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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 insulating sleeve is jacketed on the front cover and the bottom cover" (claim 4), "the insulating sleeve is…sandwiched between the front cover and an inner wall of the protrusion portion" (claim 8), "the electrostatic protection collar is jacketed on the front cover and the bottom cover" (claim 14), and "the electrostatic protection collar is…sandwiched between the front cover and an inner wall of the protrusion portion" (claim 15), must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). 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.
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.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1 – 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Moon (US 2021/0006876).
Regarding claim 1, Moon discloses, in at least figure 7, an electronic device (300), comprising: a housing (410) comprising an installation opening (4211) and an internal space (4001) connected to the installation opening (¶69); a camera module (470) located within the installation opening and the internal space, and exposed from the installation opening (fig. 7; ¶69); and an insulating sleeve (412) surroundingly covered an outer surface of the camera module and located between the camera module and the housing for blocking a communication between the internal space and the installation opening (fig. 7).
Regarding claim 2, Moon discloses the limitations of claim 1. Moon also teaches wherein the camera module comprising: a photosensitive assembly (474) fixed within the internal space (fig. 7; ¶69); a support assembly (471) which is non-conductive, and located within the installation opening and the internal space (fig. 7; ¶69); and a lens set (473) supported and positioned by the support assembly so that the lens set is optically coupled to the photosensitive assembly and exposed from the installation opening (fig. 7; ¶69).
Regarding claim 3, Moon discloses the limitations of claim 2. Moon also teaches wherein the support assembly is formed with a penetrating channel (4212) therein, and the lens set comprises a plurality of lenses sequentially stacked and positioned within the penetrating channel and arranged along an optical axis of the photosensitive assembly (fig. 7; ¶69).
Regarding claim 4, Moon discloses the limitations of claim 2. Moon also teaches wherein the support assembly comprising: a front cover (part connected to 471 and extending in the optical axis direction and then towards the lens assembly) located within the installation opening (fig. 7); a bottom cover (471) covering the photosensitive assembly; and a sleeve body (472) connected to the front cover and the bottom cover, wherein the insulating sleeve is jacketed on the front cover and the bottom cover and abutted against the bottom cover and an inner surface of the housing, respectively (fig. 7; ¶69).
Regarding claim 5, Moon discloses the limitations of claim 4. Moon also teaches wherein the lens set comprises a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens and a sixth lens, which are sequentially stacked within the support assembly, wherein the first lens, the second lens, the third lens, the fourth lens, the fifth lens and the sixth lens are sequentially stacked within the sleeve body, and the first lens is exposed from one end of the sleeve body (fig. 7).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 6, 11 – 14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon in view of Lee (US 2015/0109526).
Regarding claim 6, Moon discloses the limitations of claim 4. Moon also teaches wherein the housing comprises: a first casing (410/421/430) (fig. 7); a second casing (410/421/430) combined with the first casing together to define the internal space therein (fig. 7). Moon fails to explicitly disclose a protrusion portion protruding from one side of the second casing facing away from the first casing, wherein the installation opening penetrates through the protrusion portion longitudinally.
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 invention of Moon with the teachings of Lee. Moon discloses a camera housing with an opening. Lee teaches a camera housing that includes a protrusion through which the open is located (fig. 4; 120). One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of using a housing with a protrusion, as taught by Lee, with the invention of Moon would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system that gave further protection to the lens assembly that protrudes from the opening.
Regarding claim 11, Moon discloses, in at least figure 7, an electronic device (300), comprising: a housing (410) comprising an installation opening (4211) and an internal space (4001) connected to the installation opening (¶69); an electrostatic protection collar (412) located within the internal space (fig. 7); a camera module (470) located within the internal space, and exposed from the installation opening and disposed within a through hole of the electrostatic protection collar and the installation opening, and exposed from the installation opening (fig. 7; ¶69); and wherein a gap formed between the housing and the camera module is directly covered by the electrostatic protection collar for blocking a communication between the internal space and the installation opening (fig. 7). Moon fails to explicitly disclose a protrusion portion protruding from an outer side of the housing, wherein the installation opening penetrates through the protrusion portion longitudinally.
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 invention of Moon with the teachings of Lee. Moon discloses a camera housing with an opening. Lee teaches a camera housing that includes a protrusion through which the open is located (fig. 4; 120). One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of using a housing with a protrusion, as taught by Lee, with the invention of Moon would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system that gave further protection to the lens assembly that protrudes from the opening.
Regarding claim 12, Moon in view of Lee discloses the limitations of claim 11. Moon also teaches wherein the camera module comprising: a photosensitive assembly (474) fixed within the internal space (fig. 7; ¶69); a support assembly (471) which is non-conductive, and located within the installation opening and the internal space (fig. 7; ¶69); and a lens set (473) supported and positioned by the support assembly so that the lens set is optically coupled to the photosensitive assembly and exposed from the installation opening (fig. 7; ¶69).
Regarding claim 13, Moon in view of Lee discloses the limitations of claim 12. Moon also teaches wherein the support assembly is formed with a penetrating channel (4212) therein, and the lens set comprises a plurality of lenses sequentially stacked and positioned within the penetrating channel and arranged along an optical axis of the photosensitive assembly (fig. 7; ¶69).
Regarding claim 14, Moon in view of Lee discloses the limitations of claim 12. Moon also teaches wherein the support assembly comprising: a front cover (part connected to 471 and extending in the optical axis direction and then towards the lens assembly) located within the installation opening (fig. 7); a bottom cover (471) covering the photosensitive assembly; and a sleeve body (472) connected to the front cover and the bottom cover, wherein the electrostatic protection sleeve is jacketed on the front cover and the bottom cover and abutted against the bottom cover and an inner surface of the housing, respectively (fig. 7; ¶69).
Regarding claim 16, Moon in view of Lee discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination also teaches wherein the housing comprises: a first casing (410/421/430) (Moon fig. 7); a second casing (410/421/430) combined with the first casing together to define the internal space therein (Moon fig. 7), wherein the protrusion portion protrudes from one side of the second casing facing away from the first casing (Lee fig. 4).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon in view of Li (US 2022/0294949).
Regarding claim 9, Moon discloses the limitations of claim 2. Moon fails to explicitly disclose wherein the support assembly is a plastic product.
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 invention of Moon with the teachings of Li. Moon discloses a camera support assembly with an opening but is silent as to the material. Li teaches a camera support housing (11) that may be made of plastic (¶44). One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of using a housing made of plastic, as taught by Li, with the invention of Moon would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system that gives further protection to the camera assembly in the event of dropping.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon in view of Park (KR 20150066700A machine translation).
Regarding claim 10, Moon discloses the limitations of claim 1. Moon fails to explicitly disclose wherein the insulating sleeve is one of a rubber O-ring, a silicone O-ring, and a plastic O-ring.
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 invention of Moon with the teachings of Park. Moon discloses a an insulating sleeve but is silent as to the material. Park teaches a camera module that improves waterproof property and block foreign substances with the use of a sealing member (100) that may be a ring made of rubber or silicone (¶31-32). One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of using an O-ring made of rubber of silicone, as taught by Park, with the invention of Moon would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system that gives further protection to the camera assembly in the event of dropping, water or foreign substances.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 – 8 and15 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTOINETTE T. SPINKS whose telephone number is (571)270-3749. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7am - 5pm EST.
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/ANTOINETTE T SPINKS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639