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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 07/31/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Examiner notes that although the references used are the same, the mapping of each claimed element has been altered. Specifically, respective optically transparent middle layers have been mapped to 40, adhesive layer, and 50, adhesive layer of Arai, and optically transparent spacer layer has been mapped to 21, filter layer.
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 16-19 and 22-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arai et al. (2010/0067757, of record) in view of Uchida et al. (6,076,932, of record).
Regarding claim 16, Arai discloses an optical construction (Figure 3, 150, image acquisition apparatus) comprising: a lens layer (32, lens) comprising a plurality of microlenses ([0070]) formed on a substrate (31, transparent substrate) and arranged along orthogonal first and second directions (at least Figure 6 depicts 32, lenses, are arranged horizontally and vertically); first and second light absorbing optical cavities (depicted right most two 13, light shielding layer, and 22, light shielding layer; [0061, 0069] teach 13, light shielding layer, and 22, light shielding layer, absorb light) disposed on the substrate side of the lens layer (Figure 3), each of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities comprising a respective optically transparent middle layer (40, adhesive layer, and 50, adhesive layer) disposed between respective light absorbing first and second end layers of the light absorbing optical cavity (40, adhesive layer, and 50, adhesive layer, are disposed between 13 and 22, light shielding layers), each of the first and second end layers of each of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities, but not the respective optically transparent middle layer of the light absorbing optical cavity, defining a plurality of through openings therein arranged along the first and second directions (OP1 and OP2, openings) and aligned in a one-to-one correspondence with the microlenses (Figure 3 depicts OP1 and OP2, openings, are aligned in a one to one correspondence with each individual 32, lens); and an optically transparent spacer layer (21, filter layer) disposed between and separating the first and second light absorbing optical cavities (Figure 3) and having an average thickness of greater than about 1 micrometer (Examiner notes that [0081, 0087] teach the thickness of the light shielding layers is 1 micrometer; [0088] teaches the thickness of 40, adhesive layer, is 10 to 20 micrometers; thus Examiner extrapolates from Figure 3 that since 21, filter layer, is depicted to be thicker than both of these layers, the thickness of 21, filter layer, can be viewed to be greater than 1 micrometer).
Arai fails to teach each of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities having an average thickness of less than about 300 nm. Arai and Uchida are related because both teach an optical construction.
Uchida teaches an optical construction wherein each light absorbing optical cavity having an average thickness of less than about 300 nm (col 3 lines 31-33 teach a light absorber to have a thickness from 3 to 20 nm, thus the cavity would have the same thickness).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified Arai to incorporate the teachings of Uchida and provide each of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities having an average thickness of less than about 300 nm. Doing so would allow for a more compact light absorbing layer while adequately controlling reflection from subsequent layers.
Regarding claim 17, the modified Arai discloses the optical construction of claim 16, wherein the light absorbing first end layer of each of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities comprises titanium, chromium, nickel, or an alloy thereof (Uchida: col 3 lines 13-17 teach a light absorbing layer to be made of Ti).
Regarding claim 18, the modified Arai discloses the optical construction of claim 16, wherein the light absorbing first end layer of each of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities comprises titanium (Uchida: col 3 lines 13-17 teach a light absorbing layer to be made of Ti) and has an average thickness of less than about 25 nm (Uchida: col 3 lines 31-33 teach a light absorbing layer has a thickness of from 3 to 20 nm).
Regarding claim 19, the modified Arai discloses the optical construction of claim 16, wherein the light absorbing second end layer of each of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities comprises aluminum, silver, indium, tin, tungsten, gold, or an alloy thereof (Uchida: col 3 lines 13-17 teach a light absorbing layer to be made of TiW, thus considered a tungsten alloy).
Regarding claim 22, the modified Arai discloses the optical construction of claim 16, wherein the second end layers of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities face each other, and the first end layers of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities face away from each other (Figure 3, ends of 13 and 22, light shielding layers; right end of 13, light shielding layer, and left end of 22, light shielding layer, face each other, while left end of 13, light shielding layer, and right end of 22, light shielding layer, face away from each other).
