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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Applicant elects Species 5, for examination on which claims 1-18 in the reply filed on 01/14/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that examination of all of the claims 1-18 can be made without serious burden to the Examiner. After further consideration, this is found persuasive.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10, 16 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1, 9, 16 and 18 recite “different”, the term “different” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “different” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. As such the claims are unclear and indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yun et al. 20220208822.
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Regard claim 1, Yun (figs. 24A, 27, 28G, 29A-29C, 30A-30C, 33 and par [174-176 and 184]) discloses an image sensor comprising:
a sensor substrate 110 comprising a plurality of pixel unit groups, each of the plurality of pixel unit groups (111-114 – fig. 27A) comprising a first pixel, a second pixel, a third pixel, and a fourth pixel arranged in a Bayer pattern (fig. 24A); and
a color separating lens 130 array configured to separate incident light according to wavelengths and condense the light onto each of the first pixel, the second pixel, the third pixel and the fourth pixel,
wherein the color separating lens array comprises a plurality of pixel corresponding groups (131-134, figs. 28A and 29A) respectively corresponding to the plurality of unit pixel groups, each of the plurality of pixel corresponding groups comprising a first pixel corresponding region corresponding to the first pixel, a second pixel corresponding region corresponding to the second pixel, a third pixel corresponding region corresponding to the third pixel, and a fourth pixel corresponding region corresponding to the fourth pixel, and each of the first pixel corresponding region, the second pixel corresponding region, the third pixel corresponding region and the fourth pixel corresponding region comprising a plurality of nanoposts NP,
wherein the plurality of pixel corresponding groups comprising a central group located at a center of the color separating lens array and a plurality of peripheral groups located away from the center of the color separating lens array, and
wherein relative positional relationships among the nanoposts in the first pixel corresponding region, the second pixel corresponding region, the third pixel corresponding region and the fourth pixel corresponding region in each of the plurality of peripheral groups are different from each other (see figs. 28A and 29A).
Regarding claim 18, fig. 2 of Yun discloses an electronic apparatus comprising:
a lens assembly 1910 comprising one or more lenses and configured to form an optical image of an object;
an image sensor 1000 (see rejection of claim 1 above) configured to convert the optical image formed by the lens assembly into an electrical signal; and
a processor 1960 configured to process a signal generated by the image sensor, wherein the image sensor comprises:
(see rejection of claim 1 above) a sensor substrate comprising a plurality of pixel unit groups, each of the plurality of pixel unit groups comprising a first pixel, a second pixel, a third pixel, and a fourth pixel arranged in a Bayer pattern; and a color separating lens array configured to separate incident light according to wavelengths and condense the light onto each of the first pixel, the second pixel, the third pixel and the fourth pixel,
wherein the color separating lens array comprises a plurality of pixel corresponding groups respectively corresponding to the plurality of unit pixel groups, each of the plurality of pixel corresponding groups comprising a first pixel corresponding region corresponding to the first pixel, a second pixel corresponding region corresponding to the second pixel, a third pixel corresponding region corresponding to the third pixel, and a fourth pixel corresponding region corresponding to the fourth pixel, and each of the first pixel corresponding region, the second pixel corresponding region, the third pixel corresponding region and the fourth pixel corresponding region comprising a plurality of nanoposts,
wherein the plurality of pixel corresponding groups comprising a central group located at a center of the color separating lens array and a plurality of peripheral groups located away from the center of the color separating lens array, and
wherein relative positional relationships among the nanoposts in the first pixel corresponding region, the second pixel corresponding region, the third pixel corresponding region and the fourth pixel corresponding region in each of the plurality of peripheral groups are different from each other.
Regarding claim 10, Yun (figs. 24A, 27, 28G, 29A-29C, 30A-30C, 33 and par [174-176 and 184]) discloses an image sensor comprising:
a sensor substrate comprising a plurality of unit pixel groups, each of the plurality of unit pixel groups having a red pixel, a first green pixel adjacent to the red pixel in a Y direction, a second green pixel adjacent to the red pixel in an X direction, and a blue pixel adjacent to the second green pixel in the Y direction; and
a color separating lens array configured to separate incident light according to wavelengths and condense the light onto each of the first pixel, the second pixel, the third pixel and the fourth pixel,
wherein the color separating lens (fig. 27B) array comprises a plurality of pixel corresponding groups comprising a red pixel 133 (par [0155]) corresponding region, (par [0154]) a first green 131 pixel corresponding region, a second green 134 pixel corresponding region, and a blue pixel 132 (par [0155]) corresponding region corresponding respectively to the unit pixel groups, and each of the pixel corresponding regions comprising a plurality of nanoposts,
wherein the plurality of pixel corresponding groups comprise a central group (dotted group) located at a center of the color separating lens array and a plurality of peripheral groups located away from the center of the color separating lens array, and
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wherein, in peripheral groups from among plurality of peripheral groups, having an identical chief ray angle (CRA), one or more nanoposts arranged in the first green pixel 131 corresponding region of a first peripheral group having an azimuth of 90° with respect to the central group in the X direction are shifted in +Y direction as compared with one or more nanoposts arranged in the first green pixel corresponding region of a second peripheral group having an azimuth of 45° based on the X direction.
