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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
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Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-25 of U.S. Patent No. 12,216,396. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
Current Application U.S. Patent No. 12,216,396
1. A camera module, having an optical axis, and the camera module comprising: a fixed part; and a movable part, movable with respect to the fixed part, wherein the movable part comprises an imaging lens, and the imaging lens comprises:
a lens carrier, configured for at least one lens element to be disposed therein, wherein the lens carrier comprises a mount structure; and a variable through hole assembly, comprising: a plurality of movable blades, movably and together surrounding the optical axis to form a through hole, wherein a size of the through hole is variable by movement of the plurality of movable blades; and a rotatable element, connected to the plurality of movable blades, wherein the rotatable element is sleeved on at least part of the lens carrier so as to be disposed on the mount structure, and the rotatable element moves the plurality of movable blades to vary the size of the through hole;
wherein the movable part further comprises a groove structure and a damping material disposed in the groove structure; wherein the fixed part comprises a terminal extending to the damping material.
2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the mount structure, the mount structure comprises a plurality of post structures that are disposed respectively corresponding to the plurality of movable blades, and a relative displacement between the plurality of post structures and the rotatable element drives the plurality of movable blades to rotate.
3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the mount structure, the mount structure has a gap surface, the gap surface and the rotatable element form a gap therebetween, and the plurality of movable blades are disposed in the gap; wherein a thickness of the gap is TG, a thickness of each of the plurality of movable blades is TB, and the following condition is satisfied: 0.002 [um] ≤ TG-TB ≤ 0.3 [um].
4. The camera module according to claim 1, further comprising a fixed element, wherein the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the mount structure, the fixed element and the lens carrier are relatively fixed, the fixed element has a gap surface, the gap surface and one of the mount structure and the rotatable element form a gap therebetween, and the plurality of movable blades are disposed in the gap; wherein a thickness of the gap is TG’, a thickness of each of the plurality of movable blades is TB, and the following condition is satisfied: 0.002 [um] ≤ TG’-TB ≤ 0.3 [um].
5. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the mount structure, the mount structure has an abut surface, and the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the abut surface; wherein a value of arithmetical mean roughness of the abut surface is smaller than 0.25 micrometers.
6. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable element is disposed on the mount structure, the variable through hole assembly further comprises a plurality of rollable elements, and the plurality of rollable elements are disposed between the mount structure and the rotatable element and are arranged surrounding the through hole to provide freedom of movement of the rotatable element in a rotation direction.
7. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable element is disposed on the mount structure, the mount structure has a slide surface, and the rotatable element is slidably located on the slide surface; wherein a coefficient of kinetic friction of the rotatable element on the slide surface is smaller than 0.52.
8. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is disposed at a position where an aperture of the imaging lens is located.
9. The camera module according to claim 8, wherein an f-number of the imaging lens is FNO, and the following condition is satisfied: FNO ≥ 1.1.
10. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lens element comprises a positive lens element disposed adjacent to the through hole.
11. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the variable through hole assembly further comprises an electromagnetic pair and a through hole circuit, the electromagnetic pair comprises a through hole magnet and a through hole coil, the through hole magnet is disposed on the rotatable element, the through hole coil is disposed opposite to the through hole magnet, and the through hole coil is electrically connected to the through hole circuit to drive the rotatable element to rotate.
12. The camera module according to claim 11, wherein the through hole circuit comprises a control circuit, and the control circuit control the through hole coil to generate a magnetic field.
13. The camera module according to claim 11, wherein the through hole circuit comprises a position sensing circuit, and the position sensing circuit detects a position of the rotatable element.
14. The camera module according to claim 11, wherein a quantity of the electromagnetic pair is two, and the two electromagnetic pairs are symmetrically disposed.
15. The camera module according to claim 11, wherein the lens carrier further comprises a ferromagnetic element disposed corresponding to the through hole magnet.
