DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 11/26/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to at least independent claim 1 have been considered, but are not persuasive. The new ground of rejection cites Fan US 9638838 or Tsai US 2014/0347738 as teaching the amended claim limitations 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 2 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fan US 9638838 in view of Tsai US 2014/0347738.
Regarding claim 1, Fan discloses a camera module, in at least figs.1-10 and 24, comprising: at least one lens (one of 11a-11c) including a rib surface (see figs.4-6A);
a lens barrel (see fig.2A) configured to accommodate the at least one lens (see fig.2A); and
an image sensor (col.1, line 9, it’s inherent to have an image sensor for a camera module) disposed in an optical axis direction (see fig.2) with respect to the at least one lens, wherein the rib surface comprises a first region (region with 112a-112c) in which a pattern including a curved surface (see figs.4-6A), is repeatedly formed on a surface that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see figs.4-6A),
wherein portions of the rib surface that is positioned at a same distance from the optical axis in the first region are configured to have a same inclination with respect to the optical axis direction (see figs.4-6A),
wherein the pattern comprises protrusion portions that protrude toward an object-side of the camera module (see figs.2A and 4-6A), and groove portions that protrude toward an image-side of the camera module (see figs.4-6A), and
a distance in a direction, perpendicular to the optical axis direction, between adjacent protrusion portions or adjacent the groove portions, is greater than a distance in the optical axis direction between the adjacent protrusion portions and the adjacent groove portions (see figs.4-6A), the distance in the optical axis direction, between the adjacent protrusion portions and the adjacent groove portions, is in the range of 0.01 to 0.03 mm (col.2, lines 62-65 discloses a range of 0.008mm to 0.012 mm).
Fan does not explicitly disclose the distance in the direction, perpendicular to the optical axis direction, between adjacent protrusion portions or adjacent the groove portions is in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mm, and the distance in the optical axis direction, between the adjacent protrusion portions and the adjacent groove portions, is in the range of 0.01 to 0.03 mm.
Tsai discloses a camera module (para.5 and 6), in at least figs.1A-1D and 1G, the distance in the direction, perpendicular to the optical axis direction, between adjacent protrusion portions or adjacent the groove portions (figs.1A-1D and 1G), is in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mm (see fig.1D and para.44 and 45 disclose 0.03 mm<R<0.1 mm, 0.03<R/L<0.3, so that 0.1 mm<L<10/3 mm, “a distance in a direction, perpendicular to the optical axis direction, between adjacent protrusion portions or adjacent the groove portions” equal to about L/3.75 (see fig.D), so that the distance is in the range of 0.0267 to 0.8889 mm includes the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mm), and the distance in the optical axis direction, between the adjacent protrusion portions and the adjacent groove portions, is in the range of 0.01 to 0.03 mm (see fig.1D and para.44 discloses 0.03mm<R<0.1 mm, “a distance in the optical axis direction, between the adjacent protrusion portions and the adjacent groove portions”=2/5 of R (see upper zooming portion with R in fig.1D), so that the distance is in the range of 0.012mm to 0.04 mm includes the range of 0.01 to 0.03 mm) for the purpose of suppressing unexpected light more effectively to enhance the image quality (para.33, 44 and 45).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the distance in the direction, perpendicular to the optical axis direction, between adjacent protrusion portions or adjacent the groove portions, is in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mm, and the distance in the optical axis direction, between the adjacent protrusion portions and the adjacent groove portions, is in the range of 0.01 to 0.03 mm as taught by Tsai in the camera module of Fan for the purpose of suppressing unexpected light more effectively to enhance the image quality.
Regarding claim 2, Fan discloses the rib surface further comprises a second region (the region adjacent to the first region without 112a-112c) in which the pattern is not formed on the surface that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see figs.4-6A), and the second region is disposed at a distance that is greater than a distance of the first region from the optical axis (see figs.4-6A).
Regarding claim 4, Fan discloses the pattern is repeatedly formed at least two times from an inner diameter of the rib surface to an outer diameter of the rib surface (see figs.4-6A).
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai US 2014/0347738 in view of Fan US 9638838.
Regarding claim 1, Tsai discloses a camera module (para.5 and 6), in at least figs.1A-1D and 1G, comprising:
at least one lens (900) including a rib surface (922)(figs.1A-1D and 1G);
a lens barrel (it’s inherent to have a lens barrel to configured to accommodate the ate least one lens, see each lens has abutting region) configured to accommodate the at least one lens; and
an image sensor (it’s inherent to have an image sensor disposed in an optical axis direction with respect to the at least one lens) disposed in an optical axis direction with respect to the at least one lens,
wherein the rib surface comprises a first region (924) in which a pattern including a curved surface (figs.1A-1D and 1G), is repeatedly formed on a surface that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction (figs.1A-1D and 1G),
wherein portions of the rib surface that is positioned at a same distance from the optical axis in the first region are configured to have a same inclination with respect to the optical axis direction (figs.1A-1D and 1G),
wherein the pattern comprises protrusion portions (925) and groove portions (the groove portions between two protrusion portions, see figs.1A-1D)(figs.1A-1D and 1G), and
a distance in a direction, perpendicular to the optical axis direction, between adjacent protrusion portions or adjacent the groove portions (figs.1A-1D and 1G), is in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mm (see fig.1D and para.44 and 45 disclose 0.03 mm<R<0.1 mm, 0.03<R/L<0.3, so that 0.1 mm<L<10/3 mm, “a distance in a direction, perpendicular to the optical axis direction, between adjacent protrusion portions or adjacent the groove portions” equal to about L/3.75 (see fig.D), so that the distance is in the range of 0.0267 to 0.8889 mm includes the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mm), and
a distance in the optical axis direction, between the adjacent protrusion portions and the adjacent groove portions, is in the range of 0.01 to 0.03 mm (see fig.1D and para.44 discloses 0.03mm<R<0.1 mm, “a distance in the optical axis direction, between the adjacent protrusion portions and the adjacent groove portions”=2/5 of R (see upper zooming portion with R in fig.1D), so that the distance is in the range of 0.012mm to 0.04 mm includes the range of 0.01 to 0.03 mm).
Tsai does not explicitly disclose the protrusion portions that protrude toward an object-side of the camera module, and the groove portions that protrude toward an image-side of the camera module.
Fan discloses a camera module, in at least figs.1-10, the protrusion portions that protrude toward an object-side of the camera module (see figs.2A and 4-6A), and the groove portions that protrude toward an image-side of the camera module (see figs.2A and 4-6A) for the purpose of diminishing or dispersing stray light to maintain the performance of imaging (col.1, lines 34-36).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the protrusion portions that protrude toward an object-side of the camera module, and the groove portions that protrude toward an image-side of the camera module as taught by Fan in the camera module of Tsai for the purpose of diminishing or dispersing stray light to maintain the performance of imaging.
Regarding claim 2, Tsai discloses the rib surface further comprises a second region (923) in which the pattern is not formed on the surface that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and the second region is disposed at a distance that is greater than a distance of the first region from the optical axis (figs.1A-1D).
Regarding claim 4, Tsai discloses the pattern is repeatedly formed at least two times from an inner diameter of the rib surface to an outer diameter of the rib surface (figs.1A-1D and 1G).
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
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/JIA X PAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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