a lens holder accommodating the lens barrel for producing an inner lens barrel individually from a movable lens holder allowing them to be manufactured differently and the lens barrel to be calibrated later yielding a predicted result.
Moreover, in the same field of endeavor Li teaches
wherein the three ball members are disposed in three separate guide grooves (Figs. 3-4; paras. 0047-0048; three balls 70 disposed in three separate guide slots 150 and/or three separate guide slots 160).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in this art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Li in the combination to have wherein the three ball members are disposed in three separate guide grooves for maintaining position of each ball in their respective groove during movement improving movement stability of the lens module yielding a predicted result.
Furthermore, in the same field of endeavor Kim teaches
wherein the second magnetic member (magnet 300) is disposed externally of the housing (housing 200), and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member (yoke 700) and the second magnetic member (magnet 300) according to a driving of the lens module (Figs. 1-3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in this art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Kim in the combination to have wherein the second magnetic member is disposed externally of the housing, and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member according to a driving of the lens module for providing a housing structure that has a lens support structure in between parts of the housing enabling easy and quick assembling of the second magnetic member to other part of the housing yielding a predicted result.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 1. In addition, Lee teaches wherein a center of the first magnetic member is disposed in the triangle (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 1. In addition, Lee teaches wherein the lens module includes guide grooves (1214’s) configured to guide the three ball members, respectively, in a direction parallel to the optical axis (Figs. 6, 10).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 1. In addition, Lee teaches wherein the lens module (Fig. 10; 1210) includes a first support structure (at the higher reference 1214) extending in the optical axis direction, and a second support structure (at the lower reference 1214) disposed opposite to the first support structure and extending in the optical axis direction, wherein two ball members among the three ball members are disposed between the first support structure and the housing, and another ball member among the three ball members is disposed between the second support structure and the housing, wherein the first support structure (at the higher reference 1214) includes an extension portion (at the higher reference 1215) protruding farther than the second support structure in the optical axis direction, and wherein one of the two ball members disposed between the first support structure and the housing is disposed between the extension portion and the housing (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 4. In addition, Lee teaches wherein the first magnetic member is disposed more adjacent to the first support structure than the second support structure (Figs. 3, 10; paras. 0140, 0141).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 4. In addition, Lee teaches wherein the extension portion is a portion of the lens holder (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 6. In addition, Sekimoto teaches wherein the lens barrel is symmetric with respect to a plane that includes the optical axis and is perpendicular to a direction in which the first and second support structures oppose each other (Figs. 2, 9, 11; para. 0085).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Sekimoto in the combination to have wherein the lens barrel is symmetric with respect to a plane that includes the optical axis and is perpendicular to a direction in which the first and second support structures oppose each other for providing a lens barrel with a symmetric shape about the optical axis enabling easy shape of manufacturing yielding a predicted result.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 1. In addition, Lee teaches further comprising:
a position sensor (1141c) disposed on an external side of the coil (Fig. 4; para. 0111).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 1. In addition, Lee teaches further comprising:
a first reflective member (1110) configured to convert a direction of light entering from an outside to a direction toward the lens module (Figs. 2-4);
a rotational holder (1120) accommodating the first reflective member; and
a first driver (1143a-c, 1145a-b) configured to rotate the rotational holder about a first axis (OIS Y) perpendicular to the optical axis, wherein the first driver includes first magnets disposed in the rotational holder such that the first magnets (1143a, 1145a) oppose each other in a direction perpendicular to the first axis, and the first axis is disposed between the first magnets (Figs. 2-4, 6; paras. 0103-0107).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 9. In addition, Lee teaches wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the optical axis and is parallel to a surface perpendicular to a reflective surface of the first reflective member (Figs. 2-4).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 9. In addition, Lee teaches further comprising:
ball members (1133’s) arranged along the first axis and supporting rotation of the rotational holder (1120), wherein the rotational holder includes a supporting portion (at 1121) on which the ball members are seated, and an extension portion (at 1120) protruding from ends of the supporting portion in a direction parallel to the optical axis, and wherein at least a portion of the pair of first magnets is disposed in the extension portion (Figs. 3, 4).
