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 § 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.
Claims 1, 6-7 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Im et al. (US 2018/0224665) in view of Lee et al. (US 2022/0397805).
As to claim 1, Im discloses in figure 4, a camera module 1001 comprising: a housing 1010; a reflection module 1100 disposed in the housing, the reflection module comprising: a rotation holder 1120 disposed in the housing and provided with a reflective member 1110; a rotation guide 1130 disposed between the housing and the rotation holder.
Im does not disclose wherein the rotation holder comprises a plurality of buffer members that protrude toward the rotation guide, and wherein the plurality of buffer members are provided on at least a surface of the rotation holder that faces the rotation guide to protrude toward the rotation guide. Lee discloses in paragraph [0066], a buffer member 1050 may be positioned between the rotation holder 1120 and the housing 1010. The buffer member 1050 may serve as a stopper that adjusts a movement of the rotation holder 1120 or a buffer member that absorbs an impact thereto. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Im by providing a plurality of buffer members that protrude toward the rotation guide, and wherein the plurality of buffer members are provided on at least a surface of the rotation holder that faces the rotation guide to protrude toward the rotation guide in order to absorb an impact between the rotation holder and the rotation guide.
As to claim 6, Im in view of Lee discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Im further discloses in figure 1, a portable electronic device 1 comprising the camera module 1001.
As to claim 7, Im discloses in figure 4, a camera module 1001 comprising: a housing 1010; a reflection module 1100 disposed in the housing, the reflection module comprising: a rotation holder 1120 disposed in the housing and provided with a reflective member 1110; a rotation guide 1130 disposed between the housing and the rotation holder.
Im does not disclose wherein the rotation holder comprises a first buffer member disposed on a surface that faces the housing, and a second buffer member disposed on a surface that faces the rotation guide. Lee discloses in paragraph [0066], a buffer member 1050 may be positioned between the rotation holder 1120 and the housing 1010. The buffer member 1050 may serve as a stopper that adjusts a movement of the rotation holder 1120 or a buffer member that absorbs an impact thereto. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Im by providing a first buffer member disposed on a surface that faces the housing, and a second buffer member disposed on a surface that faces the rotation guide in order to absorb an impact between the rotation holder and the housing and an impact between the rotation holder and the rotation guide.
As to claim 15, Im in view of Lee discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 7, but does not disclose wherein the first buffer member and the second buffer member are integrally formed with the rotation holder through a support frame. However, this was a conventional structure for providing a buffer member. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Im wherein the first buffer member and the second buffer member are integrally formed with the rotation holder through a support frame because it was a conventional structure for providing a buffer member, and conventional structures were known to be cost effective and reliable.
As to claim 16, Im in view of Lee discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 7. Im further discloses in figure 1, a portable electronic device 1 comprising the camera module 1001.
As to claim 17, Im in view of Lee discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Im further discloses in figure 4: a reflection module 1100; a lens module 1200 comprising a plurality of lenses that refract light passing through the reflection module; and an image sensor module comprising an image sensor 1310 configured to convert light passing through the lens module into an electrical signal.
As to claim 18, Im in view of Lee discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 17. Im further discloses wherein the rotation holder 1120 faces the housing 1010 in a first direction, different from a second direction in which the rotation holder faces the rotation guide 1130. Im in view of Lee does not disclose wherein a plurality of buffer members are further provided on a surface of the rotation holder that faces the housing to protrude toward the housing. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Im wherein a plurality of buffer members are further provided on a surface of the rotation holder that faces the housing to protrude toward the housing in order to absorb an impact between the rotation holder and the housing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5 and 8-14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art taught or fairly suggested a camera module comprising the combination required by claim 2, including: a plurality of ball bearings spaced apart from each other in a first direction between the rotation holder and the rotation guide, and configured to support a rotation of the rotation holder with respect to the rotation guide, wherein the plurality of buffer members are spaced apart from each other in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction in which the plurality of ball bearings are spaced apart, and the plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the plurality of buffer members. Claims 3-5 are objected to by virtue of their dependency.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art taught or fairly suggested a camera module comprising the combination required by claim 8, wherein a first ball bearing, comprising a plurality of ball members that are spaced apart from each other in a first axis direction, is disposed between the housing and the rotation guide, wherein a second ball bearing comprising a plurality of ball members spaced apart from each other in a second axis direction, perpendicular to the first axis direction, is disposed between the rotation guide and the rotation holder, and wherein the rotation holder and the rotation guide are rotated about the first axis with respect to the housing, and the rotation holder is rotated about the second axis with respect to the rotation guide and the housing. Claims 9-14 are objected to by virtue of their dependency.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David Chung whose telephone number is (571)272-2288. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/DAVID Y CHUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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