DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 18/009412, filed on 12/09/2022.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the integral formation of the connector and the ground member of claim 3 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
The figures, as understood by the examiner, do not appear to show a configuration where a ground member having the increasing diameter ground member structure of claim 1 is integrally formed with the connector. Figures 8-9 for example show the ground member as a clearly separate member from the connector.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 3, 11, and 13 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.
With regard to claim 3: Claim 3 requires that the ground member and the connector be “integrally formed”, but this appears to contradict the plain meaning of the limitation of claim 1 requiring that the ground member “comprises a first portion being coupled to the connector”. An element which is integrally formed with another member cannot be “coupled” to that member, as it is already part of that member. This is consistent with how the terms are used in the specification, see ¶0090 as published or page 22 lines 12-13 as filed where “integral” and “coupled to” are used as two distinct different types of connection between the ground member and the connector.
With regard to claim 11: Claim 11 recites the limitation "the second area" in line 7 of the claim (line 2 on page 3 as filed). There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 does not provide any antecedent basis for the presence of a “second area” of the second body.
Additionally with regard to claim 11: Claim 11 makes reference to “a connector being coupled to the second substrate”, but it is unclear whether this is the same connector which is referenced in claim or an additional connector. For the purpose of examination with regard to the prior art the connector is being considered to be the same connector provided in claim 1.
With regard to claim 13: The claim requires that the second portion of the ground member disposed “inclinedly with respect to the portion of the ground member”, but there who different “portion”s in the ground member: a first portion and the second portion, making it not definitely clear which portion is being referred to by “the portion”: the first portion or another, separate, portion of the ground member. For the purpose of examination with regard to the prior art the claim is being interpreted as though “the portion” read “the first portion”.
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 factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-2, 4, 9-10, 12-14, 16-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fu et al (CN 112839146 A, English machine translation attached) in view of Nakamura (US Patent 11,381,719 B2).
With regard to claim 1: Fu discloses a camera module (see ¶0030, note that only half of the module with the connector is shown and discussed in and detail in Fu but the presence of other structure is indicated by ¶0002 and ¶00035); the camera module comprising a body 12 which comprises a connecting portion (the internal upper wall of the cavity, labeled 103 in Figure 5, through which connector 20 extends for connection with the camera, the passage of the connector through the connecting portion is shown in detailed cross section in Figure 6, which corresponds to dashed region Q in Figure 5) with a connector 20 disposed in the body and a sealing member (adhesive member 30) and a ground member 40 (see ¶0037-0038 discussing grounding function) being disposed in the connection portion of the body. The ground member of Fu includes a first portion 43 which is coupled to the connector (via interaction between 43 and lip 221 of the connector, see ¶0044) and a second portion which extends in one direction (the second portion, consisting of 41, 42, and 44, extends away from the inner cavity of the body, upward in Figure 6). The diameter of the second portion of the ground member increases in the one direction (starting at element 43 in Figure 6 and moving in the upward direction the diameter of the ground member increases in order to allow for elements 42 and 44 to extend outwardly around boss structure 111, see ¶0046), such that the second portion of the ground member is in contact with the connection portion of the second body (see ¶0044 disclosing abutment of 44 against 103).
Fu does not disclose the presence of another (first) body which comprises a lens, to which the body of Fu is coupled.
Nakamura teaches a camera module design which comprises a pair of body parts: a first, front, body 3 which is used to mount a lens assembly 1 and a second, rear, body 7 which holds a connector assembly 74 and a shielding structure 6 for the circuitry of the camera (shield and connector shown installed in the rear body in Figure 6). This arrangement allows for a waterproof assembly, with the two bases cooperating with a pair of waterproof seal members 4 and 2 to protect the internal circuitry from water (see column 4 lines 23-26 and column 4 line 65 through column 5 lines 17.
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to have combined the body of Fu with a front body having a lens with interposed seal members as in Nakamura in order to enclose the camera electrical components in a waterproof shielded body enclosure.
With regard to claim 2: The second portion of the ground member of Fu comprises a plurality of lobes which are spaced apart from each other. The spaced arrangement of the lobes, in the form of elements 44, is best seen in Figures 8-10.
With regard to claim 4: The connection portion of Fu comprises a first are having a first hole and a second area having a second hole with a larger diameter than the first hole, and a third area connected to the second area. In Figure 6 the first area is the socket portion of the body near the top of the Figure, defined by portions 112 on the sides and the shoulder-shaped portion of connector element 22 where it has the largest diameter at the bottom, with the connector element 22 occupying the hole formed in the area. The second area is the region below the shoulder of the connector in the Figure and above element 41, bounded by 111 on the sides, with the diameter of the second area being larger than the first in order to accommodate the sealing member 30 which is disposed in the second area. The third area of Fu is the cavity 101 of the body, which communicates with the second area and in which the ground member is disposed.
With regard to claim 9: In Fu the third area includes cavity 103, which is a hole having a diameter larger than the first or second holes.
With regard to claim 10: The ground member of Fu is positioned such that portions of the ground member (specifically portions other than 41, including 43, 42, 441, and 442) are spaced apart from the sealing member.
