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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed 06/26/2026 have been entered. Claims 1, 4, 6-10, 13 and 15-18 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/26/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the prior art of record, Ishihara (US 2010/0098394, of record), fails to disclose the limitations of the independent claim 1, specifically, “an end of the movable portion is provided with a folding portion, the folding portion is connected to a side wall at an end of the focusing module, and the folding portion is folded towards a lower end surface of the focusing module, to enable the movable portion to extend along the lower end surface of the focusing module towards the fixed portion and to be connected to the fixed portion”. Examiner respectfully disagrees. Examiner notes that the side wall is interpreted as the side wall of the structure comprising base 220 and fixed cover 260 from which the lead-out part 350 extends from. Reference is be made to Fig 9 and Para [0073-0077]. The whole flexible circuit board 300, and thus the movable portion including the folding portion, is connected to said base 220 as it rests on top of the base 220 as seen in Fig 6. The folding portion 303 is bend downwards to a bottom end surface of the module. For this reason examiner maintains the rejection of claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being disclosed by Ishihara (US 2010/0098394). Examiner further notes that the limitations are being interpreted under the broadest reasonable interpretation.
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.
Claims 1, 4, 6, 8-10, 13, 15, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishihara (US 2010/0098394, of record) in view of Minamisawa (US 2020/0174273, of record)
Regarding claim 1, Ishihara discloses a lens module (see Fig 9), comprising: a focusing module (see Fig 9; Para [0072-0073]; a lens drive module 1a); a deflection base, provided with a through slot, wherein the focusing module is disposed in the through slot and is connected to an inner wall of the through slot (see Fig 9; Para [0073-0077]; a sensor cover 180 and 160 is interpreted as a deflection base wherein the center region has a cavity where drive module 1a is disposed in; sides 182 are coupled to the drive module 1a as seen in Fig 9), and the deflection base is configured to drive the focusing module to deflect (see Fig 7; Para [0070]; magnets coupled to cover 180 are configure to drive focusing module 1a); and a soft plate, comprising a movable portion and a fixed portion (see Fig 9; Para [0045, 0077-0078]; a flexible circuit board acts as a soft plate comprises a fixed lead-out portion and a movable bent and flat portions, 301, 303, 320, 340), wherein an end of the movable portion is provided with a folding portion (see Fig 9; Para [0078]; movable portion has bent portions 301-303), the folding portion is connected to a side wall at an end of the focusing module (see Fig 9; Para [0079]; the flat portion 340 connects the bent portion 303 to a bottom side of movable module 1), and the folding portion is folded toward a lower end surface of the focusing module, to enable the movable portion to extend along the lower end surface of the focusing module toward the fixed portion and to be connected to the fixed portion (see Fig 9; Para [0078-0079]; the bent portion 303 is folded 180 degrees towards the bottom of the focusing module 1; allows movement of focusing module in a xyz planes); and a first connecting plate (see Fig 9; Para [0078]; a fourth flat plate portion 340), a bottom end of the first connecting plate is connected to the movable portion, a top end is provided with a second bent portion that is bent downward to form a second connecting plate (see Fig 9; Para [0078]; a bottom end which examiner interprets as a top surface of flat plate portion 340 is connected and is part of the movable portion of 300; a bottom surface has a bent portion 303 and 302 that forms a second flat plate portion 320), and an end of the second connecting plate away from the second bent portion extends in a direction away from a side wall of the deflection base and is connected to the fixed portion (see Fig 9; Para [0078]; an end of the second flat plate portion 320 bents 180degrees away from a side wall 182 of base 180 and is connected via element 310 to fixed portion 350); and an edge of the deflection base is provided with a convex connecting portion, and the connecting portion is connected to the first connecting plate (see Fig 9; Para [0077]; a side 182 of the sensor cover 180 is provided with a convex edge which allows the flexible circuit 300 to be connected to the focusing module 1).
Ishihara does not disclose wherein the first connecting plate is bonded to the side wall of the deflection base. Ishihara and Minamisawa are related because both disclose lens modules.
Minamisawa discloses a lens module (see Fig 2) wherein the first connecting plate is bonded to the side wall of the deflection base (see Fig 2; Para [0036-0038]; the first connecting plate may be an element 18 bonded to the movable body 14)
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Ishihara with wherein the first connecting plate is bonded to the side wall of the deflection base of Minamisawa for the purpose of reducing the size of the optical lens without removing rotational functionality (Para [0038])
Regarding claim 4, Ishihara in view Minamisawa of discloses the lens module according to claim 1 (see Fig 9). Ishihara further discloses wherein a bottom end of the deflection base is provided with an avoidance portion that allows the movable portion to pass through, and the movable portion passes through the deflection base along the avoidance portion to be connected to the first connecting plate (see Fig 9; Para [0077]; a cut-out part 182a is at a bottom end of the base 180 and allows movable portion of flexible circuit 300 to pass through base 180 and connect to flat plate portion 340).
