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
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/2/2026 has been entered.
In the Instant Amendment, Claim(s) 1, 3, 5 and 8 has/have been amended; Claim(s) 2 and 6-7 was/were cancelled; Claim(s) 11-14 has/have been added; Claim(s) 1 is/are independent claims. Claims 1, 3-5 and 8-14 have been examined and are pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
The claim objections are withdrawn because of the amendment and the persuasive argument in the remark (page 6).
Applicant's arguments filed 1/2/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, the Applicant is arguing in the remarks (pages 6-9) that the combination of Park, Lee and Lim does not teach “wherein the board part includes: a first path connecting the (1-1)th detection signal output terminal and the controller, a second path connecting the (2-1)th detection signal output terminal and the (1-2)th detection signal output terminal, and a third path connecting the (2-2)th detection signal output terminal and the controller, wherein the third path has an electrical length different from that of the first path.”
The Examiner respectfully disagrees with the Applicant. The Examiner respectfully submits that the combination of Park, Lee and Lim does teach these features where Park teaches PCB traces of PCB 50 connecting between hall sensors 160-1 & 160-2 to controller 160/200 (Figs. 8, 2, 5), but Park does not expressly show that output terminals of a hall sensor. However, Lee does teach this where figure 6 shows output terminals 2 & 4 of hall sensors 112a & b connecting to controller 210 and other terminals 2 & 4 of hall sensors 112a&b are connected in series (Fig. 6; col. 6, lines 4-35; col. 6, lines 53-63). Park/Lee is silent on the location of the controller. However, this can be addressed by Lim where Lim teaches the driver IC next to a hall sensor 25 on PCB 28. Thus, when the controller 160/200 of Park is arranged on PCB 50 next to hall sensor 160-2, a first distance from the hall sensors 160-1 to the common controller 160/200 is further from a second distance from the hall sensors 160-2 to the common controller 160/200. Therefore, a length of PCB traces from the hall sensors 160-1 to the common controller 160/200 is longer than a length of PCB traces from the hall sensors 160-2 to the common controller 160/200. The result would be very similar to the arrangement shown in the Applicant’s figures 24-28.
For the reason above, the Examiner respectfully submits that the combination of Park, Lee and Lim does teach these features as claimed in claim 1.
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, 3-5 and 8-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al (US 20200158793) in views of Lee et al (US 8320753 B2) and Lim et al (US 20150055220 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Park teaches A camera actuator (Figs. 1-5) comprising:
a housing (1120) (110);
a mover (1130) (120) that is disposed in the housing and includes an optical member (121); and
a driving part (1150) (coils 51, 52, 55; magnets 150-1, 150-2, 155) that is disposed in the housing and drives the mover to be tilted with respect to a first axis (X-axis) and a second axis (Y-axis) (Figs. 4-7; paras. 0053-0062);
a sensor unit (hall sensors 160-1, 160-2) configured to detect a location of the mover (Figs. 5-7); and
a board part (1154) (circuit board 50) connected to the sensor unit (Fig. 5);
a controller configured to output a driving signal for moving the optical member to a target location on a basis of location information of the optical member detected by the sensor unit (Figs. 2, 5, 8; paras. 0044-0046, 0101; operating driver 160/200),
wherein the driving part (1150) (coils 51, 52, 55; magnets 150-1, 150-2, 155) includes a first magnet (1151a), a second magnet (1151b), a first coil (1152a) disposed to face the first magnet, and a second coil (1152b) disposed to face the second magnet and configured to tilt the mover (Figs. 4-7; paras. 0053-0062),
wherein the sensor unit (hall sensors 160-1 and 160-2 located on a left and right board parts of PCB 50, respectively) includes a first sensor unit (210A) configured to detect the first magnet and a second sensor unit (210B) configured to detect the second magnet (Figs. 5-7) and connect to the first sensor unit (Fig. 8; para. 0105),
wherein the second sensor unit (210B) and the second coil (1152b) are disposed on the board part (sensor 160-2 and coil 52 are on the right board part in fig. 5),
but fails to teach
wherein the first sensor unit includes a (1-1)th detection signal output terminal having a positive (+) polarity and a (2-1)th detection signal output terminal having a negative (-) polarity,
wherein the second sensor unit includes a (1-2)th detection signal output terminal having a positive (+) polarity and a (2-2)th detection signal output terminal having a negative (-) polarity,
wherein the board part includes:
a first path connecting the (1-1)th detection signal output terminal and the controller,
a second path connecting the (2-1)th detection signal output terminal and the (1-2)th detection signal output terminal, and
a third path connecting the (2-2)th detection signal output terminal and the controller,
wherein the third path has an electrical length different from that of the first path.
