DETAILED ACTION
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. 17/771,873, filed on April 26, 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 guide member disposed between the support and the rotor must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
Therefore, the guide member comprises a guide ball must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
Therefore, the support further comprises a first groove formed on the upper surface of the support, wherein the rotor further comprises a second groove formed on the lower surface of the rotor, and wherein the guide ball is disposed in the first groove of the support and the second groove of the rotor must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
Therefore, the guide ball and one of the first and second grooves are in contact with at one point, and wherein the guide ball and the other of the first and second grooves are in contact with at two points must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
No new matter should be entered.
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.
Claim 4 is 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.
Claim 4 recites “wherein the guide ball and one of the first and second grooves are in contact with at one point” without reciting what they are in contact with. For examination purposes this language will be interpreted as either “wherein the guide ball and one of the first and second grooves are in contact with each other at one point” and/or “wherein the guide ball and one of the first and second grooves are in contact with at least one point”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 13-17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (U.S. Publication No. 20200064711). Kim teaches an aperture driving device comprising: a support (110); a rotor (130) disposed on an upper surface of the support; a magnet and a coil (121) configured to rotate the rotor with respect to the support; a guide member (130a) disposed between the support and the rotor; and a blade (140/150/160) comprising first and second holes (143/145), wherein the support comprises a first protrusion (113) inserted into the first hole of the blade (¶74, “The fixed shafts 113a, 113b and 113c provided in the housing 110 are rotatably inserted into the rotational shaft holes 143, 153, and 163, respectively.”), wherein the rotor comprises a second protrusion (133a-c) inserted into the second hole of the blade (¶74, “The driving shafts 133a, 133b, 133c are rotatably and movably inserted into the driving shaft holes 145, 155, and 165, respectively.”), and wherein the guide member is disposed between the upper surface of the support and a lower surface of the rotor (¶69, “A bearing 130a (for example, a ball bearing 130a) may be provided between the driving ring 130 and a bottom of the housing 110 to facilitate the rotation of the driving ring 130.”)
Regarding claim 2, the guide member comprises a guide ball. See fig. 2 as well as ¶69, “A bearing 130a (for example, a ball bearing 130a) may be provided between the driving ring 130 and a bottom of the housing 110 to facilitate the rotation of the driving ring 130.”
Regarding claim 3, the support further comprises a first groove (110e) formed on the upper surface of the support, wherein the rotor further comprises a second groove (130b) formed on the lower surface of the rotor, and wherein the guide ball is disposed in the first groove of the support and the second groove of the rotor. See fig 4A and ¶69, “Guide grooves 130b and 110e, in which the ball bearing 130a is inserted into the driving ring 130 or the housing 110, may be provided in a surface on which the driving ring 130 and the housing 110 are opposed to each other.”
Regarding claim 4, the guide ball and one of the first and second grooves are in contact with at one point (even if they are contacting at two points, they are contacting at one point), and wherein the guide ball and the other of the first and second grooves are in contact with at two points. See fig. 4A. The applicant has not claimed that the guide ball and one of the first and second grooves are in contact at only one point.
Regarding claim 13, the magnet comprises an outer surface facing the coil (figs. 2-3), and wherein, in a direction perpendicular (radial direction from optical axis outward. Left/right in fig. 4A) to the outer surface of the magnet, the magnet is overlapped with the support. (See fig. 4A).
Regarding claim 14, fig. 4A shows in the direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the magnet, the coil is overlapped with the rotor.
Regarding claim 15, ¶¶2 and 102 teach a camera module.
Regarding claim 16, Kim teaches an aperture driving device comprising: a support (110); a rotor (230) disposed on the support; a magnet (121a) and a coil (121b) configured to rotate the rotor with respect to the support; a guide ball (130a) disposed between the support and the rotor (fig. 4A); and a blade (140/150/160) comprising first and second holes (143 and 145), wherein the support comprises a first protrusion (113a) inserted into the first hole of the blade (¶74, “The fixed shafts 113a, 113b and 113c provided in the housing 110 are rotatably inserted into the rotational shaft holes 143, 153, and 163, respectively.”), and wherein the rotor comprises a second protrusion (133a) inserted into the second hole of the blade (¶74, “The driving shafts 133a, 133b, 133c are rotatably and movably inserted into the driving shaft holes 145, 155, and 165, respectively.”.)
