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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to application No. 18321137 filed on 5/22/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form PTO-1449. These IDS has been considered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yokochi (US 2024/0321917).
Regarding Independent claim 1, Yokochi teaches a photosensitive assembly comprising:
a photosensitive element (Figs. 5B & 5C, element PD) including a plurality of pixels (Figs. 1-2, element P and Fig. 3A, element Pb and Pg, paragraph 0048, 0050, 0058) arranged in an array, the plurality of pixels including two groups of pixels configured to respectively sense incident light of different properties, including incident light of different wavelength bands or incident light of different polarization directions;
a filter element including at least one of:
a color filter (Fig. 3A, elements 40b & 40g, paragraph 0058), including a plurality of color filter units arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of pixels, the plurality of color filter units including two groups of color filter units corresponding to the two groups of pixels, respectively, and each of the two groups of color filter units having a light-passing wavelength band corresponding to a wavelength band sensed by a corresponding one of the two groups of pixels,
a polarization filter,
or an aperture, including a plurality of light-transmission regions arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of pixels; and
a metasurface light-guiding element (Figs. 5B & 5C, elements 51 & 52, paragraph 0092) configured to guide the incident light of different properties to respective ones of the two groups of pixels.
Regarding claims 2 & 11 & 20, Yokochi teaches wherein: the filter element includes the color filter, and the color filter includes a metasurface element (paragraph 0092), a diffraction grating element, a dyed filter, or a coated grating filter.
Regarding claims 3 & 12, Yokochi teaches wherein: the filter element includes the polarization filter, and the polarization filter includes a metasurface element, a diffraction grating element, a metal linear polarizer, or a coated grating filter (Independent claim 1 only requires one from – color filter, or polarization filter or an aperture. Since only color filter was selected claim 3 is withdrawn from consideration as a polarization filter was not selected).
Regarding claims 4 & 13, Yokochi teaches wherein: the filter element includes the color filter and the polarization filter; and the polarization filter is located between the color filter and the metasurface light-guiding element, or is located between the color filter and the photosensitive element, or is integrated with the color filter (Independent claim 1 only requires one from – color filter, or polarization filter or an aperture. Since only color filter was selected claim 4 is withdrawn from consideration as a polarization filter was not selected).
Regarding claims 5 & 14, Yokochi teaches wherein: the filter element includes the color filter and the aperture; and the aperture is located between the color filter and the metasurface light-guiding element, or is located between the color filter and the photosensitive element, or is integrated with the color filter (Independent claim 1 only requires one from – color filter, or polarization filter or an aperture. Since only color filter was selected claim 5 is withdrawn from consideration as aperture was not selected).
Regarding claims 6 & 15, Yokochi teaches an optical focus element (Figs. 5B & 5C, element 80) disposed between the photosensitive element and the filter element.
Regarding claims 7 & 16, Yokochi teaches wherein: the optical focus element includes a metasurface element, a diffraction element, or a micro-lens element (paragraph 0072).
Regarding claims 8 & 17, Yokochi teaches wherein: the filter element and the metasurface light-guiding element are integrated on a same substrate (Figs. 5B & 5C, element 11).
Regarding claims 9 & 18, Yokochi teaches wherein: the photosensitive element, the filter element, and the metasurface light-guiding element are integrated on a same substrate (Figs. 5B & 5C, element 11).
Regarding Independent claim 19, Yokochi teaches an imaging system (paragraph 0001) comprising:
a photosensitive assembly including:
a photosensitive element (Figs. 5B & 5C, element PD) including a plurality of pixels (Figs. 1-2, element P and Fig. 3A, element Pb and Pg, paragraph 0048, 0050, 0058) arranged in an array, the plurality of pixels including two groups of pixels configured to respectively sense incident light of different properties, including incident light of different wavelength bands or incident light of different polarization directions;
a filter element including at least one of:
a color filter (Fig. 3A, elements 40b & 40g, paragraph 0058), including a plurality of color filter units arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of pixels, the plurality of color filter units including two groups of color filter units corresponding to the two groups of pixels, respectively, and each of the two groups of color filter units having a light-passing wavelength band corresponding to a wavelength band sensed by a corresponding one of the two groups of pixels,
a polarization filter,
or an aperture, including a plurality of light-transmission regions arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of pixels; and
a metasurface light-guiding element (Figs. 5B & 5C, elements 51 & 52, paragraph 0092) configured to guide the incident light of different properties to respective ones of the two groups of pixels.
Regarding Independent claim 19, Yokochi teaches an optical electronic device comprising an imaging system (paragraph 0001), wherein the imaging system includes a photosensitive assembly and the photosensitive assembly includes:
a photosensitive element (Figs. 5B & 5C, element PD) including a plurality of pixels (Figs. 1-2, element P and Fig. 3A, element Pb and Pg, paragraph 0048, 0050, 0058) arranged in an array, the plurality of pixels including two groups of pixels configured to respectively sense incident light of different properties, including incident light of different wavelength bands or incident light of different polarization directions;
a filter element including at least one of:
a color filter (Fig. 3A, elements 40b & 40g, paragraph 0058), including a plurality of color filter units arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of pixels, the plurality of color filter units including two groups of color filter units corresponding to the two groups of pixels, respectively, and each of the two groups of color filter units having a light-passing wavelength band corresponding to a wavelength band sensed by a corresponding one of the two groups of pixels,
a polarization filter,
or an aperture, including a plurality of light-transmission regions arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of pixels; and
a metasurface light-guiding element Figs. 5B & 5C, elements 51 & 52, paragraph 0092) configured to guide the incident light of different properties to respective ones of the two groups of pixels.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAHED AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-3477. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/SHAHED AHMED/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2813