With regard to claim 12: Fu discloses a camera module (see ¶0030, note that only half of the module with the connector is shown and discussed in and detail in Fu but the presence of other structure is indicated by ¶0002 and ¶00035); the camera module comprising a body 12 which comprises a connecting portion (the internal upper wall of the cavity, labeled 103 in Figure 5, through which connector 20 extends for connection with the camera, the passage of the connector through the connecting portion is shown in detailed cross section in Figure 6, which corresponds to dashed region Q in Figure 5) with a connector 20 disposed in the body and a sealing member (adhesive member 30) and a ground member 40 (see ¶0037-0038 discussing grounding function) being disposed in the connection portion of the body. The ground member of Fu includes a first portion 43 which is coupled to the connector (via interaction between 43 and lip 221 of the connector, see ¶0044) and a second portion which extends in one direction (the second portion, consisting of 41, 42, and 44, extends away from the inner cavity of the body, upward in Figure 6) and is in contact with the connection portion of the second body (see ¶0044 disclosing abutment of 44 against 103). The second portion of the ground member of Fu comprises a plurality of lobes which are spaced apart from each other (the spaced arrangement of the lobes, in the form of elements 44, is best seen in Figures 8-10).
Fu does not disclose the presence of another (first) body which comprises a lens, to which the body of Fu is coupled.
Nakamura teaches a camera module design which comprises a pair of body parts: a first, front, body 3 which is used to mount a lens assembly 1 and a second, rear, body 7 which holds a connector assembly 74 and a shielding structure 6 for the circuitry of the camera (shield and connector shown installed in the rear body in Figure 6). This arrangement allows for a waterproof assembly, with the two bases cooperating with a pair of waterproof seal members 4 and 2 to protect the internal circuitry from water (see column 4 lines 23-26 and column 4 line 65 through column 5 lines 17.
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to have combined the body of Fu with a front body having a lens with interposed seal members as in Nakamura in order to enclose the camera electrical components in a waterproof shielded body enclosure.
With regard to claim 13: The second portion of the ground member of Fu, specifically elements 44, are disposed inclinedly with respect to the ground member.
With regard to claim 14: The connection portion of Fu comprises a first area having a first hole, a second area having a second hole with a larger diameter than the first hole, and a third area having a third hole larger than the diameter of the second hole. In Figure 6 the first area is the socket portion of the body near the top of the Figure, defined by portions 112 on the sides and the shoulder-shaped portion of connector element 22 where it has the largest diameter at the bottom, with the connector element 22 occupying the hole formed in the area. The second area is the region below the first area in which the shoulder of the connector in the Figure and the upper part of the sealing member is disposed, and the third area is the section below the second, bounded by 111 on the sides, in which the majority of the sealing member is disposed and continues into the cavity 101 of the body until the end of the connector.
With regard to claim 16: The ground member is disposed in the third area of the connection portion, being positioned on the connector before the end of the connector.
With regard to claims 17-18: The connection portion of Fu is disclosed as having a plurality of steps in the connection portion (see ¶0035). Figure 6 shows that the end surface of 11 which defines the boundary between the second and third portion has a final step shape against which the grounding member rests, and also shows that the step against which the sealing member is positioned has a rounded edge shape.
With regard to claim 20: The sealing member of Fu is shown as being configured to be inserted into the hole of the connection portion from an inner side of the body of Fu (see Figure 3 showing arrangement order, and Figure 6 which shows the adhesive member is larger than the hole through which the connector passes to reach the outer side of the housing and thus cannot be inserted through the hole from that side).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fu and Nakamura in further view of Park et al (US PGPub 20190227411 A1).
With regard to claim 11: In Fu the ground member is disposed in the connector (being attached to the outer periphery of the connector) and is positioned in an area within the second body.
Fu and Nakamura do not teach the inclusion of three substrates, with a second substrate (to which the connector is coupled) being arranged below a first substate with the thirst substrate electrically connecting the first and second substrates.
Park teaches an arrangement of substrates within a camera module which consists of three substrates, a first 410, second, 430, and intermediate third 420 substrate that electrically connects the first and second substrates. The second, rearmost, substrate includes a connector 610 which connects to a connection structure 620 which is incorporated in the rear body of the camera module. The functions of the camera module are divided among the substrates, with the rearmost substrate handing power reception and signal transmission while components on the frontmost substrate are dedicated to image sensing (see ¶0080-0091 describing functionality of the substrates).
A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to have configured the camera module of the combination of Fu and Nakamura to have the divided substrate with intermediate linking substrate configuration of Park in order to allow for the components of the camera module to be spread across multiple substrates without requiring a connection part directly linking each substrate to each other (see ¶0091).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8, 15, and 19 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: With regard to claims 5, 6, 15, and 19: The prior art does not teach a configuration in which areas exist as defined in claims 4, 14, or 19 (for claims 5-6, 15, and 19, respectively) which additional have the claimed structure. For claims 5-6 and 15: the prior art does not teach a third area having the claimed gradual increasing width or second portion within the third area. For claim 19 the prior art does not teach the inclusion of a lead out part which the second area is positioned within the claimed region of.
The examiner notes that while claim 3 is not separately rejected with prior art, it should not be considered as having been indicated as containing allowable subject matter. The direct contradiction between the limitations of claim 1 and the only limitation which makes up claim 3 (noted in the 112(b) rejection above) makes it impossible to formulate a reasonable interpretation of the claim language that would permit the claim to be examined with regard to the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Leon W Rhodes Jr whose telephone number is (571)270-5774. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM - 6:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Lindsay can be reached at (571) 272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LEON W RHODES, JR/Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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