16. The camera module according to claim 11, further comprising: an elastic element, connected to the fixed part and the movable part to provide freedom of movement of the movable part in at least one direction; wherein the elastic element has electrical conductivity, and the elastic element is electrically connected to the through hole circuit.
17. The camera module according to claim 11, further comprising: an elastic element, connected to the fixed part and the movable part to provide freedom of movement of the movable part in at least one direction; and an electrical connection element, comprises a plurality of conductive routes electrically connected to the through hole circuit and the fixed part; wherein an elastic modulus of the electrical connection element is smaller than an elastic modulus of the elastic element in a direction in parallel with the optical axis.
18. The camera module according to claim 11, further comprising: a driving part, comprising a driving magnet and a driving coil, wherein the driving magnet and the driving coil are disposed opposite to each other; wherein the lens carrier further comprises a driving mount structure, and one of the driving magnet and the driving coil is disposed on the driving mount structure.
19. The camera module according to claim 1, further comprising an image sensor disposed on an image surface of the imaging lens, wherein a distance between the optical axis of the imaging lens and a position of the image sensor located furthest away from the optical axis of the imaging lens is defined as a maximum image height, the maximum image height is ImgH, and the following condition is satisfied: ImgH ≥ 2 [mm].
20. An electronic device, comprising: the camera module of claim 1.
(Claims 1, 19-21)
21. The camera module according to claim 16, further comprising: a fixed part; a movable part, movable with respect to the fixed part, wherein the movable part comprises the imaging lens; and a driving part, comprising a driving magnet and a driving coil, wherein the driving magnet and the driving coil are disposed opposite to each other; wherein the lens carrier further comprises a driving mount structure, and one of the driving magnet and the driving coil is disposed on the driving mount structure.
1. An imaging lens, having an optical axis, and the imaging lens comprising: a lens carrier, configured for at least one lens element to be disposed therein, wherein the lens carrier comprises a mount structure; and a variable through hole assembly, comprising: a plurality of movable blades, movably and together surrounding the optical axis to form a through hole, wherein a size of the through hole is variable by movement of the plurality of movable blades; and a rotatable element, connected to the plurality of movable blades, wherein the rotatable element moves the plurality of movable blades to vary the size of the through hole; wherein the rotatable element is sleeved on at least part of the lens carrier so as to be disposed on the mount structure.
19. The camera module according to claim 16, further comprising: a fixed part, comprising a conductive terminal; and a movable part, movable with respect to the fixed part, wherein the movable part comprises the imaging lens, a groove structure and a conductive colloid, and the conductive colloid is disposed in the groove structure; wherein the conductive terminal extends to the conductive colloid, and the conductive terminal is electrically connected to the through hole circuit via the conductive colloid.
20. The camera module according to claim 19, wherein the conductive colloid is made of a damping material.
2. The imaging lens according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the mount structure, the mount structure comprises a plurality of post structures that are disposed respectively corresponding to the plurality of movable blades, and a relative displacement between the plurality of post structures and the rotatable element drives the plurality of movable blades to rotate.
3. The imaging lens according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the mount structure, the mount structure has a gap surface, the gap surface and the rotatable element form a gap therebetween, and the plurality of movable blades are disposed in the gap; wherein a thickness of the gap is TG, a thickness of each of the plurality of movable blades is TB, and the following condition is satisfied:
0.002 [um]≤TG−TB≤0.3 [um].
4. The imaging lens according to claim 1, further comprising a fixed element, wherein the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the mount structure, the fixed element and the lens carrier are relatively fixed, the fixed element has a gap surface, the gap surface and one of the mount structure and the rotatable element form a gap therebetween, and the plurality of movable blades are disposed in the gap; wherein a thickness of the gap is TG′, a thickness of each of the plurality of movable blades is TB, and the following condition is satisfied:
0.002 [um]≤TG′−TB≤0.3 [um].
