DETAILED ACTION
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) 1-2, 4-5, 8 and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (U.S. Publication No. 20200241387) in view of Ichinomiya (U.S. Patent No. 5422697). Seo teaches a variable aperture module, comprising: a blade assembly, comprising: a plurality of movable blades (540/550/560/570), disposed around an optical axis to form a light passable hole with adjustable size for different hole size states (figs. 9A-9C), wherein each of the plurality of movable blades has an inner surface, the inner surfaces of the plurality of movable blades are configured to define a contour of the light passable hole in each hole size state (figs. 9A-9C), and each of the plurality of movable blades further has: a circular hole (543/553/563/573); and a long hole (545/555/565/575) in proximity to the circular hole (see fig. 5); a positioning element, comprising: a plurality of positioning structures (513a-d), respectively corresponding to the circular holes of the plurality of movable blades; and a driving part, comprising: a rotation element 530, rotatable with respect to the positioning element, wherein the rotation element is configured to rotate the plurality of movable blades respectively with respect to the plurality of positioning structures to adjust a size of the light passable hole (see ¶¶114-120). Seo teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for a plurality of matte structures disposed on each of the inner surfaces, and the contour of the light passable hole has an undulating shape at least in several hole size states. Ichinomiya teaches in figs 1, 4-5 and 8 that it was known to provide a plurality of matte structures disposed on each of the inner surfaces, and the contour of the light passable hole has an undulating shape at least in several hole size states. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the features of Ichinomiya for the purpose of controlling reflections of light from the aperture blades.
Regarding claim 2, Ichinomiya teaches that the blades and the plurality of matte structures disposed on the inner surface thereof are made in one piece. See col. 4, lines 35-36.
Regarding claim 4, Seo teaches the rotation element has: a plurality of rotation structures (533a-d), respectively corresponding to the long holes of the plurality of movable blades (see figs. 4-5), wherein the plurality of rotation structures are movable in the long holes, and positions of the plurality of rotation structures in the long holes are varied depending on a size of the light passable hole (see figs. 9A-9C).
Regarding claim 5, Seo teaches in figs. 4-5 that the long hole is closer to the optical axis than the circular hole in each of the plurality of movable blades.
Regarding claim 8, Seo teaches the driving part further comprising: a magnet 521a; and a coil 521b, corresponding to the magnet, wherein one of the magnet and the coil is disposed on the rotation element.
Regarding claim 15, Seo as modified teaches an imaging lens module 1000, comprising: the variable aperture module of claim 1 and an imaging lens (200, see also ¶51), wherein the imaging lens and the variable aperture module are disposed along the optical axis, and light enters into the imaging lens via the light passable hole of the variable aperture module. See figs. 1-4.
Regarding claim 17, ¶¶49 and 85 teach an electronic device, comprising: the imaging lens module of claim 15.
Regarding claim 16, Seo as modified teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for wherein the variable aperture module defines an f-number of the imaging lens, the f-number is Fno, and the following condition is satisfied: 0.65 ≤ Fno ≤ 6.2. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have an f-number from 0.65-6.2 for the purpose of utilizing an optimum range. The applicant should note that it has been held that where the general working conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (U.S. Publication No. 20200241387) in view of Ichinomiya (U.S. Patent No. 5422697) and further in view of Akata (JP2011059237). Seo and Ichinomiya teach a first surface (top surface), perpendicular to the optical axis; and a second surface (bottom surface), corresponding to the first surface, wherein the inner surface is between top and bottom surfaces. Seo as modified teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for wherein a distance between the inner surface and the optical axis varies along a direction parallel to the optical axis from the first surface to the second surface. Akata teaches in figures 2B, 3 and 11 that it was known to provide a distance between the inner surface and the optical axis varied along a direction parallel to the optical axis from the first surface to the second surface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the features of Akata for the purpose of further controlling reflections.
Claim(s) 9-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (U.S. Publication No. 20200241387) in view of Ichinomiya (U.S. Patent No. 5422697) and further in view of Chen (CN217133471). Seo as modified teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for the driving part further comprising: at least two rolling elements, disposed around the optical axis, wherein the rotation element, the at least two rolling elements and a substrate are arranged along a direction parallel to the optical axis, and the at least two rolling elements are disposed between the rotation element and the substrate so as to support rotation of the rotation element. Chen teaches that it was known to provide at least two rolling elements, disposed around the optical axis, wherein the rotation element, the at least two rolling elements and a substrate are arranged along a direction parallel to the optical axis, and the at least two rolling elements are disposed between the rotation element and the substrate. The applicant is directed to review figures 21 and 23. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the features of Chen for the purpose of supporting the rotation and smoother rotation.
Regarding claim 10, Chen teaches in fig. 4 a plurality of contact points, in physical contact with the rotation element or the substrate, and the plurality of contact points having: an inner contact point (two inner contact points, one upper and one lower), located closer to the optical axis than other contact points of the plurality of contact points; an outer contact point (two outer contact points, one upper and one lower), located farther away from the optical axis than other contact points of the plurality of contact points; an upper contact point (two upper contact points), being one of two contact points that are most spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the optical axis among the plurality of contact points; and a lower contact point (two lower contact points), being another one of the two contact points that are most spaced apart from each other in the direction parallel to the optical axis among the plurality of contact points.
Regarding claim 11, fig. 5 of Chen teaches a number of the at least two rolling elements is five or less. There are four rolling elements.
Regarding claim 13, Chen teaches in fig. 4 each of the at least two rolling elements has: a plurality of contact points, in physical contact with the rotation element or the substrate, and the plurality of contact points having: an inner contact point (two inner contact points, one upper and one lower), located closer to the optical axis than other contact points of the plurality of contact points; an outer contact point (two outer contact points, one upper and one lower), located farther away from the optical axis than other contact points of the plurality of contact points; an upper contact point (two upper contact points), being one of two contact points that are most spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the optical axis among the plurality of contact points; and a lower contact point (two lower contact points), being another one of the two contact points that are most spaced apart from each other in the direction parallel to the optical axis among the plurality of contact points, wherein one of the inner contact point and the outer contact point and one of the upper contact point and the lower contact point among the plurality of contact points are a same contact point.
Regarding claims 12 and 14, Seo as modified teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for a 0.3 ≤ Di/Dt ≤ 0.7. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use 0.3 ≤ Di/Dt ≤ 0.7 for the purpose of utilizing an optimum range. The applicant should note that it has been held that where the general working conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-29 are allowed.
Claims 6-7 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. 水牧 雅夫 Mizumaki (JP5473366) teaches rolling elements which support a rotation element. Ningbo (CN116300258) teaches magnets and/or coils on a rotation element.
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/CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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