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 .
Remarks
There are at least 24 embodiments disclosed in the application (See paragraph 0885). The current claims appears to correspond to Figures 102-105 and paragraphs 0523 – 528 of the Specification.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following item(s):
Paragraphs 0523 includes “a first fixed portion 9-200’”, and paragraph 0526 includes “a first movable portion 9-200’”. It appears that the “first fixed portion 9-200’” in paragraph 0523 should have been a first movable portion.
Appropriate correction is required.
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:
(paragraph 0523): “a second drive assembly 9-600”. (Note: For examination purposes, 9-600 is considered to be made up of ref.#s 9-610, 9-620 and 9-630.)
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-20 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 1): Claim 1 sets forth the limitations “a guiding assembly located between the first movable portion and the fixed portion” and “a first intermediate element of the guiding assembly is in contact with the first movable portion or the fixed portion”. Claim 2 sets forth the limitation of “first portion of the guiding assembly is accommodated in the first recess”. Claim 3 sets forth the limitation “a second portion of the guiding assembly is accommodated in the second recess”. Claim 5 sets forth the limitation “the guiding assembly is formed on a second surface of the fixed portion”. It is unclear as to what structure makes up the “guiding assembly”.
Further, claims 1 and 5 are inconsistent. Claim 1: “a guiding assembly located between the first movable portion and the fixed portion”. Claim 5: “wherein the guiding assembly is formed on a second surface of the fixed portion”.
Further, the term “guiding assembly” is used in the Specification corresponding to Fig. 240 (ref.#s 22-150: 22-251, 22-161, 22-162) which correspond to balls and recess / tracks). Paragraphs 0523-0528 do not use the term “guiding assembly”. The associated structures appear as “the first guiding member 9-114’”, “second guiding member 9-211’ (i.e., balls) and “depression 9-240’”.
For examination purposes, the “guiding assembly” in claim 1 is considered to be the balls (ref.# 9-211). The “first portion of the guiding assembly “ in claim 1 is considered to the lower half of the balls. The “second portion of the guiding assembly” in claim 3 is considered to be the top half of the balls”.
Claim 1, also, sets forth the limitation “a force-applying assembly used for applying a stabilization force to the first movable portion, so that a first intermediate element of the guiding assembly is in contact with the first movable portion or the fixed portion”. It is unclear as to what structure makes up the “force-applying assembly”. The application is directed to optical image stabilization function. However, there is no discussion in the Specification for applying a “stabilization” force to the first movable portion in order to make the guide ball to be in contact with the first movable or fixed portions. For examination purposes, the force-applying assembly is considered to be the driving assembly (ref.# 9-610, 9-620).
Claims 2-20 depend from claim 1 and therefore include the deficiencies of claim 1.
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(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Seol, et al. (US 2018/0239161).
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Fig. 2
Regarding claim 1, Seol discloses “a first movable portion (Fig. 2, ref.# 130) used for connecting an optical element (Fig. 2, ref.# 110); a fixed portion (Fig. 2, ref.# 140), wherein the first movable portion is movable relative to the fixed portion (See Fig. 7); a first driving assembly (Fig. 2, ref.# 150-2) used for driving the first movable portion to rotate relative to the fixed portion; a guiding assembly (Fig. 4B, ref.# 141, 180-2) located between the first movable portion and the fixed portion; and a force-applying assembly (Fig. 2, ref.# 150-1) used for applying a stabilization force to the first movable portion, so that a first intermediate element (Fig. 4B, ref.# 180-2) of the guiding assembly is in contact with the first movable portion (Fig. 2, ref.# 130) or the fixed portion (Fig. 2, ref.# 140); wherein the first movable portion is rotatable relative to the fixed portion (Fig. 7).”
Regarding claim 2, Seol discloses “wherein a first recess (Fig. 4B, ref.# 141) is formed on a first surface of the fixed portion, a first portion of the guiding assembly (Fig. 4B, ref.# 180-2) is accommodated in the first recess, the first surface is perpendicular to a first axis (Fig. 4B: dotted line), and a direction of the first stabilized force is parallel to the first axis.”
Regarding claim 3, Seol discloses “wherein a second recess (Fig. 4A, ref.# 137) is formed on the first movable portion (Fig. 4A, ref.# 130), and a second portion of the guiding assembly (Fig. 4A, ref.# 180-2) is accommodated in the second recess.”
Regarding claim 4, Seol discloses “wherein the first recess partially overlaps the second recess along the first axis.” (See Figs. 4B & 7)
Regarding claim 5, Seol discloses “wherein the guiding assembly (Fig. 4B, ref.# 141) is formed on a second surface of the fixed portion (Fig. 4B: lower structure).”
Regarding claim 6, Seol discloses “wherein the first surface and the second surface face a same direction.” (Fig. 4B: face direction of dotted line)
Regarding claim 7, Seol discloses “wherein a first distance between the first surface and the first movable portion is different from a second distance between the second surface and the first movable portion.” (See Fig. 4B)
Regarding claim 8, Seol discloses “wherein the first distance is less than the second distance.” (See Fig. 4B)
Regarding claim 9, Seol discloses “wherein the guiding assembly (Fig. 4B: structure including ref.# 141) partially overlaps the first driving assembly (Fig. 4B, ref.# 150-2) in a direction parallel to the first surface.”
Regarding claim 10, Seol discloses “wherein the first driving assembly comprises a first driving element (Fig. 4B, ref.# 150-2) and a second driving element (Fig. 4A, ref.# 135), and the guiding assembly (Fig. 4A, ref.# 137, 180-2) is partially disposed between the first driving element and the second driving element.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Tsai, et al. (US 11,698,525), Weng, et al. (US 11, 586,002) and Weng, et al. (US 12,174,449) are parent and/or related applications by the applicant.
IM, et al., (US 2018/0367714), IM, et al. (US 2018/0224665), HU, et al. (US 2017/0329111), Topliss (US 2014/0009631) and Minamisawa, et al. (US 2013/0128360) teach an optical member driving mechanism with a movable portion, a fixed portion, a driving assembly and a guiding assembly.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RODNEY FULLER whose telephone number is (571)272-2118. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday.
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/RODNEY E FULLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
August 6, 2026
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