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.
Claim(s) 10, 11, 13 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsuruta et al. US 2011/0103782 in view of Minamisawa et al. US 2018/0129066.
Regarding claim 10, Tsuruta teaches a camera device (see at least Fig. 9 and optical device 2000) comprising:
a base (para 182 and Fig. 10: base 220);
a protrusion providing a pivot center for the pivot movement of a camera module (para 182, 184 and Fig. 10: protruded part 225 formed at the center of base 220, and protruded part 225 contacts sensor support plate 155 to form pivot part 205, which supports movable module 1000 about X and Y axes); and
a housing disposed on the base (Figs. 9b, 10 and paras. 175, 185: teaches fixed body 210 including fixed cover 230 and rectangular tube-shaped coil holder 2600),
wherein the camera module (camera module 1000) comprises:
a lens and an image sensor disposed on the protrusion in the housing (paras. 177, 179 and 182: teaches movable module 1000 containing photographing unit 1a, including the lens/focusing mechanism and imaging element 115, and imaging element 115 is mounted on circuit board 154 associated sensor support plate 115 rests against protruded part 225);
a magnet disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the camera module (Fig. 10 and paras. 127-129: teaches shake correction magnets 240x and 240y mounted on the outer peripheral faces of cover part 150 of the photographing unit/movable module); and
a coil disposed on the housing and facing the magnet (paras. 185-189 and Fig. 10: teaches shake correction coils 230x and 230y fixed to base 220 and surrounds the movable module, and coils x face magnets 240x and coils y face magnets 240y),
wherein the magnet comprises a first magnet (see para. 185: magnets 240x and 240y),
wherein the coil comprises a first coil configured to rotate the camera module about a first axis perpendicular to an optical axis through interaction with the first magnet (paras. 184, 186-187: teaches first shake correction coil 230x interacts with shake correction magnet 240x to rock movable module 1000 around the X-axis, which the X-axis is perpendicular to the optical axis L),
a second coil configured to rotate the camera module about a second axis perpendicular to the optical axis and the first axis through interaction with the first magnet (paras. 184, 188-189: teaches first shake correction coil 230y interacts with shake correction magnet 240y to rock movable module 1000 around the y-axis, which the y-axis is perpendicular to the optical axis L). Examiner Notes: claimed first magnet, Tsuruta’s transverse-axis shake correction magnets 240x and 240y are collectively treated as the first magnet, as claim 10 doesn’t require the “first magnet” to be a single magnet, and magnets 240x and 240y together interact with coils 230x and 230y to provide rotation about two mutually perpendicular transvers axes to the optical axis L.
However, Tsuruta does not teach:
Wherein the magnet comprising a second magnet,
a third coil configured to rotate the camera module about the optical axis through interaction with the second magnet, and
wherein a width of the first magnet in a horizontal direction is greater than a width of the second magnet in the horizontal direction.
In the same field of endeavor, Minamisawa teaches swing magnets 82 corresponding to the claimed first magnet and separate roll magnets 42 corresponding to the claimed second magnet (paras. 0048-0054, Figs. 6-7), a third coil configured to rotate the camera module about the optical axis through interaction with the second magnet (paras. 0053-0056: wherein rolling magnetic drive mechanism 40 includes roll magnet 42 and roll coil 43, and interaction between magnet 42 and coil 43 rotates optical module 60 around the optical axis to correct roll-direction), and wherein a width of the first magnet in a horizontal direction is greater than a width of the second magnet in the horizontal direction (Fig. 7: illustrates swing magnets 82 having greater horizontal/width than roll magnets 42, and paras. 0053-0054, 0062: further explains roll magnets 42 are positioned in the smaller space between the X-axis and Y-axis swing drive mechanisms and explains that positioning the roll drive mechanisms in these intervening spaces permits the optical unit to be downsized). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Tsuruta’s two-axis shake correction device by incorporating Minamisawa’s roll magnet 42 and roll coil 43 to provide correction of shake about the optical axis in addition to Tsuruta’s X and Y axes correction, and also one would have been motivated to make the roll magnet narrow than the transverse axis magnet arrangement so that the roll actuator could fit within the smaller available spaces between the existing transverse axis actuators, thereby obtaining Minamisawa’s expressly stated benefit of a compact three-axis image stabilization device.
