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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendments to the claims and specification in the submission dated 03/18/2024 are acknowledged and accepted. Claims 6, 10, 12, 17, 19, 22, 24, and 28 are amended. Claims 11, 15, 18, 20, 23, and 25-27 are canceled. Claims 1-10,12-14,16-17,19,21-22,24 and 28 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e).
Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) were submitted on 03/18/2024 and 12/16/2025. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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, the “focusing control chip” in line 9 of claim 3 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). 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 § 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.
(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, 2, and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Que et al., US 2021/0294068 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Que).
As to claim 1, Que teaches a camera module (Que, Fig. 14, paragraph [0336], “a camera apparatus”), comprising:
a movable assembly configured to drive a lens assembly to move along a direction of an optical axis (Que, Fig. 14, 910, 920, paragraph [0337], “the SMA driver 920 drives the lens 910 to move based on the direction of the optical axis O”); and
an elastic device uniformly arranged around the movable assembly (Que, Fig. 16, 921, 922, paragraph [0341], “the SMA driver 920 includes an inner SMA driving apparatus 921, an outer SMA driving apparatus 922,” as shown in the figure the SMA driving apparatus is uniformly arranged around the movable assembly) and configured to come into contact with the movable assembly (Que, Fig. 18, 9214, 9215, 9223, 9224, paragraph [0369], “the inner SMA driving apparatus 921 further includes a plurality of inner SMA line fixing apparatuses 9214 and a plurality of inner suspension wire fixing apparatuses 9215,” paragraph [0383], “the outer SMA driving apparatus 922 of the SMA driver 920 further includes a plurality of outer SMA line fixing apparatuses 9223 and a plurality of outer suspension wire fixing apparatuses 9224,” the fixing apparatuses connect the SMA wires to the driver 920) to generate an elastic deformation to apply a squeezing force to the movable assembly, wherein a resultant force direction of the squeezing force points towards the optical axis and is perpendicular to the optical axis (Que, Figs. 20A-C, paragraph [0387], “the SMA driver 920 thermally shrinks when being powered and drives the lens 910 to move upward,” paragraph [0389], when the SMA driving units on opposite sides of the SMA driving apparatus are driven with different amounts of thermal shrinkage the lens 910 receives a force in the horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the optical axis, thus when the SMA driving units are driven equally the horizontal forces squeeze the SMA driver 920);
wherein the elastic device comprises a first elastic device (Que, Fig. 16, 922, paragraph [0341], “the SMA driver 920 includes… an outer SMA driving apparatus 922”) and a second elastic device (Que, Fig. 16, 921, paragraph [0341], “the SMA driver 920 includes an inner SMA driving apparatus 921”), and a resultant force direction of a squeezing force applied to the movable assembly by the first elastic device is opposite to a resultant force direction of a squeezing force applied to the movable assembly by the second elastic device (Que, Figs. 20A-C, paragraph [0387], “the SMA driver 920 thermally shrinks when being powered and drives the lens 910 to move upward,” paragraph [0389], when the SMA driving units on opposite sides of the SMA driving apparatus are driven with different amounts of thermal shrinkage the lens 910 receives a force in the horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the optical axis, thus when the SMA driving units are driven equally the horizontal forces squeeze the SMA driver 920).
As to claim 2, Que teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Que further teaches the camera module according to claim 1, further comprising a base (Que, Fig. 18, 924, paragraph [0385], “a supporting base 924”), wherein the base is provided with a support component uniformly arranged around the base (Que, Figs. 20A-C, 9221, paragraph [0386], “the bearing apparatus 9221 is fixed to the supporting base 924”), and the support component comprises a first component (Que, Fig. 18, 9921, paragraph [0383], “the bearing apparatus 9221”) and a second component (Que, Fig. 18, 9213, paragraph [0383], the supporting carrier 9213”), wherein the first elastic device is installed in the first support component (Que, Figs. 20A-C, 9221, paragraph [0383], the outer suspension wire fixing apparatuses 9223 and 9224 connect the SMA driving apparatus 922 to the bearing apparatus 9221), and the second elastic device is installed in the second support component (Que, Figs. 20A-C, 9213, paragraph [0369], the inner suspension wire fixing apparatuses 9214 and 9215 connect the SMA driving apparatus 921 to the supporting carrier 9213).
