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
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 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 of this title, 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) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (WO 2022156405 A1, hereinafter Zhang) in view of Yan (CN 211880492 U).
[Examiner’s note – Both references are part of IDS. Examiner provides an English translation of each reference and provides citations from the translation]
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses an electronic device (20, fig. 1), comprising:
a camera module (60, fig. 2, page 6, ¶s 1-2), comprising a camera (64, fig. 2, page 6, ¶s 1-2) and a first connector (620, fig. 2), wherein the first connector comprises a 1st connection contact to an Mth connection contact (fig. 2), and M is an integer and M>1 (evident from fig. 2);
a display device (24, fig. 2), comprising a second connector (220, fig. 2), wherein the second connector comprises a 1st connection pin to an Nth connection pin, and N is an integer and N>1 (evident from fig. 2, page 7, ¶1-3); and
a detection control circuit (26, fig. 1), connected with the second connector (The connecting component 220 is electrically connected to the main board 26 of the display device 20 – page 8, ¶3), and configured to:
in response to that the 1st connection contact to the Mth connection contact are mounted to an ath connection pin to an (a+M-1)th connection pin among the 1st connection pin to the Nth connection pin, When the camera assembly 60 and the display device 20 are in the first positioning state (eg 4), the orientation of the lens of the camera module 64 is consistent with the orientation of the light-emitting surface of the display screen 24; at this time, the first plug 6202 and the second plug 6204 The connecting component 220 is electrically connected to the main board 26 of the display device 20, that is, the dual cameras and the first microphone 652 are electrically connected to the main board 26 of the display device 20, so that the dual cameras and the first microphone 652 are electrically connected to the main board 26 of the display device 20. – page 8, ¶3
When the camera assembly 60 and the display device 20 are in the first positioning state, the first plugging pin 6202 and the second plugging pin 6204 of the camera assembly 60 are respectively electrically connected to the first interface 2202 and the second interface 2204 ; specifically, the first plug-in pin 6202 , the second plug-in pin 6204 , the third plug-in pin 6205 and the fourth plug-in pin 6207 are respectively inserted into the first sockets of the connection component 220 The interface 2202 , the second interface 2204 , the third interface 2205 and the fourth interface 2207 are respectively electrically connected to the first interface 2202 and the second interface 2204. – page 8, last ¶, See figure 2); and
in response to that the Mth connection contact to the 1st connection contact are mounted to a bth connection pin to a (b+M-1)th connection pin among the 1st connection pin to the Nth connection pin, When the camera assembly 60 and the display device 20 are in the second positioning state (as shown in FIG. 8 ), the lens of the camera module 64 is oriented towards the light output of the display screen 24 At this time, the first plug pin 6202 and the second plug pin 6204 are electrically connected to the main board 26 of the display device 20 through the connecting component 220, that is, the second microphone 654 is electrically connected to the main board 26 of the display device 20. The main board 26 of the display device 20 is installed so that the second microphone 654 can work normally, and the dual cameras and the first microphone 652 are disconnected from the main board 26 – page 8, ¶3
When the camera assembly 60 and the display device 20 are in the second positioning state, the first plugging pin 6201 and the second plugging pin 6204 of the camera assembly 60 are respectively electrically connected to the fourth interface 2204 and the third interface 2205; specifically, the first plug pin 6202, the second plug pin 6204, the third plug pin 6205 and the fourth plug pin 6207 are respectively inserted into the fourth interface 2207 of the connection component 220 , a third interface 2205, a second interface 2204 and a first interface 2202, and the first plug pins 6202 and the second plug pins 6204 are electrically connected to the fourth interface 2207 and the third interface 2205, respectively. – page 8, last ¶, See figure 8).
Based on the discussed portions of Zhang it is clear that at least forward and reverse facing orientation of the positioning of the camera assembly 60, with respect to displays emission surface is clearly defined. It is not clear or explicit whether the controller 26 indeed detects the forward and reverse facing positioning orientation of the camera assembly 60, with respect to the emission surface of the display 24.
