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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) or (f), 365(a) or (b), or 386(a) based upon an application filed in REPUBLIC OF KOREA on 02/07/2019.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 09/23/2024 and 10/28/2025 has/have been considered by the examiner and made of record in the application file.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: #662, described in [0259] as the second plate part does not appear in any of the figures. It is believed by the examiner that there is an error in Figure 14 where element #665 is pointing to the incorrect structure and should be pointing to the top right elastic member (second elastic member, [0262]) and that the label where #665 currently is should be #662 as the second plate part surrounding the periphery of the first plate part #661 of the spring plat #660. 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. 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.
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 following features must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Claim 10, “at least two or more extension pattern parts of the plurality of extension pattern parts overlap a single connection plate portion in the thickness direction”, this does not appear to be shown in any of the figures as the only figure showing overlap in the thickness direction of these elements appears to be Figure 13 which shows only a 1:1 ratio, in the side view, of overlap between the extension pattern parts of the conductive pattern (#640) and the connection plate portion of the plate part (#660).
Claim 14, “at least a portion of the connection plate portion does not overlap the extension pattern part in the thickness direction”, this does not appear to be shown in any of the figures as the only figure showing overlap in the thickness direction of these elements appears to be Figure 13 which shows a 1:1 side view overlap between the extension pattern parts of the conductive pattern (#640) and the connection plate portion of the plate part (#660), i.e. there is no observed portion of the connection plate portion which does not overlap the extension pattern part in the thickness direction.
Claim 17, “at least a portion of the extension insulating part does not overlap the extension pattern part in the thickness direction”, this does not appear to be shown in any of the figures as the only figure showing overlap in the thickness direction of these elements appears to be Figure 13 which does not show any details of the overlap, or lack thereof, between the extension pattern parts of the conductive pattern (#640) and the extension insulating part of the insulating layer (#610), i.e. there is no observed portion of the extension insulating part which does not overlap the extension pattern part in the thickness direction since no portion of the extension insulating part is shown in the side view
Claim 18, “at least a portion of the extension insulating part does not overlap the connection plate portion in the thickness direction”, this does not appear to be shown in any of the figures as the only figure showing overlap in the thickness direction of these elements appears to be Figure 13 which does not show any details of the overlap, or lack thereof, between the connection plate portion of the plate part (#660) and the extension insulating part of the insulating layer (#610), i.e. there is no observed portion of the extension insulating part which does not overlap the connection plate portion in the thickness direction since no portion of the extension insulating part is shown in the side view.
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.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 4-5 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 4, lines 1-2, “wherein the image sensor is disposed on the first plate portion” where the word “is” is missing.
The balance of claims are objected to at least for their dependencies. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 3-5, 11, 13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites the limitation “an outer surface of the first plate portion and an inner surface of the second plate portion includes: . . . a second plate portion which is not connected to each other in the second open portion”. [0054] of the specification states “when an element is described as being . . . “connected” to another element, it may include not only when the element is directly “connected” to, “coupled” to, or “connected” to other elements, but also when the element is “connected”, “coupled”, or “connected” by another element between the element and other elements”. By this definition, all portions of the second plate portion (#662 (improperly labeled as #665, see drawings objection above) in Figure 14) are connected to all portions of the first plate part (#661 in Figure 14) by the elastic members (#664-#667) which connect them across the open portion (#663). There is no portion of #662 which is observed to be entirely disconnected from the rest of the spring plate since all parts are at least indirectly connected. Therefore, claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) at least for their dependencies. For the purposes of this examination, any portion of a second plate portion, no matter how small, will be interpreted as being not connected to the first plate portion if they are not immediately in contact with one another.
Claim 11 recites the limitation ”a thickness of the extension pattern part is greater than a thickness of the first pattern part or the second pattern part”. This limitation lacks clear antecedent basis as this is the first recitation of first/second pattern parts. The claim depends on claim 9 which has recited “a first conductive pattern part” and “a first conductive pattern part” but the word conductive has not been included in claim 11’s recitation such that it is unclear if these recitations are referring to different elements than claim 9 and should be “[[the]] a first pattern part” and “[[the]] a second pattern part” or if they are referring to the same elements and should be “the first conductive pattern part” and “the second conductive pattern part”. Therefore, claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. For the purposes of this examination, the claim will be interpreted to be different elements and will be read as ”a thickness of the extension pattern part is greater than a thickness of [[the]] a first pattern part or [[the]] a second pattern part”.
