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
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4-25-24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being 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 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, 2, 4, 5, 13, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being fully anticipated by Seo et al. (US20220155652).
Re claim 1, Seo et al. teaches for example in fig. 2, a camera module, comprising: a housing (1100); a carrier (1300) disposed in the housing (fig. 2); an optical module (comprised of 1400 ,1500, 1700) disposed on the carrier (fig. 2; para. 0045, 0085); a first driving unit comprising a first magnet (1320) coupled to the carrier (para. 0069), and a first coil (1330) disposed to face the first magnet (para. 0069); a second driving unit comprising one or more magnets (1720) coupled to a first side surface of the optical module (fig. 2), and a plurality of coils (1730) disposed to face the one or more magnets (fig. 2; para. 0099); a first ball group (1370) and a second ball group (1370) disposed between the carrier and the housing (para. 0075), and spaced apart from each other in a first axis direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction (fig. 2); and a substrate (1130) on which the first coil and the plurality of coils are disposed (para. 0071, 0103, 0141), wherein a first of the plurality of coils faces one polarity of the one or more magnets (para. 0014, 0022, 0069, 0097, and 0107), and a second of the plurality of coils faces two polarities of the one or more magnets (para. 0014, 0022, 0069, 0097, and 0107), wherein the first ball group comprises two or more balls disposed in the optical axis direction (fig. 2), and the second ball group comprises fewer balls than the first ball group (fig. 2), and wherein the substrate is mounted on two side surfaces of the housing to surround the second ball group (para. 0141).
Re claim 2, Seo et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2, one surface of the one or more magnets which face an internal side surface of the substrate on which the plurality of coils are disposed has an N-pole and an S-pole (para. 0014, 0022, 0069, 0097, and 0107), and wherein the N-pole and the S-pole are disposed in a second axis direction perpendicular to both the optical axis direction and the first axis direction (para. 0069).
Re claim 4, Seo et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2, a first position sensor (1360) that faces the N-pole and a second position sensor (1760) that at least partially faces the N-pole and the S-pole are disposed on the substrate (para. 0069, 0114).
Re claim 5, Seo et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2, the first position sensor (1360) comprises one Hall sensor (para. 0088) and the second position sensor (1760) comprises a plurality of Hall sensors (fig. 2).
Re claim 13, Seo et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2, one of the plurality of coils and the one or more magnets are configured to generate a driving force in a direction in which the one of the plurality of coils and the one or more magnets face each other (para. 0085-0090), and wherein another one of the plurality of coils and the one or more magnets are configured to generate a driving force in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the other of the plurality of coils and the one or more magnets face each other (para. 0085-0090).
Re claim 14, Seo et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2, a pulling magnet coupled to a second side surface of the optical module (para. 0130); a first yoke (1450) that faces the one or more magnets in the optical axis direction (para. 0130); and a second yoke (1750) that faces the pulling magnet in the optical axis direction (para. 0132).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 6-12 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: the prior art taken alone or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the claims, in such a manner that a rejection would be proper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in dependent claims 3 and 6.
Specifically regarding claim 3, Seo et al. (US20220155652) teaches the state of the art of a camera module.
But, Seo et al. fails to explicitly teach a combination of all the claimed features including a size of an area occupied by the N-pole is different from a size of an area occupied by the S-pole on the one surface of the one or more magnets, as claimed.
Specifically regarding claim 6, Seo et al. (US20220155652) teaches the state of the art of a camera module.
But, Seo et al. fails to explicitly teach a combination of all the claimed features including he one or more magnets comprise a second magnet and a third magnet spaced apart from each other in a second axis direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction and the first axis direction, and wherein the plurality of coils comprise a second coil and a third coil spaced apart from each other in the second axis direction, as claimed.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, Seo et al. (US20210173224).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH P MARTINEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-2335. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am to 7pm PACIFIC.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at (571) 272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Joseph P Martinez/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 9-4-26
Prosecution Insights