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 .
The instant application having Application No. 19/102,897 filed on 2/11/2025 is presented for examination by the examiner.
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Priority
As required by e M.P.E.P. 210, 200, 214, acknowledgement is made of applicant’s claim for priority based on application KR10-2022-0101286 (Republic of Korea) and application KR10-2022-0101287 (Republic of Korea).
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Claim Objections
Claims 3 and 10 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3 recites “… the second sub-housing in the other region of the first sub-housing” which should be “… the second sub-housing in an other region of the first sub-housing”.
Claim 10 recites “… the other surface disposed at outer sides thereof …” which should be “… an other surface disposed at outer sides thereof …”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-3, 6-8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (KR 20200130965 A)(see attached machine translation), in view of Oh (US 20130120648 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a camera actuator, in at least Figures 3-15a, comprising:
a first sub-housing (21 "third housing", page 13, paragraph 11 of translation states "the third lens assembly 130 may include a third housing 21, a third barrel 131, and a third lens 133", Figure 9) including a fixed lens (133 "third lens", abstract states "a third lens assembly diposed on the base and fixed", page 13, paragraph 11 of translation states "the third lens assembly 130 may include a third housing 21, a third barrel 131, and a third lens 133", Figure 9);
a second sub-housing (210 "first guide part", 220 "second guide part", Figure 3) disposed along an optical axis direction with the first sub-housing (21 "third housing", Figure 3);
a lens assembly (110 "first lens assembly", 120 "second lens assembly", Figure 3) disposed in the second sub-housing (210 "first guide part", 220 "second guide part", page 6, paragraph 7 of translation states "a first lens assembly 110 corresponding to the first guide part 210, a second lens assembly 120 corresponding to the second guide part 220", Figure 3) to move in the optical axis direction (page 13, paragraph 7 of translation states "since the third driving unit 141 including the first coil unit 141b is in a fixed state, the first lens assembly 110, which is a mover in which the first driving unit 116 is disposed, has an electromagnetic force (DEM) according to the current direction. As a result, it may be moved back and forth along the rail of the first guide part 210 in a direction parallel to the direction of the z-axis", page 6, paragraph 5 of translation states "the z-axis refers to the optical axis direction or a direction parallel thereto");
a ball (117 "first ball", Figure 7a) disposed between the lens assembly (110 "first lens assembly", 120 "second lens assembly") and the second sub-housing (210 "first guide part", 220 "second guide part", page 6, paragraph 7 of translation states "the first ball 117 (see FIG. 7A) disposed between the first lens assembly 110 and the second guide part 220", Figure 7a);
a driving unit (116 "first driving unit", 126 "second driving unit", 141 "third driving unit", 142 "second driving unit", Figures 7a, 8b, 15a) configured to move the lens assembly (110 "first lens assembly", 120 "second lens assembly") in the optical axis direction (first paragraph of page 19 of translation states "the first lens assembly 110 may include a first driving unit 116 and a third driving unit 141, and the second lens assembly ( 120) may include a second driving unit 126 and a fourth driving unit 142", page 19, paragraph 2 of translation states "The first driving unit 116 and the second driving unit 126 may be magnet driving units, and the third driving unit 141 and the fourth driving unit 142 may be coil driving units", page 20, paragraph 11 of translation states "as illustrated in FIG. 15B, the first lens assembly 110 includes a first magnet 116b of the first driving unit 116 and a first coil unit 141b of the third driving unit 141. It can be driven in the optical axis direction by the electromagnetic force (DEM) between").
However, Kim does not disclose a coupling member disposed between the first sub-housing and the second sub-housing.
Oh teaches a coupling member (1910 "adhesive") disposed between the first sub-housing (1130 “case”) and the second sub-housing (1200 “holder”, paragraph 0080 states "the adhesive may be filled only in the space to allow the case (1130) and the holder (1200) to be adhered. The adhesive may be an epoxy", paragraph 0089 states "an adhesive (1910) is coated on the staircase sill floor surface (1251) of the holder (1200) to allow a distal end (1131) of the case (1130) to be attached, and the staircase sill lateral wall (1252) of the holder (1200) is adhered by the case (1130) to allow the case (1130) and the holder (1200) to be tightly coupled", Figures 7 and 9).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the camera actuator of Kim modified by a coupling member disposed between the first sub-housing and the second sub-housing, as taught by Oh, in order to allow the first sub-housing and the second sub-housing to be tightly coupled (paragraph 0089).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Kim and Oh disclose all the limitations of claim 1, however Kim does not disclose wherein the first sub-housing is disposed to be spaced a predetermined distance from the second sub-housing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to utilize a first sub-housing and a second sub-housing such that the first sub-housing is disposed to be spaced a predetermined distance from the second sub-housing, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Antonie 195 USPQ 6 (CCPA 1977); In re Boesch 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Kim and Oh disclose all the limitations of claim 1, however Kim does not disclose wherein a first separation distance between the first sub-housing and the second sub-housing in one region of the first sub-housing differs from a second separation distance between the first sub-housing and the second sub-housing in the other region of the first sub-housing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to utilize a first sub-housing and a second sub-housing such that a first separation distance between the first sub-housing and the second sub-housing in one region of the first sub-housing differs from a second separation distance between the first sub-housing and the second sub-housing in the other region of the first sub-housing, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Antonie 195 USPQ 6 (CCPA 1977); In re Boesch 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Kim and Oh disclose all the limitations of claim 1 and Kim further discloses wherein the first sub-housing (21 "third housing") includes a holder portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) and a wing portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) extending outward from the holder portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9).
