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 and Arguments
The amendment filed 12/16/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-7 and 9-11 are currently pending in this application.
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 5-8, filed 12/16/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-7 and 9-10 under 35 U.S.C. 102 and/or 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered but are moot. Regarding limitations of the instant case in view of the amended Claims and upon further considerations, a new ground(s) of rejection, necessitated by the amendments is made in view of different interpretation of the previously applied references and/or new prior art as presented in this Office action.
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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 1-3, 6-7 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takimoto (US 2018/0148314) in view of Ohashi (JP2016029880A).
Regarding claim 1, Takimoto teaches an optical module (Fig. 1-10, [0061-0125]) comprising:
a mirror unit (the unit corresponding to 14 in Fig. 1 and 3, [0061]) including a mirror device (the device corresponding to the mirror 48 in Fig. 1 and 3) including a movable mirror portion (the portions corresponding to 38, 34, 44 and 36 in Fig. 1-2 and 6) provided with a coil (46 and/or 40 in Fig. 3 and 6, [0086-0088, 0091]); and
a magnet unit (the unit corresponding to 10 in Fig. 1 and 3-4, [0062-0068]) including a first magnet (10B in Fig. 3-4), a second magnet (10A in Fig. 3-4), and a third magnet (10C in Fig. 3-4) arranged along a first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4), and configured to generate a magnetic field acting on (Fig. 3-4, [0062-0068]) the movable mirror portion (the portions corresponding to 38, 34, 44 and 36 in Fig. 1-2 and 6),
wherein the mirror unit (the unit corresponding to 14 in Fig. 1 and 3, [0061]) is disposed on (Fig. 1 and 3) the magnet unit (the unit corresponding to 10 in Fig. 1 and 3-4, [0062-0068]) in a second direction (the vertical direction Z in Fig. 1-4) perpendicular to the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4),
a width of the first magnet (W1 in Picture 1, Fig. 3-4) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4 and Picture 1) is equal to or more than (Picture 1, Fig. 3-4) a width of the second magnet (W2 in Picture 1, Fig. 3-4) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4 and Picture 1) and is equal to or more than (Picture 1, Fig. 3-4) a width of the third magnet (W3 in Picture 1, Fig. 3-4) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4 and Picture 1);
an upper surface of the first magnet (the top surface of 10B in Fig. 3), an upper surface of the second magnet (the top surface of 10A in Fig. 3), and an upper surface of the third magnet (the top surface of 10C in Fig. 3) are facing to the coil (46 and/or 40 in Fig. 3 and 6, [0086-0088, 0091]), a mirror unit side (the side corresponding to 14 in Fig. 3) with respect to each of the upper surface of the first magnet (the top surface of 10B in Fig. 3), the upper surface of the second magnet (the top surface of 10A in Fig. 3), and the upper surface of the third magnet (the top surface of 10C in Fig. 3) is a coil side (Fig. 3),
the mirror unit (the unit corresponding to 14 in Fig. 1 and 3, [0061]) is fixed to (Fig. 3, 14 is indirectly fixed to the top surface of 10B in Fig. 3) at least the upper surface of the first magnet (the top surface of 10B in Fig. 3).
when viewed from the second direction (the vertical direction Z in Fig. 1-4), the first magnet (10B in Fig. 3-4) has a pair of side surfaces (S1 and S2 in Picture 1) opposite to each other in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4 and Picture 1),
each side surface of the pair of side surfaces (S1 and S2 in Picture 1) extends along a third direction (the direction Y in Fig. 1-4 and Picture 1) perpendicular to the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4 and Picture 1), and
the second magnet (10A in Picture 1) is fixed to (Picture 1) one of the pair of side surfaces (S1 in Picture 1), and the third magnet (10C in Picture 1) is fixed to (Picture 1) the other of the pair of side surfaces (S2 in Picture 1).
Takimoto teaches that the mirror unit side (the side corresponding to 14 in Fig. 3) with respect to each of the upper surface of the first magnet (the top surface of 10B in Fig. 3), the upper surface of the second magnet (the top surface of 10A in Fig. 3), and the upper surface of the third magnet (the top surface of 10C in Fig. 3) is the coil side (Fig. 3), Takimoto does not teach that the upper surface of the first magnet is located on the mirror unit side with respect to the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet in the second direction, or is located at the same position as one of the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet and on the mirror unit side with respect to the other of the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet in the second direction.
Ohashi teaches that (Fig. 1 and 9-12, Pages 7-9 of English translation of JP2016029880A) an upper surface of a first magnet (the top surface of 6 in Fig. 12) is located on a coil side (the side corresponding to 13/7 in Fig. 10, Pages 7 and 9) with respect to an upper surface of a second magnet (the top surface of the left 2 in Fig. 12) and an upper surface of a third magnet (the top surface of the right 2 in Fig. 12) in the second direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 12), or is located at the same position as one of the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet and on the mirror unit side with respect to the other of the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet in the second direction.
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to employ the above elements as taught by Ohashi for the system of Takimoto such that in the system of Takimoto, the upper surface of the first magnet is located on the mirror unit side with respect to the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet in the second direction, or is located at the same position as one of the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet and on the mirror unit side with respect to the other of the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet in the second direction. The motivation is to finely adjust the strength of the magnetic field when needed (Ohashi, Page 9, Paragraph 3-4).