As to claim 28, Que teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Que further teaches a digital device (Que, Fig. 12, 100, paragraph [0325], “an electronic device, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer or the like”), comprising:
a device body (Que, Fig. 12, 100, paragraph [0325], “the electronic device includes a device main body 100”); and
a camera module according to claim 1 (Que, Fig. 12, 200, paragraph [0325], “the camera apparatus 200”), wherein the camera module is arranged in the device body (Que, Fig. 12, 200, paragraph [0325], “the camera apparatus 200 is mounted on the device main body 100”).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 3, 5, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Que et al., US 2021/0294068 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Que), and further in view of Kim, WO 2021206435 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Kim and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 02/02/2026).
As to claim 3, Que teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 2, and Que further teaches the camera module according to claim 2, comprising a metal sheet clamped at a first locking position (Que, Fig. 32, 81, paragraph [0424], “a cantilever 81 elastically connected to the movable member 83 and the supporting member 84,” paragraph [0431], “the cantilever 81 is formed by stamping a metal sheet”), and a focusing control chip (Que, Fig. 1A, 50, paragraph [0256], “a circuit board 50”).
Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 2, wherein the first support component has a first locking position and a second locking position, and the first elastic device comprises a first rolling member clamped at the second locking position, wherein one side of the first rolling member is in contact with the first metal sheet, and the other side of the first rolling member passes through the second locking position and comes into contact with a guide rail of the movable assembly, wherein when the movable assembly moves, a coil component of the movable assembly is electrically connected with the first rolling member, the first metal sheet and a focusing control chip through the guide rail.
However, in the same field of endeavor Kim teaches a camera module (Kim, Fig. 4, 400, translation, paragraph [0105], “a camera module (400)”) wherein the first support component has a first locking position and a second locking position, and the first elastic device comprises a first metal sheet clamped at the first locking position and a first rolling member clamped at the second locking position, wherein one side of the first rolling member is in contact with the first metal sheet, and the other side of the first rolling member passes through the second locking position and comes into contact with a guide rail of the movable assembly, wherein when the movable assembly moves, a coil component of the movable assembly is electrically connected with the first rolling member (Kim, Fig. 6, 434-2, translation, paragraphs [0209]-[0210], a first plurality of balls 434-2 arranged within locked positions between the camera housing 410 and the lens carrier 430, the first plurality of balls 434-2 are guided in the optical axis direction L in the structure (e.g., slanted corner shape or chamfered area) of the camera module, and are in arranged on the first magnetic body 493-1, thus are electrically connected to the coil 492-1 via the magnet 493-1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que with the camera module wherein the first support component has a first locking position and a second locking position, and the first elastic device comprises a first rolling member clamped at the second locking position, wherein one side of the first rolling member is in contact with the first metal sheet, and the other side of the first rolling member passes through the second locking position and comes into contact with a guide rail of the movable assembly, wherein when the movable assembly moves, a coil component of the movable assembly is electrically connected with the first rolling member of Kim, because the plurality of balls can provide rolling friction when the lens carrier moves in the direction of the optical axis (Kim, translation, paragraph [0210]).
As to claim 5, Que in view of Kim teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 3. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 3, wherein the second support component has a third locking position and a fourth locking position, and the second elastic device comprises a second metal sheet clamped at the third locking position and a second rolling member clamped at the fourth locking position, wherein one side of the second rolling member is in contact with the second metal sheet, and the other side of the second rolling member passes through the fourth locking position and comes into contact with the guide rail of the movable assembly, wherein when the movable assembly moves, the coil component of the movable assembly is electrically connected with the second rolling member, the second metal sheet and the focusing control chip through the guide rail.