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Tsuruta teaches the camera device of claim 10, and Tsuruta further teaches wherein the first magnet comprises a first surface facing the first or/and second coil and having a first width in a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction (as explained in claim 10, magnets 240x and 204y are collectively treated as the claimed first magnet, while coils 230x and 230y correspond to the first and second coil, and outer surfaces of magnets 240x and 240y face respective coils 230x and 230y in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis L, see at least Fig. 5(b)), and Minamisawa further teaches wherein the second magnet comprises a second surface facing the third coil and having a second width in a second direction perpendicular to both the optical axis direction and the first direction (paras. 0053-0054, Figs. 4 and 7: the facing magnet 42 extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to optical axis L, and the first and second magnet mechanisms are positioned at different angular location around the optical axis, their respective facing surfaces have width extending in different traverse directions).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Tsuruta teaches the camera device of claim 10, and Minamisawa further teaches wherein the magnet of the camera module comprises the first magnet and the second magnet having a width smaller than that of the first magnet of the camera module (paras. 62, Figs. 4, 7 and as explained in claim 10: pitch/yaw magnets correspond to the first magnet while roll magnet 42 correspond to the second magnet, the roll mechanism is disposed in the smaller intervening peripheral spaces to provide correction while permitting downsizing of the optical unit).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Tsuruta teaches the camera device of claim 10, wherein the first coil is configured to rotate the camera module about a first axis perpendicular to an optical axis through interaction with the first magnet (paras. 0064-0066, 0077-0078: first shake-correction coil 230x interacting with first-correction magnet 240x to rotate photographing unit 1 about the X-axis, which is perpendicular to optical axis L), wherein the second coil is configured to rotate the camera module about a second axis perpendicular to both the optical axis and the first axis through interaction with the first magnet (paras. 0067-0069 and 0077-0078: teaches second shake-correction coils 230y interacting with second shake-correction magnet 240y to rotate photographing unit 1 about the Y-axis. The Y-axis is perpendicular to both optical axis L and the X-axis). Tsuruta fails to teach: wherein the third coil is configured to rotate the camera module about the optical axis through interaction with the second magnet.
Minamisawa teaches rolling magnetic drive mechanism 40 comprising roll magnet 42 and roll coil 43, electromagnetic interaction rotates movable body 20, including optical module 60 around optical axis L (see paras. 0053-0056 i.e., roll magnet 42 corresponds to the claimed second magnet and roll coil 43 corresponds to the claimed third coil). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Tsuruta’s two axis shake correction device by incorporating Minamisawa’s rolling magnetic-drive mechanism to provide shake correction around the optical axis in addition to Tsuruta’s X-axis and Y-axis correction, thereby obtaining three-axis image stabilization.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9, 12 and 16-19 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the closest prior art Tsuruta et al. (US 2011/0103782) teaches a camera device comprising:
a base (para 182 and Fig. 10: base 220);
a protrusion providing a pivot center for the pivot movement of a camera module (para 182, 184 and Fig. 10: protruded part 225 formed at the center of base 220, and protruded part 225 contacts sensor support plate 115 to form pivot part 205, which supports movable module 1000 about X and Y axes); and
a housing disposed on the base (Figs. 9b, 10 and paras. 175, 185: teaches fixed body 210 including fixed cover 230 and rectangular tube-shaped coil holder 2600),
wherein the camera module (camera module 1000) comprises:
