DETAILED ACTION
This office action is responsive to application 19/094,135 filed on March 28, 2025. Claims 1-9 are pending in the application and have been examined by the Examiner.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on March 28, 2025 was received and has been considered by the Examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Lack of clarity and precision.
Claim 1 recites “so as to move that the image sensor relative to the first unit” as lines 4 and 5 thereof. It appears that the word “that” should be removed from this limitation in order to improve clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-3, 5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takano et al. (US 2012/0236167).
Consider claim 1, Takano et al. teaches:
An image capturing apparatus (figures 1-4) comprising:
an image sensor (imaging element, 111, figure 4, paragraph 0036);
a first unit (“a control board of a cellular phone, a small DSC, or the like” paragraph 0060);
a second unit (imaging element unit, 110, figure 4) on which the image sensor (111) is arranged (see figure 4, paragraphs 0035 and 0036) so as to move the image sensor (111) relative to the first unit in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of an image capturing optical system (The image sensor moves in an X direction and a Y direction, which are orthogonal to an optical axis direction of an image capturing optical system (lens unit, 20, paragraphs 0038 and 0039), as shown in figures 1 and 4, and detailed in paragraphs 0046 and 0047. The image sensor is moved relative to the first unit, as the image sensor (111) is moved inside the imaging device (100) via a Y direction slider (170) and an X direction slider (180), whereas the first unit is located outside of the imaging device (100), paragraphs 0060, 0046 and 0047.); and
a first wiring member (first flexible wiring section, 11) and a second wiring member (second flexible wiring section, 12) that electrically connect the first unit and the second unit (“In order to electrically connect the movable section and a control circuit board and suppress a load of the movement of the movable section, a flexible wiring board provided with a bent section is used” paragraph 0006. A flexible wiring structure (10) is connected to the imaging element (111) via a base substrate (112) of the second unit, paragraph 0037. The flexible wiring structure (10) includes the first flexible wiring section (11), the second flexible wiring section (12), and a relay section (13), paragraph 0054, figures 1, 5 and 6. The relay section (13), which is electrically connected to the flexible wiring sections (12, 13), is connected to the first unit, as detailed in paragraph 0060.),
wherein the first wiring member (11) and the second wiring member (12) overlap by a predetermined amount when viewed from an optical axis direction of the image capturing optical system (20) and are separated in the optical axis direction in a portion overlapping by the predetermined amount (The first wiring member (11) and second wiring member (12) overlap when viewed from a Z-axis direction, as shown in figures 1, 2, 3, 5A and 5B. For instance, second post-bend raised surface (12b) of the second wiring member (12) overlaps the first wiring member (11) in the Z-axis direction, paragraph 0057. The second post-bend raised surface (12b) is separated from the first wiring member (11) in the vertical, Z-axis direction in figures 1, 2 and 5A-5C.).
Consider claim 2, and as applied to claim 1 above, Takano et al. further teaches that the first wiring member (11) and the second wiring member (12) extend in substantially the same direction in the portion overlapping by the predetermined amount (i.e. in the X direction, figures 1, 5A and 5B).
Consider claim 3, and as applied to claim 1 above, Takano et al. further teaches that the first wiring member (11) and the second wiring member (12) extend in different directions in the portion overlapping by the predetermined amount (For instance, the first wiring portion (11) extends in the Y direction and the second wiring portion (12), extends in the X direction, figures 1, 5A and 5B.).
