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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-8, 10, 14-15 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase “the internal actuator being mounted with the external actuator” renders the claim unclear since it is unclear what mounting relationship is being claimed between the internal actuator and the external actuator.
Regarding claim 17, the phrase “wafer-level system” renders the claim unclear, since the phrase is not clearly defined in the claim.
Regarding claims 2-4, 6-8, 14-15 and 18-19 are directly or indirectly dependent on claim 1, thus rejected for the same reason because it inherits the deficiencies.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-8, 10, 14, 17-18, 20-22, 24-26 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hofmann et al (US 9,054,636 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Hofmann et al discloses a micromechanical resonator assembly (Figs. 1-8) comprising:
an internal actuator (column 7, line 14, inner actuator 3) which comprises an oscillation body configured to oscillate about one or more axes (column 7, lines 17-20), the oscillation body having one or more eigenfrequencies (column 7, lines 44-46),
an external actuator (column 7, line 22, outer actuator 2) which comprises an oscillating part (column 7, line 22, oscillatory platform 6),
a mounting base (column 8, lines 30-41, assembly plate 11) which comprises an electronic driving part (column 7, line 27 and column 8, lines 30-41),
the internal actuator (3) being mounted with the external actuator (2, see Figs. 2 and 3) so as to form a coupled oscillation system (see Figs. 1 and 2 and column 8, lines 29-33),
the external actuator (2) being mounted on the mounting base (assembly plate 11, see column 8, lines 30-44) and being electrically connected to the electronic driving part (permanent magnets 10, see Fig. 2) for allowing excitation of the oscillation body of the internal actuator by transfer of energy from the oscillating part to the oscillation body (column 7, lines 12-53, the torsion springs 5 and 7 implies that energy is transferred).
Regarding claim 2, the micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection between the external actuator (column 7, lines 26-28, external drive 9) and the driving part comprises at least one ground connection and two sensing signal connections (column 6, lines 43-56).
Regarding claim 3, the micromechanical resonator according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection between the external actuator and the driving part is obtained
through wire bonding, or
through direct soldering of the external actuator onto the mounting base so as to ensure both electrical connection and fixation of the external actuator on the mounting base (column 3, lines 55-65).
Regarding claim 4, the micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection between the external actuator and the driving part is obtained
through wire bonding, and
the external actuator is mounted on the mounting base by mechanical fixation such as clamping, or by gluing (column 3, lines 55-65).
Regarding claim 6, the micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the internal actuator (3) comprises an internal sensor electrically connected to the driving part, such as to allow reading out by the driving part of a position feedback signal of the oscillation body (column 6, lines 43-56, column 8, lines 7-16).
Regarding claim 7, the micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 6, wherein the electrical connection between the internal sensor and the driving part is obtained
by wire bonding or flexible cable soldering, or
by direct soldering of the internal sensor onto the external actuator, so as to ensure both electrical connection and fixation of the internal senser on the external actuator, so as to ensure both electrical connection and fixation of the internal sensor on the external actuation (column 3, lines 55-65).
Regarding claim 8, the micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the internal actuator is mounted on the external actuator by gluing (column 3, lines 55-65).
Regarding claim 10, the micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the external actuator comprises at least one of the following:
at least two ends and is mounted on the mounting base by one of said two ends, the internal actuator being mounted on the external actuator at the other one of said two ends (see Figs. 6 and 7),
at least two ends and is mounted on the mounting base by each of said two ends, the internal actuator being mounted on the external actuator between said two ends,
a circular shape and is mounted on the mounting base by a portion of its periphery, the internal actuator being mounted on the external actuator at the center of said external actuator,
an opening, the internal actuator comprising a mirror plate and being mounted on the external actuator so as to cover said opening on a first side of said external actuator, and so as to create an optical path from a light source, located on a second side opposite to said first side to the mirror plate through said opening.
Regarding claim 14, the micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the assembly being a micro mirror scanner (column 7, lines 15-17), the external actuator being a piezoelectric actuator and the internal actuator comprising a piezoelectric or electrostatic sensor (column 4, lines 50-64, column 9, lines 4-24).
Regarding claim 17, the micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 14, wherein the oscillation body of the internal actuator comprises a wafer-level vacuum encapsulated spring-mirror plate system (column 8, lines 7-16).
Regarding claim 18, Hofmann et al discloses a light engine for laser scanning or laser projection system comprising a micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 1 (column 3, line 11).
Regarding claims 20-22, 24-26 and 28, a method of fabricating a micromechanical resonator assembly comprising an internal actuator which comprises an oscillation body configured to oscillate about one or more axes, an external actuator which comprises an oscillating part, and a mounting base, which comprises electronic driving part, said method comprising mounting the internal actuator on the external actuator as to form a coupled oscillating system, and mounting the external actuator on the mounting base so as to electrically connect the external actuator the electronic driving part for allowing excitation of the oscillation body of the internal actuator by transfer of energy from the oscillating part to the oscillation body are inherently met by the disclosure of the prior art as set forth above rejections.
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.
Claims 15 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hofmann et al (US 9,054,636 B2) in view of Shani et al (US 2020/0393545 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Hofmann et al discloses the micromechanical resonator assembly according to claim 14, except wherein the external piezoelectric actuator comprises at least one of the following:
at least one piezoelectric layer and at least one passive layer, and is mounted on the mounting base through its passive layer,
a plurality of segments each exhibiting different bending and torsion axis excitation frequency.
Shani et al discloses the external piezoelectric actuator comprises at least one piezoelectric layer and at least one passive layer, and is mounted on the mounting base through its passive layer (para 321).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention before the effective filing date to make the external piezoelectric actuator comprising at least one piezoelectric layer and at least one passive layer, and is mounted on the mounting base through its passive layer for the purpose of reducing the motional impedance, allowing for lower power consumption in applications like a micromechanical resonator assembly.
Regarding claim 19, in combination, a laser projection or scanning system comprising a light engine according to claim 18, such as AR/VR glasses or helmet, or a Lidar system (Shani et al, see title).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUNCHA P CHERRY whose telephone number is (571)272-2310. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 7am to 3:30pm.
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8/6/2025
/EUNCHA P CHERRY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872