DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-7, 13-15 & 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by (US-2007/0222875) by Moriya et al (“Moriya”).
Regarding claim 1, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., a solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising:
a substrate (28);
an image sensor (29) provided on the substrate;
a transparent member (31) provided on the image sensor, wherein the transparent member includes a front surface (top), the front surface includes a groove portion (36) in a region of the front surface, and the region of the front surface is outside a light receiving area of the image sensor (outside of 29 area);
a support portion (23) between the image sensor and the transparent member (see FIG. 8), wherein the support portion is in a peripheral area of the image sensor (see FIG. 8), the peripheral area is outside the light receiving area (see FIG. 8), and the support portion seals a cavity between the image sensor and the transparent member (see FIG. 8); and
a mold resin portion (25) on the substrate, wherein the mold resin portion is formed around the image sensor (see FIG. 8) and the transparent member (see FIG. 8).
Regarding claim 2, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., a solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising:
a substrate (see claim 1);
an image sensor on the substrate (see claim 1);
a transparent member on the image sensor (see claim 1), wherein the transparent member includes a side surface, the side surface includes a groove portion (36) in a region of the side surface (top side), and the region of the side surface is outside a light receiving area of the image sensor (see claim 1);
a support portion between the image sensor and the transparent member (see claim 1), wherein the support portion is in a peripheral area of the image sensor (see claim 1), the peripheral area is outside the light receiving area (see claim 1), and the support portion seals a cavity between the image sensor and the transparent member (see claim 1); and
a mold resin portion on the substrate, wherein the mold resin portion is formed around the image sensor and the transparent member.
Regarding claim 3, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., a solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising:
a substrate (see claim 1);
an image sensor on the substrate (see claim 1);
a transparent member on the image sensor (see claim 1), wherein the transparent member includes a back surface (top surface),
the back surface includes a first groove portion in a region of the back surface (see claim 1), and
the region of the back surface is outside a light receiving area of the image sensor (see claim 1);
a support portion between the image sensor and the transparent member (see claim 1), wherein the support portion is in a peripheral area of the image sensor (see claim 1), the peripheral area is outside the light receiving area (see claim 1), and the support portion seals a cavity between the image sensor and the transparent member (see claim 1); and
a mold resin portion on the substrate (see claim 1), wherein the mold resin portion is formed around the image sensor and the transparent member (see claim 1).
Regarding claim 5, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., wherein the transparent member has a shape of a rectangular plate (see FIGs. 5 & 8), and the groove portion is formed along four sides of the transparent member (see FIG. 5).
Regarding claim 6, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., wherein the front surface of the transparent member further includes a plurality of groove portions along at least one of four sides of the transparent member (see FIG. 5), and the plurality of groove portions includes the groove portion (the groove portion shown in FIG. 8, is one part of what is shown in FIG. 5).
Regarding claim 7, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., wherein the groove portion has a shape of is shaped like a rectangle (FIG. 4), and the groove portion surrounds surrounding an outer periphery of the light receiving area (see FIGs. 4 & 5).
Regarding claim 13, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., wherein the first groove portion has a rough surface on an inner peripheral surface of the first groove portion (by definition; no surface is perfectly smooth; making something perfectly smooth is too expensive; thus, “rough surface”).
Regarding claim 14, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., a solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising:
a transparent member that has a shape of a rectangular plate (see claims 1 & 5); and
a groove portion in a front surface of the transparent member along four sides of the transparent member (see claims 1 & 6), wherein the groove portion has one of a V shape or an inverted trapezoidal shape (see FIG. 8), the one of the V shape or the inverted trapezoidal shape has an angle between an oblique side of the one of the V shape (see FIG. 8) or the inverted trapezoidal shape and a perpendicular associated with the one of the V shape or the inverted trapezoidal shape, and the angle is being larger than half of a maximum refracting angle of a light beam (compare to Applicant’s own disclosure of “V-shaped groove” in various drawings to FIG. 8 of Moriya; angles are extremely similar; furthermore, “change of shape” is within skill of POSITA, per MPEP; hence, minor changes in angle are within POSITA’s skill; thus, the cited limitations are at the very least obvious, in light of Applicant’s disclosure of what angle has to be, Moriya’s disclosed angle, and MPEP’s teachings regarding change of angle).
Regarding claim 15, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., wherein the groove portion has a shape of a rectangle (see FIG. 5), and the groove portion surrounds surrounding an outer periphery of a light receiving area of an image sensor (see FIGs. 5 & 8).
Regarding claim 21, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., Electronic equipment, comprising:
a solid-state imaging apparatus (FIG. 8) including:
a substrate (see claim 1);
an image sensor on the substrate (see claim 1);
a transparent member provided on the image sensor, wherein the transparent member includes a front surface, a side surface, and a back surface (see claim 1),
one of the front surface, the side surface, or the back surface includes a groove portion in a region of the one of the front surface, the side surface, or the back surface (see claim 1), and
the region is outside a light receiving area of the image sensor (see claim 1);
a support portion between the image sensor and the transparent member (see claim 1), wherein the support portion is in a peripheral area of the image sensor (see claim 1), the peripheral area is outside the light receiving area (see claim 1), and the support portion seals a cavity between the image sensor and the transparent member (see claim 1); and
a mold resin portion on the substrate (see claim 1), wherein the mold resin portion is formed around the image sensor and the transparent member (see FIG. 8).
