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 Remarks and arguments filed on 12/15/2025
Application claims a FP date of 10/25/2023
Claim 1 is independent
Claims 1-13 are pending
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s argument and amendments in view of the Specification and Drawings have been fully considered. In view of the amendments filed on 12/15/2025, the rejections and objections have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, filed on 12/15/2025, with respect to rejections of independent claims have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Hwang et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2024/0073507 A1) and a detailed explanation is provided in the following action.
Due to the variation in the grounds of rejection this action is deemed NON-FINAL
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 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 1-5, 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2024/0089573) in view of Hwang et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2024/0073507 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Li discloses a camera device (Fig 3, 4 and 5 – Camera module 300) comprising:
a circuit board (Fig 4 – circuit board 10) having an assembling hole (Fig 4 – first through hole 103), a first surface (Fig 4 – First surface 101), and a second surface opposite to the first surface (Fig 4 – second surface 102 and in ¶0014, Li discloses that the second surface 102 is opposite to the first surface 101), wherein the assembling hole penetrates the first surface and the second surface (In ¶0014, Li discloses that the through hole 103 penetrates through the first surface 101 and the second surface 102), the assembling hole has an inner annular surface, and a periphery of the assembling hole is formed as a surrounding portion (Fig 3 clearly discloses the inner annular surface, and the portion surrounding the hole is interpreted as “a surrounding portion));
the surrounding portion includes a first side wall, a second side wall, a third side wall, and a fourth side wall connected to one another, the first side wall and the second side wall are at opposite sides, and the third side wall and the fourth side wall are at opposite sides (In Fig 4 of Li, the portion of the circuit board 10 could be divided into four portions representing the first to fourth side wall as shown in Fig 2 of the instant application );
a photosensitive element in the assembling hole (Fig 4 – photosensitive chip 12; and in ¶0014, Li discloses that the photosensitive chip 12 is disposed on the circuit board 10), wherein the photosensitive element has a front surface, a back surface, and an outer peripheral portion (The photosensitive chip has these surfaces), the outer peripheral portion is connected between the front surface and the back surface, and the outer peripheral portion is fixed to the inner annular surface of the assembling hole (Fig 2 discloses that the photosensitive chip 12 is received in the through hole 103 of the circuit board 10); and
a reinforcement member (Fig 4 – reinforcing plate 14) disposed on the first surface (In ¶0014 Li disclose that the reinforcing plate is disposed on the first surface 101), wherein the reinforcement member comprises a first plate member and a second plate member, the first plate member is fixed to the first side wall, and the second plate member is fixed to the second side wall (Li discloses the first plate member and the second plate member as portions of the reinforcement member as shown in the figure below).
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Li discloses the hold in the circuit board, however Li fails to clearly a photosensitive element in the assembling hole and the outer peripheral portion is fixed in the inner annular surface of the assembling hole
Instead in a similar endeavor, Hwang discloses photosensitive element in the assembling hole (In Figs 2 and 4 and in ¶0023, Hwang teaches that the circuit board 10 defines a receiving hole 15 and the photosensitive chip 23 is disposed in the receiving hole 15) of and the outer peripheral portion is fixed in the inner annular surface of the assembling hole (In Figs 2 and 4, Hwang teaches that the photosensitive chip is disposed in the receiving hole 15 – and therefore it is reasonable to interpret that Hwang teaches that the outer peripheral portion of the chip is fixed in the inner annular surface of the hole. Figs 2 and 4 also disclose this);
Li and Hwang are combinable because both are related to imaging devices.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the photosensitive chip in the hole of the circuit board as taught by Hwang in the electronic device disclosed by Li.
The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been to reduce the height of the camera module 100 as disclose by Hwang in ¶0023.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Li and Hwang to obtain the invention as specified in claim 1.
