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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/21/2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 05/16/2025 has been considered and made of record.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on 05/02/2024 is acceptable.
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 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lim et al. [US 2012/0147573].
Regarding claim 1, Lim et al. disclose an electronic device (figures 1-9) comprising:
a sensor (141, figure 1); and
an electromagnetic shield (283 & 284, figures 4-5) defining a cavity (a space is within a combination of surfaces 285a and 286a, figure 4) within which is received the sensor;
wherein the electromagnetic shield comprises a first portion (285a, figure 4) and a second portion (286a, figure 4), wherein the first portion comprises one or more tabs (291, figure 4) extending into the cavity, wherein the first portion comprises a first part (287, figures 4-5) of an interfacing profile, the second portion comprises a second part (288, figures 4-5) of the interfacing profile, and wherein the first portion is secured to the second portion in response to the first part of the interfacing profile engaging with the second part of the interfacing profile (figures 4-5).
Regarding claim 10, Lim et al., disclose an electromagnetic shield (283 & 284, figures 1-9) for a sensor (141, figure 1) comprising:
a first portion (285a, figure 4) defining a first part (287, figures 4-5) of an interfacing profile and one or more tabs (291, figure 4); and
a second portion (286a, figure 4) defining a second part (288, figure 4) of the interfacing profile;
wherein the first portion and the second portion combine to form a cavity (a space is within a combination of surfaces 285a and 286a, figure 4) into which the sensor is received, wherein the one or more tabs extends into the cavity along a first axis (Y direction, figure 4), and
wherein the first part of the interfacing profile is secured to the second part of the interfacing profile along a second axis (X direction, figure 4) perpendicular to the first axis.
Regarding claim 11, Lim et al., disclose wherein the second portion further defines a securing portion (292, figures 4-5) extending into the cavity along the second axis.
Regarding claim 12, Lim et al., disclose wherein the first portion and the second portion are formed of conductive material (shield members 283 and 284 are electrically connected to a ground of a printed circuit board 282; therefore, shield members 283 and 284 are conductive material or metal, paragraph 0100), and wherein the first portion is in electrical communication with the second portion through the interfacing profile (figures 4-5).
Regarding claim 13, Lim et al., disclose wherein the first portion and the second portion are formed of metal (metal is a good conductive material. Shield members 283 and 284 are electrically connected to a ground of a printed circuit board 282; therefore, shield members 283 and 284 may be metal, paragraph 0100).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-9 and 14 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 claim 2 discloses the combination features of “wherein the sensor comprises a sensor substrate; a sensor cap attached to the sensor substrate; and at least one connecting tab defined on the sensor substrate, wherein at least one recess defined within the sensor cap provides access to the at least one connecting tab, and wherein the one or more tabs engages the at least one connecting tab within the at least one recess.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the claim 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records. Claims 3-9 depend on the allowed claim 2.
The claim 14 discloses the combination features of “wherein the first portion defines a first aperture for a receiving element of a time-of-flight sensor, and wherein the second portion defines a second aperture for a transmitting element of the time-of-flight sensor.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the claim 10, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Myers et al. [US 2009/0273912] disclose interlocking EMI shield;
Huang et al. [US 2012/0155854] disclose camera module and method for fabricating the same; and
Cheng et al. [US 2025/0287557] disclose grounding of integrated external EMI shield of an optical sensor module.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hung S. Bui whose telephone number is (571)272-2102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8am-5pm.
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, Allen L. Parker can be reached on (303) 297-4722. 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.
/HUNG S. BUI/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2841
/Hung S. Bui/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841