Regarding claim 6, Ishihara in view Minamisawa discloses the lens module according to claim 1 (see Fig 9). Ishihara further discloses wherein the movable portion is provided with a circumventing portion that is disposed in a curved manner (see Fig 11c; Para [0093]; movable portion is provided with spring member 280 which is disposed in a circular manner around optical axis), the circumventing portion is disposed between the first connecting plate and the folding portion (see Fig 11c; Para [0093]; the spring member 280 is disposed between the flat portion 340 and the bottom of the folded portion 302), and the circumventing portion is configured to provide cushioning after the deflection base drives the focusing module to deflect (see Fig 11c; Para [0093-0094]; spring member provides gimbal spring shape).
Regarding claim 8, Ishihara in view Minamisawa discloses the lens module according to claim 1 (see Fig 9). Ishihara further discloses wherein the deflection base comprises a deflection block and a housing (see Fig 9; Para [0074]; the deflection base may comprise the module cover 160 and the metal sensor cover 180), the deflection block is connected to the focusing module (see Fig 9; Para [0079]; the sensor cover 180 is coupled to the movable module 1), the housing is provided with a limiting cavity, the deflection block is disposed in the limiting cavity, the lens module comprises a driver, and the driver is configured to drive the deflection block to deflect in the limiting cavity around a horizontal direction (see Fig 9 and 11a-d; Para [0098] the module cover 160 is disposed with an interior cavity; the lens module has a driving mechanism 250 which drives the element 180to deflect in the cavity in a horizonal plane around Y-axis).
Regarding claim 9, disclosed by Ishihara in view Minamisawa discloses the lens module according to claim 8 (see Fig 9). Ishihara further discloses wherein an inner wall of the deflection block is provided with a plurality of clamping grooves (see Fig 9; Para [0075-0077]; the inner side walls of the sensor cover is grooved to provide a clamping fit for the focusing unit 1a), a side wall of the focusing module is provided with bosses matching the clamping grooves (see Fig 9; Para [0075-0077]; the focusing unit 1a has matching grooves to fit into the sensor cover 180), and the bosses are clamped in the clamping grooves (see Fig 9; Para [0076]; the grooves of 1a complement the grooves of 180 and are clamped together with the housing 160 and the screws 198).
Regarding claim 10, Ishihara further discloses a photography device, comprising the lens module according to claim 1 (see Fig 1C; Para [0063]; the optical unit may be used in an apparatus used for photography) disclosed by Ishihara in view Minamisawa.
Regarding claim 13, Ishihara further discloses a photography device, comprising the lens module according to claim 4 (see Fig 1C; Para [0063]; the optical unit may be used in an apparatus used for photography) disclosed by Ishihara in view Minamisawa.
Regarding claim 15, Ishihara further discloses a photography device, comprising the lens module according to claim 6 (see Fig 1C; Para [0063]; the optical unit may be used in an apparatus used for photography) disclosed by Ishihara in view Minamisawa.
Regarding claim 17, Ishihara further discloses a photography device, comprising the lens module according to claim 8 (see Fig 1C; Para [0063]; the optical unit may be used in an apparatus used for photography) disclosed by Ishihara in view Minamisawa.
Regarding claim 18, Ishihara further discloses a photography device, comprising the lens module according to claim 9 (see Fig 1C; Para [0063]; the optical unit may be used in an apparatus used for photography) disclosed by Ishihara in view Minamisawa.
Claims 7 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishihara (US 2010/0098394, of record) in view of Minamisawa (US 2020/0174273, of record) as applied to claim 6 above and further in view of Park (US 2010/0073785, of record)
Regarding claim 7, Ishihara in view of Minamisawa discloses the lens module according to claim 6. Ishihara in view of Minamisawa does not disclose wherein the circumventing portion comprises a first circumventing member and a second circumventing member that are disposed symmetrically, and the first circumventing member and the second circumventing member are arc-shaped. Ishihara in view of Minamisawa and Park are related because both disclose lens modules.
Park discloses a lens module (see Fig 1) wherein the circumventing portion comprises a first circumventing member and a second circumventing member that are disposed symmetrically, and the first circumventing member and the second circumventing member are arc-shaped (see Fig 2; Para [0030]; a first spring 141 and a second spring 145 are formed in arc shapes and are disposed symmetrically around an optical axis)
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Ishihara in view of Minamisawa with wherein the circumventing portion comprises a first circumventing member and a second circumventing member that are disposed symmetrically, and the first circumventing member and the second circumventing member are arc-shaped of Park for the purpose of minimizing the size of the embodiment by proving a spring capable of returning carrier to initial position and applying current to the coil (Para [0029])
Regarding claim 16, Ishihara in view of Minamisawa and Park discloses the lens module according to claim 7. Ishihara further discloses a photography device (see Fig 1C; Para [0063]; the optical unit may be used in an apparatus used for photography).
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GABRIEL ANDRES SANZ whose telephone number is (571)272-3844. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30 am -5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached at (571) 270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/G.A.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/WILLIAM R ALEXANDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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