However, in the same field of endeavor Kim teaches the camera module (Kim, Fig. 4, 400, translation, paragraph [0105], “a camera module (400)”) wherein the second support component has a third locking position and a fourth locking position, and the second elastic device comprises a second metal sheet clamped at the third locking position and a second rolling member clamped at the fourth locking position, wherein one side of the second rolling member is in contact with the second metal sheet, and the other side of the second rolling member passes through the fourth locking position and comes into contact with the guide rail of the movable assembly, wherein when the movable assembly moves, the coil component of the movable assembly is electrically connected with the second rolling member, the second metal sheet and the focusing control chip through the guide rail (Kim, Fig. 6, 434-1, translation, paragraphs [0209]-[0210], a second plurality of balls 434-1 arranged within locked positions between the camera housing 410 and the lens carrier 430, the second plurality of balls 434- are guided in the optical axis direction L in the structure (e.g., slanted corner shape or chamfered area) of the camera module, and are in arranged on the first magnetic body 493-1, thus are electrically connected to the coil 492-1 via the magnet 493-1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que with the camera module wherein the second support component has a third locking position and a fourth locking position, and the second elastic device comprises a second metal sheet clamped at the third locking position and a second rolling member clamped at the fourth locking position, wherein one side of the second rolling member is in contact with the second metal sheet, and the other side of the second rolling member passes through the fourth locking position and comes into contact with the guide rail of the movable assembly, wherein when the movable assembly moves, the coil component of the movable assembly is electrically connected with the second rolling member, the second metal sheet and the focusing control chip through the guide rail of Kim, because the plurality of balls can provide rolling friction when the lens carrier moves in the direction of the optical axis (Kim, translation, paragraph [0210]).
As to claim 6, Que in view of Kim teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 5. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 5, wherein the second rolling member comprises a metal post or a plurality of metal balls arranged side by side; or
the base is further provided with a wire buried layer embedded in the base, one end of the wire buried layer is connected with the first metal sheet and the second metal sheet, and the other end of the wire buried layer is connected with the focusing control chip through a printed circuit board.
However, in the same field of endeavor Kim teaches the camera module wherein the second rolling member comprises a metal post or a plurality of metal balls arranged side by side (Kim, Fig. 6, 434-1, 434-2, translation, paragraph [0210], the plurality of balls 434-1 and 434-2 are arranged side by side in the L direction).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que wherein the second rolling member comprises a metal post or a plurality of metal balls arranged side by side of Kim, because the plurality of balls can provide rolling friction when the lens carrier moves in the direction of the optical axis (Kim, translation, paragraph [0210]).
Further, Kim does not explicitly teach that the plurality of balls are metal. One of ordinary skill of the art would know that metal is a commonly used material for balls used to provide rolling friction, such as with ball bearings. It has been held that the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use is within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art Sinclair & Carroll Co. v.Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945) See also In reLeshin, 277 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960) (selection of a known plastic to make a container of a type made of plastics prior to the invention was held to be obvious). MPEP §2144.07.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Que et al., US 2021/0294068 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Que), in view of Kim, WO 2021206435 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Kim and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 02/02/2026), and further in view of Minamisawa, US 2021/0349329 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Minamisawa).
As to claim 4, Que in view of Kim teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 3. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 3, wherein the first metal sheet further has an elastic structure arranged on the first metal sheet and clamped at the first locking position.
However, in the same field of endeavor Minamisawa teaches a camera module (Minamisawa, Fig. 1, 10, paragraph [0062], “an optical unit 10”) wherein the first metal sheet further has an elastic structure arranged on the first metal sheet and clamped at the first locking position (Minamisawa, Fig. 6, 36a, paragraph [0087], “one end part 36a of the elastic member 36 is formed with a first position part 36g,” paragraph [0079], “the elastic member 36 is, as an example, structured as a plate spring,” plate springs are commonly understood to be manufactured by forming metal sheets).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que wherein the first metal sheet further has an elastic structure arranged on the first metal sheet and clamped at the first locking position of Minamisawa, because doing so positions the elastic member with respect to the holder frame (Minamisawa, paragraph [0091]).
Further, Minamisawa does not explicitly teach that the sheet is metal. One of ordinary skill of the art would know that metal is a commonly used material for plate springs. It has been held that the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use is within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art Sinclair & Carroll Co. v.Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945) See also In reLeshin, 277 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960) (selection of a known plastic to make a container of a type made of plastics prior to the invention was held to be obvious). MPEP §2144.07.