Regarding claim 16, Yun (figs. 24A, 27, 28G, 29A-29C, 30A-30C, 33 and par [174-176 and 184]) discloses an image sensor comprising:
a sensor substrate comprising a plurality of pixel unit groups, each of the plurality of pixel unit groups comprising a first pixel, a second pixel, a third pixel, and a fourth pixel arranged in a Bayer pattern; and
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(fig. 27B above) a color separating lens array configured to separate incident light according to wavelengths and condense the light onto each of the first pixel 131, the second pixel 132, the third pixel 133 and the fourth pixel 134, wherein the color separating lens array comprises a plurality of pixel corresponding groups respectively corresponding to the plurality of unit pixel groups,
each of the plurality of pixel corresponding groups comprising a first pixel corresponding region corresponding to the first pixel, a second pixel corresponding region corresponding to the second pixel, a third pixel corresponding region corresponding to the third pixel, and a fourth pixel corresponding region corresponding to the fourth pixel, and
each of the first pixel corresponding region, the second pixel corresponding region, the third pixel corresponding region and the fourth pixel corresponding region comprising a plurality of nanoposts,
wherein the plurality of pixel corresponding groups comprising a central group (as labeled by examiner above) located at a center of the color separating lens array and a plurality of peripheral groups located away from the center of the color separating lens array, and
wherein an amount of variation in position of the nanoposts in the first pixel corresponding region, the second pixel corresponding region, the third pixel corresponding region and the fourth pixel corresponding region of the peripheral group with respect to the central group are different (this is term of degree – random variable are different to some degree) from each other.
Regarding claim 2, par [0149] of wherein each of the first pixel, the second pixel, the third pixel and the fourth pixel comprises four photosensitive cells arranged in a 2×2 array.
Regarding claim 3, figs. 28A/29A of Yun discloses wherein the relative positional relationships among the nanoposts for each of the plurality of pixel corresponding groups is configured according to a chief ray angle and an azimuth that are defined according to a position of the peripheral group on the image sensor.
Regarding claim 4, fig. 28F of Yun discloses wherein the fourth pixel is adjacent to the third pixel in a first direction, the first pixel is adjacent to the third pixel in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, the second pixel is adjacent to the third pixel in a diagonal direction, and the third pixel is a red pixel, the first pixel and the fourth pixel are green pixels, and the second pixel is a blue pixel.
Regarding claim 5, figs. 28A/29A of Yun discloses wherein, based on the relative positional relationships between the nanoposts of the first pixel corresponding region, the second pixel corresponding region, the third pixel corresponding region and the fourth pixel corresponding region in the central group, one or more of the nanoposts in the first pixel corresponding region, the second pixel corresponding region, the third pixel corresponding region and the fourth pixel corresponding region are shifted in the peripheral group with respect to the central group.
Regarding claim 6, Yun necessary discloses wherein the one or more of the nanoposts of the first pixel corresponding region in the peripheral group are shifted in the second direction, wherein a shifted displacement of the one or more of the nanoposts of the first pixel corresponding region is proportional (this is a broad term and there exist some type of proportion) to (CRA/CRA_max)*sin φ, and wherein CRA_max denotes a maximum value of a chief ray angle of light incident on the color separating lens array, CRA denotes a chief ray angle at a position of the one or more shifted nanopost, and φ denotes an azimuth at the position of the one or more shifted nanopost based on an axis that passes through the center of the color separating lens array and is in parallel with the first direction.