However, in the same field of endeavor Lee teaches
wherein the first sensor unit includes a (1-1)th detection signal output terminal having a positive (+) polarity and a (2-1)th detection signal output terminal having a negative (-) polarity, wherein the second sensor unit includes a (1-2)th detection signal output terminal having a positive (+) polarity and a (2-2)th detection signal output terminal having a negative (-) polarity (Fig. 6; col. 6, lines 4-35; col. 6, lines 53-63; “In another embodiment, the output terminals 2 and 4 of the second Hall sensors 112a and 112b may be serially connected. For example, the output terminals 2 and 4, whose polarities are opposite, may be connected to each other”),
wherein the board part (Park: Figs. 8, 2, 5; traces of PCB 50 connecting between hall sensors 160-1, 160-2… to controller 160/200) includes:
a first path connecting the (1-1)" detection signal output terminal and the controller (Lee: Fig. 6; output+ path connecting terminal 2 of hall sensor 112b to controller 210);
a second path connecting the (2-1)th detection signal output terminal and the (1-2)th detection signal output terminal (Lee: Fig. 6; col. 6, lines 4-35; col. 6, lines 53-63; a path formed by “the output terminals 2 and 4, whose polarities are opposite, may be connected to each other” connecting terminal 4 of hall sensor 112b [Park 160-1] to terminal 2 of hall sensor 112a [Park 160-2]); and
a third path connecting the (2-2)th detection signal output terminal and the controller (Lee: Fig. 6; output+ path connecting terminal 4 of hall sensor 112a to controller 210).
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 Lee in Park to have wherein the first sensor unit includes a (1-1)th detection signal output terminal having a positive (+) polarity and a (2-1)th detection signal output terminal having a negative (-) polarity, wherein the second sensor unit includes a (1-2)th detection signal output terminal having a positive (+) polarity and a (2-2)th detection signal output terminal having a negative (-) polarity, wherein the board part includes: a first path connecting the (1-1)It detection signal output terminal and the controller, a second path connecting the (2-1)It detection signal output terminal and the (1-2)th detection signal output terminal, and a third path connecting the (2-2)th detection signal output terminal and the controller for optimizing the number of sensor wirings in the FPCB between the sensors and the driver while enabling functional signals between components yielding a predicted result.
Moreover, in the same field of endeavor Lim teaches
wherein the third path has an electrical length different from that of the first path (Lim: Fig. 6; paras. 0044, 0073-0075; “chip 30 may also be disposed inside the first coil 22, provided that the first hall sensor 25 is disposed above and below the driver IC 32” to dispose the driver IC 32 next to a hall sensor 25 on PCB 28; Park teaches multiple hall sensors [hall sensor 160-1, hall sensor 160-2] connect to a common “driver IC” 160/200; the driver IC is added to be next to hall sensor 160-2 in Park; Thus, because the hall sensor 160-1 and the hall sensor 160-2 are arranged in left and right board regions connected by a middle board region, the electrical paths from hall sensor 160-1 will pass from the left to the middle and to the right board regions to the common “driver IC” 160/200 near hall sensor 160-2; Because each hall sensor has two outputs 2 and 4 [by Lee], the path from output 2 of hall sensor 160-1 on the left board region in Park to the driver IC near hall sensor 160-2 on the right board region in Park would be longer than the path from output 4 of hall sensor 160-2 to the driver IC located near the hall sensor 160-2 on the right board region).