Regarding Claim 2, Li in view of Hwang discloses wherein the reinforcement member (Li: Fig 4 – reinforcing plate 14) comprises a first connection arm and a second connection arm, the first connection arm and the second connection arm are connected between the first plate member and the second plate member, and the first connection arm and the second connection arm are respectively adjacent to two opposite ends of the first plate member (Li: Since Li discloses the reinforcement plate as an integral unit, Li discloses the first and second connection arm as indicated in the figure below).
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Regarding Claim 3, Li in view of Hwang discloses wherein the front surface of the photosensitive element (Li: Fig 4 – photosensitive chip 12) has a photosensitive region (Li: Fig 4 - photosensitive region 121) and a non-photosensitive region (Li: Fig 4 – non-photosensitive region 122), the non-photosensitive region is around the photosensitive region (Li: See Li’s disclosure in ¶0015), and the first connection arm and the second connection arm are disposed at the non-photosensitive region (Li: Li’s disclosure in Fig 4 and Examiner’s interpretation of the first and second connection arm, it is clear that the non-photosensitive region aligns with the first and second connection arm).
Regarding Claim 4, Li in view of Hwang discloses wherein the reinforcement member (Li: Fig 4 – reinforcing plate 14) comprises a first extension portion and a second extension portion, the first extension portion extends from the first plate member and is in the assembling hole, and the second extension portion extends from the second plate member and is in the assembling hole (Li: Applicant’s disclosure of the first and second extension’s portion as used in the fourth embodiment is similar to the first and second connection arm. Examiner believes that Li discloses the first and second extension portion in a similar way and has been marked in the figure below).
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Regarding Claim 5, Li in view of Hwang discloses wherein the front surface of the photosensitive element (Li: Fig 4 – photosensitive chip 12) has a photosensitive region (Li: Fig 4 - photosensitive region 121) and a non-photosensitive region (Li: Fig 4 – non-photosensitive region 122), the non-photosensitive region is around the photosensitive region (Li: See Li’s disclosure in ¶0015), and the first extension portion and the second extension portion are disposed at the non-photosensitive region (Li: Li’s disclosure in Fig 4 and Examiner’s interpretation of the first and second extension portion, it is clear that the non-photosensitive region aligns with the first and second extension portion).
Regarding Claim 10, Li in view of Hwang discloses further comprising a lens assembly (Li: Fig 3, 4 and 5 – lens assembly 20), wherein the lens assembly is disposed on the first surface and covers the assembling hole (Li: Figs 3 and 4 discloses that the lens assembly is disposed on the first surface of the circuit board 10 aligned to the hole 103), the lens assembly comprises a base and a lens, the lens is disposed on the base (Li: Fig 4 of Li has been annotated as shown in the figure below to point to “the base”), and the position of the lens corresponds to the position of the photosensitive element (Li: Fig 3, 4 and 5 discloses this); the base has a bottom (Li: Fig 3, 4 and 5 – lens base 201 has been interpreted as “a bottom”), the bottom comprises a cover plate, a first side plate, and a second side plate, the first side plate and the second side plate are respectively connected to two opposite sides of the cover plate, so that two notches are formed between the first side plate and the second side plate, the first side plate and the second side plate are fixed to the first surface of the circuit board, and the first plate member and the second plate member are respectively in the two notches (Li: Please see the attached “annotated Fig 4 for the lens assembly. It is clear that the notch is fixed on the first plate member and the second plate member).
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Regarding Claim 12, Li in view of Hwang discloses further comprising a lens assembly (Li: Fig 3, 4 and 5 – lens assembly 20), wherein the lens assembly is disposed on the first surface and covers the assembling hole, the lens assembly comprises a base and a lens (Li: Fig 4 of Li has been annotated as shown in the figure below to point to “the base”), the lens is disposed on the base (Li: In ¶0024, Li discloses that the lens assembly 20 which includes the lens and Figs 3, 4 and 5 disclose this), and the position of the lens corresponds to the position of the photosensitive element (Li: In ¶0024, Li discloses that the lens base and the filter faces the photosensitive area 121 on the photosensitive chip 12); the base has an annular bottom, the annular bottom is enclosed to form an internal space, the annular bottom is fixed to the first surface of the circuit board, and the reinforcement member is in the internal space (Li: Figs 4-5 discloses the annular bottom that includes room for the reinforcement member in the circuit board).