Claim(s) 16-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20200137274) in views of Sekimoto et al (US 20170235095 A1) and Kim et al (KR 20200035522 A).
Regarding claim 16, Lee teaches A camera module (Figs. 2-4, 10), comprising:
a housing (Fig. 2);
a lens module (1210)
a driving magnet (magnet 1241a) disposed on the lens holder (Figs. 4, 10);
a driving coil (1241b) opposing the driving magnet in a first direction (X) perpendicular to an optical axis (Z) (Figs. 4, 10); and
a first magnetic member (pulling magnet 1216) disposed on the lens holder (1210); and
a second magnetic member (pulling yoke 1016) disposed to oppose the first magnetic member in the housing, in a second direction (Y) perpendicular to both the optical axis (Z) and the first direction (X) (Figs. 4, 10),
wherein the lens module (1210) is pulled to the housing in the second direction (Y) by magnetic attraction force between the first magnetic member (pulling magnet 1216) and the second magnetic member (pulling yoke 1016), and is supported in the second direction by three support points (three balls 1215’s) (Figs. 6, 10; para. 0140),
wherein the first magnetic member (pulling magnet 1216) is disposed in a triangle formed by virtual lines connecting the three support points (1215’s) to each other while the lens module moves in an optical axis direction (Z), in a view in the second direction (Y) (Figs. 6, 10),
wherein the lens holder (1210) has an asymmetrical structure with regard to the optical axis (Fig. 10),
but fails to teach
a lens module includes a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens and a lens holder accommodating the lens barrel,
wherein the second magnetic member is disposed externally of the housing, and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member according to a driving of the lens module.
However, in the same field of endeavor Sekimoto teaches
a lens module includes a lens barrel (15) that accommodating at least one lens (1a) and a lens holder (4f, 4b) accommodating the lens barrel (15) (Figs. 2, 9; para. 0085; Using the teaching of Sekimoto, the structure 15 can be added in between Lee’s lens holder 1210 and the lens to form the lens module as claimed).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Sekimoto in the combination to have a lens module includes a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens and a lens holder accommodating the lens barrel for producing an inner lens barrel individually from a movable lens holder allowing them to be manufactured differently and the lens barrel to be calibrated later yielding a predicted result.
Moreover, in the same field of endeavor Kim teaches
wherein the second magnetic member (magnet 300) is disposed externally of the housing (housing 200), and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member (yoke 700) and the second magnetic member (magnet 300) according to a driving of the lens module (Figs. 1-3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in this art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Kim in the combination to have wherein the second magnetic member is disposed externally of the housing, and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member according to a driving of the lens module for providing a housing structure that has a lens support structure in between parts of the housing enabling easy and quick assembling of the second magnetic member to other part of the housing yielding a predicted result.
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 16. In addition, Lee teaches wherein the lens module (Fig. 10; 1210) includes a first support structure (at the higher reference 1214) extending in the optical axis direction, and a second support structure (at the lower reference 1214) disposed opposite to the first support structure and extending in the optical axis direction, wherein two support points among the three support points are disposed between the first support structure and the housing, and another support point among the three support points is disposed between the second support structure and the housing, wherein the first support structure includes an extension portion protruding farther than the second support structure in the optical axis direction, and wherein one of the two support points disposed between the first support structure and the housing is disposed between the extension portion and the housing (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 18, claim 18 reciting features corresponding to claim 6 is also rejected for the same reason presented in claim 6.