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 Lim in the combination to have wherein the third path has an electrical length different from that of the first path for providing a driver IC to be mounted next to a hall sensor and a coil for optimizing space of control circuit yielding a predicted result.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 1. In addition, Park teaches wherein the board part (circuit board 50) includes:
a first board part (P1) in parallel to the first axis (X-axis) (sensor 160-1 and coil 51 are on the left board part in fig. 5); and
a second board part (P2) disposed to be spaced apart from the first board part and in parallel to the first board (P1) (sensor 160-2 and coil 52 are on the right board part in fig. 5); and
a third board part (P3) connecting the first board (P1) and the second board (P2) and extended in a first direction in parallel to the second axis (Y-axis) (the middle board part connecting the left board part and the right board part shown in fig. 2), wherein the first sensor unit (210A) and the first coil (1152a) are disposed on the first board part (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 1. In addition, Park teaches wherein the first sensor unit (160-1) and the second sensor unit (160-2) are spaced apart from each other in the first direction (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 3. In addition, Park teaches wherein the mover (120) is disposed between the first board part and the second board part (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 1. In addition, Park teaches the driving part is configured to perform Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) through electromagnetic interactions between the first coil and the first magnet and between the second magnet and the second coil (Figs. 4-7; paras. 0053-0062).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 3. In addition, Park teaches wherein the housing includes:
a first housing side part; and a second housing side part disposed to be spaced apart from the first housing side part in the first direction, the first board part is in contact with the first housing side part, and wherein the second board part is in contact with the second housing side part (Figs. 2-5).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 9. In addition, Park teaches wherein the first housing side part includes a first housing hole (at 51), wherein the first housing side part includes a first housing hole (at 52), wherein any one of the first coil and the first magnet is disposed in the first housing hole, and wherein any one of the second coil and the second magnet is disposed in the second housing hole (Figs. 2-5).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 1. In addition, Park teaches wherein the second sensor unit (210B) (sensor 160-2 on the right board part in fig. 5) overlaps with the first sensor unit (210A) (sensor 160-1 on the left board part in fig. 5) in a first direction (X) (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 3. In addition, Lim teaches
wherein the controller (driver IC 32) is disposed in any one of the first board part and the second board part (Fig. 6; paras. 0044, 0073-0075; “chip 30 may also be disposed inside the first coil 22, provided that the first hall sensor 25 is disposed above and below the driver IC 32” to dispose the driver IC next to a hall sensor where Park already teaches a hall sensor located on a first/second board part and “driver IC” 160/200 receives signals from all hall sensors).
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 Lim in the combination to have wherein the controller is disposed in any one of the first board part and the second board part for providing a driver IC to be mounted next to a hall sensor and a coil for optimizing space of control circuit yielding a predicted result.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 3. In addition, the combination of Park and Lee teaches
wherein the second path passes through the first board part, the second board part, and the third board part (Lee: Fig. 6; col. 6, lines 4-35; col. 6, lines 53-63; a path formed by “the output terminals 2 and 4, whose polarities are opposite, may be connected to each other” connecting terminal 4 of hall sensor 112b [Park 160-1] to terminal 2 of hall sensor 112a [Park 160-2]; Park: figs. 2, 5: because the hall sensor 160-1 and the hall sensor 160-2 are arranged in left and right board regions connected by a middle board region, the path will pass through the three board regions).
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 the combination of Park and Lee in the combination to have wherein the second path passes through the first board part, the second board part, and the third board part for optimizing the number of sensor wirings in the FPCB between the sensors and the driver while enabling functional signals between components yielding a predicted result.
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Park, Lee and Lim teaches everything as claimed in claim 3. In addition, Park teaches
wherein the second sensor unit (210B) and the second coil (1152b) are disposed on the second board part (sensor 160-2 and coil 52 are on the right board part in fig. 5).
Conclusion
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