Claims 6-7, 9 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2024/0089573) in view of Hwang et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2024/0073507 A1) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Song et al. (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2022/0232150 A1).
Regarding Claim 6, Li in view of Hwang fails to clearly disclose wherein the first surface of the circuit board has a first electrical connection portion and a second electrical connection portion, and the first electrical connection portion and the second electrical connection portion are respectively on the third side wall and the fourth side wall
Instead in a similar endeavor, Song discloses wherein the first surface (In Figs 2-3, Song teaches the two surfaces of the circuit board 20) of the circuit board (Fog 2-3 Circuit board 20) has a first electrical connection portion and a second electrical connection portion, and the first electrical connection portion and the second electrical connection portion are respectively on the third side wall and the fourth side wall (In Figs 2-3, Song teaches electrical connection which are not marked in the figures. However, since Song teaches in Figs 2-3 the photosensitive chip 30 connected to the circuit board 20, it is clear that Song discloses all the elements of Claim 6);
Li, Hwang and Song are combinable because all are related to imaging devices.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an electrical connection as taught by Song in the electronic device disclosed by Li in view of Hwang.
The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been to ensure that the photosensitive chip is electrically connected to the circuit board.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Li, Hwang and Song to obtain the invention as specified in claim 6.
Regarding Claim 7, Li in view of Hwang and Song discloses wherein the first side wall has a first limiting groove, the second side wall has a second limiting groove (In ¶0022 and in Fig 2 – Li discloses the groove 104 connected to the through hole 103; In Fig 4 of Li, the portion of the circuit board 10 could be divided into four portions representing the first to fourth side wall as shown in Fig 2 of the instant application), the first plate member is limited in the first limiting groove, and the second plate member is limited in the second limiting groove (Since Li discloses the reinforcement member to house the base and the receiving hole, it is clear that Li discloses the limitations of claim 7).
Even though Li in view of Hwang discloses the limiting grove, Examiner would like to use Song’s disclosure to teach wherein the first plate member is limited in the first limiting groove, and the second plate member is limited in the second limiting groove (Song’s teachings of the mounting frame 40 could be interpreted as the reinforcement member and the protrusions 41 is interpreted as “limiting member)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the reinforcement member used by Li with the support member as taught by Song since each element merely performs the same function and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Li, Hwang and Song to obtain the invention as specified in claim 7.
Regarding Claim 9, Li in view of Hwang and Song discloses further comprising a filter (Fig 4 – filter 30), wherein the first plate member has a first recess, the second plate member has a second recess (The reinforcing plate 14 has a through hole 141 which corresponds to the first and second recess of the first and second plate member), the filter is covered on the photosensitive element (In ¶0024, Li discloses that the filter 30 faces the photosensitive are 121), and two sides of the filter are respectively limited in the first recess and the second recess (Fig 1 discloses the hole 141 and the photosensitive surface 121 that receives the filter 30 (also see Fig 4 and 5 which discloses the filter placed in the recess).
Regarding Claim 13, Li in view of Hwang and Song discloses wherein the thickness of the photosensitive element (Fig 4 – photosensitive chip 12) is less than the thickness of the circuit board, the photosensitive element is adjacent to the second surface (Fig 5 discloses that the photosensitive element is adjacent to the second surface of the circuit board 10), the reinforcement member (Song: Song’s disclosure of mounting frame 40 has been interpreted as the reinforcement member) comprises a plurality of limiting blocks (Song: Song in Fig 2 and in ¶0018 teaches about the protrusions 41 and the supporting surface 411 which has been interpreted as the limiting block), the limiting blocks extend and enter the assembling hole, and the limiting blocks are respectively adjacent to four corners of the assembling hole (Song: See ¶0019).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 11 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.
Conclusion
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/PADMA HALIYUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639 January 1, 2026