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Que et al., US 2021/0294068 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Que).
As to claim 7, Que teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 2. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 2, wherein the movable assembly comprises a carrier, and the carrier has a through hole corresponding to the support component, wherein after the carrier is installed on the base, the support component penetrates into the through hole.
However, an alternate embodiment of Que teaches a camera module, wherein the movable assembly comprises a carrier (Que, Fig. 4, 24, paragraph [0289], “the supporting base 24”), and the carrier has a through hole corresponding to the support component (Que, Fig. 4, 241, paragraph [0289], “the supporting base 24 is further provided with at least four mounting portions 241 for mounting the upper drive fixing apparatus 2212 and the lower drive fixing apparatus 2312”), wherein after the carrier is installed on the base, the support component penetrates into the through hole (Que, Fig. 4, 241, paragraph [0289], “wherein the upper drive fixing apparatus 2212 and the lower drive fixing apparatus 2312 are embeddedly mounted to the mounting portions 241).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que with the movable assembly comprises a carrier, and the carrier has a through hole corresponding to the support component, wherein after the carrier is installed on the base, the support component penetrates into the through hole of an alternate embodiment of Que, because it is used for positioning ang mounting (Que, paragraph [0290]).
As to claim 8, Que teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 7, and Que further teaches the camera module according to claim 7, wherein the carrier has a lens accommodating cavity which passes through and protrudes from a surface of the carrier (Que, Fig. 5A, 41, paragraph [0259], “an accommodating space 41”), and the lens assembly is sleeved in the lens accommodating cavity (Que, Fig. 5A, 10, paragraph [0291], the lens assembly 10 is sleeved in the lower elastic piece 26 in the lens accommodating space 41).
As to claim 9, Que teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 8, and Que further teaches the camera module according to claim 8, further comprising a lens protective sleeve (Que, Fig. 5A, 26, paragraph [0291], “a lower elastic piece 26”), wherein the lens protective sleeve has a cavity (Que, Fig. 4, 261, paragraph [0295], “a lower elastic piece bearing ring 261”), and the lens protective sleeve is sleeved on a top of the lens accommodating cavity (Que, Fig. 5A, 26, 41, as shown in figure 5A the lower elastic piece 26 is on top of the accommodating space 41), wherein when the lens assembly moves, the lens assembly moves into the cavity to isolate from the outside (Que, Fig. 5A, 10, 41, paragraph [0292], when the SMA driving device 20 drives the lens assembly 10 downward, the lens assembly 10 moves into the cavity 41 as indicated by the downward arrow, and is isolated from the outside).
Claims 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Que et al., US 2021/0294068 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Que), and further in view of Yang et al., CN 113411484 A (hereinafter referred to as Yang and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 01/28/2026).
As to claim 10, Que teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 9, and Que further teaches the camera module according to claim 9, further comprising a housing arranged around the base for accommodating the movable assembly (Que, Fig. 5A, 40, paragraph [0259], “the housing 40”) and a lens ring fixedly arranged at a top of the housing (Que, Fig. 4, 2112, paragraph [0263], “a carrier ring 2112”), wherein the movable assembly moves up and down along the direction of the optical axis in the housing (Que, Figs. 5A-C, 20, paragraph [0298], the SMA driving device 20 drives the lens 10 along the optical axis O in the housing 40). Que does not teach the camera module comprising an iron housing.
However, in the same field of endeavor Yang teaches a camera module (Yang, Fig. 1, 11, translation, paragraph 45, “a camera module”) comprising an iron housing (Yang, Fig. 1, 11, translation, paragraph [0031], “11, shell body” paragraph [0173], “the outer shell is an iron shell”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que with the camera module comprising an iron housing of Yang, because it forms a relatively closed electromagnetic shielding structure which can improve the anti-electromagnetic interference (EMI) effect of the camera module, and can reduce the impact of the camera module and electronic equipment (Yang, translation, paragraph [0173]).