5. The imaging lens according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the mount structure, the mount structure has an abut surface, and the plurality of movable blades are disposed on the abut surface; wherein a value of arithmetical mean roughness of the abut surface is smaller than 0.25 micrometers.
6. The imaging lens according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable element is disposed on the mount structure, the variable through hole assembly further comprises a plurality of rollable elements, and the plurality of rollable elements are disposed between the mount structure and the rotatable element and are arranged surrounding the through hole to provide freedom of movement of the rotatable element in a rotation direction.
7. The imaging lens according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable element is disposed on the mount structure, the mount structure has a slide surface, and the rotatable element is slidably located on the slide surface; wherein a coefficient of kinetic friction of the rotatable element on the slide surface is smaller than 0.52.
8. The imaging lens according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is disposed at a position where an aperture of the imaging lens is located.
9. The imaging lens according to claim 8, wherein an f-number of the imaging lens is FNO, and the following condition is satisfied:
FNO≥1.1.
10. The imaging lens according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lens element comprises a positive lens element disposed adjacent to the through hole.
11. The imaging lens according to claim 1, wherein the variable through hole assembly further comprises an electromagnetic pair and a through hole circuit, the electromagnetic pair comprises a through hole magnet and a through hole coil, the through hole magnet is disposed on the rotatable element, the through hole coil is disposed opposite to the through hole magnet, and the through hole coil is electrically connected to the through hole circuit to drive the rotatable element to rotate.
12. The imaging lens according to claim 11, wherein the through hole circuit comprises a control circuit, and the control circuit control the through hole coil to generate a magnetic field.
13. The imaging lens according to claim 11, wherein the through hole circuit comprises a position sensing circuit, and the position sensing circuit detects a position of the rotatable element.
14. The imaging lens according to claim 11, wherein a quantity of the electromagnetic pair is two, and the two electromagnetic pairs are symmetrically disposed.
15. The imaging lens according to claim 11, wherein the lens carrier further comprises a ferromagnetic element disposed corresponding to the through hole magnet.
17. The camera module according to claim 16, further comprising: a fixed part; a movable part, movable with respect to the fixed part, wherein the movable part comprises the imaging lens; and an elastic element, connected to the fixed part and the movable part to provide freedom of movement of the movable part in at least one direction; wherein the elastic element has electrical conductivity, and the elastic element is electrically connected to the through hole circuit.
18. The camera module according to claim 16, further comprising: a fixed part; a movable part, movable with respect to the fixed part, wherein the movable part comprises the imaging lens; an elastic element, connected to the fixed part and the movable part to provide freedom of movement of the movable part in at least one direction; and an electrical connection element, comprises a plurality of conductive routes electrically connected to the through hole circuit and the fixed part; wherein an elastic modulus of the electrical connection element is smaller than an elastic modulus of the elastic element in a direction in parallel with the optical axis.
21. The camera module according to claim 16, further comprising: a fixed part; a movable part, movable with respect to the fixed part, wherein the movable part comprises the imaging lens; and a driving part, comprising a driving magnet and a driving coil, wherein the driving magnet and the driving coil are disposed opposite to each other; wherein the lens carrier further comprises a driving mount structure, and one of the driving magnet and the driving coil is disposed on the driving mount structure.
23. The camera module according to claim 16, further comprising an image sensor disposed on an image surface of the imaging lens, wherein a distance between the optical axis of the imaging lens and a position of the image sensor located furthest away from the optical axis of the imaging lens is defined as a maximum image height, the maximum image height is ImgH, and the following condition is satisfied:
ImgH≥2 [mm].
25. An electronic device, comprising: the camera module of claim 16.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Han (CN 119291975), Shikama (US 2025/0013122) and Japanese reference (JP 7423845) teach a camera module with a fixed part, a movable part, a lens carrier, a variable through hole with a plurality of rotating blades.
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/RODNEY E FULLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
September 23, 2026
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