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Applicant’s election without traverse of embodiment 13 (claims 1-6, 15-17 readable thereon, claims 7-14 withdrawn) in the reply filed on 12/1/2025 is acknowledged.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it exceeds 150 words. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 1-6, 15 and 16 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.
Claim 1 recites “a pixel part in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in an array, each pixel being configures to perform photoelectric conversion” at lines 2-3. Claim 1 then recites “the pixel part includes: a pixel array in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion parts are arranged in an array” at lines 4-6. It is unclear whether the element “a plurality of pixels arranged in an array” recited at line 2 are the same or different element than the “plurality of photoelectric conversion parts…arranged in an array” recited at lines 5-6.
Claims 15 and 16 recite similar limitations which have the same issues.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “the lens part includes film-integrated optical element integrally formed with the at least one optical film” at line 2. It is unclear whether the film-integrated optical element is the same or different that the claimed “plurality of lens parts” as claimed in claim 1.
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, 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lai et al. (US PGPub 2017/0062496; hereinafter “Lai”).
Re claim 1: Lai teaches (e.g. fig. 16) a solid-state imaging device (300) comprising: a pixel part (substrate 102; e.g. paragraph 10) in which a plurality of pixels (pixel units 110; e.g. paragraph 10) are arranged in an array (adjacent photodiodes 104 in a pixel array; e.g. paragraph 34), each pixel (110) being configured to perform photoelectric conversion (pixel unit 110 has a photodiode 104; e.g. paragraph 34), wherein the pixel part (102) includes: a pixel array (adjacent photodiodes 104 in a pixel array; e.g. paragraph 34; hereinafter “PA”) in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion parts (pixel unit 110 has a photodiode 104; e.g. paragraph 34) are arranged in an array (adjacent photodiodes 104 in a pixel array; e.g. paragraph 34), each photoelectric conversion part (104) photoelectrically converting light of a predetermined wavelength incident from one side (upper side of fig. 16) thereof; and a lens part array (array of microlenses 154; e.g. paragraph 35) including a plurality of lens parts (154) arranged in an array, each lens part (154) being disposed corresponding to one side (upper side of fig. 16) of the corresponding photoelectric conversion part (104) of the pixel array (PA), each lens part (154) condensing incident light onto the correspondingly arranged photoelectric conversion part (104) to cause the light to enter the photoelectric conversion part (104) from the one side (upper side of fig. 16) of the photoelectric conversion part (104), wherein the lens part array (array of 154) includes at least one optical film (planar film between microlenses 154 and color filter 152; hereinafter “OF”) having predetermined optical function parts at least in a region where the lens parts (154) are to be formed, the optical film (OF) is formed in a single body to extend over a plurality of the lens parts (154) at least in a part of the lens part array (array of 154).
Re claim 2: Lai teaches the solid-state imaging device of claim 1, wherein the lens part (154) includes a film-integrated optical element (154) integrally formed (154 integrally formed with OF) with the at least one optical film (OF) as the optical function part (154), the film-integrated optical element (154) condenses incident light onto the correspondingly arranged photoelectric conversion part (104) to let the light enter from the one side (upper side of fig. 16) of the photoelectric conversion part (104), and wherein a shape of the film-integrated optical element (154) varies (since this feature does not appear to be directed to the elected embodiment as discussed in paragraphs 155-157, it appears this claim should be withdrawn) depending on a position of the corresponding pixel in the pixel array (the right lens is not centered while the center lens is centered).
Re claim 3: Lai teaches the solid-state imaging device of claim 2, wherein, for an incident light beam having a spatially uniform intensity distribution, the film-integrated optical element (154) is formed such that a first incident light amount mainly incident from a first direction of the pixel array and a second incident light amount mainly incident from a second direction orthogonal to the first direction become equal (the limitation after the term “such that” is a description of the property of how the device functions while in operation, therefore, since the structure claimed is substantially identical to that of the prior art device, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be present, see MPEP 2112.01(i)).
Re claim 4: Lai teaches the solid-state imaging device of claim 2, wherein the film-integrated optical element (154) is formed such that a first incident light amount mainly incident from a first direction of the pixel array and a second incident light amount mainly incident from a second direction orthogonal to the first direction become different from each other (the limitation after the term “such that” is a description of the property of how the device functions while in operation, therefore, since the structure claimed is substantially identical to that of the prior art device, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be present, see MPEP 2112.01(i)).
Re claim 5: Lai teaches the solid-state imaging device of claim 3, wherein the film-integrated optical element (154) includes a first light incident surface that admits light mainly from the first direction and a second light incident surface that admits light mainly from the second direction (this limitation is a description of the property of how the device functions while in operation, therefore, since the structure claimed is substantially identical to that of the prior art device, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be present, see MPEP 2112.01(i)), and wherein at least one of the first incident light amount or the second incident light amount is adjusted by a shape of at least corresponding one of the first light incident surface or the second light incident surface.
