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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/8/2026 has been entered.
Status Of Claims
This Office Action is in response to an amendment received 4/8/2026 in which Applicant lists claims 2-10, 12-16, 18-19 as being original, claim 20 as being previously presented, and claims 1, 11, 17 as being currently amended. It is interpreted by the examiner that claims 1-20 are pending.
If applicant is aware of any relevant prior art, or other co-pending application not already of record, they are reminded of their duty under 37 CFR 1.56 to disclose the same.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Korea on 6/8/2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the KR 10-2022-0069689 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
The amendments to the claims dated 4/8/2026 are accepted. The objections to the claims cited in the office action mailed 2/24/2026 are hereby withdrawn.
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 11-16 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.
Claim 11 recites “support arms that protrude from the pivot plate”, wherein “support arms” is plural. However, claim 11 also recites that the first rolling member is disposed at one end of the support arm, and therefore it is not clear which support arm includes the first rolling member. Therefore, claim 11 is indefinite. For the purpose of this examination claim 11 has been interpreted to recite “a first rolling member disposed at one end of the support arms”, like the language recited in claims 1, 17 and 20.
Claims 12-16 are rejected for inheriting the same indefiniteness of the claims from which they depend.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 20 is allowed for the same reasons set forth in the Final Office Action mailed 2/24/2026.
Claims 2, 5-8, 10 are 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. It is noted that claims 6-8 are objected to for depending from claim 5.
Claims 12, 15-16 would be objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, and if rewritten to overcome the 112(b) rejections above. It is noted that claim 16 would be objected to for depending from claim 15.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-9 of the remarks, filed 4/8/2026, with respect to the rejections of the claims in view of Seo et al. (US 2020/0363626 A1) and Jeong et al. (US 2018/0356645 A1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of Jang et al. (US 2024/0080560 A1, of record), Peng et al. (US 2024/0302672 A1), Hur et al. (US 2022/0221771 A1) and Jeong et al. (US 2018/0356645 A1, of record).
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3-4, 9, 11, 13-14, 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jang et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2024/0080560 A1, of record (hereafter Jang).
Regarding claim 1, Jang discloses an optical image stabilization module, comprising:
a housing having an inner space (see at least element 1210 and/or 1254);
a moving holder, accommodated in the inner space (see at least element 1231), and including a reflective member configured to receive light incident from outside, change a path of the received light, and transmit the light along an optical axis direction (see at least element 1232);
a guide member including a pivot plate interposed between an inner wall of the housing and the moving holder (see at least element 1223 which is part of 1220) and support arms that protrude from the pivot plate to extend along the optical axis direction (see at least elements 1221 and 1222 which are part of 1220 and extend along the optical axis (z-axis)); and
a first rolling member disposed at one end of the support arms (see at least elements B1, B1a, B1b),
wherein, when viewed in a direction of the incident light perpendicular to the optical axis direction, an entirety of the pivot plate is spaced apart from the reflective member (see at least figures 4a, 9-13b).
Regarding claim 3, Jang discloses the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the support arms include a pair of support arms, and the pair of support arms are spaced apart from each other along a first axis that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction and perpendicular to an incident direction of the light (see at least elements 1221 and 1222).
Regarding claim 4, Jang discloses the limitations of claim 3, and wherein the first rolling member includes a pair of first rolling members, and the pair of first rolling members are disposed at a first side and a second side of the reflective member in a direction of the first axis perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements B1, B1a, B1b).
Regarding claim 9, Jang discloses the limitations of claim 3, and wherein the first rolling member disposed at a first end of the pair of support arms includes a plurality of first ball units arranged along the first axis perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements B1, B1a, B1b).