Regarding claim 17, the support further comprises a first groove (110e) formed on an upper surface of the support, wherein the rotor further comprises a second groove (130b) formed on a lower surface of the rotor, and wherein the guide ball is disposed in the first groove of the support and the second groove of the rotor. See fig. 4A.
Regarding claim 20, Kim teaches an aperture driving device comprising: a support (110); a rotor (230) disposed on and upper surface of the support; a magnet (121a) and a coil (121b) configured to rotate the rotor with respect to the support and a blade (140/150/160) configured to rotate by the rotor.
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) 5-6, 12 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (U.S. Publication No. 20200064711) in view of Jun (U.S. Patent No. 11226539). Kim teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for a holder disposed with the magnet, wherein the rotor comprises a third hole, and wherein the holder comprises a third protrusion inserted into the third hole of the rotor. Jun teaches it was known to use a holder (512) disposed with the magnet, wherein the rotor comprises a third hole (532, see fig. 5 and col. 10, lines 52-57), and wherein the holder comprises a third protrusion (523) inserted into the third hole of the rotor. 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 Jun for the purpose of providing a more compact design.
Regarding claim 12, Jun teaches four blades.
Regarding claims 6 and 18, Kim as modified teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for the third hole is fully enclosed inside the rotor, and wherein the third protrusion is fully enclosed in the third hole when viewed from above. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize a fully enclosed hole with a protrusion fully enclosed in the third hole for the purpose of preventing disconnect of the third protrusion.
Claim(s) 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (U.S. Publication No. 20200064711) in view of Jun (U.S. Patent No. 11226539) and further in view of Shibata (JP2017058680). Kim as modified teaches the salient features of the claimed invention except for an inner surface of the blade for adjusting an amount of light incident on a lens comprises a curved portion and a straight portion. Shibata teaches that it was known to use an inner surface of the blade for adjusting an amount of light incident on a lens comprising a curved portion and a straight portion. (“blade may be formed not only by a combination of curved shapes but also by a combination of linear shapes, spline curves, and the like”). See also fig. 8D. 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 Shibata for the purpose of stabilizing the circularity in the entire region from the aperture opening to the minimum aperture.
Regarding claims 9-10, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to utilize the curved portion of the blade when the amount of light incident on the lens is maximum for the purpose of minimizing noticing of non-circularity and using curved and straight portions closer to minimum aperture. Shibata discusses keeping the circularity to 0.95 or above. Straight lines at a light maximum is more noticeable than on minimum aperture. “Here, it is also possible to further stabilize the circularity in the entire region from the aperture opening to the minimum aperture. In the first embodiment, the circularity is set to 1 three times in the process of changing from the full aperture to the minimum aperture. It is possible to reduce the rate of change of the circularity by adopting a configuration in which the circularity is not set to 1 in the process of changing from the full aperture to the minimum aperture (not a perfect circle in the changing process) (the circular shape in FIG. 9A). (See characteristics of full-range adjustment.) Further, as can be seen from the graph of FIG. 9A, the deterioration of the circularity at the minimum aperture can be minimized. This is because the aperture forming edges 1r, 2r, and 3r that form the apertures of the aperture blade 1, aperture blade 2, and aperture blade 3 do not have a single curvature, but are formed by combining a plurality of curvature shapes. It is possible to realize. Further, the aperture forming edges 1r, 2r, and 3r of each diaphragm blade may be formed not only by a combination of curved shapes but also by a combination of linear shapes, spline curves, and the like. The circularity is preferably 1, but if it is 0.95 or more, it is substantially visible to the human eye as a circle. In the first embodiment, since the circularity can be suppressed to a range of 0.95 to 1 in a wide range of aperture diameters, the aperture shape in a wide area or all areas can be kept substantially circular. Is possible.”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 11 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Jun (U.S. Patent No. 10931857) teaches an aperture driving device comprising: a holder disposed with a magnet, wherein the rotor comprises a third hole and wherein the holder comprises a third protrusion inserted into the third hole of the rotor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY whose telephone number is (571)272-2122. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30.
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/CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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