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 § 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hagiwara Kazuyoshi (JP 2023155195), hereinafter Kazuyoshi.
Regarding claim 1, Kazuyoshi discloses a driving mechanism for moving an optical element (10, lens driving device) (paragraph 0020), comprising: a fixed part (12, fixed body) (paragraph 0020); a movable part (14, movable body) (paragraph 0020), movably connected to the fixed part (12, fixed body) for holding the optical element (lens) (paragraphs 0020); and a driving assembly (88, optical axis direction support mechanism) (paragraph 0014), configured for moving the movable part relative to the fixed part (6, fixed barrel) (paragraph 0014).
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oikawa Keiki (JP 2014021255), hereinafter Keiki.
Regarding claim 1, Keiki discloses a driving mechanism for moving an optical element (1, lens barrel) (paragraph 0012), comprising: a fixed part (6, fixed barrel) (paragraph 0013); a movable part (3, variator moving frame) (paragraph 0013), movably connected to the fixed part (6, fixed barrel) for holding the optical element (interchangeable lens) (paragraphs 0012 and 0013); and a driving assembly (drive mechanism with 21, stepping motor) (paragraph 0014), configured for moving the movable part relative to the fixed part (6, fixed barrel) (paragraph 0014).
Regarding claim 2, Keiki discloses further comprising a rod (9a and 9b, first guide bar) extending in a horizontal direction (figure 4), wherein the fixed part (6, fixed barrel) includes a base and a housing connected to each other, the rod (9a and 9b, first guide bar) is affixed to the base (7, rear barrel) (paragraph 0013), and the movable part (3, variator moving frame) is slidably disposed on the rod (9a and 9b, first guide bar) (paragraph 0013).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 3-11 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oikawa Keiki (JP 2014021255), hereinafter Keiki as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Hagiwara Kazuyoshi (JP 2023155195), hereinafter Kazuyoshi.
Regarding claim 3, Keiki discloses all the limitations in common with claim 1, and such is hereby incorporated.
Keiki does not specifically disclose further comprising a printed circuit element, a magnescale, and a sensor, wherein the printed circuit element is affixed to the base, the magnescale is disposed on the movable part, and the sensor is disposed on the printed circuit element for detecting the position of the magnescale
Regarding claim 3, Kazuyoshi discloses further comprising a printed circuit element (78, flexible printed circuit board) (paragraph 0047), a magnescale (54, first magnet; 58, second magnet; and 86, magnetic member) (paragraph 0045), and a sensor (image sensor) (not shown) (paragraph 0021), wherein the printed circuit element (78, flexible printed circuit board) is affixed to the base ( 64, base) (paragraph 0047), the magnescale (54, first magnet; 58, second magnet; and 86, magnetic member) is disposed on the movable part (14, movable body) (figure 4 and paragraph 0045), and the sensor (image sensor) is disposed on the printed circuit element for detecting the position of the magnescale (54, first magnet; 58, second magnet; and 86, magnetic member) (paragraphs 0021 and 0061; figure 4).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the device of Keiki with the printed circuit element, magnescale, and sensor of Kazuyoshi for the purpose of providing mechanical and electrical support to the lens driving device.
Regarding claim 4, Kazuyoshi discloses wherein the printed circuit element (78, flexible printed circuit board) has a main body (62, second frame) and a bent portion connected to the main body (paragraph 0047 and figure 5), the sensor is disposed on the main body, and the main body is perpendicular to a vertical direction (figure 5), wherein the sensor and the magnescale at least partially overlap in the vertical direction (paragraphs 0044 and 0045).
Regarding claim 5, Keiki discloses wherein the sensor (CCD sensor held by the CCD holder 8) and the rod (9a and 9b, first guide bar) do not overlap in the vertical direction (figure 4 shows that the CCD holder and the guide bars do not intersect).
Regarding claim 6, Keiki discloses wherein the optical element (lens in lens barrel 1) and the rod (9a and 9b, first guide bar) partially overlap in the vertical direction (figure 5).
Regarding claim 7, Keiki discloses wherein the optical element and the rod do not overlap in the vertical direction, and the rod is situated between the optical element and the sensor when viewed in the vertical direction (figure 5).
Regarding claim 8, Keiki discloses further comprising two rods (9a and 9b, first guide bar) extending in the horizontal direction (figure 2), wherein the movable part (3, variator moving frame) forms two grooves, and the rods are received in the grooves (paragraph 0013 and figure 2).
Regarding claim 9, Keiki discloses wherein the sensor is located on an outer side of the rods (figure 2 and paragraph 0013).
Regarding claim 10, Keiki discloses further comprising a substrate (substrate) affixed to the base (paragraph 0014), wherein the driving assembly (drive mechanism) includes a magnetic element (41, drive magnet) and a coil (40, drive coil) located close to the magnetic element (paragraph 0016), the magnetic element (41, drive magnet) is disposed on the movable part (3, variator moving frame) (paragraph 0016), and the coil is disposed on the substrate (paragraph 0016).
Regarding claim 11, Keiki discloses wherein the magnetic element and the rod (9a and 9b, first guide bar) do not overlap in the vertical direction (figure 2).
Regarding claim 14, Kazuyoshi discloses further comprising a metal frame embedded in the substrate (paragraph 0008).
Regarding claim 15, Kazuyoshi discloses wherein the metal frame has an H-shaped structure (paragraphs 0009 and 0010).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-13 and 16-20 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 prior art taken either singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the independent claim(s), in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be proper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim(s) 12 and 13, wherein the claimed invention comprises, in claim 12, wherein the sensor, the magnescale, and the magnetic element at least partially overlap in the vertical direction; in claim 13, wherein the substrate has a depressed portion for receiving the bent portion of the printed circuit element; in claim 16, wherein the substrate has a flat structure and a protrusion protruding from the flat structure, the protrusion extends through the coil toward the magnetic element, and the thickness of the protrusion is greater than the thickness of the coil, as claimed.
Claims 17-20 are dependent from claim 1 and are allowable for the reasons given above.
Conclusion
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/BRANDI N THOMAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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