a lens and an image sensor disposed on the protrusion in the housing (paras. 177, 179 and 182: teaches movable module 1000 containing photographing unit 1a, including the lens/focusing mechanism and imaging element 115, and imaging element 115 is mounted on circuit board 154 associated sensor support plate 115 rests against protruded part 225);
a magnet disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the camera module (Fig. 10 and paras. 127-129: teaches shake correction magnets 240x and 240y mounted on the outer peripheral faces of cover part 150 of the photographing unit/movable module); and
a coil disposed on the housing and facing the magnet (paras. 185-189 and Fig. 10: teaches shake correction coils 230x and 230y fixed to base 220 and surrounds the movable module, and coils x face magnets 240x and coils y face magnets 240y),
wherein the outer peripheral surface of the camera module comprises a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface disposed opposite to each other and a third lateral surface and a fourth lateral surface disposed opposite to each other (see Fig. 6(b): yoke 16 has four sided lateral surfaces),
wherein the magnet comprises a first magnet disposed on each of the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface of the camera module (Fig. 6(b): magnets 240x are disposed on two the lateral surface of yoke 16, which are opposite to each other) and a second magnet disposed on each of the third lateral surface and the fourth lateral surface of the camera module (Fig. 6(b): magnet 240y are disposed on two the lateral surface of yoke 16, which are opposite to each other),
wherein the coil comprises a first coil (right side coil 230x) facing the first magnet (one of the magnet 240x), a second coil (left side coil 230x) facing the first magnet (magnet 240x) and a third coil (right side coil 230y) facing the second magnet (magnet 240y) and electrically separated from the first coil (right side coil 230x) and the second coil (left side coil 230x).
However, Tsuruta does not teach:
the first and second coils both face the first magnet, the second coil is electrically separated from the first coil,
wherein a width of the first magnet in a horizontal direction is greater than a width of the second magnet in the horizontal direction, and
wherein the second coil is disposed spaced apart from the first coil on both sides of the first coil.
In the same field of endeavor, Minamisawa teaches swing magnets 82 corresponding to the claimed first magnet and separate roll magnets 42 corresponding to the claimed second magnet (paras. 0048-0054, Figs. 6-7), a third coil configured to rotate the camera module about the optical axis through interaction with the second magnet (paras. 0053-0056: wherein rolling magnetic drive mechanism 40 includes roll magnet 42 and roll coil 43, and interaction between magnet 42 and coil 43 rotates optical module 60 around the optical axis to correct roll-direction), and wherein a width of the first magnet in a horizontal direction is greater than a width of the second magnet in the horizontal direction (Fig. 7: illustrates swing magnets 82 having greater horizontal/width than roll magnets 42, and paras. 0053-0054, 0062: further explains roll magnets 42 are positioned in the smaller space between the X-axis and Y-axis swing drive mechanisms and explains that positioning the roll drive mechanisms in these intervening spaces permits the optical unit to be downsized). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Tsuruta’s two-axis shake correction device by incorporating Minamisawa’s roll magnet 42 and roll coil 43 to provide correction of shake about the optical axis in addition to Tsuruta’s X and Y axes correction, and also one would have been motivated to make the roll magnet narrow than the transverse axis magnet arrangement so that the roll actuator could fit within the smaller available spaces between the existing transverse axis
actuators, thereby obtaining Minamisawa’s expressly stated benefit of a compact three-axis image stabilization device.
The combination of Tsuruta and Minamisawa fails to teach: the first and second coils both face the first magnet, the second coil is electrically separated from the first coil, and wherein the second coil is disposed spaced apart from the first coil on both sides of the first coil.
