DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 3, 6, 8, 13, 18, 30-31, 34 and 37 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 claims 3, 8, 13 and 18, the phrase "optionally" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
It is unclear what applicant means by “substantially constant” as recited in claims 6 and 30.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6, 12-13, 16, 18, 21-24, 28-30, 34, 37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Reynolds (WO2020/120998). Reynolds teaches a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator assembly comprising: a movable part 20; a support structure 10; one or more SMA wires 30 arranged, on contraction, to tilt the movable part relative to the support structure about two orthogonal axes that are perpendicular about a primary axis of the support structure; and axial translation constrainers 16 configured to limit axial translation of the movable part relative to the support structure along the primary axis of the support structure, wherein the axial translation constrainers are arranged to prevent all points of the movable part from simultaneously reaching their most extreme position along the primary axis of the support structure allowed by the range of possible tilt of the movable part relative to the support structure (see figure 11).
Regarding claim 2, the axial translation constrainers are arranged to prevent opposing points of the movable part with the primary axis of the support structure between them from simultaneously reaching their most extreme position along the primary axis of the support structure allowed by the range of possible tilt of the movable part relative to the support structure. Dampers 1006 prevent the movable part from simultaneously reaching their most extreme position along the primary axis of the support structure allowed by the range of possible tilt of the movable part relative to the support structure.
Regarding claim 3, the axial translation constrainers comprise endstop surfaces 17/1002 of the support structure against which complementary endstop surfaces 1004 of the movable part can abut so as to limit movement of the movable part relative to the support structure.
Regarding claim 6, the dampers 1006 ensure the distance between the endstop surfaces of the support structure and the complementary endstop surfaces of the movable part remains substantially constant over the range of possible tilt of the movable part relative to the support structure.
Regarding claim 12, Reynolds teaches rotation constrainers 12 configured to limit rotation of the movable part relative to the support structure about the primary axis of the movable part. See fig. 10(A).
Regarding claim 13, fig. 10(A) shows that the rotation constrainers form slots into which protrusions of the movable part fit, such that abutment of the protrusions against walls defining the slots prevents rotation of the movable part relative to the support structure about the primary axis of the movable part.
Regarding claims 16, fig. 10(A) shows that the axial translation constrainers are positioned radially outward of the movable part.
Regarding claim 18, the one or more SMA wires 30 are operatively connected between the support structure 10 and the movable part 20. See figs. 10(A).
Regarding claim 21, the two orthogonal axes are located between the movable part and a base of the support structure along the primary axis of the support structure (see page 6, lines 22-26 “that allows movement of the moveable component relative to the support structure in two orthogonal directions perpendicular to a notional primary axis P extending through the moveable component.”)
Regarding claims 22, page 18, lines 5-7 (“In any of the embodiments described herein, the SMA actuation apparatus may be a camera apparatus and may further comprise an image sensor fixed to the support structure. The movable part may comprise a camera lens”) teaches a camera unit fixed to the movable part.
Regarding claim 23, page 18, lines 5-7 (“In any of the embodiments described herein, the SMA actuation apparatus may be a camera apparatus and may further comprise an image sensor fixed to the support structure. The movable part may comprise a camera lens”) teaches the camera unit comprises: an image sensor; and a lens assembly.
Regarding claims 24, fig. 10(A) shows that the axial translation constrainers are positioned radially outward of the movable part. Additionally, page 18, lines 5-10 (“In any of the embodiments described herein, the SMA actuation apparatus may be a camera apparatus and may further comprise an image sensor fixed to the support structure. The moveable component may comprise a camera lens element comprising at least one lens arranged to focus an image on the image sensor, the primary axis being the optical axis of the camera lens element. The moveable component may be moved to provide optical image stabilisation.”) teaches the primary axis of the support structure corresponds to the primary optical axis of the lens assembly.
Regarding claim 28, page 18, lines 5-7, teach that the SMA actuator assembly is for optical image stabilization.
Regarding claim 29, the lens is being interpreted as an emitter as it both receives and emits light.
Regarding claim 30, Reynolds teaches a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator assembly comprising:a support structure 10; a movable part 20; one or more SMA wires 30 arranged, on contraction, to tilt the movable part relative to the support structure about two orthogonal axes that are perpendicular to a primary axis of the support structure; axial translation constrainers 16 configured to limit axial translation of the movable part relative to the support structure along the primary axis of the support structure; wherein the axial translation constrainers comprise endstop surfaces 17/1002 of the support structure against which complementary endstop surfaces 1004 of the movable part can abut so as to limit movement of the movable part relative to the support structure; and wherein the distance between the endstop surfaces of the support structure and the complementary endstop surfaces of the movable part remains substantially constant over the range of possible tilt of the movable part relative to the support structure. Dampers 1006 ensure the distance between the endstop surfaces of the support structure and the complementary endstop surfaces of the movable part remains substantially constant over the range of possible tilt of the movable part relative to the support structure.
Regarding claim 34, fig. 10(A) shows that the one or more SMA wires are operatively connected between the support structure and the movable part.
Regarding claim 37, fig. 10(A) and page 18, lines 5-10 teach the two orthogonal axes are located between the movable part and a base of the support structure along the primary axis of the support structure.
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, 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.
Claims 6 and 29 are rejected under 35 USC 102 above. The following rejections are presented to expedite prosecution.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reynolds (WO2020/120998). Reynolds teaches the salient features of the claimed invention including the endstop surfaces forming an angle. Figure 11 of Reynolds appears to teach an angle of endstop surfaces being greater than 20°. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to set the for the purpose of utilizing an optimum range. The applicant should note that it has been held that where the general working conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claim(s) 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reynolds (WO2020/120998) in view of Hara (U.S. Publication No. 2006/0272328). Reynolds teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for the movable part comprises an image sensor. Hara teaches in figures 2 and 5 that the sensor (5) may be part of the movable part. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the features of Hara for the purpose of correcting blur for small imaging systems.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 31 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 27 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Miller (U.S. Publication No. 20180171991) teaches the sensor may be shifted in OIS.
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/CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852