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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-6 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (CN 219065853).
Regarding claims 1-2, 4-6 and 13-14, Wang teaches a driving mechanism for moving an optical element that has an optical axis, the driving mechanism comprising:
a fixed part (Fig. 3, item H, B);
a movable part (LH), movably connected to the fixed part for holding the optical element; and
a driving assembly (M,C), configured for moving the movable part relative to the fixed part;
an upper spring sheet (G1), wherein the fixed part includes a housing (H) and a base (B) connected to each other, and at least a sidewall extending from the top portion toward the base, and the upper spring sheet is disposed on an inner surface of the top portion (Fig. 3) [claim 2];
a circuit assembly (P), wherein the base has a first restricting structure and a second restricting structure (BS4) extending toward the housing, and the circuit assembly is positioned between the first and second restricting structures [claim 4];
wherein a first cavity (R2) is formed on the first restricting structure, a second cavity (R2) is formed on the second restricting structure, and a glue is disposed in the first and second cavities for connecting the circuit assembly to the first and second restricting structures (Fig. 9) [claim 5];
wherein the base further has a first column (BS2) and a second column (BS3), the first column is connected to the first restricting structure, and the second column is connected to the second restricting structure, wherein the first and second columns and the first and second restricting structures extend into the housing (columns BS2 and BS3 are connected to BS4s via the main body BS, Fig. 9) [claim 6];
two wires (Fig. 11, W) and two lower spring sheets (G21, G22), wherein the lower spring sheets are connected between the base and the movable part, the movable part has two winding posts (Fig. 13, the wire W is wound on the post), and each of the lower spring sheets has a recessed portion, wherein the wires are wound on the winding posts and electrically connected to the recessed portions of the lower spring sheets [claim 13]; and
wherein the recessed portions are facing the same direction (Fig. 12, the recessed portions are facing the external direction, outside of the housing) [claim 14].
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hsu et al. (JP 2018013782).
Regarding claims 1-3, Hsu teaches a driving mechanism for moving an optical element that has an optical axis, the driving mechanism comprising:
a fixed part (Fig. 2, item 21);
a movable part (22), movably connected to the fixed part for holding the optical element; and
a driving assembly (M,C), configured for moving the movable part relative to the fixed part;
an upper spring sheet (S1), wherein the fixed part includes a housing (21) and a base (23) connected to each other, and at least a sidewall extending from the top portion toward the base, and the upper spring sheet is disposed on an inner surface of the top portion (Fig. 2) [claim 2];
two ribs (R2) are formed on the side wall, and the driving assembly includes a coil (C) and a magnetic element (M), wherein the coil is disposed on the movable part (22) and the magnetic element is disposed on the side wall and positioned between the ribs (Fig. 5A) [claim 3].
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) 7-9 and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Shin (KR 20180037690).
Regarding claims 7 and 15, Wang teaches all the claimed limitations except for the housing has a protruding structure, and the first column has an outer connection portion that forms a depressed structure, wherein the protruding structure and the depressed structure are located at a corner of the driving mechanism and adhered to each other. Shin teaches a driving mechanism comprises a housing (300) has a protruding structure (302a), and the first column (216) has an outer connection portion that forms a depressed structure, wherein the protruding structure and the depressed structure are located at a corner of the driving mechanism and adhered to each other (Fig. 8). It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a protruding structure of the housing and the depressed structure of the column in the base within said driving mechanism in order to facilitate the alignment of the housing when mounted onto the base during its manufacture.
Regarding claims 8-9 and 16-17, Wang, as modified by Shin, teaches the invention as claimed in claim 7 and 15, respectively. Wang further teaches a damping gel (V), wherein the first column has an inner connection portion, and the damping gel is connected between the movable part and the inner connecting portion; wherein the inner connecting portion forms a recess for receiving the damping gel (Fig. 12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12 and 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 10, applicant has sufficiently defined and claimed a driving mechanism, whereby the prior art does not teach or suggest a lower spring sheet and a conductive member, wherein the lower spring sheet is connected between the base and the movable part, the conductive member is embedded in the base and has a contact pad exposed to the top side of the base, and the lower spring sheet has an end portion electrically connected to the contact pad, wherein the end portion and the contact pad are located on the outer side of the first column, in combination with all other limitations set forth in the claim.
Regarding claim 18, applicant has sufficiently defined and claimed a driving mechanism, whereby the prior art does not teach or suggest a lower spring sheet and a conductive member, wherein the lower spring sheet is connected between the base and the movable part, the conductive member is embedded in the base and has a contact pad exposed to the top side of the base, and the lower spring sheet has an end portion electrically connected to the contact pad, wherein the end portion and the contact pad are located on the outer side of the first column, in combination with all other limitations set forth in the claim.
Conclusion
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MINH Q. PHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2852
/MINH Q PHAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852