Consider claim 5, and as applied to claim 1 above, Takano et al. further teaches that the first unit includes a control board (“a control board of a cellular phone, a small DSC, or the like” paragraph 0060), the first wiring member (11) and the second wiring member (12) electrically connect the image sensor (111) and the control board (“In order to electrically connect the movable section and a control circuit board and suppress a load of the movement of the movable section, a flexible wiring board provided with a bent section is used” paragraph 0006. A flexible wiring structure (10) is connected to the imaging element (111) via a base substrate (112) of the second unit, paragraph 0037. The flexible wiring structure (10) includes the first flexible wiring section (11), the second flexible wiring section (12), and a relay section (13), paragraph 0054, figures 1, 5 and 6. The relay section (13), which is electrically connected to the flexible wiring sections (12, 13), is connected to the first unit, as detailed in paragraph 0060.), and a height of a connecting portion of the first wiring member (11) to the image sensor (111) is different from a height of a connecting portion of the second wiring member (12) to the image sensor (A curved portion of the first and second wiring members (11, 12) is connected to the image sensor (111) via the base substrate (112), figures 1 and 4. These curved portions are separated in the Y-axis direction, as shown in figure 1. A height is based on a perspective, and the Examiner interprets the Y-axis direction to be the height direction in figure 1.).
Consider claim 8, and as applied to claim 1 above, Takano et al. further teaches that the first wiring member (11) and the second wiring member (12) extend substantially symmetrically with respect to the optical axis (see figures 1, 5A and 5B).
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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takano et al. (US 2012/0236167) in view of Arai et al. (US 2019/0137780).
Consider claim 4, and as applied to claim 1 above, Takano et al. further teaches that the first wiring member (11) and the second wiring member (12) respectively include curved portions (see figures 1, 4, 5A and 5B).
However, Takano et al. does not explicitly teach that a first inner diameter of the curved portion of the first wiring member is different from a second inner diameter of the curved portion of the second wiring member.
Arai et al. similarly teaches an image capturing apparatus (figure 5) having a first wiring member (flexible wiring board, 71) and a second wiring member (flexible wiring board, 72), paragraph 0035.
However, Arai et al. additionally teaches that a first inner diameter of the curved portion of the first wiring member (71) is different from a second inner diameter of the curved portion of the second wiring member (72, see figure 5, paragraph 0041).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the first wiring member and second wiring member taught by Takano et al. have different inner diameters of their respective curved portions as taught by Arai et al. for the benefit of providing flexibility of movement and preventing hindrance of the shake correcting mechanism (Arai et al., paragraph 0041).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 7 and 9 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:
Consider claim 6, the prior art of record does not teach nor reasonably suggest that image sensor is substantially rectangular when viewed from the optical axis direction, the first wiring member and the second wiring member extend substantially in parallel to a short-side direction of the image sensor in the portion overlapping by the predetermined amount, and fall within a range overlapping the image sensor in a long-side direction of the image sensor when viewed from the optical axis direction, in combination with the other elements recited in parent claim 1.
Consider claim 7, the prior art of record does not teach nor reasonably suggest that an image sensor board for fixing the image sensor has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the optical axis direction, and the first wiring member and the second wiring member extend substantially in parallel to a short-side direction of the image sensor board in the portion overlapping by the predetermined amount, and fall within a range overlapping the image sensor board in a long-side direction of the image sensor board when viewing in the optical axis direction, in combination with the other elements recited in parent claim 1.
Consider claim 9, the prior art of record does not teach nor reasonably suggest that at least one of the first wiring member and the second wiring member includes a high-speed transmission wiring and a ground wiring, and the ground wiring is provided in the portion overlapping by the predetermined amount, and the high-speed transmission wiring is provided in a portion excluding the portion overlapping by the predetermined amount, in combination with the other elements recited in parent claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Minamisawa et al. (US 2016/0231641) teaches an image capturing apparatus having first and second flexible wirings (see figures 3B and 4A).
Asakawa (US 2017/0353663) teaches an image capturing apparatus having first and second flexible wirings (see figures 3-6).
Asakawa (US 2023/0090603) teaches an image capturing apparatus having first and second flexible wirings (see figures 5 and 6).
Choi et al. (US 2021/0029275) teaches an image capturing apparatus having first and second overlapping flexible wirings (see figures 4, 6 and 7A).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALBERT H CUTLER whose telephone number is (571)270-1460. The examiner can normally be reached approximately Mon - Fri 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sinh Tran can be reached at (571)272-7564. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALBERT H CUTLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637
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