Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/484,407

SENSOR PACKAGE STRUCTURE

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Oct 10, 2023
Examiner
VALENZUELA, PATRICIA D
Art Unit
2812
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Tong Hsing Electronic Industries Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
90%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 4m
To Grant
92%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 90% — above average
90%
Career Allow Rate
645 granted / 715 resolved
+22.2% vs TC avg
Minimal +2% lift
Without
With
+2.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 4m
Avg Prosecution
63 currently pending
Career history
778
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.3%
-38.7% vs TC avg
§103
60.1%
+20.1% vs TC avg
§102
19.9%
-20.1% vs TC avg
§112
8.6%
-31.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 715 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . 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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hung(USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2020/0350357, hereinafter Hung) in view of Ogawa (USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2018/0355088, hereinafter Ogawa). Re claim 1 Hung discloses in Fig 1 a sensor package structure, comprising: a substrate; a sensor chip(20) disposed on the substrate along a predetermined direction and electrically coupled to the substrate, wherein the sensor chip(20) has a sensing region(21) arranged on a top surface(outer/inner) thereof; a light-curing layer(4) being ring-shaped, wherein the light-curing layer(4) is disposed on the top surface(outer/inner) of the sensor chip(20) and surrounds the sensing region(21), and the light-curing layer(4) is an ultraviolet curing layer; a light-permeable layer(5) having an outer surface and an inner surface(outer/inner) that is opposite to the outer surface, wherein the inner surface(outer/inner) of the light-permeable layer(5) is disposed on the light-curing layer(4), and the light-permeable layer(5) is arranged above the sensor chip(20), and wherein the inner surface(outer/inner) of the light-permeable layer(5), the light-curing layer(4), and the top surface(outer/inner) of the sensor chip(20) jointly define an enclosed space; a shielding layer(6) disposed on the inner surface(outer/inner) of the light-permeable layer(5), wherein a projection region[0035] defined by orthogonally projecting the shielding layer(6) onto the top surface(outer/inner) along the predetermined direction surrounds the sensing region(21); and a package body(100) formed on the substrate, wherein the sensor chip(20), the light-curing layer(4), the light-permeable layer(5), and the shielding layer(6) are embedded in the package body(100), and wherein the outer surface of the light-permeable layer(5) is at least partially exposed from the package body(100). Hung does not discloses a light filter layer being ring-shaped and arranged between the light-curing layer(4) and the shielding layer(6), wherein a portion of the shielding layer(6) located between light-permeable layer(5) and the light filter layer defines a ring-shaped arrangement region, and the ring-shaped arrangement region has at least one light-permeable slot, and wherein the light filter layer covers the at least one light-permeable slot and only allows an ultraviolet light to pass therethrough; and a package body(100) formed on the substrate, wherein the sensor chip(20), the light-curing layer(4), the light-permeable layer(5), the light filter layer, and the shielding layer(6) are embedded in the package body(100), Ogawa discloses in Fig 2 a light filter layer(6 of Ogawa) being ring-shaped and arranged between the light-curing layer(11/21/31/41 of Ogawa) and the shielding layer(5/9 of Ogawa), wherein a portion of the shielding layer located between light-permeable layer(7) and the light filter layer defines a ring-shaped arrangement region, and the ring-shaped arrangement region has at least one light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa), and wherein the light filter layer covers the at least one light-permeable slot and only allows an ultraviolet light to pass therethrough[0518]; It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Ogawa to the teachings of Hung in order to have a curable composition having excellent developability can be obtained. [0007, Ogawa]. In doing so, a package body(100) formed on the substrate, wherein the sensor chip(20), the light-curing layer(4), the light-permeable layer(5), the light filter layer(6 of Ogawa), and the shielding layer(6) are embedded in the package body(100), Re claim 2 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped arrangement region is spaced apart from an inner edge of the shielding layer(6) by a distance within a range from 90 μm to 110 μm, and the ring-shaped arrangement region is spaced apart from an outer edge of the shielding layer(6) by a distance within a range from 90 μm to 110 μm. Re claim 3 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped arrangement region is spaced apart from an inner edge of the light-curing layer(4) by a distance within a range from 45 μm to 55 μm, and the ring-shaped arrangement region is spaced apart from an outer edge of the light-curing layer(4) by a distance within a range from 45 μm to 55 μm. Re claim 4 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 1, wherein a width of the ring-shaped arrangement region is within a range from 25% to 100% of a distance between an inner edge and an outer edge of the light-curing layer(4). Re claim 5 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa) is ring-shaped and is arranged to occupy 25% to 100% of the light-permeable slot(defined by filter 6 of Ogawa). Re claim 6 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 5, wherein a quantity of the at least one light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa) is only one, and the light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa) is arranged to occupy 100% of the light-permeable slot(defined by filter 6 of Ogawa). Re claim 7 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 5, wherein a quantity of the at least one light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa) is more than one, and the light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa)s are arranged to occupy 25% to 100% of the light-permeable slot(defined by filter 6 of Ogawa). Re claim 8 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa) is C-shaped and is arranged to occupy 25% to 95% of the light-permeable slot(defined by filter 6 of Ogawa). Re claim 9 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 1, wherein the sensor chip(20) has a square shape or a rectangular shape, and a quantity of the at least one light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa) is more than one, and wherein each of the light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa)s has a strip shape, and the light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa)s respectively correspond in position to edges of the sensor chip(20). Re claim 10 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 9, wherein each of the edges of the sensor chip(20) corresponds in position to and is parallel to one of the light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa)s, and the light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa)s are arranged to occupy 25% to 100% of the light-permeable slot(defined by filter 6 of Ogawa). Re claim 11 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 9, wherein each of the edges of the sensor chip(20) corresponds in position to and is perpendicular to at least two of the light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa)s, and the light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa)s are arranged to occupy 25% to 100% of the light-permeable slot(defined by filter 6 of Ogawa). Re claim 12 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa) is enclosed by the inner surface(outer/inner) of the light-permeable layer(5), the shielding layer(6), and the light filter layer(6 of Ogawa). Re claim 13 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 12, wherein the at least one light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa) is filled with air. Re claim 14 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light-permeable slot(5a of Ogawa) is arranged in a projection space defined by orthogonally projecting the light filter layer(6 of Ogawa) toward the inner surface(outer/inner) of the light-permeable layer(5) along the predetermined direction. Re claim 15 Hung and Ogawa disclose the sensor package structure according to claim 1, wherein an outer lateral side of the light filter layer(6 of Ogawa) protrudes from the light-curing layer(4) and does not protrude from the shielding layer(6), and the outer lateral side of the light filter layer(6 of Ogawa) is connected to the package body(100). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICIA D VALENZUELA whose telephone number is (571)272-9242. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am-6pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Partridge can be reached at 571-270-1402. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /PATRICIA D VALENZUELA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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Prosecution Timeline

Oct 10, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 14, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
90%
Grant Probability
92%
With Interview (+2.1%)
2y 4m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 715 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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