Regarding claim 22, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., Electronic equipment, comprising:
a solid-state imaging apparatus including:
a transparent member that has a shape of a rectangular plate (see claim 14); and
a groove portion in a front surface of the transparent member along four sides of transparent member (see claim 14), wherein
the groove portion has one of a V shape or an inverted trapezoidal shape (see claim 14),
the one of the V shape or the inverted trapezoidal shape has an angle between an oblique side of the one of the V shape or the inverted trapezoidal shape and a perpendicular associated with the one of the V shape or the inverted trapezoidal shape (see claim 14), and the angle is being larger than half of a maximum refracting angle of a light beam (see claim 14).
Regarding claim 23, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., further comprising an image sensor (see claim 1), wherein the transparent member is on the image sensor (see claim 1), the transparent member includes the front surface and a back surface (top/bottom surfaces), the back surface faces the image sensor, and the front surface is opposite to the back surface (as defined above).
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 of this title, 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 4, 8 & 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (US-2007/0222875) by Moriya et al (“Moriya”) in view of (US-2018/0337206) by Wang et al (“Wang”).
Regarding claim 4, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., substantially the entire claim structure, as recited in above claims, except “wherein the mold resin portion and the groove portion include a same material that has a light blocking effect”.
Wang discloses in FIG. 3 and related text, e.g., “the groove portion ( it has 511 in it) includes resin (511; par. 41: “black sealant”)”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the device of Moriya with “the groove portion includes resin” as taught by Wang, in order to prevent “specular reflection” of light (par. 41).
When these specific teachings of Wang are applied to device of Moriya it will result in “wherein the mold resin portion and the groove portion include a same material that has a light blocking effect”, since both devices teach use of sealant/resin (“a same material”; not identical, but “a same”).
Regarding claim 8, the combined device of Moriya and Wang disclose in cited figures and related text, e.g., further comprising a light blocking film (511) is formed on an inner surface of the groove portion (as shown in FIG. 3 of Wang).
Regarding claim 16, the combined device of Moriya and Wang disclose in cited figures and related text, e.g., wherein the groove portion includes one of a material having a light blocking effect or a light blocking film or filled with a material having a light blocking effect (see claims 4 & 8).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (US-2007/0222875) by Moriya et al (“Moriya”) in view of (US-2008/0012084) by Kwon et al (“Kwon”).
Regarding claim 9, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., substantially the entire claim structure, as recited in above claims, except “wherein the transparent member further includes a corner portion between a front surface of the transparent member and the side surface of the transparent member, and the corner portion has an acute angle between the front surface and the side surface”.
Kwon discloses in FIG. 3L and related text, e.g., “wherein the transparent member (110) further includes a corner portion between a front surface (top) of the transparent member and the side surface of the transparent member (side), and the corner portion has an acute angle between the front surface and the side surface (see FIG. 3)”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the device of Moriya with “wherein the transparent member further includes a corner portion between a front surface of the transparent member and the side surface of the transparent member, and the corner portion has an acute angle between the front surface and the side surface” as taught by Kwon, in order to allow for mechanical control of “transparent member” on top of its device; the acute angle allows for resin 134 to mechanically control top/down movement of “transparent member”, by preventing such movement, and thus increasing reliability of the device.
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (US-2007/0222875) by Moriya et al (“Moriya”) in view of (US-2018/0278816) by Jumpei et al (“Jumpei”).
Regarding claim 10, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., substantially the entire claim structure, as recited in above claims, including “wherein the transparent member further includes a front surface (bottom surface),the front surface includes a second back surface of the transparent member (the “first back surface”, being “top surface”, as was previously defined), and the region of the front surface is outside the light receiving area of the image sensor (it has such a region; see FIG. 8).
Moriya does not disclose “the groove portion in a region of the front surface”.
Jumpei discloses in FIG. 6 and related text, e.g., “the groove portion (inclined surfaces in 20SS1 & 20SS3) in a region of the front surface (bottom surface)”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the device of Moriya with “the groove portion in a region of the front surface” as taught by Jumpei, in order to minimize the size of bottom surface of the transparent member (par. 58 of Jumpei).
Regarding claim 11, the combined device of Moriya and Jumpei disclose in cited figures and related text, e.g., wherein the support portion is in the first groove portion (if the “first groove portion” also includes the groove in “bottom surface” (see claim 10), then it would have “support portion” in it (see FIG. 6 of Jumpei).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (US-2007/0222875) by Moriya et al (“Moriya”).
Regarding claim 12, Moriya discloses in FIG. 8 and related text, e.g., substantially the entire claim structure, as recited in above claims, except “wherein the first groove portion has a width larger than a width of the support portion of the transparent member”.
It is the other way in FIG. 8 of Moriya.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the device of Moriya with “wherein the first groove portion has a width larger than a width of the support portion of the transparent member”, in order to minimize the costs, by minimizing (narrowing the width) the amount of “support portion”, and since changing the size of “support portion” is considered obvious to POSITA, per MPEP.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to above claims have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to the current rejection.
Conclusion
Additional references (if any) are cited on the PTO-892 as disclosing similar features to those of the instant invention.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alexander Belousov whose telephone number is (571)-272-3167. The examiner can normally be reached on 10 am-4 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Jeff Natalini can be reached on 571-272-2266. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Alexander Belousov/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2894
06/27/26
/Mounir S Amer/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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