Regarding claim 11, Jang discloses a camera module, comprising:
a housing having an inner space (see at least element 1210 and/or 1254);
an optical image stabilization module, accommodated in the inner space, and movably supported at an inner wall of the housing, and including a reflective member configured to receive light incident from outside, change a path of the received light, and transmit the light along an optical axis direction (see at least elements 1200, 1220, 1231, 1232, paras. [0011], [0051], [0115], [0128], [0134], [0162]); and
a lens module that includes a lens barrel including a plurality of lenses disposed in the optical axis direction so that light reflected by the reflective member passes through the lens barrel (see at least figure 3b, elements 1100, 1110, 1120, 1130 held in a structure considered the lens barrel),
wherein the optical image stabilization module comprises:
a guide member including a pivot plate interposed between the inner wall of the housing and a moving holder (see at least element 1223 which is part of 1220), and support arms that protrude from the pivot plate to extend along the optical axis direction toward the lens module (see at least elements 1221 and 1222 which are part of 1220 and extend along the optical axis (z-axis)); and
a first rolling member disposed at one end of the support arms (see at least elements B1, B1a, B1b),
wherein, when viewed in a direction of the incident light perpendicular to the optical axis direction, an entirety of the pivot plate is spaced apart from the reflective member (see at least figures 4a, 9-13b).
Regarding claim 13, Jang discloses the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the support arms include a pair of support arms, and the pair of support arms are spaced apart from each other along a first axis that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction and perpendicular to an incident direction of the light (see at least elements 1221 and 1222).
Regarding claim 14, Jang discloses the limitations of claim 3, and wherein the first rolling member includes a pair of first rolling members, and the pair of first rolling members are disposed at a first side and a second side of the reflective member in a direction of the first axis perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements B1, B1a, B1b).
Regarding claim 17, Jang discloses an electronic device, comprising:
a folded module (see at least element 1000), comprising:
a moving holder, including a reflective member, and configured to rotate around an axis perpendicular to an optical axis direction (see at least elements 1231, 1232, figures 12a-12b showing rotation around the y-axis, paras. [0259]-[0264]; and/or figures 13a-13b showing rotation around the x-axis, paras. [0265]-[0272]);
a guide member configured to support the moving holder, and including a pivot plate (see at least element 1223 which is part of 1220) and support arms protruding from the pivot plate, and configured to extend toward the moving holder (see at least elements 1221 and 1222 which are part of 1220 and extend along the optical axis (z-axis)); and
rolling members disposed on one end of the support arms between the support arms and the moving holder (see at least elements B1, B1a, B1b),
wherein the reflective member is configured to receive light incident from outside, change a path of the received light, and transmit the light along an optical axis direction (see at least element 1232), and
wherein, when viewed in a direction of the incident light perpendicular to the optical axis direction, an entirety of the pivot plate is spaced apart from the reflective member (see at least figures 4a, 9-13b).
Regarding claim 18, Jang discloses the limitations of claim 17, and wherein the support arms and the rolling members are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements 1221, B1a, 1222, B1b).
Regarding claim 19, Jang discloses the limitations of claim 17, and wherein the rolling members are disposed at a center of gravity of the moving holder at a lower end of the reflective member (see at least figures 4b-6a).
Claims 1, 3-4, 9, 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Peng et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2024/0302672 A1 (hereafter Peng).
Regarding claim 1, Peng discloses an optical image stabilization module, comprising:
a housing having an inner space (see at least element B);
a moving holder, accommodated in the inner space (see at least element P), and including a reflective member configured to receive light incident from outside, change a path of the received light, and transmit the light along an optical axis direction (see at least element PR);
a guide member including a pivot plate interposed between an inner wall of the housing and the moving holder (see at least element R, wherein back plate of R is considered the pivot plate) and support arms that protrude from the pivot plate to extend along the optical axis direction (see at least element R, wherein side plates of R are considered the support arms and extend along the optical axis (y-axis)); and
a first rolling member disposed at one end of the support arms (see at least elements BA1, BA2),
wherein, when viewed in a direction of the incident light perpendicular to the optical axis direction, an entirety of the pivot plate is spaced apart from the reflective member (see at least figures 3-4, 7).
Regarding claim 3, Peng discloses the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the support arms include a pair of support arms, and the pair of support arms are spaced apart from each other along a first axis that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction and perpendicular to an incident direction of the light (see at least element R).
Regarding claim 4, Peng discloses the limitations of claim 3, and wherein the first rolling member includes a pair of first rolling members, and the pair of first rolling members are disposed at a first side and a second side of the reflective member in a direction of the first axis perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements BA1, BA2 and PR).
Regarding claim 9, Peng discloses the limitations of claim 3, and wherein the first rolling member disposed at a first end of the pair of support arms includes a plurality of first ball units arranged along the first axis perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements BA1, BA2).