As to claim 12, Que in view of Yang teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 10, and Que further teaches the camera module according to claim 10, further comprising a flexible connection structure arranged between the lens ring and the iron housing, wherein a space is formed between the flexible connection structure and the lens protective sleeve and between the flexible connection structure and the lens ring to prevent foreign objects from entering to affect an optical performance of the camera module (Que, Fig. 5A, 25, paragraph [0294], “the upper elastic piece 25,” the upper elastic piece 25 is arranged between the lens ring 2112 and the housing 40). Que does not teach the flexible connection structure arranged connected with a bottom of the lens protective sleeve.
Que discloses the claimed invention except for the flexible connection structure arranged connected with a bottom of the lens protective sleeve. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to arrange the flexible connection structure to connect with the bottom of the lens protective sleeve, since it has been held that a mere reversal of the working parts of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Gazda, 219 F.2d 449, 104 USPQ 400 (CCPA 1955) (Prior art disclosed a clock fixed to the stationary steering wheel column of an automobile while the gear for winding the clock moves with steering wheel; mere reversal of such movement, so the clock moves with wheel, was held to be an obvious modification.). See MPEP §2144.04(VI)(A).
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Que et al., US 2021/0294068 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Que), in view of Yang et al., CN 113411484 A (hereinafter referred to as Yang and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 01/28/2026), and further in view of Kim, WO 2021206435 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Kim and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 02/02/2026).
As to claim 13, Que in view of Yang teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 12. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 12, wherein lens ring comprises a bearing component arranged on the flexible connection structure, an elastic component arranged in the bearing component and a third rolling member arranged between the elastic component and the bearing component.
However, in the same field of endeavor Kim teaches a camera module wherein lens ring comprises a bearing component arranged on the flexible connection structure (Kim, Fig. 8, 479, translation, paragraph [0280], the bearing structure 479 is arranged on the guide plate 450), an elastic component arranged in the bearing component and a third rolling member arranged between the elastic component and the bearing component (Kim, Fig. 8, 479-1, 479-2, translation, paragraphs [0281]-[0283], the bearing structure 479 includes a plurality of bearings 479-1, which are considered the third rolling member).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que wherein lens ring comprises a bearing component arranged on the flexible connection structure, an elastic component arranged in the bearing component and a third rolling member arranged between the elastic component and the bearing component of Kim, because the bearing structure can rotate to provide a rolling friction (Kim, translation, paragraph [0283]).
As to claim 14, Que in view of Yang and further in view of Kim teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 13. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 13, wherein the elastic component comprises an elastic opening ring, and the bearing component comprises an inner ring wall, an outer ring wall and an annular convex strip arranged between the inner ring wall and the outer ring wall, wherein the annular convex strip is provided with a dispensing groove and an opening, and the dispensing groove is configured to accommodate glue to adhere to a ring body of the elastic opening ring, wherein one side of the third rolling member is in contact with the elastic opening ring, and the elastic opening ring is in an elastic active state, wherein the third rolling member is arranged in the opening, and the elastic opening ring is arranged between the outer ring wall and the annular convex strip.
