DETAILED ACTION
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.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 09/16/24 comply with provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the examiner considered the information disclosure statements.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 20150177479).
Regarding claim 20, Lee teaches a lens moving apparatus (lens moving apparatus 100; ¶41, the lens moving apparatus 100 in accordance with this embodiment is an apparatus which locates an image sensor at the focal distance of a lens by adjusting a distance between the lens and the image sensor in a camera module.) comprising, a housing (140; ¶53, the housing 140 may have a column shape with a hollow formed therein (for example, a rectangular prism shape with a hollow). The housing 140 may be configured so as to support at least two driving magnets 130 and the printed circuit board 170 and receive the bobbin 110 such that the bobbin 110 in the housing 140 may move in the first direction against the housing 140); a bobbin (110) disposed in the housing (140; ¶93, the bobbin 110 may be installed so as to reciprocate in the optical axis direction in the inner space of the housing 140 and ¶76, the bobbin 110 may be configured so as to reciprocate in the first axis direction with respect to the housing 140 fixed in the first axis direction. An auto-focusing function may be executed by movement of the bobbin 110 in the first axis direction.); a coil (120) disposed on the bobbin (110; ¶93, The coil 120, which will be described later, is installed on the outer surface of the bobbin 110, ¶103, The coil 120 serves to move the bobbin 110 in the optical axis direction to perform an auto-focusing function. When current is supplied, the coil 120 may generate electromagnetic force through electromagnetic interaction with the driving magnets 130 and then move the bobbin 120 through the generated electromagnetic force.); and a magnet (130 – first driving magnet 131 and second driving magnet 132) disposed on the housing (140) so as to face the coil (120; ¶67, The driving magnets 130 may be installed at positions corresponding to the coil 120 provided on the bobbin 110; ¶68, the driving magnets 130 may be disposed opposite the coil 120 of the bobbin 110. The opposite surfaces of the driving magnet 130 and the coil 120 of the bobbin 110 may be disposed in parallel; ¶55, a magnet through hole 141a or recess in which the driving magnet 130 is loaded or disposed may be provided on each of two side surfaces opposite each other, among the four side surfaces 141 of the housing 140.).
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art taken either singly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the independent claims, in such a manner that a rejection under 35 USC 102 or 103 would be improper.
Regarding claim 1, Lee et al. (US 20150177479) teaches a lens moving apparatus comprising, a housing (housing 140; ¶53, the housing 140 may have a column shape with a hollow formed therein (for example, a rectangular prism shape with a hollow). The housing 140 may be configured so as to support at least two driving magnets 130 and the printed circuit board 170 and receive the bobbin 110 such that the bobbin 110 in the housing 140 may move in the first direction against the housing 140.); a bobbin (bobbin 110) disposed in the housing (housing 140; ¶93, the bobbin 110 may be installed so as to reciprocate in the optical axis direction in the inner space of the housing 140 and ¶76, the bobbin 110 may be configured so as to reciprocate in the first axis direction with respect to the housing 140 fixed in the first axis direction. An auto-focusing function may be executed by movement of the bobbin 110 in the first axis direction.); a coil (120) disposed on the bobbin (110; ¶93, The coil 120, which will be described later, is installed on the outer surface of the bobbin 110, ¶103, The coil 120 serves to move the bobbin 110 in the optical axis direction to perform an auto-focusing function. When current is supplied, the coil 120 may generate electromagnetic force through electromagnetic interaction with the driving magnets 130 and then move the bobbin 120 through the generated electromagnetic force.); a magnet (130 – first driving magnet 131 and second driving magnet 132) disposed on the housing (140) so as to face the coil (120; ¶67, The driving magnets 130 may be installed at positions corresponding to the coil 120 provided on the bobbin 110; ¶68, the driving magnets 130 may be disposed opposite the coil 120 of the bobbin 110. The opposite surfaces of the driving magnet 130 and the coil 120 of the bobbin 110 may be disposed in parallel; ¶55, a magnet through hole 141a or recess in which the driving magnet 130 is loaded or disposed may be provided on each of two side surfaces opposite each other, among the four side surfaces 141 of the housing 140.); a sensing magnet (190) disposed on one side surface of the bobbin (110; ¶105, the bobbin 110 may include the sensing magnet 190 which, together with the position sensor 180 of the housing 140, forms the sensing unit. The sensing magnet 190 may be fixed to, disposed on, or combined with the bobbin 110; ¶107, the bobbin 110 may have a reception recess 117 formed on the outer surface of the bobbin 110 so as to receive the sensing magnet 190; ¶109, the reception recess 117 may be formed on one side surface of the bobbin 110 such that at least a part of the reception recess 117 is located at the inside of the coil 120); a position sensor (180) disposed on one side surface of the housing (140) and configured to detect a displacement of the bobbin (110; ¶56, the sensor through hole 141b or recess is provided on one side surface 141 of the housing 140, and the position sensor 180 is inserted into, disposed in, or loaded in the sensor through hole 141b and electrically connected to one surface of the printed circuit board 170 by soldering. That is, the printed circuit board 170 may be fixed to, supported by, or disposed on the outer surface of one side surface 141 with the sensor through hole 141b or recess among the four side surfaces 141 of the housing 140; ¶70, The position sensor 180 and a sensing magnet 190 of the bobbin 110, which will be described later, may form a sensing unit to judge a first displacement value of the bobbin 110 in the first direction; ¶71, The position sensor 180 may be a sensor sensing change of magnetic force emitted from the sensing magnet 190 of the bobbin 110. Further, the position sensor 180 may be a Hall sensor.).
