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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 5/20/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 12-13, 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sugawara et al. (US 2025/0013125 A1) hereinafter referenced as Sugawara.
Regarding claim 12, Sugawara discloses
A camera module (fig. 2) comprising:
a carrier (13; fig. 12) accommodating a lens (Carrier 13 accommodates AF movable part 12 which holds the lens 2; fig. 13; [0129]);
a housing (20; figs. 6) accommodating the carrier;
a guiding unit (14; fig. 12) disposed between a bottom surface the carrier and an upper surface of a bottom of the housing (figs. 4, 6, 12);
a first actuator (30X; figs. 4, 6, 12-13) disposed on an upper surface of the guiding unit (Stage fixing part 343 of first actuator 30X is fixed to chucking guide fixing part 145X or second stage 14; [0111]; As can be seen in figs. 6 and 12, the stage fixing part 343 is placed on top of the chucking guide fixing part 145X, the top of which would be part of the upper surface of the guiding unit 14.), and configured to move the lens along a first direction (X-direction; [0116]) perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens; and
a second actuator (30Y; figs. 6-7), disposed under a bottom surface of the guiding unit ([0117]; 30Y is fixed to base 21 which is under the bottom surface of second stage 14; fig. 6), and configured to move the lens along a second direction (7-direction; [0117]) perpendicular to the optical axis,
wherein the guiding unit (14; fig .12) comprises a plurality of guide grooves (143) disposed on the upper surface of the guiding unit, and
the camera module further comprises a plurality of rolling members (42; fig. 12) disposed between the plurality of guide grooves and the bottom surface of the carrier.
Regarding claim 13, Sugawara discloses everything claimed as applied above (see claim 12), in addition, Sugawara discloses, wherein
the first actuator (30X; fig. 6) comprises a first piezoelectric member ([0094], [0099]; fig. 11), and
the second actuator comprises a second piezoelectric member ([0094], [0099]; fig. 11).
Regarding claim 17, Sugawara discloses everything claimed as applied above (see claim 12), in addition, Sugawara discloses, further comprising a third actuator (15; figs. 13, 15-17) disposed on the carrier (The third actuator is disposed on the AF movable part 12 which is disposed on the carrier 13) and configured to move the lens (2) along the optical axis ([0174]).
Regarding claim 18, Sugawara discloses everything claimed as applied above (see claim 17), in addition, Sugawara discloses, wherein
the third actuator (15) comprises a piezoelectric member ([0178]).
Regarding claim 21, Sugawara discloses everything claimed as applied above (see claim 12), in addition, Sugawara discloses, wherein the plurality of guide grooves (143) disposed on the upper surface of the guiding unit are disposed at a plurality of corners of the guiding unit (fig. 12).
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.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugawara in view of Jung et al. (KR 10-1483782) hereinafter referenced as Jung.
Regarding claim 19, Sugawara discloses everything claimed as applied above (see claim 18), however, Sugawara, fails to explicitly disclose the third actuator further comprises a magnet disposed in the carrier. However, the examiner maintains that it was well known in the art to provide this, as taught by Jung.
In a similar field of endeavor, Jung discloses the third actuator (30, 50; fig. 5) further comprises a magnet disposed on the carrier (20; fig. 5).
Sugawara teaches an actuator for moving a lens in an optical axis direction comprising piezoelectric actuator disposed in the lens carrier. Jung teaches an actuator for moving a lens in an optical axis direction comprising a piezoelectric actuator and a magnet disposed in the lens carrier. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve Sugawara by applying a magnet in the lens carrier opposed to a yoke on the stage moving the carrier to achieve the predictable result of providing a preload for the actuator so that it can move the lens smoothly in the optical axis direction.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-16 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 14, the prior art of record fails to disclose the first actuator and the second actuator are disposed between the magnet and the insert member along a direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens.
Regarding claims 15-16, they depend from claim 14 and therefore contain allowable subject matter for the same reasons as stated above (see claim 14).
Claim 20 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.
Regarding claim 20, the prior art of record fails to disclose the third actuator comprises a first yoke attached to a lens holder and a second yoke disposed outside of the carrier such that the magnet is disposed between the first yoke and the second yoke.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL M BERARDESCA whose telephone number is (571)270-3579. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 10-8, Fri 10-2.
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PAUL M. BERARDESCA
Examiner
Art Unit 2637
/PAUL M BERARDESCA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637 5/28/2026
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