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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/30/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nomura et al. (US 2002/0135887; already of record).
Regarding claim 1, Nomura discloses, a camera module (Figs. 1-5), comprising: a base (11), a photosensitive chip (10a), a first lens tube (18), a first lens (L1), a second lens (L2), a driving lens tube (13), a first support (12), a first driving mechanism (Para. 0066), and a second driving mechanism (Para. 0080), wherein
the photosensitive chip is disposed in the base (Para. 0066), the driving lens tube is rotatably connected to the base (Para. 0066 and see Figs. 1-5), the first lens tube is sleeved on the driving lens tube (see Figs. 1-5), the first lens tube is connected to the driving lens tube through a first matching protrusion (16b, 32a, 32c) and a first spiral guide groove (13c, 14c), the first support is movably disposed on the base (Para. 0066-0069), the first lens tube is provided with the first lens, the first support is provided with the second lens (see Figs. 1-5), the second lens is located between the photosensitive chip and the first lens (see Figs. 1-5),
the first driving mechanism is connected to the driving lens tube (Para. 0066 and see Figs. 1-5), the first driving mechanism drives, through the driving lens tube, the first lens tube to move in a first direction with the cooperation of the first matching protrusion and the first spiral guide groove (Para. 0066-0069),
the second driving mechanism comprises a first driving source (Para. 0080), a screw (24), and a nut (Para. 0080), the first driving source is disposed on the base, the first driving source is connected to the screw (Para. 0080 and see Figs. 1-5), the nut threadedly cooperates with the screw (Para. 0080 and see Figs. 1-5), the nut is connected to the first support (Para. 0080 and see Figs. 1-5), the nut drives the first support to move in the first direction (Para. 0080 and see Figs. 1-5), and the first direction is a direction close to or away from the photosensitive chip (Para. 0066-0069 and 0080).
Regarding claims 2 and 16, Nomura discloses, the second driving mechanism further comprises a third elastic member (23), the third elastic member is disposed between the nut and the first support, the nut drives, through the third elastic member, the first support to move in the first direction, and in a case that the first support is subject to an external force, the third elastic member enables the first support to move in a direction close to the photosensitive chip (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claims 3 and 17, Nomura discloses, an edge of the first support is provided with a notch (see Figs. 1-5), and the second driving mechanism is at least partially located in the notch (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claims 4 and 18, Nomura discloses, the camera module further comprises a second support (22) and a third lens (L3), the second support is movably disposed on the first support, the second support is provided with the third lens, and the third lens is located between the first lens and the second lens (Para. 0080-0081 and Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claims 5 and 19, Nomura discloses, the camera module further comprises a first elastic member (23), and the first elastic member is disposed between the first support and the second support (see Figs. 1-5), the second driving mechanism drives, through the first support and the first elastic member, the second support to move in the first direction (Para. 0088), and in a case that the second support is subject to an external force, the first elastic member enables the second support to move in a direction close to the photosensitive chip (Para. 0088).
Regarding claims 6 and 20, Nomura discloses, the camera module further comprises a first guide column (Para. 0080 and see 22a), one of the base and the first support is provided with a first guide part (see Figs. 1-5), and the other is firmly connected to the first guide column, and the first guide part slidably cooperates with the first guide column (see Figs. 1-5); and the camera module further comprises a second guide column (Para. 0080 and see 22a), one of the first support and the second support is provided with a second guide part, and the other is firmly connected to the second guide column, and the second guide part slidably cooperates with the second guide column (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 7, Nomura discloses, an edge of the first support is provided with the first guide part, the first guide part is a guide notch, and an edge of the second support is provided with the second guide part, and the second guide part is a guide hole (Para. 0080 and see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 8, Nomura discloses, one surface, facing the first support, of the second support is provided with an extension part, the extension part is provided with the second guide part, and the extension part is capable of at least partially extending into the first elastic member (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 9, Nomura discloses, the camera module further comprises a lens support (22), the lens support is provided with the third lens, an edge of the lens support is provided with an installation protrusion, the second support is provided with an installation groove, and the installation protrusion cooperates with the installation groove (Para. 0080-0081); and/or the second support has a fifth end and a sixth end, and there is an interval between the fifth end and the sixth end (Para. 0080-0081).