Regarding claim 23, the modified Arai discloses The optical construction of claim 16, further comprising third and fourth light absorbing optical cavities (depicted left most two 13, light shielding layer, and 22, light shielding layer; [0061, 0069] teach 13, light shielding layer, and 22, light shielding layer, absorb light) disposed on the substrate side of the lens layer (Figure 3), the optically transparent spacer layer being disposed between the third and fourth light absorbing optical cavities (21, filter layer, is disposed between 13 and 22, light shielding layers), wherein for each of the third and fourth light absorbing optical cavities, the optical cavity has an average thickness of less than about 300 nm (Uchida: col 3 lines 31-33 teach a light absorber to have a thickness from 3 to 20 nm, thus the cavity would have the same thickness) and comprises an optically transparent middle layer disposed between light absorbing first and second end layers (40, adhesive layer, and 50, adhesive layer), each of the first and second end layers, but not the middle layer, defining a plurality of through openings therein arranged along the first and second directions (OP1 and OP2, openings) and aligned in a one-to-one correspondence with the microlenses (Figure 3 depicts OP1 and OP2, openings, are aligned in a one to one correspondence with each individual 32, lens).
Regarding claim 24, the modified Arai discloses the optical construction of claim 16, wherein for each microlens in at least a majority of the microlenses: the microlens and corresponding through openings in in the first and second end layers of each of the first and second light absorbing optical cavities are substantially centered on a straight line making a same angle with the lens layer (Figure 3); and when an image light carrying an image is incident on the microlens along the straight line, the image light substantially filling the microlens, at least one of the through openings corresponding to the microlens is sized so as to reduce an image quality degradation due to the microlens (Figure 3).
Claim 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arai et al. (2010/0067757, of record) in view of Uchida et al. (6,076,932, of record), as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. (2020/0293738, of record).
Regarding claim 26, the modified Arai discloses an optical system (at least Figure 3) comprising: the optical construction of claim 16; but fails to teach a liquid crystal display extending along the first and second directions; a lightguide disposed to illuminate the liquid crystal display; a refractive component disposed between the liquid crystal display and the lightguide, the refractive component comprising a first prism film comprising a first plurality of prisms extending along a first longitudinal direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the first and second directions; and an optical sensor disposed proximate the lightguide opposite the liquid crystal display, wherein the optical construction is disposed between the lightguide and the optical sensor such that the microlenses face away from the optical sensor. The modified Arai and Zhang are related because both teach an optical construction.
Zhang teaches an optical system (at least Figure 4) comprising: an optical construction (30, optical component); a liquid crystal display extending along the first and second directions (110, liquid crystal panel); a lightguide disposed to illuminate the liquid crystal display (120, backlight module); a refractive component disposed between the liquid crystal display and the lightguide (121, prism film), the refractive component comprising a first prism film comprising a first plurality of prisms extending along a first longitudinal direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the first and second directions (121, prism film); and an optical sensor disposed proximate the lightguide opposite the liquid crystal display (400, photo detecting array), wherein the optical construction is disposed between the lightguide and the optical sensor such that the microlenses face away from the optical sensor (30, optical component, is disposed between 120, backlight module, and 400, photo detecting array; 200, micro-lens array, faces away from 400, photo detecting array).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have further modified Arai to incorporate the teachings of Zhang and provide an optical system comprising: a liquid crystal display extending along the first and second directions; a lightguide disposed to illuminate the liquid crystal display; a refractive component disposed between the liquid crystal display and the lightguide, the refractive component comprising a first prism film comprising a first plurality of prisms extending along a first longitudinal direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the first and second directions; and an optical sensor disposed proximate the lightguide opposite the liquid crystal display, wherein the optical construction is disposed between the lightguide and the optical sensor such that the microlenses face away from the optical sensor. Doing so would allow for improved reduction of interference with finger-print optical imaging.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 20, 21, and 25 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: the prior art fails to teach the limitations of claims 20, 21, and 25, along with the structural limitations of claim 16 in a manner that would be appropriate under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 BALRAM T PARBADIA whose telephone number is (571)270-0602. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at (571) 272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BALRAM T PARBADIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
