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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
As required by M.P.E.P. 609, the applicant’s submissions of the Information Disclosure Statement dated 5/13/2024 and 12/10/2025 is acknowledged by the examiner and the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending.
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 2-6 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.
As to claims 2 and 3, the claims recites “configured snugly...” which is a relative/subjective term that renders the claim indefinite (MPEP 2173.05(b)). The term “snug” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Specifically, what makes the device snug is entirely subjective. For purposes of compact prosecution, Examiner will read out the limitation.
Claims 3-6 are rejected as dependent upon claim 2.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Haruyama (JPO 2022-161138). An English machine translation has been provided for the foreign patent publication.
Regarding claim 1, Haruyama discloses a magnetic structure of a voice coil motor (Fig 4-Fig 6, [0022], voice coil motor 31), applied to a zoom lens ([0035], correcting lens), comprising: a yoke assembly ([0022], rectangular yoke 32) provided with two annular yoke bodies ([0022], 40a, 40b) provided side by side in a first direction (Fig 5 shows 40a and 40b are arranged side by side in a first direction); wherein a central axis of each of the annular yoke bodies is provided along a second direction (Fig 5 shows the central axes of the U-shaped yokes are arranged in the second direction), and each of the annular yoke bodies is configured to extend along a third direction (Fig 5 shows 40a and 40b extend in the third direction); the two annular yoke bodies are provided with two first yoke sections that are close to each other in the first direction (Fig 5, [0022], rectangular yoke 32 has a pair of U-shaped yokes 40a, 40b and end yokes 43a, 43b coupled to the open ends of the U-shaped yokes 40a, 40b to form a closed magnetic circuit), and two second yoke sections that are far away from each other (Fig 5 shows 41a and 41b are far away from each other with respect to central axis); and a magnetic strip assembly provided with two magnets (Fig 5, permanent magnets 33a and 33b); wherein the two magnets (33a, 33b) are respectively provided in the two annular yoke bodies (Fig 5 shows 33a and 33b are provided in the two U-shaped yokes 40a and 40b); the two magnets (33a, 33b) are respectively provided on opposite side end surfaces of the two first yoke sections (Fig 5 shows that 33a and 33b are arranged on the end faces of the two opposite sides of the two side yokes 41a and 41b), or opposite side end surfaces of the two second yoke sections.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 are allowed, pending applicant’s overcoming of the 112(b) rejection above.
Claims 7-10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: with respect to the allowable subject matter, none of the prior art either alone or in combination disclose or teach of the claimed combination of limitations to warrant a rejection under 35 USC 102 or 103.
Specifically, with respect to dependent claim 2, the prior art of Haruyama taken either singly or in combination with any other prior art fails to suggest such magnetic structure of a voice coil motor, including the specific arrangement: “wherein the yoke assembly comprises: two yokes; wherein each of the two yokes is provided with a first straight yoke section, a second straight yoke section and an arc-shaped yoke section; the first straight yoke section and the second straight yoke section are provided opposite to each other in the first direction, and two ends of the first straight yoke section and the second straight yoke section are connected by the arc-shaped yoke section in the third direction; the first straight yoke section of one yoke and the second straight yoke section of the other yoke are configured snugly; and a yoke cover configured to extend along the first direction and connect the other two ends of the first straight yoke section and the second straight yoke section of each of the yokes in the third direction in order to respectively surround to form the two annular yoke bodies; wherein, the two magnets are respectively provided on the first straight yoke section and the second straight yoke section that are configured snugly or are respectively provided on the first straight yoke section and the second straight yoke section that are far away from each other; the two first yoke sections are provided with a first straight yoke section and a second straight yoke section that are configured snugly, and the two second yoke sections are provided with a first straight yoke section and a second straight yoke section that are far away from each other”. Claims 3-6 are allowable due to pendency on dependent claim 2.
Specifically, with respect to dependent claim 7, the prior art of Haruyama taken either singly or in combination with any other prior art fails to suggest such magnetic structure of a voice coil motor, including the specific arrangement: “wherein each of the magnets comprises a magnetic strip, the magnetic strip is configured to extend along the third direction and is fixedly connected to the two first yoke sections or the two second yoke sections through a thread connection structure”.
Specifically, with respect to dependent claim 8, the prior art of Haruyama taken either singly or in combination with any other prior art fails to suggest such magnetic structure of a voice coil motor, including the specific arrangement: “a voice coil motor, applied to a zoom lens, comprising: the magnetic structure of the voice coil motor according to claim 1; and an annular coil provided on a movable bearing plate of the zoom lens; wherein the annular coil is wound along an extension axis in the third direction; the two first yoke sections of the magnetic structure of the voice coil motor that are in contact with each other in the first direction are provided in the annular coil”. Claims 9 and 10 are allowable due to pendency on dependent claim 8.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sim (5202595) and Wilcox (4652779) discloses voice coil or linear actuators but fails to teach all of the limitations as claimed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sharrief I Broome whose telephone number is (571)272-3454. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Mack can be reached at 571-272-2333. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Sharrief I. Broome
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2872
/SHARRIEF I BROOME/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872