camera module according to claim 13, wherein the elastic component comprises an elastic opening ring (Kim, Fig. 6, 450, translation, paragraphs [0281]-[0283], the guide plates as shown in figure 6 are open ring shapes), and the bearing component comprises an inner ring wall, an outer ring wall and an annular convex strip arranged between the inner ring wall and the outer ring wall, wherein the annular convex strip is provided with a dispensing groove and an opening (Kim, Fig. 6, 479-2, translation, paragraphs [0281]-[0283], the bearing support member 479-2 may be formed in the shape of a disc with an opening area 4791 formed in the center, paragraph [0263], the bearing structure is placed in the lower fixed plate 450-1, the lower fixed plate comprises a first edge portion 456, a second edge portion 457 and a recessed portion 4552), and the dispensing groove is configured to accommodate glue to adhere to a ring body of the elastic opening ring (Kim, Fig. 6, 479, translation, paragraph [0265], plates can be fixed using various methods including bonding, paragraph [0280], the bearing structure 479 may be fixed to the first guide plate 450), wherein one side of the third rolling member is in contact with the elastic opening ring, and the elastic opening ring is in an elastic active state, wherein the third rolling member is arranged in the opening, and the elastic opening ring is arranged between the outer ring wall and the annular convex strip (Kim, Fig. 6, 479-1, translation, paragraphs [0281]-[0283], the plurality of bearings 479-1 provide a rolling friction between the first guide plate 450 and the third guide plate 470, and a plurality of through holes 4792 are formed in the bearing support member 479-2 in which a plurality of bearing 479-1 are arranged).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que wherein the elastic component comprises an elastic opening ring, and the bearing component comprises an inner ring wall, an outer ring wall and an annular convex strip arranged between the inner ring wall and the outer ring wall, wherein the annular convex strip is provided with a dispensing groove and an opening, and the dispensing groove is configured to accommodate glue to adhere to a ring body of the elastic opening ring, wherein one side of the third rolling member is in contact with the elastic opening ring, and the elastic opening ring is in an elastic active state, wherein the third rolling member is arranged in the opening, and the elastic opening ring is arranged between the outer ring wall and the annular convex strip of Kim, because the bearing structure can rotate to provide a rolling friction (Kim, translation, paragraph [0283]).
Claims 16, 17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Que et al., US 2021/0294068 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Que), and further in view of Yuhu, CN 209105233 U (hereinafter referred to as Yuhu and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 01/28/2026, and referenced in the 12/16/2025 IDS).
As to claim 16, Que teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 7. Ques does not teach the camera module according to claim 7, further comprising at least one locking structure arranged on the base, wherein the locking structure comprises a coil assembly and a magnet assembly facing the coil assembly, wherein when the coil assembly is powered on, a magnetic field generated by the coil assembly interacts with a magnetic field of the magnet assembly to cause a relative movement between the coil assembly and the magnet assembly to lock or unlock the movable assembly.
However, in the same field of endeavor Yuhu teaches a camera module (Yuhu, Figs. 2 and 3, 30, translation, paragraph [0033], “a camera module 30”) comprising at least one locking structure arranged on the base (Yuhu, Fig. 3, 57, translation, paragraph [0042], “a locking component 57”), wherein the locking structure comprises a coil assembly (Yuhu, Fig. 4, 577, translation, paragraph [0047], “a coil 577”) and a magnet assembly facing the coil assembly (Yuhu, Fig. 4, 573, translation, paragraph [0047], “a permanent magnet 573”), wherein when the coil assembly is powered on, a magnetic field generated by the coil assembly interacts with a magnetic field of the magnet assembly to cause a relative movement between the coil assembly and the magnet assembly to lock or unlock the movable assembly (Yuhu, Fig. 4, 577, 573, translation, paragraph [0048], when the coil 577 is energized the locking component 57 releases the lock).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que with the camera module comprising at least one locking structure arranged on the base, wherein the locking structure comprises a coil assembly and a magnet assembly facing the coil assembly, wherein when the coil assembly is powered on, a magnetic field generated by the coil assembly interacts with a magnetic field of the magnet assembly to cause a relative movement between the coil assembly and the magnet assembly to lock or unlock the movable assembly of Yuhu, because doing so simplifies the structure of the drive mechanism 50, effectively improving the compactness of the spatial layout of the components, reduce the spatial layout of the camera module 30, and effectively reduces the manufacturing cost of electronic devices (Yuhu, translation, paragraph [0049]).
As to claim 17, Que in view of Yuhu teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 16. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 16, wherein the locking structure further comprises a fixing portion, and the fixing portion comprises a fixing base and a slide rail arranged on the fixing base, wherein the slide rail extends along a direction parallel to a movement direction of the magnet assembly or the coil assembly; or
the locking structure further comprises an elastic support portion having one end fixedly connected with the magnet assembly.