Claim 13 recites the limitations of “bent portions in the first corner region . . . the second corner region . . . the third corner region . . . the fourth corner region” but these are the first recitations of these elements in this line of claims. Claim 7 has previously recited “the first open region includes a first corner region, a second corner region, a third corner region and a fourth corner region” but claim 13 does not depend on claim 7, either directly or indirectly. Thus it is unclear if these are intended to be the same corners and claim 13 should in some way be dependent on claim 7 or if these may encompass different corners and should respectively be recited as “bent portions in [[the]] a first corner region . . . [[the]] a second corner region . . . [[the]] a third corner region . . . [[the]] a fourth corner region” in claim 13. Therefore, claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) at least for its dependencies. For the purposes of this examination, it will be interpreted that these corner regions may be different or the same as those recited in claim 7 and claim 13 will be read as “bent portions in [[the]] a first corner region . . . [[the]] a second corner region . . . [[the]] a third corner region . . . [[the]] a fourth corner region”.
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.
(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) 1-15 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2008/0158412 A1; Tagome et al.; 07/2008; (“Tagome”).
Regarding Claim 1. Tagome discloses A substrate for an image sensor (#601, Figures 15A-15C, camera module where figs. 15A and 15C are top and bottom views of Figure 15B according to [0143]) comprising:
a plate part (#41b, Figures 15A-15C, lower spring);
an insulating layer disposed on the plate part (#110, Figures 15A-15C, lens which may be made out of glass or plastic according to [0045], which are insulators, that is disposed on #41b); and
a conductive pattern part disposed on the insulating layer (#41a, Figures 15A-15C, upper spring made out of conductive material according to [0050], which is disposed on #110),
wherein the plate part (#41b) includes:
a first plate portion (Figure 15C, central ring of #41b);
a second plate portion spaced apart from the first plate portion (Figure 15C, tabs of #41b which are located on respective portions of support bases #33) with a first open region therebetween (Figures 15A-15C, [0046], “a minute gap is provided so as to allow the movable section 10 to be moved in the optical axis direction of the lens 11”, this is observed in Figure 15B as the gap between movable section 10 and the fixed section 30); and
a connection plate portion disposed in the first open region (Figure 15C, U-shaped extensions of #41b which extend across the aforementioned gap) and connecting between the first plate portion and the second plate portion (Figure 15C, the U-shaped extensions connect the center ring to the outer tabs of #41b), and
wherein the first plate portion (Figure 15C, central ring of #41b) includes a through hole passing through an upper surface of the first plate portion and a lower surface of the first plate portion (Figure 14C, the ring shape of #41b includes a central opening, or through hole, which exposes the underlying lens portions 110a-d, such that it necessarily passes through both the top and bottom surfaces of #41b).
Regarding Claim 2. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 1, wherein the connection plate portion includes a bent portion provided in the first open region and extending in different horizontal directions (Figure 15C, U-shaped extensions of #41b are bent in the open region or gap to extend in various horizontal directions).
Regarding Claim 3. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 1, wherein the first open region includes:
a first open portion overlapping the connection plate portion in a thickness direction of the plate part (Figures 15B-15C, at least a portion of the gap overlaps with the U-shaped extensions) ; and
a second open portion that does not overlap the connection plate portion in the thickness direction (Figures 15B-15C, at least a portion of the gap does not overlap with the U-shaped extensions),
wherein an outer surface of the first plate portion and an inner surface of the second plate portion includes:
a first portion connected to each other by the connecting plate portion in the first open portion (Figure 15C, portions of the tabs at the ends of #41b and the central ring are connected to one another indirectly by the U-shaped connectors), and
a second portion which is not connected to each other in the second open portion (Figure 15C, see 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection above, any portion of a tabs such as the extreme edges, no matter how small, are interpreted as being not connected to the first plate portion central ring at edges not immediately connected to the U-shaped extensions since they are not immediately in contact with one another).
Regarding Claim 4. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 3, wherein the image sensor disposed on the first plate portion ([0144], #601 may be used in place of #100 in Figure 1, Figure 1 shows an imaging element, or image sensor, #3 disposed on the bottom spring where “on” does not require direct contact), and
wherein the thickness direction is an optical axis direction of the image sensor ([0045], Figure 1, the optical axis of the device is in the thickness direction and coincides with the center of hole 13a).
Regarding Claim 5. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 4, wherein the through hole is overlapped with at least a portion of the image sensor in the thickness direction (Figure 1, the hole in the spring’s central ring overlaps with #3 in the thickness direction of the device).