Yan discloses an electronic device and specifically discloses (see paragraphs 0018-0038 of the specification): a device body 10 having a transmission interface 101 disposed therein, wherein N first metal pins 1011 are disposed; an imaging device 20, wherein the imaging device 20 is removably coupled to the apparatus body 10, the imaging device 20 comprises a camera module and a transmission sub 201 adapted to the transmission interface 101, the transmission connection 201 comprises a circuit connection board 2011, the circuit connection board 2011 is provided with N second metal pins 2012 on a first surface and with N third metal pins 2013 on a second surface, the N second metal pins 2012 and the N third metal pins 2013 each being electrically connected to the camera module, the first surface and the second surface being on opposite sides of the circuit connection board; wherein N is an integer greater than 1, the camera module enables power transmission and/or data transmission with the device body 10 via the transmission connection 201, when the transmission connector 201 is inserted into the transmission interface 101 in a first orientation, the N first metal pins 1011 are electrically connected to the N second metal pins 2012 and the N first metal pins 1011 are electrically connected to the N third metal pins 2013 if the transmission junction 201 is inserted into the transmission interface 101 in a second orientation, the first orientation being opposite to the second orientation. A first surface of the circuit connection board 2011 is further provided with fourth metal pins 2014, the fourth metal pin 2014 is connected with a high level or low level voltage terminal, the transmission interface 101 is provided with a fifth metal pin 1012, the device body 10 further comprises a detection circuit 102 (corresponding to a detection control circuit), the detection circuit 102 is configured to detect a level of the fifth metal pin 1012, wherein the fourth metal pin 2014 is electrically connected to the fifth metal pin 1012 in case the transmission connection 201 is inserted into the transmission interface 101 in a first orientation (equivalent to forward mounting), the fifth metal pin 1012 being in a first level state; in case the transmission connection 201 is inserted into the transmission interface 101 in a second orientation (equivalent to reverse mounting), the fourth metal pin 2014 is not electrically connected to the fifth metal pin 1012, which is in a second level. The detection circuit 102 comprises a control chip 1021 whose voltage detection pin is electrically connected to said fifth metal pin 1012, and a resistor R1 whose one end is electrically connected to a high-level voltage terminal and whose other end is electrically connected to said fifth metal pin 1012. The above-mentioned detection circuit 102 comprises a control chip 1021 with a voltage detection pin electrically connected to said fifth metal pin 1012, and a resistor R1 with one end electrically connected to a high-level voltage terminal and the other end electrically connected to said fifth metal pin 1012 (equivalent to the detection control circuit being connected to at least part of the connection pins).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify the invention of Zhang with the teaching of Yan detecting the mounting mode of the camera (e.g., forward or reverse), such that the controller 26 of Zhang detects the forward and reverse mounting mode of the camera assembly 60, on the connection part 220, because, the forward and reverse facing orientations are already defined in Zhang, and detection thereof is an essential straightforward extension of the definition, achieved by combining prior art elements ready to be improved according to known method to yield predictable results.
Regarding claim 2, Zhang in view of Yan discloses the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the detection control circuit is further configured to:
obtain a camera detection signal;
based on determining that the camera detection signal is a forward access detection signal, determine that the 1st connection contact to the Mth connection contact are mounted to the ath connection pin to the (a+M-1)th connection pin; and
based on determining that the camera detection signal is a reverse access detection signal, determine that the Mth connection contact to the 1st connection contact are mounted to the bth connection pin to the (b+M-1)th connection pin (Yan: After the transmission connector 201 is inserted into the transmission interface 101 in a different direction, power transmission and/or data transmission between the device body 10 and the camera module may be achieved by connecting with the first metal pin 1011 through either of the second metal pins 2012 or the third metal pins 2013, and functional pins of the N second metal pins 2012 and the N third metal pins 2013 may be arranged in reverse order. As shown in FIG. 3, N second metal pins 2012 are arranged in the order A-L from left to right. The N third metal pins 2013 are arranged in the order L to A from left to right, wherein a letter in any of A to L represents a functional pin. Since the N second metal pins 2012 are arranged side-by- side and symmetrically distributed in the direction of the arrangement, the N second metal pins 2012 are arranged side-by-side and symmetrically distributed in the direction of the arrangement, it is convenient to implement the flip interpolation function.).
