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 .
This action is in response to Application filed on 08/11/2024
Application is a 371 of PCT/CN2022/118588 09/14/2022
Application claims a FP date of 09/15/2021
Claims 1 and 10 are independent
Claims 1-14 are pending
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in the instant Application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/08/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “a division plate” must be shown or the features canceled from the claim 2. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, because the best mode contemplated by the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s) has not been disclosed. Evidence of concealment of the best mode is based upon the fact that claim 2 recited “division plate” and there is not much disclosure related to how this is used or what was contemplated by the inventor.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 2 recites “division plate” which has not be described in the specification in a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the art to make or use the invention.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. Claim 2 recites “division plate” which has not be described in the specification in a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the art to make or use the invention.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 7-10 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Leonelli Jr. (U.S. Patent Number 10,277,786 B1).
Regarding Claim 1, Leonelli discloses a camera structure (Leonelli’s invention is about camera module),
wherein it comprises a front housing (In Fig 1 and in Col 5 and throughout, Leonelli discloses about the outer housing 14; Further in Col 9, lines 25-40, he discloses that the outer housing 14 may be in two pieces – front shell 40 along with the lens housing 20 has been interpreted as the front housing), a middle housing (Fig 2-5, core camera 12 without the lens housing has been interpreted as “middle housing” – in Col 9, lines 30-40, Leonelli discloses that the camera core is enclosed between the front and the rear housing) and a rear housing (And the rear shell 42 has been interpreted as the rear housing), which are sequentially connected (Figs 1 and 2 discloses that they are sequentially arranged);
a first chamber (Fig 3 discloses a chamber on the rear side of the lens housing 20 which has been interpreted as “a first chamber”) is formed between the front housing and the middle housing (Since this chamber is on the rear side of the front shell, it is between the front housing and middle housing),
a second chamber is formed between the middle housing and the rear housing (Fig 3 and 16 discloses the second chamber which is between the rear part of the core camera 12 and the rear shell 42),
a circuit board of the camera is mounted in the first chamber (Fig 3 – sensor assembly 18 houses the sensor unit 24 and circuit board as disclosed in Fig 5),
the second chamber is in direct or indirect communication with the outside of the camera (The second chamber is part of the rear shell 42 and is indirectly communicating with the outside of the camera through the rear port 56 as disclosed in Fig 16), and
the first chamber and the second chamber are in communication via a moisture-proof structure (In Col 10, lines 55-65 Leonelli discloses about the sealing ring 52 that limits water and other debris from entering the outer housing 14 and reaching the camera core 12.).
Regarding Claim 2, Leonelli discloses wherein a middle portion of the front housing is projected toward a first direction which is a direction away from the middle housing (The front shell 40 has a front protruding portion 44 to accommodate the lens apparatus and this is protruding in the forward direction – away from the body of the apparatus); the middle housing has a division plate (Fig 2 and 8 discloses a rear circuit which could be interpreted as “a division plate”. It is noted that the division plate has not been defined in the claim and therefore Examiner’s interpretation is reasonable), and both the middle portion of the division plate (Fig 2 and 8-9 discloses a rear protrusion 36a from the rear circuit board – is projected away from the first direction) and the middle portion of the rear housing are projected toward a second direction which is opposite to the first direction (In Fig 15, the rear shell 42 has a projection – port 56 that is also projecting in the direction opposite to the first direction).
Regarding Claim 3, Leonelli discloses wherein the circuit board includes a first circuit board mounted on the front housing (The lens assembly 16 of camera core 12 has been interpreted to be part of the front housing – which also houses the sensor assembly 18 – with sensor unit 24 – see Fig 5) and a second circuit board (Fig 8 - Rear circuit board 36) mounted on the middle housing (In Fig 2 and corresponding disclosure, Leonelli discloses that the rear circuit board 36 is mounted in the portion interpreted as “the middle housing”), the first circuit board and the second circuit board being located at two ends of the first chamber (Fig 2 clearly discloses this feature as the sensor assembly 18 is in the rear portion of the front housing and the circuit board 36 is at the rear end of the middle housing), respectively.
