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 .
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) 1-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US2008/0231737 (Weale).
Regarding claim 1, Weale disclose the photosite comprising:
a photoconversion area configured to convert light into charges (110);
at least one assembly of a first node (120) and of a first charge flow path comprising a first switch (116) configured to allow the flowing of charges from the photoconversion area (110) to the first node (120) of said assembly when said first switch (116) is on and block the passage of charges between the photoconversion area (110) and the first node (120) of said assembly when said first switch is off [; and
a second charge flow path between said photoconversion area (110) and a second node (140) of the photosite, wherein the first and second paths are configured so that each first path holds the priority over the second path when the first switch of said first path is on [0021], and wherein the second path comprises no switch between the photoconversion area and the second node (Fig. 1-4).
Regarding claim 2, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 1, wherein the second path comprises no transistor (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 3, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 1, wherein the second path comprises a transistor having a gate configured to receive a constant bias voltage [0024].
Regarding claim 4, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 1, wherein the photosite comprises a single assembly of a first path and of a first node, the first and second paths being configured to transfer all the charges from the photoconversion area to the second node when the first switch is off (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 5, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 4, wherein the first and second paths are further configured to transfer all the charges from the photoconversion area to the first node when the first switch is on (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 6, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 4, wherein the photosite further comprises a readout circuit coupled to the first node (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 7, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 6, wherein the second node is configured to receive a potential for resetting the photoconversion area (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 8, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 4, wherein the photosite further comprises a readout circuit coupled to the second node (Fig. 4-5).
Regarding claim 9, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 8, wherein the first node is configured to receive a potential for resetting the photoconversion area (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 10, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 1, wherein the photosite comprises a plurality of assemblies of a first path and of a first node, the first and second paths being configured to transfer all the charges from the photoconversion area to the second node when all the first switches are off (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 11, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 10, wherein the first and second paths are further configured to transfer all the charges from the photoconversion area to the first node of a given assembly when, among the first switches, only the first switch of said given assembly is on (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 12, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 10, wherein the photosite comprises a readout circuit coupled to each of the first nodes (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 13, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 12, wherein the second node is configured to receive a potential for resetting the photoconversion area (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 14, Weale disclose the photosite according to claim 1, wherein the conversion area comprises a pinned photodiode [0022].
Regarding claim 15, Weale disclose the sensor comprising a plurality of depth pixels, each depth pixel comprising at least one photosite according to claim 1 (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 16, Weale disclose the sensor according to claim 15, wherein: each photosite comprises a single assembly of a first path and of a first node (Fig. 1-5), the first and second paths being configured to transfer all the charges from the photoconversion area to the second node when the first switch is off (Fig. 1-5); each photosite comprises a readout circuit coupled to its first node (Fig. 1-5); and the first node of one of the photosites is connected to the first node of another one of the photosites (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 17, Weale disclose the sensor according to claim 15, wherein: each photosite comprises a plurality of assemblies of a first path and of a first node (Fig. 1-5), the first and second paths being configured to transfer all the charges from the photoconversion area to the second node when all the first switches are off(Fig. 1-5); each photosite comprises a readout circuit coupled to each of its first nodes (Fig. 1-5); and one of the first nodes of one of the photosites is connected to the corresponding first node of another one of the photosites (Fig. 1-5).
Regarding claim 18, Weale disclose the sensor according to claim 15, wherein: each photosite comprises a single assembly of a first path and of a first node (Fig. 1-5), the first and second paths being configured to transfer all the charges from the photoconversion area to the second node when the first switch is off (Fig. 1-5); each photosite further comprises a readout circuit coupled to the second node (Fig. 1-5); and the second node of one of the photosites is connected to the second node of another one of the photosites (Fig. 1-5).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANI FOX whose telephone number is (571)272-3513. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9-5.
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/DANI FOX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884