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 .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohta et al. (2020/0408604) in view of Oyamada (2013/0075799).
Regarding claim 1, Ohta teaches an electromagnetic wave sensor comprising:a first wire which extends in a first direction;a second wire which extends in a second direction different from the first direction; and an electromagnetic wave detector which is electrically connected to the first wire and is electrically connected to the second wire, wherein the second wire is provided so as to leave an interval with respect to the first wire in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and the second wire is disposed to three-dimensionally intersect the first wire (Ohta, Fig. 3, compare with Applicant’s Fig. 2).
Ohta lacks explicit teaching of in a plan view from the third direction, at least one wire of the first wire and the second wire includes a wide portion, which is wider than an average value of a width of a portion excluding an overlapping portion of the at least one wire, in the overlapping portion in which the first wire and the second wire overlap each other.
Oyamada teaches in a plan view from the third direction, at least one wire of the first wire and the second wire includes a wide portion, which is wider than an average value of a width of a portion excluding an overlapping portion of the at least one wire, in the overlapping portion in which the first wire and the second wire overlap each other. (Oyamada, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5; [0064], [0065])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the wider sections of Oyamada into the device of Ohta in order to provide additional room for the interpixel light blocking element (see Oyamada at [0044]) thus decreasing the influence of incorrect counts.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Ohta and Oyamada further teaches the wide portion protrudes toward one side of a width direction of the at least one wire in the plan view from the third direction. (Oyamada, Fig. 4)
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Ohta and Oyamada further teaches the wide portion protrudes toward both sides of a width direction of the at least one wire in the plan view from the third direction. (Oyamada, Fig. 4)
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Ohta and Oyamada further teaches a leg portion which extends in a direction including at least a component of the third direction and is electrically connected to the at least one wire and the electromagnetic wave detector, wherein the at least one wire is electrically connected to one end side of the leg portion at the wide portion. (Oyamada, Fig. 4)
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Ohta and Oyamada further teaches an arm portion which electrically connects an other end side of the leg portion and the electromagnetic wave detector. (Oyamada, Fig. 4)
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Ohta and Oyamada further teaches the electromagnetic wave detector comprises electromagnetic wave detectors, wherein the at least one wire comprises wires, since the first wire comprises first wires or the second wire comprises second wires, wherein the wires are provided side by side in the first direction or the second direction, so that each of the electromagnetic wave detectors is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the wires. (Ohta, Fig. 3)
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Ohta and Oyamada further teaches the electromagnetic wave detector comprises electromagnetic wave detectors, wherein the first wire comprises first wires,wherein the second wire comprises second wires, wherein the electromagnetic wave detectors are arranged in a two-dimensional array in the -first direction and the second direction, wherein the first wires are provided side by side in the second direction so that each of the electromagnetic wave detectors is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the first wires, andwherein the second wires are provided side by side in the first direction so that each of the electromagnetic wave detectors is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the second wires. (Ohta, Fig. 3)
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Ohta and Oyamada further teaches the electromagnetic wave detector includes a temperature sensing element and an electromagnetic wave absorber which covers at least a part of the temperature sensing element. (Ohta, [0089])
Conclusion
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/EDWIN C GUNBERG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884