Regarding claim 17, Peng discloses an electronic device, comprising:
a folded module (see at least element 100), comprising:
a moving holder, including a reflective member, and configured to rotate around an axis perpendicular to an optical axis direction (see at least elements P, PR, figures 3-4 showing rotation around the X-axis and around the Z-axis);
a guide member configured to support the moving holder, and including a pivot plate (see at least element R, wherein back plate of R is considered the pivot plate) and support arms protruding from the pivot plate, and configured to extend toward the moving holder (see at least element R, wherein side plates of R are considered the support arms and extend along the optical axis (y-axis)); and
rolling members disposed on one end of the support arms between the support arms and the moving holder (see at least elements BA1, BA2),
wherein the reflective member is configured to receive light incident from outside, change a path of the received light, and transmit the light along an optical axis direction (see at least element PR), and
wherein, when viewed in a direction of the incident light perpendicular to the optical axis direction, an entirety of the pivot plate is spaced apart from the reflective member (see at least figures 3-4, 7).
Regarding claim 18, Peng discloses the limitations of claim 17, and wherein the support arms and the rolling members are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements R, BA1, BA2).
Regarding claim 19, Peng discloses the limitations of claim 17, and wherein the rolling members are disposed at a center of gravity of the moving holder at a lower end of the reflective member (see at least figures 1-2).
Claims 1, 3-4, 9, 11, 13-14, 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hur et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2022/0221771 A1 (hereafter Hur).
Regarding claim 1, Hur discloses an optical image stabilization module, comprising:
a housing having an inner space (see at least element 210 and/or 210-1);
a moving holder, accommodated in the inner space (see at least element 232), and including a reflective member configured to receive light incident from outside, change a path of the received light, and transmit the light along an optical axis direction (see at least element 231);
a guide member including a pivot plate interposed between an inner wall of the housing and the moving holder (see at least element 252, wherein back plate of 252 is considered the pivot plate) and support arms that protrude from the pivot plate to extend along the optical axis direction (see at least element 256); and
a first rolling member disposed at one end of the support arms (see at least elements 258),
wherein, when viewed in a direction of the incident light perpendicular to the optical axis direction, an entirety of the pivot plate is spaced apart from the reflective member (see at least figures 8-11A).
Regarding claim 3, Hur discloses the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the support arms include a pair of support arms, and the pair of support arms are spaced apart from each other along a first axis that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction and perpendicular to an incident direction of the light (see at least elements 256).
Regarding claim 4, Hur discloses the limitations of claim 3, and wherein the first rolling member includes a pair of first rolling members, and the pair of first rolling members are disposed at a first side and a second side of the reflective member in a direction of the first axis perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements 258).
Regarding claim 9, Hur discloses the limitations of claim 3, and wherein the first rolling member disposed at a first end of the pair of support arms includes a plurality of first ball units arranged along the first axis perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements 258).
Regarding claim 11, Hur discloses a camera module, comprising:
a housing having an inner space (see at least element 210 and/or 210-1);
an optical image stabilization module, accommodated in the inner space, and movably supported at an inner wall of the housing, and including a reflective member configured to receive light incident from outside, change a path of the received light, and transmit the light along an optical axis direction (see at least elements 252, 232, 231, para. [0107]); and
a lens module that includes a lens barrel including a plurality of lenses disposed in the optical axis direction so that light reflected by the reflective member passes through the lens barrel (see at least figure 5, elements 221, 222),
wherein the optical image stabilization module comprises:
a guide member including a pivot plate interposed between the inner wall of the housing and a moving holder (see at least element 252, wherein back plate of 252 is considered the pivot plate), and support arms that protrude from the pivot plate to extend along the optical axis direction toward the lens module (see at least element 256); and
a first rolling member disposed at one end of the support arms (see at least element 258),
wherein, when viewed in a direction of the incident light perpendicular to the optical axis direction, an entirety of the pivot plate is spaced apart from the reflective member (see at least figures 8-11A).
Regarding claim 13, Hur discloses the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the support arms include a pair of support arms, and the pair of support arms are spaced apart from each other along a first axis that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction and perpendicular to an incident direction of the light (see at least elements 256).
Regarding claim 14, Hur discloses the limitations of claim 3, and wherein the first rolling member includes a pair of first rolling members, and the pair of first rolling members are disposed at a first side and a second side of the reflective member in a direction of the first axis perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements 258).