Regarding claim 17, the closest prior art Tsuruta et al. (US 2011/0103782) teaches a camera device (see at least Fig. 9 and optical device 2000) comprising:
a base (para 182 and Fig. 10: base 220);
a camera module (camera module 1000) comprising a lens and an image sensor (paras. 177, 179 and 182: teaches movable module 1000 containing photographing unit 1a, including the lens/focusing mechanism and imaging element 155);
an elastic member connecting the base and the camera module (Fig. 6 and paras. 127-129: gimbal spring 280 support movable module 1000 relative to the fixed body 210);
a magnet disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the camera module; and
a coil facing the magnet (Figs. 1-8 and paras. 182-189: photographing unit drive magnets 240x and 240y disposed on the movable module and corresponding drive coils 230x and 230y),
wherein the outer peripheral surface of the camera module comprises a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface disposed opposite to each other and a third lateral surface and a fourth lateral surface disposed opposite to each other (see Fig. 6(b): yoke 16 has four sided lateral surfaces),
wherein the magnet comprises a first magnet disposed on each of the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface of the camera module (Fig. 6(b): magnets 240x are disposed on two the lateral surface of yoke 16, which are opposite to each other) and a second magnet disposed on each of the third lateral surface and the fourth lateral surface of the camera module (Fig. 6(b): magnet 240y are disposed on two the lateral surface of yoke 16, which are opposite to each other),
wherein the coil comprises a first coil (right side coil 230x) facing the first magnet (one of the magnet 240x), a second coil (left side coil 230x) facing the first magnet (magnet 240x) and a third coil (right side coil 230y) facing the second magnet (magnet 240y) and electrically separated from the first coil (right side coil 230x) and the second coil (left side coil 230x).
However, Tsuruta does not teach:
the first and second coils both face the first magnet, the second coil is electrically separated from the first coil,
wherein a width of the first magnet in a horizontal direction is greater than a width of the second magnet in the horizontal direction, and
wherein the second coil is disposed spaced apart from the first coil on both sides of the first coil.
In the same field of endeavor, Minamisawa et al. (US 2018/0129066) teaches swing magnets 82 corresponding to the claimed first magnet and separate roll magnets 42 corresponding to the claimed second magnet (paras. 0048-0054, Figs. 6-7), a third coil configured to rotate the camera module about the optical axis through interaction with the second magnet (paras. 0053-0056: wherein rolling magnetic drive mechanism 40 includes roll magnet 42 and roll coil 43, and interaction between magnet 42 and coil 43 rotates optical module 60 around the optical axis to correct roll-direction), and wherein a width of the first magnet in a horizontal direction is greater than a width of the second magnet in the horizontal direction (Fig. 7: illustrates swing magnets 82 having greater horizontal/width than roll magnets 42, and paras. 0053-0054, 0062: further explains roll magnets 42 are positioned in the smaller space between the X-axis and Y-axis swing drive mechanisms and explains that positioning the roll drive mechanisms in these intervening spaces permits the optical unit to be downsized). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Tsuruta’s two-axis shake correction device by incorporating Minamisawa’s roll magnet 42 and roll coil 43 to provide correction of shake about the optical axis in addition to Tsuruta’s X and Y axes correction, and also one would have been motivated to make the roll magnet narrow than the transverse axis magnet arrangement so that the roll actuator could fit within the smaller available spaces between the existing transverse axis
actuators, thereby obtaining Minamisawa’s expressly stated benefit of a compact three-axis image stabilization device.
The combination of Tsuruta and Minamisawa fails to teach: the first and second coils both face the first magnet, the second coil is electrically separated from the first coil, and wherein the second coil is disposed spaced apart from the first coil on both sides of the first coil.
Regarding dependent claims, these claims depend on an allowable base claim 1 and 17 and are therefore allowable for the reasons stated supra.
Claim 14 is 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.
14. The camera device of claim 10, comprising: an elastic member disposed on the base, wherein the elastic member comprises a coupling portion disposed on the base, and a connection portion elastically connecting the protrusion and the coupling portion.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20130136437: teaches optical unit with a shake correcting function having a protrusion providing pivot center for movement of the optical module 1 (see Figs. 3).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EPHREM ZERU MEBRAHTU whose telephone number is (571)272-8386. The examiner can normally be reached 10 am -6 pm (M-F).
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/EPHREM Z MEBRAHTU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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