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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed regarding claims 1-22 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant has argued that Sugiyama does not teach the substrate itself does not teach an average transmittance in a range of 800 to 1100 of 1% or less. However Sugiyama at least discloses the substrate as an exemplary glass of Schott AG BG-60/ BG 61 [0063] which has a transmittance in a range of 800 to 1100 of 1% or less (see attached data sheet). Therefore applicant’s arguments are not considered persuasive.
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, 6-8, 10 and 14-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sugiyama US 2017/0017023.
Regarding claim 1, Sugiyama teaches a near-infrared cut filter comprising: a transparent substrate (fig. 1 glass substrate 11) having a thickness of 0.16 to 0.26 mm ([0067]) and an average transmittance in a wavelength range of 800 to 1100 nm of 1% or less (fig. 7A); and a resin layer (NIR absorbing layer 12) formed on at least one main surface of the transparent substrate and configured to absorb light of a specific wavelength.
Regarding claim 6, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 1, wherein the resin layer contains a transparent resin and a dye evenly dispersed in the transparent resin [0007].
Regarding claim 7, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 6, wherein the dye contains an ultraviolet absorbing dye having a maximum absorption wavelength at 340 to 400 nm [0130].
Regarding claim 8, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 6, wherein the dye contains a near-infrared absorbing dye having a maximum absorption wavelength at 650 to 900 nm [0077].
Regarding claim 10, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 1, further comprising a bonding layer between the transparent substrate and the resin layer, the bonding layer enhancing adhesion between the transparent substrate and the resin layer [0207].
Regarding claim 14, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 1, further comprising: a first functional film (fig. 2 second dielectric multilayer 14) on the resin layer; and a second functional film (first dielectric multilayer 13) on the other main surface of the transparent substrate (glass substrate 11).
Regarding claim 15, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 14, wherein the first functional film and the second functional film are optical thin films each having at least one or more functions of an anti-reflective film, an infrared cut film and an ultraviolet cut film [0213].
Regarding claim 16, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 15, wherein each of the first functional film and the second functional film is composed of a dielectric multilayer film having a thickness of 500 nm or less [0220].
Regarding claim 17, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 16, wherein the dielectric multilayer film is formed by alternately stacking a low refractive index dielectric film and a high refractive index dielectric film [0213].
Regarding claim 18, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter on a short wavelength side is 385 to 430 nm (see fig. 7B) and a half-value wavelength on a long wavelength side is 590 to 660 nm (fig. 7C).
Regarding claim 19, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 1, wherein a difference between the half-value wavelength on the long wavelength side in the transmittance curve of the transparent substrate and a half-value wavelength on a long wavelength side in a transmittance curve of the near-infrared cut filter is 20 nm or less (see fig. 7A).
Regarding claim 20, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is made of a fluorophosphate-based glass or a phosphate-based glass [0251].
Regarding claim 21, Sugiyama teaches an imaging device comprising a solid-state image sensor (fig. 4 solid state image sensing device 21) and the near-infrared cut filter (NIR filter 10B) according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 22, Sugiyama teaches the imaging device according to claim 21, wherein the near-infrared cut filter (10B) is arranged immediately in front of the solid-state image sensor and also serves as a cover glass (see fig. 4).
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, 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.
Claim(s) 2-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama US 20170017023 in view of Yamane US 2004/0082460.
Regarding claim 2, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 1 but does not teach wherein the transparent substrate has a transmittance curve in which a half-value wavelength on a short wavelength side is 300 to 400 nm and a half-value wavelength on a long wavelength side is 590 to 670 nm.
Yamane teaches a transparent substrate has a transmittance curve in which a half-value wavelength on a short wavelength side is 300 to 400 nm and a half-value wavelength on a long wavelength side is 590 to 670 nm (see fig. 1) providing good weatherability suited for imaging application. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to apply a substrate according to Yamane to provide good weatherability suited for imaging application.
Regarding claims 3-5, Sugiyama teaches all the limitations of claim of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach the transparent substrate has an average transmittance in a wavelength range of 650 to 720 nm of 40% or less; the transparent substrate has an average transmittance in a wavelength range of 720 to 750 nm of 15% or less and the transparent substrate has an average transmittance in a wavelength range of 800 to 1200 nm of 5% or less.
Yamane teaches a transparent substrate has an average transmittance in a wavelength range of 650 to 720 nm of 40% or less; the transparent substrate has an average transmittance in a wavelength range of 720 to 750 nm of 15% or less and the transparent substrate has an average transmittance in a wavelength range of 800 to 1200 nm of 5% or less (see example 3 of table 3) with good weatherability suited for imaging application [0001-0002]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to apply a substrate according to Yamane to provide good weatherability suited for imaging application.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama in view of Kubo US 2020/0040161.
Regarding claim 9, Sugiyama Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 1. Sugiyama does not explicitly teach the resin layer contains Si atoms as an essential component and contains one or more kinds selected from Ti atoms, Zr atoms, and Al atoms as an optional component. Kubo teaches silicone resins [0054] contains Si atoms as an essential component and contains one or more kinds selected from Ti atoms, Zr atoms, and Al atoms as an optional component exhibiting high transparency in the visible light region [0054]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify Sugiyama in view of Kubo to provide a high transparency resin.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama.
Regarding claim 11, Sugiyama teaches the near-infrared cut filter according to claim 10 but does explicitly teach further comprising the bonding layer on the other main surface of the transparent substrate. Sugiyama does teach an adhesive between a transparent substrate and/or a dielectric multilayer[0248] but does not explicitly recite it at the other interface between a second dielectric film. However one of ordinary skill could easily adopt this to apply to any subsequent surfaces as Sugiyama teaches another dielectric film (first dielectric multilayer 13)on the other main surface of the transparent substrate.
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugiyama in view of Imai US 2019/0369312.
Regarding claim 12, Sugiyama teaches all the limitations of claim 10. Sugiyama does not teach the bonding layer has a single-layer structure containing one or more kinds selected from Ti atoms, Zr atoms, and Al atoms together with Si atoms. Imai teaches a bonding layer has a single-layer structure containing one or more kinds selected from Ti atoms, Zr atoms, and Al atoms together with Si atoms [0016] offering high adhesion to absorbing glass [0013]. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to apply the bonding layer of Imai to enhance bonding to an absorbing glass substrate.
Regarding claim 13, Imai teaches, in the bonding layer, a percentage of a total number of Ti atoms, Zr atoms, and Al atoms to a total number of Si atoms, Ti atoms, Zr atoms, and Al atoms is more than 0 atomic% and is equal to or less than 50 atomic% [0017].
Conclusion
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 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.
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/PHU VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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