Re claim 6: Lai teaches the solid-state imaging device of claim 2, wherein the film-integrated optical element (154) is formed of an aspherical microlens (154 is aspherical insofar as the lens shown in the elected embodiment of figs. 1a-c and 18A,B is aspherical) whose shape varies depending on the position of the corresponding pixel in the pixel array (since this feature does not appear to be directed to the elected embodiment as discussed in paragraphs 155-157, it appears this claim should be withdrawn).
Re claim 15: Lai teaches (e.g. figs. 2-16) a method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device (300), the solid-state imaging device including a pixel part (substrate 102; e.g. paragraph 10) in which a plurality of pixels (pixel units 110; e.g. paragraph 10) configured to perform photoelectric conversion (adjacent photodiodes 104; e.g. paragraph 34) are arranged in an array (adjacent photodiodes 104 in a pixel array; e.g. paragraph 34), the pixel part (102) including a pixel array (adjacent photodiodes 104 in a pixel array; e.g. paragraph 34; hereinafter “PA”), and a lens part array disposed on light incident side of the pixel array (PA), the method comprising: a pixel array (PA) fabrication step (fig. 2) in which pixels (104) are fabricated in an array, each pixel including a photoelectric conversion part (pixel unit 110 has a photodiode 104; e.g. paragraph 34) that photoelectrically converts light of a predetermined wavelength incident from one side (upper side of fig. 16); and a lens part array (array of microlenses 154; e.g. paragraph 35) fabrication step (fig. 16) in which lens parts (154) are fabricated in an array (array of microlenses 154; e.g. paragraph 35), each lens part (154) being disposed corresponding to one side (upper side of fig. 16) of the corresponding photoelectric conversion part (104) of the pixel array (PA), each lens part (154) condensing incident light onto the corresponding photoelectric conversion part (104) to cause the light to enter the photoelectric conversion part (104) from the one side (upper side of fig. 16) of the photoelectric conversion part (104), wherein, the lens part array fabrication step (fig. 16) includes an optical film (planar film between microlenses 154 and color filter 152; hereinafter “OF”) forming step in which at least one optical film (OF) having predetermined optical function parts at least in a region where the lens parts (154) are to be formed is formed, the optical film (OF) being formed in a single body to extend over a plurality of the lens parts (154) at least in a part of the lens part array (array of 154).
Re claim 16: Lai teaches an electronic apparatus comprising: a solid-state imaging device (300); and an optical system for forming a subject image on the solid-state imaging device (300), wherein the solid-state imaging device (300) includes a pixel part (substrate 102; e.g. paragraph 10) in which a plurality of pixels array (adjacent photodiodes 104; e.g. paragraph 34) are arranged in an array (adjacent photodiodes 104 in a pixel array; e.g. paragraph 34), each pixel (104) being configured to perform photoelectric conversion array (photodiodes 104; e.g. paragraph 34), wherein the pixel part (102) includes: a pixel array (adjacent photodiodes 104 in a pixel array; e.g. paragraph 34; hereinafter “PA”) in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion parts (pixel unit 110 has a photodiode 104; e.g. paragraph 34) are arranged in an array (adjacent photodiodes 104 in a pixel array; e.g. paragraph 34), each photoelectric conversion part (104) photoelectrically converting light of a predetermined wavelength incident from one side (upper side of fig. 16) thereof; and a lens part array (array of microlenses 154; e.g. paragraph 35) including a plurality of lens parts (154) arranged in an array, each lens part (154) being disposed corresponding to one side (upper side of fig. 16) of the corresponding photoelectric conversion part (104) of the pixel array (PA), each lens part (154) condensing incident light onto the correspondingly arranged photoelectric conversion part (104) to cause the light to enter the photoelectric conversion part (104) from the one side (upper side of fig. 16) of the photoelectric conversion part (104), wherein the lens part array (array of 154) includes at least one optical film (planar film between microlenses 154 and color filter 152; hereinafter “OF”) having predetermined optical function parts at least in a region where the lens parts (154) are to be formed, the optical film (OF) is formed in a single body to extend over a plurality of the lens parts (154) at least in a part of the lens part array (array of 154).
Re claim 17: Lai teaches an optical film (OF) fabricated by the optical film forming step (fig. 16) of the method of claim 15.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US PGPub 2017/0047367 to Lee et al. and US PGPub 2017/0012066 to Choi et al. both disclose similar structures to that of Lai et al..
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSE Y MIYOSHI whose telephone number is (571)270-1629. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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/JESSE Y MIYOSHI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898