Regarding Claim 6. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 1, wherein the first open region includes a plurality of corner regions adjacent to different corner portions of the first plate portion (Figures 15B-15C, the opening between the fixed and movable portions includes a plurality of corner regions, top and bottom left and right corners, which are adjacent to corner portions of the central ring where contact is made with the U-shaped connection portions of #41b),
wherein the connection plate portion is divided into a plurality of groups (Figure 15C, let each U-shaped bend of #41b be a group of 1), and
wherein the plurality of groups of the connection plate portion include bent portions provided in the different corner regions of the first open region (Figure 15C, each U-shaped bend of #41b is bent in the corner regions of the opening).
Regarding Claim 7. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 6, wherein the first open region includes a first corner region (Figure 15C, top left), a second corner region (Figure 15C, top right), a third corner region (Figure 15C, bottom left) and a fourth corner region (Figure 15C, bottom right),
wherein the connection plate portion includes:
a first group of the connection plate portion having a bent portion disposed in the first corner region (Figure 15C, the bottom left U-shaped extension includes a bent portion in the top left corner region);
a second group of the connection plate portion having a bent portion disposed in the second corner region (Figure 15C, the top left U-shaped extension includes a bent portion in the top right corner region);
a third group of the connection plate portion having a bent portion disposed in the third corner region (Figure 15C, the bottom right U-shaped extension includes a bent portion in the bottom left corner region); and
a fourth group of the connection plate portion having a bent portion disposed in the fourth corner region (Figure 15C, the top right U-shaped extension includes a bent portion in the bottom right corner region).
Regarding Claim 8. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 1, wherein the connection plate portion connects between an outer surface of the first plate portion and an inner surface of the second plate portion that do not face each other (Figure 15C, in #41b, the U-shaped extensions connect outer surfaces of the central ring to exterior tabs on the fixed portion that do not face each other).
Regarding Claim 9. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 1, wherein the conductive pattern part (#41a, Figures 15A-15B) includes:
a first conductive pattern part overlapping the first plate portion in a thickness direction of the plate part (Figures 15A-15C, central ring of #41a which overlaps the central ring of #41b in the thickness direction of #41b);
a second conductive pattern part overlapping the second plate portion in the thickness direction (Figures 15A-5C, tabs of #41a which are located on respective portions of support bases #33 which overlap the tabs on the opposing side of the support bases in the thickness direction); and
an extension pattern part disposed on the first open region, overlapping at least a portion of the connection plate portion in the thickness direction, and connecting between the first and second conductive pattern parts (Figures 15A-15C, U-shaped extensions of #41a which extend across the aforementioned gap and connect the center ring to the outer tabs of #41a and overlap at least partially with the U-shaped extensions of #41b in the thickness direction).
Regarding Claim 10. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 9, wherein the extension pattern part is provided in plurality and spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction (Figure 15A, there are at least four U-shaped extensions of #41a which are spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction), and
wherein at least two or more extension pattern parts of the plurality of extension pattern parts overlap a single connection plate portion in the thickness direction (Figures 15A an 15C, because of the opposing extension directions of the U-shaped parts of #41a and #41b, at least two U-shaped portions of #41a are observed to overlap U-shaped portions of #41b, this is best observed in Figure 15A where small portions of the underlying #41b are observed to extend between and under the two different U-shaped portions of #41a which overlap it in the corner region).
Regarding Claim 11. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 9, wherein a thickness of the extension pattern part is greater than a thickness of [[the]] a first pattern part or [[the]] a second pattern part (Figures 15A-15C, because the boundaries of these “parts” of a larger structure have not been explicitly defined, any arbitrary portion of the U-shaped bend extension patterns may be selected and its maximum thickness interpreted as being thicker than first and second pattern parts which are not required to encompass an entire thickness of whatever they are a part of, see for example Figure 18 B of Tagome which shows portions of the extension regions may be thicker than other portions).
Regarding Claim 12. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 9, wherein the extension pattern part is divided into a plurality of groups (Figure 15A, let each U-shaped bend of #41a be a group of 1), and
wherein the plurality of groups of the extension pattern part include bent portions respectively provided in different corner regions of the first open region (Figure 15A, each U-shaped bend of #41a is bent in the corner regions of the opening).
Regarding Claim 13. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 12, wherein the extension pattern part includes:
a first group of the extension pattern part having bent portions in [[the]] a first corner region (Figure 15A, the bottom left U-shaped extension includes a bent portion in a top left corner region);
a second group of the extension pattern part having bent portions in [[the]] a second corner region (Figure 15A, the top left U-shaped extension includes a bent portion in a top right corner region);
a third group of the extension pattern part having bent portions in [[the]] a third corner region (Figure 15A, the bottom right U-shaped extension includes a bent portion in a bottom left corner region); and
a fourth group of the extension pattern part having bent portions in [[the]] a fourth corner region (Figure 15A, the top right U-shaped extension includes a bent portion in a bottom right corner region).