Regarding claim 19, Lee teaches A camera module (Figs. 2-4, 10), comprising:
a housing (Fig. 2);
a lens module (1210)
a driving magnet (magnet 1241a) disposed on the lens holder (Figs. 4, 10);
a driving coil (1241b) opposing the driving magnet in a first direction (X) perpendicular to an optical axis (Z) (Figs. 4, 10); and
a first magnetic member (pulling magnet 1216) disposed on the lens holder (1210); and
a second magnetic member (pulling yoke 1016) disposed to oppose the first magnetic member in the housing, in a second direction (Y) perpendicular to both the optical axis (Z) and the first direction (X) (Figs. 4, 10),
wherein the lens module (1210) is pulled to the housing in the second direction (Y) by magnetic attraction force between the first magnetic member (pulling magnet 1216) and the second magnetic member (pulling yoke 1016), and is supported in the second direction by three support points (three balls 1215’s) (Figs. 6, 10; para. 0140),
wherein throughout an entire movement range of the lens module along the optical axis, the first magnetic member is disposed in a triangle formed by virtual lines connecting the three support points to each other in a plane perpendicular to the second direction (Figs. 6, 10; para. 0140; an entire movement range of the lens module 1210 along the optical axis would be small compared to the length of the magnetic members 1016 and 1216; the purpose of the magnetic members 1016 and 1216 is to maintain the pulling force between them and ensure the lens holder attracted toward the base the entire time while the lens module 1210 moves the entire movement range along the optical axis), and
wherein the lens holder (1210) has an asymmetrical structure with regard to the optical axis (Fig. 10),
but fails to teach
a lens module includes a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens and a lens holder accommodating the lens barrel,
wherein the second magnetic member is disposed externally of the housing, and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member according to a driving of the lens module.
However, in the same field of endeavor Sekimoto teaches
a lens module includes a lens barrel (15) that accommodating at least one lens (1a) and a lens holder (4f, 4b) accommodating the lens barrel (15) (Figs. 2, 9; para. 0085).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Sekimoto in the combination to have a lens module includes a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens and a lens holder accommodating the lens barrel for producing an inner lens barrel individually from a movable lens holder allowing them to be manufactured differently and the lens barrel to be calibrated later yielding a predicted result.
Moreover, in the same field of endeavor Kim teaches
wherein the second magnetic member (magnet 300) is disposed externally of the housing (housing 200), and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member (yoke 700) and the second magnetic member (magnet 300) according to a driving of the lens module (Figs. 1-3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in this art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Kim in the combination to have wherein the second magnetic member is disposed externally of the housing, and a portion of the housing is disposed between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member according to a driving of the lens module for providing a housing structure that has a lens support structure in between parts of the housing enabling easy and quick assembling of the second magnetic member to other part of the housing yielding a predicted result.
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 19. In addition, Lee teaches wherein two support points (of two of three ball members 1215’s in a upper/longer support structure 1214) among the three support points are disposed on one side of the optical axis and wherein another support point (of another ball of three ball members 1215’s a lower/shorter support structure 1214) among the three support points is disposed on another side of the optical axis (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 21, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 20. In addition, Lee teaches wherein the two support points (of two of three ball members 1215/1225’s in a longer support structure 1214/1224) engage a first support structure of the lens module disposed on the one side of the optical axis, wherein the other support point (of another ball of three ball members 1215/1225’s a shorter support structure 1214/1224) engages a second support structure of the lens module disposed on the other side of the optical axis, and wherein one of the two support points engages a portion of the first support structure extending beyond the second support structure in an image-side direction of the optical axis (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 22, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 19. In addition, Lee teaches wherein the three support points are formed by ball members (three ball members 1215’s) disposed between the lens module and the housing (Figs. 3, 10).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20200137274) in views of Sekimoto et al (US 20170235095 A1), Li et al (US 20210109367 A1) and Kim et al (KR 20200035522 A) as applied to claim 1/9 above, and further in view of Jang (US 20220014653 A1).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches everything as claimed in claim 9, but fails to teach
further comprising: a second driver configured to rotate the rotational holder about a second axis perpendicular to both the optical axis and the first axis, wherein the second driver includes second magnets disposed in the rotational holder such that the second magnets oppose each other in a direction parallel to the second axis.
