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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/28/2026 has been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant amended the claims to require the connecting portion to not be in direct contact with the first circuit board. The examiner asserts that Lee teaches the connecting portion (element 11) is not in direct contact (11 is in contact with 40 via grounding pad 41) with the first circuit board (element 40). Therefore, the rejection over the prior art is maintained.
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.
1: Claim(s) 1-6 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 104284061 B Lee (for examination purposes the examiner has relied upon the provided English translation).
2: As for Claim 1, Lee depicts in Figures 1, 4 and 5B and teaches on Page 5, Lines 9-11 and Page 6, Lines 6-9 A camera module comprising: a housing (element 30 depicted in Figure 1) that accommodates a lens barrel (element 20 depicted in Figure 1); and a cover (element 10 depicted in Figure 1) that covers the housing (30), wherein the cover (10) comprises a connection portion (11) connected to a first circuit board (40) by a first solder (conductive adhesive 43) to provide a ground to the first circuit board (40) (Page 5, Lines 9-11), wherein the connecting portion (element 11) is not in direct contact (11 is in contact with 40 via grounding pad 41) with the first circuit board (element 40), and wherein the connection portion (11) comprises a first concave portion having a concave shape in a first direction (see depiction in Figure 5A) from the first circuit board (40) toward the housing (30).
3: As for Claim 2, Lee depicts in Figures 4 and 5B and teaches on Page 5, Lines 9-11 and Page 6, Lines 6-9 wherein the connection portion (11) is connected to a ground pad (41) of the first circuit board (40) by the first solder (43) to provide the ground to the first circuit board (40).
4: As for Claim 3, Lee depicts in Figure 5B and teaches on Page 6, Lines 12-22) wherein the first concave portion (multiple concave portions are depicted as the connection portion 11) of the connection portion (11) is entirely covered by the first solder (conductive adhesive 43).
5: As for Claim 4, Lee depicts in Figure 5B and teaches on Page 2, Lines 25-29 wherein: the connection portion (11) further comprises a first convex portion and a second convex portion each having a convex shape in a direction from the housing (30) toward the first circuit board (40), and the first concave portion is disposed between the first convex portion and the second convex portion. Lee depicts in Figures 5B and 6 multiple alternation convex and concave elements forming the connection portion 11.
6: As for Claim 5, Lee depicts in Figure 5B and teaches on Page 2, Lines 25-29 wherein: the connection portion (11) further comprises a second concave portion and a third concave portion each having a concave shape in the first direction, the first convex portion is disposed between the first concave portion and the second concave portion, and the second convex portion is disposed between the first concave portion and the third concave portion. Lee depicts in Figures 5B and 6 multiple alternation convex and concave elements forming the connection portion 11.
7: As for Claim 6, Lee depicts in Figure 1 and teaches on Page 4, Lines 11-13 wherein an image sensor (50) is mounted on the first circuit board (40).
8: As for Claim 10, Lee depicts in Figures 1, 4 and 5B and teaches on Page 5, Lines 9-11 and Page 6, Lines 6-9 A camera module comprising: a lens barrel (element 20 depicted in Figure 1) that accommodates a lens; a housing (element 30 depicted in Figure 1) that accommodates the lens barrel (20); a first circuit board (element 40) on which the housing (30) is seated; and a cover (element 10) that covers the housing (30), wherein the cover (10) comprises a connection portion (element 11) connected to a ground pad (41) of the first circuit board (40) by first solder (conductive adhesive 43), wherein the connecting portion (element 11) is not in direct contact (11 is in contact with 40 via grounding pad 41) with the first circuit board (element 40), and wherein the connection portion (11) comprises a first concave portion having a concave shape in a first direction from the first circuit board toward the housing (30), and a convex portion having a convex shape in a direction from the housing (30) toward the first circuit board (40) (depicted in Figure 5B and discussed on Page 2, Lines 25-29).
9: As for Claim 11, Lee depicts in Figure 5B and teaches on Page 6, Lines 12-22) wherein the first concave portion (multiple concave portions are depicted as the connection portion 11) of the connection portion (11) is entirely covered by the first solder (conductive adhesive 43).
10: As for Claim 12, Lee depicts in Figure 5B and teaches on Page 2, Lines 25-29 wherein: the connection portion (element 11) further comprises a second concave portion (multiple concave portions are depicted in Figure 5B) having a concave shape in the first direction, and the convex portion is disposed between the first concave portion and the second concave portion. Lee depicts in Figures 5B and 6 multiple alternation convex and concave elements forming the connection portion 11.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9, 13 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.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES M HANNETT whose telephone number is (571)272-7309. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Monday thru Thursday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Twyler Haskins can be reached at 571-272-7406 The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES M HANNETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639
JMH
June 1, 2026
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