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 Amendment
The amendment filed on April 2, 2026 in response to the previous Office Action (01/08/2026) is acknowledged and has been entered.
Claims 1 – 15 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 2, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant submits that Choi fails to disclose that the ventilation grooves are not inclined with respect to the optical axis (see Remarks, p. 5).
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Choi teaches that the ventilation grooves 135 extends to the extension groove 137. Thus, the ventilation groove is the combination of 135 and 137 (see Choi ¶32). As such, the ventilation groove extends in the direction of the optical axis at a 90 degree angle via 137 (fig. 4-5).
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, 3 – 5, 7 – 8 and 11 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi (KR 2008-0037767A machine translation).
Regarding claim 1, Choi discloses a camera module comprising: a lens barrel (160) (fig. 3; ¶29); an image sensor (120) disposed below the lens barrel along an optical axis direction of the lens barrel and electrically connected to a substrate (110) (fig. 3; ¶29); and a sub-housing (130 step) that is disposed between the lens barrel and the substrate and on which an infrared filter (180) is mounted (¶29), wherein the sub-housing comprises a gas discharge portion (135/137) penetrating between first and second surfaces facing each other in the optical axis direction (figs. 4-5; ¶30,32, 44), and wherein a central axis along a penetration direction of the gas discharge portion is inclined with respect to the optical axis (fig. 4-5).
Regarding claim 3, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also teaches wherein the gas discharge portion has a uniform width with respect to the central axis (fig. 4).
Regarding claim 4, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also teaches further comprising an adhesive portion disposed to cover at least a portion of the gas discharge portion (¶34,35).
Regarding claim 5, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 4. Choi also teaches wherein the adhesive portion is disposed to surround an inner peripheral surface of the gas discharge portion (¶34,35).
Regarding claim 7, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also teaches wherein the central axis of the gas discharge portion is inclined toward the outside of the sub-housing (¶26: bent, sawtooth).
Regarding claim 8, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also teaches wherein the sub-housing comprises an opening, and the central axis of the gas discharge portion is inclined toward the opening of the sub-housing (figs. 3, 4; ¶26: bent, sawtooth).
Regarding claim 11, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also teaches wherein the central axis of the gas discharge portion is inclined with respect to the first surface of the sub-housing (¶26: bent, sawtooth).
Regarding claim 12, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also teaches wherein the gas discharge portion is inclined and extended so that the central axis forms a certain angle with the optical axis (¶26: bent, sawtooth).
Regarding claim 13, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also teaches further comprising: a lens driver (150/140 screw) configured to mount and move the lens barrel (fig. 3); and a housing configured to accommodate the lens barrel and the lens driver (fig. 3).
Regarding claim 14, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also teaches wherein the gas discharge portion is disposed outside an edge of the infrared filter (fig. 5).
Regarding claim 15, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also teaches wherein the gas discharge portion only penetrates a portion of the sub-housing that does not overlap the infrared filter with respect to the optical axis direction (fig. 5).
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 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi in view of Gu (US 2021/0074750).
Regarding claim 6, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also fails to explicitly disclose wherein the sub-housing further comprises: a seating portion in which the infrared filter is accommodated and that is disposed to surround an opening of the sub-housing; and a frame portion disposed on an outer portion of the sub-housing to surround the seating portion, and wherein the gas discharge portion is disposed in the frame portion.
In a similar field of endeavor, Gu teaches an image sensor package including sub-housing 350, which includes stepped portion 351 in the top surface and the filter 370 is mounted on the stepped portion 351, and opening part for emitting to the outside through the housing member through top and bottom (fig. 3). In light of the teaching of Gu, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to use Gu’s configuration in Choi’s system because an artisan of ordinarily skill would recognize that this would result in easily releasing heat generated in the image sensor and reducing resolution degradation (¶63).
Claim(s) 2, 9 – 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi in view of Shim (KR 2008-0076425 machine translation).
Regarding claim 2, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also fails to explicitly disclose wherein the gas discharge portion penetrates upper and lower portions of the sub-housing in a straight line.
In a similar field of endeavor, Shim teaches an image sensor assembly including an opening 26 for discharging gas and heat generated, wherein the opening has a cylindrical shape and passes through the housing member 20 through top and bottom (fig. 3). In light of the teaching of Shim, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to use the known technique of cylindrical shaped opening passing through the housing, as taught by Shim, with the invention of Choi would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system.
Regarding claim 9, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also fails to explicitly disclose wherein the gas discharge portion has a hollow cylindrical shape.
In a similar field of endeavor, Shim teaches an image sensor assembly including an opening 26 for discharging gas and heat generated, wherein the opening has a cylindrical shape (abstract; p.3, last full paragraph; fig. 2, 4). In light of the teaching of Shim, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to use the known technique of cylindrical shaped opening, as taught by Shim, with the invention of Choi would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system.
Regarding claim 10, Choi discloses the aforementioned limitations of claim 1. Choi also fails to explicitly disclose wherein the gas discharge portion has a circular cross-sectional shape.
In a similar field of endeavor, Shim teaches an image sensor assembly including an opening 26 for discharging gas and heat generated, wherein the opening has a circular shape (abstract; p.3, last full paragraph; fig. 2, 4). In light of the teaching of Shim, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to use the known technique of circular shaped opening, as taught by Shim, with the invention of Choi would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system.
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.
Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTOINETTE SPINKS whose telephone number is (571)270-3749. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7am - 5pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANTOINETTE T SPINKS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639
Prosecution Insights