Regarding Claim 14. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the connection plate portion does not overlap the extension pattern part in the thickness direction (Figures 15A and 15C, at least a portion of the U-shaped extensions of #41b does not overlap the U-shaped extensions of #41a, this is best observed in Figure 15A where small portions of the underlying #41b are observed to extend between and under the two different U-shaped portions of #41a which overlap it in the corner region).
Regarding Claim 15. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 13, wherein a number of each of the first to fourth groups of the extension pattern part is equal to each other (Figure 15, each U-shaped extension portion of #41a is a group of 1).
Regarding Claim 19. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 1, further comprising a driving part (#31 and #22, Figure 15B, coil and magnet portions) overlapping the first plate portion in a thickness direction of the plate part (Figure 15, the thickness direction has not been specified relative to any element, i.e. any direction in which an element has a thickness may be a “thickness” direction, such that #31 and #22 may be interpreted as overlapping the central ring of #41b in a diagonal direction that passes through the elements),
wherein the driving part includes at least one of a coil and a magnet (#31 and #22, Figure 15B, coil and magnet portions).
Regarding Claim 20. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 1, wherein the first plate portion, the second plate portion, and the connection plate portion include a metallic material ([0050], “the lower spring 41b are formed of a metal that has high electrical conductivity and is highly resistant to metal fatigue”).
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) 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2008/0158412 A1; Tagome et al.; 07/2008; (“Tagome”) as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of US 2019/0141248 A1; Hubert et al.; 05/2019; (“Hubert”).
Regarding Claim 16. Tagome discloses The substrate of claim 9, wherein the insulating layer includes:
a first insulating part overlapping the first plate portion in the thickness direction (Figures 15B and 15C, central lens part #110 overlaps the central ring of #41b in the thickness direction);
a second insulating part overlapping the second plate portion in the thickness direction (Figures 15B and 15C, supports #33a-d, made of an plastic, which is an insulator, according to [0049], overlap with the tabs of #41b in the thickness direction, see [0066]); and
Tagome does not disclose an extension insulating part disposed on the first open region and having at least a portion overlapped with the connection plate portion in the thickness direction.
However, Hubert teaches a flexure module usable in a camera (Figure 12A, [0139]-[0142]) comprising electrical traces (#1204) as part of a flex circuit (#1202) wherein the electrical traces are on an insulator (see [0131]) wherein the flex circuit, and consequently the insulator, includes an extension portion (referred to as middle portion in [0142]) disposed over an open region that connects the insulator of the interior dynamic platform (#1206) and exterior static platform (#1208) of the device (see the small extending connection portion which connects the two platforms of the left and right side of #1208).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider incorporating the middle portion of Hubert as an extension insulating part into the device of Tagome as the middle portion of Hubert helps to facilitate relative movement between first and second ends of the flex circuit as taught by Hubert in [0142]. Doing so would cause the extension insulating part on the extension pattern part (#41a, Figure 15A, U-shaped extensions) to be in the open region and at least partially overlap with the U-shaped extensions of #41b in the thickness direction.
Regarding Claim 17. Tagome in view of Hubert discloses The substrate of claim 16, wherein a width of the extension insulating part is greater than a width of the extension pattern part, and wherein at least a portion of the extension insulating part does not overlap the extension pattern part in the thickness direction (Hubert, Figure 12A, the widths of the extension insulating parts on the left and right sides are wider than the extension patterns of the interconnects that are on them such that the insulating extension includes portions which do not overlap with the interconnects).
Regarding Claim 18. Tagome in view of Hubert discloses The substrate of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the extension insulating part does not overlap the connection plate portion in the thickness direction (Tagome in view of Hubert, Figure 15C of Tagome, incorporating the extension insulating part of Tagome onto the extension pattern part, U-shaped extension of #41a, would result in it not overlapping with the U-shaped extensions of #41b in the regions where #41a does not overlap with #41b, this is best observed in Figure 15C where small portions of the underlying #41a are observed to extend between and under the two different U-shaped portions of #41b which overlap it in the corner region).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYLER JAMES WIEGAND whose telephone number is (571)270-0096. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8AM-5PM.
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/TYLER J WIEGAND/Examiner, Art Unit 2812
Prosecution Insights