Regarding claim 7, Yun necessary discloses wherein the one or more nanoposts of the fourth pixel corresponding region in the peripheral group are shifted in the first direction, wherein a shifted displacement of the fourth pixel corresponding region is proportional (this is a broad term and there exist some type of proportion) to (CRA/CRA_max)*cos φ, where CRA_max denotes a maximum value of a chief ray angle of light incident on the color separating lens array, CRA denotes a chief ray angle at a position of the one or more shifted nanopost, and φ denotes an azimuth at the position of the one or more shifted nanopost based on an axis that passes through the center of the color separating lens array and is in parallel with the first direction.
Regarding claim 8, Yun necessary discloses wherein the one or more nanoposts of the second pixel corresponding region in the peripheral group are shifted in the first direction and the second direction, wherein a shifted displacement of the one or more nanoposts of the second color separating lens in the first direction is proportional (this is a broad term and there exist some type of proportion)to (CRA/CRA_max)*cos φ, wherein a shifted displacement one or more nanoposts of the second color separating lens in the second direction is proportional to (CRA/CRA_max)*sin φ, and wherein CRA_max denotes a maximum value of a chief ray angle of light incident on the color separating lens array, CRA denotes a chief ray angle at a position of the one or more shifted nanopost, and φ denotes an azimuth at the position of the one or more shifted nanopost based on an axis that passes through the center of the color separating lens array and is in parallel with the first direction.
Regarding claim 9, figs. 28A/29A of Yun discloses wherein one or more nanoposts located at a boundary between different pixel corresponding regions from among the first pixel corresponding region, the second pixel corresponding region, the third pixel corresponding region and the fourth pixel corresponding region in the peripheral group are shifted by an average displacement of the nanoposts in adjacent pixel corresponding regions (for example shifted = average displacement + some constant).
Regarding claim 11, fig. 27B of Yun discloses wherein in the peripheral groups having the identical CRA, one or more nanoposts arranged in the second green pixel corresponding region of a third peripheral group having an azimuth of 0° with respect to the central group in the X direction are shifted in +X direction as compared with one or more nanoposts arranged in the second green pixel corresponding region of a fourth peripheral group having an azimuth of 45° based on the +X direction.
Regarding claim 12, fig. 27B of Yun discloses wherein in the peripheral groups having the identical CRA, one or more nanoposts arranged in the blue pixel corresponding region of a fifth peripheral group having an azimuth of 45° with respect to the central group based on the X direction are: shifted in +X direction in the fifth peripheral group as compared with one or more nanoposts arranged in the blue pixel corresponding region of a sixth peripheral group having an azimuth of 90° based on the X direction, and shifted in +Y direction in the fifth peripheral group as compared with one or more nanoposts arranged in the blue pixel corresponding region of a seventh peripheral group having an azimuth of 0° based on the X direction.
Regarding claim 13, fig. 27B of Yun discloses wherein in the plurality of peripheral groups, one or more nanoposts arranged in the first green pixel corresponding region of an eighth peripheral group having an azimuth of 90° with respect to the central group based on the X direction and having a first CRA are shifted in +Y direction in the eight peripheral group, as compared with one or more nanoposts arranged in the first green pixel corresponding region of a ninth peripheral group having an azimuth of 90° based on the X direction and having a second CRA that is less than the first chief ray angle.
Regarding claim 14, fig. 27B of Yun discloses wherein in the plurality of peripheral groups, one or more nanoposts arranged in the first green pixel corresponding region of a tenth peripheral group having an azimuth of 0° with respect to the central group based on the X direction and having the first CRA are shifted in +X direction in the tenth peripheral group, as compared with one or more nanoposts arranged in the second green pixel corresponding region of a eleventh peripheral group having an azimuth of 0° based on the X direction and having the second CRA that is less than the first chief ray angle.
Regarding claim 15, fig. 27B of Yun discloses wherein in the plurality of peripheral groups, one or more nanoposts arranged in the blue pixel corresponding region of a twelfth peripheral group having an azimuth of 45° with respect to the central group based on the X direction and having the first CRA are shifted in a direction away from the central group in the corresponding peripheral group, as compared with one or more nanoposts arranged in the blue pixel corresponding region of a thirteenth peripheral group having an azimuth of 45° based on the X direction and having the second CRA that is less than the first CRA.
Regarding claim 17, fig. 27B of Yun discloses wherein the amount of variation in position is based on a chief ray angle and an azimuth according to a position of the peripheral group in the color separating lens array, and the amount of variation in position comprises a shifted distance and a shifted direction of the nanoposts in each region toward the central group.
Conclusion
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/VONGSAVANH SENGDARA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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