Regarding claim 17, Hur discloses an electronic device, comprising:
a folded module (see at least element 200), comprising:
a moving holder (see at least element 232), including a reflective member (see at least element 231), and configured to rotate around an axis perpendicular to an optical axis direction (see at least figure 9 “pitching” and/or “yawing”);
a guide member configured to support the moving holder, and including a pivot plate (see at least element 252, wherein back plate of 252 is considered the pivot plate) and support arms protruding from the pivot plate, and configured to extend toward the moving holder (see at least element 256); and
rolling members disposed on one end of the support arms between the support arms and the moving holder (see at least element 258),
wherein the reflective member is configured to receive light incident from outside, change a path of the received light, and transmit the light along an optical axis direction (see at least element 231), and
wherein, when viewed in a direction of the incident light perpendicular to the optical axis direction, an entirety of the pivot plate is spaced apart from the reflective member (see at least figures 8-11A).
Regarding claim 18, Hur discloses the limitations of claim 17, and wherein the support arms and the rolling members are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements 256, 258).
Regarding claim 19, Hur discloses the limitations of claim 17, and wherein the rolling members are disposed at a center of gravity of the moving holder at a lower end of the reflective member (see at least element 258).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 11, 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peng et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2024/0302672 A1 (hereafter Peng) in view of Jeong et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2018/0356645 A1, of record (hereafter Jeong).
Regarding claim 11, Peng discloses a camera module, comprising:
a housing having an inner space (see at least element B);
an optical image stabilization module, accommodated in the inner space, and movably supported at an inner wall of the housing, and including a reflective member configured to receive light incident from outside, change a path of the received light, and transmit the light along an optical axis direction (see at least elements B, P, PR, R, para. [0051]); and
a lens module (see at least paras. [0041], [0051]),
wherein the optical image stabilization module comprises:
a guide member including a pivot plate interposed between the inner wall of the housing (see at least element R, wherein back plate of R is considered the pivot plate) and a moving holder (see at least element P), and support arms that protrude from the pivot plate to extend along the optical axis direction toward the lens module (see at least element R, wherein side plates of R are considered the support arms and extend along the optical axis (y-axis)); and
a first rolling member disposed at one end of the support arms (see at least elements BA1, BA2),
wherein, when viewed in a direction of the incident light perpendicular to the optical axis direction, an entirety of the pivot plate is spaced apart from the reflective member (see at least figures 3-4, 7).
Peng does not specifically show a lens module that includes a lens barrel including a plurality of lenses disposed in the optical axis direction so that light reflected by the reflective member passes through the lens barrel.
However, Jeong is related to Peng since both Peng and Jeong are related to folded optics reflecting modules for cameras including optical image stabilization (see at least the title, abstract and para. [0041] of Peng, and the title and abstract of Jeong), wherein Jeong teaches that folded light from the reflective member (Jeong, element 1110) may be made to be incident on a lens module that includes a lens barrel including a plurality of lenses disposed in the optical axis direction so that light reflected by the reflective member passes through the lens barrel (Jeong, element 1200, paras. [0053], [0055], [0070]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to an ordinarily skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Peng to include the teachings of Jeong so that the camera module includes a lens module that includes a lens barrel including a plurality of lenses disposed in the optical axis direction so that light reflected by the reflective member passes through the lens barrel, for the purpose of using a well-known folded optic structure for folding a light path by reflecting incident light into a plurality of lenses and transmitting the light to an image sensor (Jeong, figure 3, elements 1001, 1100, 1200, 1310).
Regarding claim 13, Peng discloses the limitations of claim 11, and wherein the support arms include a pair of support arms, and the pair of support arms are spaced apart from each other along a first axis that is perpendicular to the optical axis direction and perpendicular to an incident direction of the light (see at least element R of Peng).
Regarding claim 14, Peng in view of Jeong discloses the limitations of claim 13, and wherein the first rolling member includes a pair of first rolling members, and the pair of first rolling members are disposed at a first side and a second side of the reflective member in a direction of the first axis perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see at least elements BA1, BA2 of Peng).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEREK S. CHAPEL whose telephone number is (571)272-8042. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30am-6pm.
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/Derek S. Chapel/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 6/2/2026
Derek S. CHAPEL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2872
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