Below is an examiner’s markup of Figure 9 of Kim pointing out a holder portion, a wing portion, a first holder portion, a second holder portion, one surface, and an other surface.
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Regarding claim 7, the combination of Kim and Oh disclose all the limitations of claim 6 and Kim further discloses wherein the holder portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) includes a first holder portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) above the wing portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) and a second holder portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) under the wing portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Kim and Oh disclose all the limitations of claim 7, however Kim does not disclose wherein a length of the first holder portion in the optical axis direction is smaller than a length of the second holder portion in the optical axis direction.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to utilize a first holder portion and a second holder portion such that a length of the first holder portion in the optical axis direction is smaller than a length of the second holder portion in the optical axis direction, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Antonie 195 USPQ 6 (CCPA 1977); In re Boesch 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Kim and Oh disclose all the limitations of claim 6 and Kim further discloses wherein the wing portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) includes one surface (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) and the other surface (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) disposed at outer sides thereof (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9), and the one surface (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) and the other surface (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9) are sequentially disposed in the optical axis direction (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9).
Claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (KR 20200130965 A)(see attached machine translation), in view of Oh (US 20130120648 A1), and further in view of Kim (KR 20200130965 A)(see attached machine translation)(Figure 21b).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Kim and Oh disclose all the limitations of claim 1, however Kim does not disclose wherein one surface of the first sub-housing is not perpendicular to the optical axis.
Kim (Figure 21b) teaches wherein one surface of the first sub-housing (334 "prism cover") is not perpendicular to the optical axis (examiner’s markup of Figure 21b shows that one surface of 334 "prism cover" is not perpendicular to the optical axis).
Below is an examiner’s markup of Figure 21b of Kim pointing out a surface, an optical axis, and a central axis.
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Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the camera actuator of Kim modified by wherein one surface of the first sub-housing is not perpendicular to the optical axis, as taught by Kim (Figure 21b), in order to maintain close contact with the components within the first sub-housing to hold them fixed and prevent decentering (page 30, paragraph 3 of translation).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Kim and Oh disclose all the limitations of claim 1, however Kim does not disclose wherein a central axis of the first sub-housing is not parallel to the optical axis.
Kim (Figure 21b) teaches wherein a central axis (examiner’s markup of Figure 21b) of the first sub-housing (334 "prism cover") is not parallel to the optical axis (examiner’s markup of Figure 21b).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the camera actuator of Kim modified by wherein a central axis of the first sub-housing is not parallel to the optical axis, as taught by Kim (Figure 21b), in order to maintain close contact with the components within the first sub-housing to hold them fixed and prevent decentering (page 30, paragraph 3 of translation).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (KR 20200130965 A)(see attached machine translation), in view of Oh (US 20130120648 A1), and further in view of Lee (WO 2021230557 A1)(see attached machine translation).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Kim and Oh disclose all the limitations of claim 7, however Kim does not disclose a prevention member at least partially overlapping the second holder portion and the second sub-housing.
Lee teaches a prevention member (AC “base cover”, Figure 9) at least partially overlapping the second holder portion (see examiner’s markup of Figure 9, page 13, paragraph 12 of translation states “the fourth sidewall 1210d may have an open shape and may include a first opening 1210dh. The first lens assembly 1220 and the second lens assembly 1230 may be detached from the inside of the base 1210 through the first opening 1210dh”) and the second sub-housing (1210 “base”, page 14, paragraph 2 of translation states “the base 1210 may include an upper surface 1210e of the base and a lower surface 1210f of the base. The base upper surface 1210e may include a base upper hole 1210eh. In the embodiment, the base cover (AC) for blocking light incident to the first lens group in the first lens assembly or the second lens group in the second lens assembly through the base upper hole 1210eh in the base upper surface 1210e, see FIG. 9) can be easily seated”).
Below is an examiner’s markup of Figure 9 of Lee pointing out a second holder portion.
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Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the camera actuator of Kim modified by a prevention member at least partially overlapping the second holder portion and the second sub-housing, as taught by Lee, in order to block light to the light assemblies (page 14, paragraph 2 of translation).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALAINA M SWANSON whose telephone number is (703)756-5809. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 7:30am-4:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached at 571-270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALAINA MARIE SWANSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/WILLIAM R ALEXANDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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