However, regarding claim 1, the prior art Lee taken either singly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest a lens moving apparatus comprising, wherein the sensing magnet comprises a portion decreasing in a direction toward the one side surface of the housing from the one side surface the bobbin, and wherein a length of the sensing magnet in an optical-axis direction is greater than a length of the sensing magnet in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis, in combination with all other claimed limitation of claim 1.
The claim is allowable because no prior art teaches or suggests this feature in combination with the remaining claim limitations, whether alone or in any proper combination of references. Therefore, the combination of features is considered to be allowable.
With respect to claims 2-18, these claims depend on claim 1 and are allowable at least for the reason state supra.
Regarding claim 19, the closest prior art Lee et al. (US 20150177479) teaches a lens moving apparatus (lens moving apparatus 100; ¶41, the lens moving apparatus 100 in accordance with this embodiment is an apparatus which locates an image sensor at the focal distance of a lens by adjusting a distance between the lens and the image sensor in a camera module.) comprising, a housing (140; ¶53, the housing 140 may have a column shape with a hollow formed therein (for example, a rectangular prism shape with a hollow). The housing 140 may be configured so as to support at least two driving magnets 130 and the printed circuit board 170 and receive the bobbin 110 such that the bobbin 110 in the housing 140 may move in the first direction against the housing 140); a bobbin (110) disposed in the housing (140; ¶93, the bobbin 110 may be installed so as to reciprocate in the optical axis direction in the inner space of the housing 140 and ¶76, the bobbin 110 may be configured so as to reciprocate in the first axis direction with respect to the housing 140 fixed in the first axis direction. An auto-focusing function may be executed by movement of the bobbin 110 in the first axis direction.); a coil (120) disposed on the bobbin (110; ¶93, The coil 120, which will be described later, is installed on the outer surface of the bobbin 110, ¶103, The coil 120 serves to move the bobbin 110 in the optical axis direction to perform an auto-focusing function. When current is supplied, the coil 120 may generate electromagnetic force through electromagnetic interaction with the driving magnets 130 and then move the bobbin 120 through the generated electromagnetic force.); a magnet (130 – first driving magnet 131 and second driving magnet 132) disposed on the housing (140) so as to face the coil (120; ¶67, The driving magnets 130 may be installed at positions corresponding to the coil 120 provided on the bobbin 110; ¶68, the driving magnets 130 may be disposed opposite the coil 120 of the bobbin 110. The opposite surfaces of the driving magnet 130 and the coil 120 of the bobbin 110 may be disposed in parallel; ¶55, a magnet through hole 141a or recess in which the driving magnet 130 is loaded or disposed may be provided on each of two side surfaces opposite each other, among the four side surfaces 141 of the housing 140.); a sensing magnet (190) disposed on one side surface of the bobbin (110; ¶105, the bobbin 110 may include the sensing magnet 190 which, together with the position sensor 180 of the housing 140, forms the sensing unit. The sensing magnet 190 may be fixed to, disposed on, or combined with the bobbin 110; ¶107, the bobbin 110 may have a reception recess 117 formed on the outer surface of the bobbin 110 so as to receive the sensing magnet 190; ¶109, the reception recess 117 may be formed on one side surface of the bobbin 110 such that at least a part of the reception recess 117 is located at the inside of the coil 120); a position sensor (180) disposed on one side surface of the housing (140) and configured to detect a displacement of the bobbin (110; ¶56, the sensor through hole 141b or recess is provided on one side surface 141 of the housing 140, and the position sensor 180 is inserted into, disposed in, or loaded in the sensor through hole 141b and electrically connected to one surface of the printed circuit board 170 by soldering. That is, the printed circuit board 170 may be fixed to, supported by, or disposed on the outer surface of one side surface 141 with the sensor through hole 141b or recess among the four side surfaces 141 of the housing 140; ¶70, The position sensor 180 and a sensing magnet 190 of the bobbin 110, which will be described later, may form a sensing unit to judge a first displacement value of the bobbin 110 in the first direction; ¶71, The position sensor 180 may be a sensor sensing change of magnetic force emitted from the sensing magnet 190 of the bobbin 110. Further, the position sensor 180 may be a Hall sensor.).
However, regarding claim 19, the prior art Lee taken either singly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest a lens moving apparatus comprising, wherein the bobbin comprises a projection projecting in a direction toward the one side surface of the housing, and wherein the housing comprises a groove formed in the one side surface thereof, and a portion of the projection of the bobbin and a portion of the sensing magnet is disposed in the groove of the housing, in combination with all other claimed limitation of claim 19.
The claim is allowable because no prior art teaches or suggests this feature in combination with the remaining claim limitations, wherein alone or in any proper combination references. Therefore, the combination of features is considered to be allowable.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENRY DUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-0534. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached at (571)270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HENRY DUONG/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872 09/04/26
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