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Picture 1, from Fig. 3-4 of Takimoto (US 2018/0148314)
Regarding claims 2-3, 6-7 and 9-10, Suzuki also teaches the following elements:
(Claim 2) the width of the first magnet (W1 in Picture 1, Fig. 3-4) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4 and Picture 1) is wider than (Picture 1, Fig. 3-4) the width of the second magnet (W2 in Picture 1, Fig. 3-4) and the width of the third magnet (W3 in Picture 1, Fig. 3-4) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4 and Picture 1).
(Claim 3) a mirror unit (the unit corresponding to 14 in Fig. 1 and 3, [0061]) further includes a base (the base corresponding to 24 in Fig. 1 and 3) to which the mirror device (the device corresponding to the mirror 48 in Fig. 1 and 3) is fixed (Fig. 1 and 3), and the mirror unit (the unit corresponding to 14 in Fig. 1 and 3, [0061]) is fixed to (Fig. 3, indirectly fixed to) at least an upper surface of a first magnet (the upper surface 10B in Fig. 3) at the base (the base corresponding to 24 in Fig. 1 and 3).
(Claim 6) an outer edge (Fig. 3) of the mirror unit (14 in Fig. 3) is located outside (Fig. 3) an outer edge (Fig. 3) of the first magnet (10B in Fig. 3) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4).
(Claim 7) the first magnet, the second magnet, and the third magnet are arranged in a Halbach array (Fig. 3).
(Claim 9) the first magnet (10B in Fig. 3) is sandwiched between (Fig. 3) the second magnet and the third magnet (10A and 10C in Fig. 3) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4).
(Claim 10) the width of the first magnet (W1 in Picture 1) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1-4 and Picture 1) is wider than (Fig. 3) a width (Fig. 3, the width of 36 or 38 in the direction X in Fig. 1- 3) of the movable mirror portion (the portions corresponding to 38, 34, 44 and 36 in Fig. 1-2 and 6) in the first direction (the horizontal direction in Fig. 3).
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takimoto in view of Ohashi as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Suzuki (US 2020/0174247)
Regarding claim 4, Takimoto does not teach the following elements.
Suzuki teaches the following elements:
(Claim 4) the mirror unit (40 in Fig. 2-4) further includes a wire (wire W in Fig. 3, [0067]) connected to the mirror device (the device corresponding to mirror 1 in Fig. 3-4) and the base (42 in Fig. 3), and the wire (wire W in Fig. 3, [0067]) is connected to the base (42 in Fig. 3) at a position overlapping (Fig. 3) the first magnet (51 in Fig. 3) when viewed in the second direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 3).
(Claim 5) Suzuki also teaches the base (42 in Fig. 3) is formed with a wiring ([0067-0068], Fig. 1-3, the inherent wiring within 42, which provides electric correcting between the wire W located on the top surface of 42 within the walls 43 and the wiring portion 71 located on the top surface of 42 outside the walls 43) to which the wire (wire W in Fig. 3, [0067]) is connected ([0067-0068], Fig. 1-3), and the wiring ([0067-0068], Fig. 1-3, the inherent wiring within 42, which provides electric correcting between the wire W located on the top surface of 42 within the walls 43 and the wiring portion 71 located on the top surface of 42 outside the walls 43) is formed by disposing a conductive material ([0067-0068], Fig. 1-3, the material of the inherent wiring within 42) in a groove ([0067-0068], Fig. 1-3, the inherent groove for forming the inherent wiring within 42) formed in the base (42 in Fig. 3). Suzuki also teaches that a conductive material for one wire is a metal material ([0040, 0041, 0043-0044], the wiring 15a, 15b, 16a and 16b are formed of a metal material).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to employ the above elements as taught by Suzuki for the system of Takimoto in view of Ohashi such that in the system of Takimoto in view of Ohashi,
(Claim 4) the mirror unit further includes a wire connected to the mirror device and the base, and the wire is connected to the base at a position overlapping the first magnet when viewed in the second direction.
(Claim 5) the base is formed with a wiring to which the wire is connected, and the wiring is formed by disposing a metal material in a groove formed in the base.
The motivation is to provide an optical module capable of improving the reliability and reducing costs (Suzuki, [0018]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding independent claim 11, none of the prior art discloses or suggests that an optical module comprising: a mirror unit including a mirror device including a movable mirror portion provided with a coil; and a magnet unit including a first magnet, a second magnet, and a third magnet arranged along a first direction, and configured to generate a magnetic field acting on the movable mirror portion, wherein the mirror unit is disposed on the magnet unit in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a width of the first magnet in the first direction is equal to or more than a width of the second magnet in the first direction and is equal to or more than a width of the third magnet in the first direction, an upper surface of the first magnet is located on a mirror unit side with respect to an upper surface of the second magnet and an upper surface of the third magnet in the second direction, or is located at the same position as one of the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet and on the mirror unit side with respect to the other of the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet in the second direction, wherein “the mirror unit is fixed to the upper surface of the first magnet by an adhesive material, and the adhesive material is not disposed between the mirror unit and both the upper surface of the second magnet and the upper surface of the third magnet” in combination with the other required elements of the claim.
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 SHAN LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-0383. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm EST M-F.
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/SHAN LIU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871