However, in the same field of endeavor Yuhu teaches a camera module wherein the locking structure further comprises a fixing portion, and the fixing portion comprises a fixing base and a slide rail arranged on the fixing base, wherein the slide rail extends along a direction parallel to a movement direction of the magnet assembly or the coil assembly; or
the locking structure further comprises an elastic support portion having one end fixedly connected with the magnet assembly (Yuhu, Fig. 4, 54, translation, paragraph [0045], “the driving member 54 is an elastic member,” the elastic support portion is fixed to the magnet assembly via the mating part 321).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que with the camera module with the locking structure further comprises an elastic support portion having one end fixedly connected with the magnet assembly of Yuhu, because doing so simplifies the structure of the drive mechanism 50, effectively improving the compactness of the spatial layout of the components, reduce the spatial layout of the camera module 30, and effectively reduces the manufacturing cost of electronic devices (Yuhu, translation, paragraph [0049]).
As to claim 19, Que in view of Yuhu teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 17. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 17, wherein when the coil assembly is powered on to cause the relative movement between the coil assembly and the magnet assembly, the elastic support portion is compressed and the movable assembly is unlocked; wherein when the coil assembly is powered off, the magnetic field of the coil assembly disappears, and the magnet assembly is driven by a rebound force of the elastic support portion to reset and the movable assembly is locked.
However, in the same field of endeavor Yuhu teaches a camera module wherein when the coil assembly is powered on to cause the relative movement between the coil assembly and the magnet assembly, the elastic support portion is compressed and the movable assembly is unlocked (Yuhu, Fig. 4, 577, translation, paragraph [0048], when the coil 577 is energized the induced magnetic field is opposite in the direction to the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 573 and cancels each other out, the elastic element returns to its original deformation and elongates, and the locking component releases); wherein when the coil assembly is powered off, the magnetic field of the coil assembly disappears, and the magnet assembly is driven by a rebound force of the elastic support portion to reset and the movable assembly is locked (Yuhu, Fig. 4, 577, translation, paragraph [0049], when the coil 577 is disconnected the attraction force of the permanent magnet 573 on the iron core 575 is greater than the deformation recovery force of the elastic element and locks the camera module).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que wherein when the coil assembly is powered on to cause the relative movement between the coil assembly and the magnet assembly, the elastic support portion is compressed and the movable assembly is unlocked; wherein when the coil assembly is powered off, the magnetic field of the coil assembly disappears, and the magnet assembly is driven by a rebound force of the elastic support portion to reset and the movable assembly is locked of Yuhu, because doing so simplifies the structure of the drive mechanism 50, effectively improving the compactness of the spatial layout of the components, reduce the spatial layout of the camera module 30, and effectively reduces the manufacturing cost of electronic devices (Yuhu, translation, paragraph [0049]).
Yuhu teaches that when the coil is powered on the movable assembly is unlocked, and when the coil is powered off the movable assembly is locked. However Yuhu also teaches when the coil is powered on the elastic support portion is elongated, and when the coil is powered off the elastic support portion is compressed. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to arrange the coil and magnet on the opposite side of the elastic support portion such that when the coil is powered on the elastic support portion is compressed and when the coil is powered off the support portion is reset as claimed, since it has been held that a mere reversal of the working parts of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Gazda, 219 F.2d 449, 104 USPQ 400 (CCPA 1955) (Prior art disclosed a clock fixed to the stationary steering wheel column of an automobile while the gear for winding the clock moves with steering wheel; mere reversal of such movement, so the clock moves with wheel, was held to be an obvious modification.). See MPEP §2144.04(VI)(A).
Claims 21 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Que et al., US 2021/0294068 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Que), in view of Yuhu, CN 209105233 U (hereinafter referred to as Yuhu and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 01/28/2026, and referenced in the 12/16/2025 IDS), and further in view of Wu, CN 110821300A (hereinafter referred to as Wu and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 02/05/2026, and referenced in the 12/16/2025 IDS).
As to claim 21, Que in view of Yuhu teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 17. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 17, wherein the locking structure further comprises a locking slider, and a sliding member is arranged between the locking slider and the slide rail.