However, in the same field of endeavor Jang teaches
Claim 9: further comprising: a first reflective member (232) configured to convert a direction of light entering from an outside to a direction toward the lens module; a rotational holder (222, 72MH1, 72MH2) accommodating the first reflective member; and a first driver configured to rotate the rotational holder about a first axis (y axis) perpendicular to the optical axis (z), wherein the first driver includes first magnets (72M2, 72M3) disposed in the rotational holder such that the first magnets oppose each other in a direction perpendicular to the first axis, and the first axis is disposed between the first magnets (Figs. 17, 20, 21, 24);
Claim 12: further comprising: a second driver configured to rotate the rotational holder (222, 72MH1, 72MH2) about a second axis (x axis) perpendicular to both the optical axis (z) and the first axis (y), wherein the second driver includes second magnets (72M1, 72M4) disposed in the rotational holder such that the second magnets oppose each other in a direction parallel to the second axis (Figs. 17, 20, 21, 24).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Jang in the combination to have further comprising: a first reflective member configured to convert a direction of light entering from an outside to a direction toward the lens module; a rotational holder accommodating the first reflective member; and a first driver configured to rotate the rotational holder about a first axis perpendicular to the optical axis, wherein the first driver includes first magnets disposed in the rotational holder such that the first magnets oppose each other in a direction perpendicular to the first axis, and the first axis is disposed between the first magnets; further comprising: a second driver configured to rotate the rotational holder about a second axis perpendicular to both the optical axis and the first axis, wherein the second driver includes second magnets disposed in the rotational holder such that the second magnets oppose each other in a direction parallel to the second axis for providing a different ultra-slim, ultra-compact actuator configuration optimizing camera module size yielding a predicted result.
Claim(s) 13 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20200137274) in views of Sekimoto et al (US 20170235095 A1), Li et al (US 20210109367 A1), Kim et al (KR 20200035522 A) and Jang (US 20220014653 A1) as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Park et al (US 20190004279 A1).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li, Kim and Jang teaches everything as claimed in claim 12. In addition, Jang teaches wherein the second magnets include a third magnet, a coil opposing the third magnet and a position sensor (Figs. 16, 17, 21; para. 0290; magnet 72M1 opposing coil 72C1 and a Hall sensor).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Jang in the combination to have wherein the second magnets include a third magnet, and a position sensor for providing a sensor facing the magnet for accurately adjusting position of the holder yielding a predicted result.
But the combination fails to teach
wherein the second driver further includes a fifth magnet spaced apart from the third magnet and a position sensor opposing a boundary between the third magnet and the fifth magnet.
However, in the same field of endeavor Park teaches
wherein the second driver further includes a fifth magnet (position magnet 190) spaced apart from the third magnet (driving magnet 130) and a position sensor (position sensor 170) opposing a boundary between the third magnet (130) and the fifth magnet (190) (Fig. 24; paras. 0097-0101, 0302, 0303).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Park in the combination to have wherein the second driver further includes a fifth magnet spaced apart from the third magnet and a position sensor opposing a boundary between the third magnet and the fifth magnet for providing a position magnet configuration for a position sensor providing better accurate and reliable driver yielding a predicted result.
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li, Kim, Jang and Park teaches everything as claimed in claim 13. In addition, Park teaches wherein the fifth magnet (190) is spaced apart from the third magnet (130) in a circumferential direction with respect to the second axis (x) (Figs. 4, 8, 24).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Park in the combination to have wherein the fifth magnet is spaced apart from the third magnet in a circumferential direction with respect to the second axis for providing a position magnet configuration with respective to the position sensor and the driver components providing better accurate and reliable driver yielding a predicted result.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20200137274) in views of Sekimoto et al (US 20170235095 A1), Li et al (US 20210109367 A1) and Kim et al (KR 20200035522 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kang et al (US 20210278748 A1).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Lee, Sekimoto, Li and Kim teaches the camera module of claim 1. In addition, Lee teaches further comprising:
a first reflective member (1110) configured to convert a direction of light entering from an outside to a direction toward the lens module (Figs. 2-4),
but fails to teach
a second reflective member configured to convert a direction of light passing through the lens module.
However, in the same field of endeavor Kang teaches
a second reflective member (224) configured to convert a direction of light passing through the lens module (Fig. 4; paras. 0260, 0261).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use the teachings as taught by Kang in the combination to have a second reflective member configured to convert a direction of light passing through the lens module for optimizing thickness of the camera module yielding a predicted result.
Alternative Rejection
Lipson et al (US 20130258140 A1) teaches wherein the lens module (505-508) includes a lens barrel (506) that comprises at least one lens (505), and a lens holder (508) that accommodates the lens barrel (506) (Figs. 5, 8). Lipson can be used to in place of Sekimoto to address the same feature.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action. ``
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Quan Pham whose telephone number is (571)272-4438. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-7pm.
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/Quan Pham/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637