Regarding Claim 7, Leonelli discloses wherein the rear housing is mounted with a breathable valve in which a waterproof breathable membrane is provided (Fig 15 – port 56 and since in Col 11, Leonelli discloses that the opening provide access from the interior of the housing 14 – it could be interpreted that the opening is a breathable valve), and
the middle housing is further provided with a return valve which is a one-way valve only allowing air to flow from the second chamber to the first chamber (In Col 12, lines 5-15, Leonelli discloses wire harness routed through port 56 and rear of the circuit board 36).
Regarding Claim 8, Leonelli discloses wherein the middle housing (Fig 2-5, core camera 12 without the lens housing has been interpreted as “middle housing” ) is provided with a connector (Fig 8 – rear protrusion 36a) near the second circuit board (Fig 8 - Rear circuit board 36), which connector having a first end connected to the second circuit board and a second end connected to a wire harness of the camera (In Col 12, lines 5-15, Leonelli discloses that the connector or wire harness is routed or passed through the port 56 of the rear shell 42).
Regarding Claim 9, Leonelli discloses wherein the middle housing has a moisture-proof structure mounting hole in which the moisture-proof structure is press-fitted (In Col 10, lines 55-65 Leonelli discloses about the sealing ring 52 that limits water and other debris from entering the outer housing 14 and reaching the camera core 12.), and the outer circumference of the moisture-proof structure has a sealing device for sealing the connection between the moisture-proof structure and the middle housing (In Col 12, lines 5-20, Leonelli also discloses that the sealing 52 is disposed between the base flanges and may be held in place by the channel 51 of the front shell 40. He also discloses bumpers 50 provides a reaction force against the camera core 12 pressing between the front and rear shells 40, 42.).
Regarding Claim 10, this claim is an assembly method of the camera structure of as claimed in Claim 1. Since Leonelli discloses the camera structure, Leonelli discloses the method of assembly of camera structure. Claim 10 is therefore rejected on the same grounds as Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 12, this claim is an assembly method of the camera structure of as claimed in Claim 3. Since Leonelli discloses the lens assembly in the front housing, and the first and second circuit the camera structure, Leonelli discloses the method of assembly of camera structure as recited in Claim 12. Claim 12 is therefore rejected on the same grounds as Claim 3.
Regarding Claim 13, this claim is an assembly method of the camera structure of as claimed in Claim 8. Claim 13 is therefore rejected on the same grounds as Claim 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6, 11 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.
Reference Cited
The following prior art made of record but not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yang et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2024/0171862 A1) discloses a motor, a camera module and an electronic device. The motor includes: an upper cover; a base, cooperatively forming an accommodating space with the upper cover; a carrying assembly, arranged in the accommodating space, and configured to carry a lens of the camera module; one or more first coils, arranged in the accommodating space, and fixedly connected to the upper cover; and one or more magnets, arranged on the carrying assembly, and configured to cooperate with the one or more first coils to drive the carrying assembly to move relative to the upper cover. The carrying assembly is enabled to drive the lens to move.
Yao et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2022/0247895 A1) discloses a photographing device. The photographing device includes a housing, configured to carry an electronic component of the photographing device, such as a lens module and an expansion module. A lens cavity and an expansion cavity isolated from each other are disposed in the housing. The lens module is disposed in the lens cavity, a heat dissipation apparatus is disposed in the expansion cavity, and the expansion module is disposed on the heat dissipation apparatus and is thermally connected to the heat dissipation apparatus. In addition, the disposed heat dissipation apparatus is further thermally connected to the lens module. A heat dissipation channel isolated from the expansion cavity is disposed in the heat dissipation apparatus. Therefore, an effect of dissipating heat from the expansion module and the lens module may be improved through air flowing in the heat dissipation channel.
Conclusion
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/PADMA HALIYUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639 October 31, 2025