However, in the same field of endeavor Wu teaches the locking structure (Wu, Fig. 1, translation, paragraph [0031], “electromagnetic lock”) further comprises a locking slider (Wu, Fig. 1, 1, translation, paragraph [0031], “first lock body”), and a sliding member is arranged between the locking slider and the slide rail (Wu, Fig. 1, 9, translation, paragraph [0034], sliders 9 that cooperate with slide rails 10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module wherein the locking structure further comprises a locking slider, and a sliding member is arranged between the locking slider and the slide rail, of Wu because, the bolt can move smoothly, ensuring stability and preventing derailment (Wu, translation, paragraph [0034]).
As to claim 22, Que in view of Yuhu and further in view of Wu teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 21. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 21, wherein the locking slider has an accommodating chamber, and the magnet assembly is removably installed in the accommodating chamber, wherein the locking slider has a locking tongue arranged on an outer wall of the accommodating chamber, wherein a groove is arranged on the side wall of the carrier, and when the movable assembly is unlocked, the locking tongue is located in the groove.
However, in the same field of endeavor Wu teaches the locking slider has an accommodating chamber (Wu, Fig. 1, 1 translation, paragraph [0033], “the first cavity 1”), and the magnet assembly is removably installed in the accommodating chamber (Wu, Fig. 1, 8 translation, paragraph [0033], “a first magnet 8”), wherein the locking slider has a locking tongue arranged on an outer wall of the accommodating chamber (Wu, Fig. 1, 6, translation, paragraph [0033], “the locking tongue 6”), wherein a groove is arranged on the side wall of the carrier (Wu, Fig. 1, 3, translation, paragraph [0032], “the latch outlet 3”), and when the movable assembly is unlocked, the locking tongue is located in the groove (Wu, Fig. 1, 3, translation, paragraph [0032], figure 1 shows the locking structure in the unlocked position and the locking tongue 6 is located in the groove 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que wherein the locking slider has an accommodating chamber, and the magnet assembly is removably installed in the accommodating chamber, wherein the locking slider has a locking tongue arranged on an outer wall of the accommodating chamber, wherein a groove is arranged on the side wall of the carrier, and when the movable assembly is unlocked, the locking tongue is located in the groove of Wu, because the bolt can move smoothly, ensuring stability and preventing derailment (Wu, translation, paragraph [0034]).
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Que et al., US 2021/0294068 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Que), in view of Yuhu, CN 209105233 U (hereinafter referred to as Yuhu and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 01/28/2026, and referenced in the 12/16/2025 IDS), and further in view of Kim, WO 2021206435 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Kim and where reference is made to the attached machine translation retrieved electronically from Espacenet 02/02/2026).
As to claim 24, Que in view of Yuhu teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 16. Que does not teach the camera module according to claim 16, wherein the locking structure is arranged on the base between adjacent first support components or on the base between adjacent second support components, or simultaneously arranged on the base between adjacent first support components and on the base between adjacent second support components; or
the camera module further comprises a plurality of magnets in a straight bar shape and symmetrically arranged on at least two opposite sides of the base, and the locking structure is arranged on another one side or two sides of the base.
However, in the same field of endeavor Kim teaches a camera module further comprises a plurality of magnets in a straight bar shape and symmetrically arranged on at least two opposite sides of the base, and the locking structure is arranged on another one side or two sides of the base (Kim, Fig. 5b, 493-3, 493-4, translation, paragraphs [0137]-[0140], the third magnetic body 493-3 located on side 413 and the fourth magnetic body 493-4 located on side 414 are arranged on two opposite sides of the base, and the locking structure 423 is arranged on side 412 of the base).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the camera module of Que further comprising a plurality of magnets in a straight bar shape and symmetrically arranged on at least two opposite sides of the base, and the locking structure is arranged on another one side or two sides of the base of Kim, because doing so allows rotation of the camera assembly (Kim, translation, paragraph [0137]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wu et al., US 2019/0020796 A1, Miniaturized optical system with stabilization, relevant to claims 1-10, 12-14, and 28.
Knoedgen, US 2011/0269317 A1, Energy transfer via rolling elements of rolling-element bearings, relevant to claims 1-10 and 12-14.
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JENNIFER A JONES
Examiner
Art Unit 2872
/JENNIFER A JONES/ Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/THOMAS K PHAM/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872