Regarding claim 10, Nomura discloses, the camera module further comprises a second elastic member (Para. 0085 and 30), the driving lens tube comprises a body member and a transmission member that are disposed separately (see Figs. 1-5), a first end of the second elastic member is connected to the body member (see Figs. 1-5), a second end of the second elastic member is connected to the transmission member (see Figs. 1-5), and the first driving mechanism is connected to the transmission member (see Figs. 1-5), the first driving mechanism drives, sequentially through the transmission member (see Figs. 1-5), the second elastic member (see Figs. 1-5), and the body member, the first lens tube to move in the first direction (Para. 0066-0070 and 0080), and in a case that the first lens tube is subject to an external force (Para. 0066-0070 and 0080), the second elastic member enables the first lens tube to move in a direction close to the photosensitive chip (Para. 0066-0070 and 0080).
Regarding claim 11, Nomura discloses, the camera module further comprises a second lens tube (17), the second lens tube is sleeved on the driving lens tube, the first lens tube is sleeved on the second lens tube, one of the first lens tube and the second lens tube is provided with the first spiral guide groove, and the other is provided with the first matching protrusion (Para. 0066-0070 and 0080).
Regarding claim 12, Nomura discloses, the camera module further comprises a driven lens tube (15), the driven lens tube is connected to the driving lens tube (see Figs. 1-5), the second lens tube is sleeved outside the driven lens tube (see Figs. 1-5), the driven lens tube is provided with a second matching protrusion (15b), the driving lens tube is provided with a second spiral guide groove (see “C2”), and the driven lens tube is capable of moving with the cooperation of the second matching protrusion and the second spiral guide groove (Para. 0071), the driven lens tube is provided with a first limiting vertical groove that extends in the first direction, the first lens tube is provided with the first matching protrusion, and one end of the first matching protrusion penetrates the first spiral guide groove and cooperates with the first limiting vertical groove (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 13, Nomura discloses, the driving lens tube is provided with a first driving groove (15c) that extends in the first direction, the second lens tube is provided with a first driving protrusion (15b), and the first driving protrusion cooperates with the first driving groove (Para. 0071), the driven lens tube is provided with a second driving groove that extends in a circumferential direction of the driven lens tube (see Figs. 1-5), the second lens tube is provided with a second driving protrusion, and the second driving protrusion cooperates with the second driving groove (see Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 14, Nomura discloses, the first spiral guide groove and the second spiral guide groove are both linear guide grooves (see Figs. 1-5); and/or the first matching protrusion is provided with a first matching surface, and the first matching surface is in contact with an inner wall of the first spiral guide groove; and/or the second matching protrusion is provided with a second matching surface, and the second matching surface is in contact with an inner wall of the second spiral guide groove.
Regarding claim 15, Nomura discloses, an electronic device (Para. 0063 and 0066), comprising a camera module (Figs. 1-5), wherein the camera module comprises: a base (11), a photosensitive chip (10a), a first lens tube (18), a first lens (L1), a second lens (L2), a driving lens tube (13), a first support (12), a first driving mechanism (Para. 0066), and a second driving mechanism (Para. 0080), wherein
the photosensitive chip is disposed in the base (Para. 0066), the driving lens tube is rotatably connected to the base (Para. 0066 and see Figs. 1-5), the first lens tube is sleeved on the driving lens tube (see Figs. 1-5), the first lens tube is connected to the driving lens tube through a first matching protrusion (16b, 32a, 32c) and a first spiral guide groove (13c, 14c), the first support is movably disposed on the base (Para. 0066-0069), the first lens tube is provided with the first lens, the first support is provided with the second lens (see Figs. 1-5), the second lens is located between the photosensitive chip and the first lens (see Figs. 1-5),
the first driving mechanism is connected to the driving lens tube (Para. 0066 and see Figs. 1-5), the first driving mechanism drives, through the driving lens tube, the first lens tube to move in a first direction with the cooperation of the first matching protrusion and the first spiral guide groove (Para. 0066-0069),
the second driving mechanism comprises a first driving source (Para. 0080), a screw (24), and a nut (Para. 0080), the first driving source is disposed on the base, the first driving source is connected to the screw (Para. 0080 and see Figs. 1-5), the nut threadedly cooperates with the screw (Para. 0080 and see Figs. 1-5), the nut is connected to the first support (Para. 0080 and see Figs. 1-5), the nut drives the first support to move in the first direction (Para. 0080 and see Figs. 1-5), and the first direction is a direction close to or away from the photosensitive chip (Para. 0066-0069 and 0080).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Terahara (US 2011/0194194), Zou et al. (US 2012/0162782) and Kou (US 2013/0136439) discloses a camera module that includes a base, a photosensitive chip, a first lens tube, a first lens, a second lens, a driving lens tube, a support and a driving mechanism.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAWAYNE A PINKNEY whose telephone number is (571)270-1305. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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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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/DAWAYNE PINKNEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 07/30/2026
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