6. (cancelled)
13. (cancelled)
22-31. (cancelled)
33-49. (cancelled)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 7-12, 14-21, 32 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:
Prior arts of record taken alone or in combination fails to reasonably disclose or suggest,
Regarding claim 3, the electronic device according to claim 2, wherein M=N and the detection control circuit comprises: a logic controller, and a gating circuit; wherein
the logic controller is configured to:
obtain the camera detection signal, output a first mode configuration signal based on determining that the camera detection signal is the forward access detection signal, and output a second mode configuration signal based on determining that the camera detection signal is the reverse access detection signal; and
the gating circuit is connected with the logic controller and the 1st connection pin to the Nth connection pin, respectively, and is configured to:
receive the first mode configuration signal, and in response to the first mode configuration signal, provide a camera power supply voltage to the ath connection pin and connect the (a+M- 1)th connection pin with a ground terminal; and
receive the second mode configuration signal, and in response to the second mode configuration signal, provide the camera power supply voltage to the (b+M-1)th connection pin and connect the bth connection pin with the ground terminal.
Claims 4-5, 7-12, 14, 16-20 are allowed for being dependent on allowable claim 3.
Regarding claim 15, wherein the display device further comprises: a first magnetic field sensor;
the camera module further comprises: a first camera magnet and a second camera magnet, wherein a north pole (N pole) of the first camera magnet is provided facing the second connector and a south pole (S pole) of the second camera magnet is provided facing the second connector; and
the first magnetic field sensor is configured to: when the first connector is mounted to the second connector, in response to the N pole of the first camera magnet, output a camera detection signal corresponding to the forward access detection signal to the detection control circuit and in response to the S pole of the second camera magnet, output a camera detection signal corresponding to the reverse access detection signal to the detection control circuit.
Regarding claim 21, wherein N>M, N is an odd number, and the detection control circuit comprises: a logic controller, and a gating circuit; wherein the logic controller is configured to:
obtain a camera presence detection signal based on determining that the display device is in an operating state, output a voltage output enable signal based on determining that the camera presence detection signal is a valid signal, and output a voltage output disable signal based on determining that the camera presence detection signal is an invalid signal; and
the gating circuit is connected with the logic controller and a ((N+1)/2)th connection pin, respectively, and is configured to:
receive the voltage output enable signal, and in response to the voltage output enable signal, provide the camera power supply voltage to the ((N+1)/2)th connection pin; and
receive the voltage output disable signal, and in response to the voltage output disable signal, stop providing the camera power supply voltage to the ((N+1)/2)th connection pin.
Regarding claim 32, wherein N>M, N is an odd number, and connection pins corresponding to the same function are in mirror symmetric with respect to a ((N+1)/2)th connection pin.
Conclusion
The prior and/or pertinent art(s) made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, are –Tucker et al. (US 20180295328 A1), Cao (US 20140176792 A1), Fan (US 20110050910 A1), Wang et al. (US 11334115 B2), Chiu (US 10775841 B2) – who disclose different attachable/detachable camera modules of interest.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAHBAZ NAZRUL whose telephone number is (571)270-1467. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 9.30 am-3 pm, 6.30 pm-9 pm, F: 9.30 am-1.30 pm, 4 pm-8 pm.
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, Lin Ye can be reached on 571-272-7372. 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.
/SHAHBAZ NAZRUL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2638
Prosecution Insights