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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's response submitted June 10, 2026, has been received. The amendment of claims 1 and 6 is acknowledged. Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding Applicant’s arguments directed to the additional limitations of claims 1 and 6, it is noted that Samarao provides for group changing of the signals such that a common line is provided.
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.
(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, 4, 6, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Pub. 2017/0363478 (“Samarao”).
Claim 1
Samarao discloses a micro-bolometer, comprising: a plurality of thermal sensing pixels, wherein each of the thermal sensing pixels has a first connection point and a second connection point (Figs. 11/12, paragraph [0043], bolometers 42); and a plurality of switching circuits, respectively coupled to a first signal transmission line, a second signal transmission line, at least one shared connection line, and the first connection point or the second connection point of the corresponding thermal sensing pixel (paragraph [0043], switching elements 10), switching connection relationship between the first connection point or the second connection point of the corresponding thermal sensing pixel and the first signal transmission line (switching elements 10), the second signal transmission line and the at least one shared connection line, so as to adjust a connection mode between at least two of the plurality of the thermal sensing pixels with the first signal transmission line, the second signal transmission line and the at least one shared connection line to change a sensing signal provided by the thermal sensing pixels (paragraphs [0043-0044], set and reset can be performed as groups, provided by shared connection line), wherein the thermal sensing pixels and the switching circuits are jointly formed on a silicon substrate through a semiconductor manufacturing process (paragraph [0038], silicon substrate).
Claim 4
Samarao discloses the micro-bolometer according to claim 1, wherein the connection mode of the thermal sensing pixels comprises at least one of a series connection, a parallel connection, and a disconnection (Samarao, Fig. 11, series connections between pixels 42).
Claim 6
Samarao discloses a thermal sensing method of a micro-bolometer, wherein the micro- bolometer comprises a plurality of thermal sensing pixels (bolometers 42) and a plurality of switching circuits (switching elements 10), and each of the thermal sensing pixels has a first connection point and a second connection point (Figs. 11/12, paragraph [0043]), the thermal sensing method of the micro-bolometer comprising: providing the switching circuits, wherein the switching circuits are connected to a first signal transmission line, a second signal transmission line, at least one shared connection line, and the first connection point or the second connection point of the corresponding thermal sensing pixel (Figs. 11/12); and controlling the switching circuits to switch connection relationship between the first connection point or the second connection point of the corresponding thermal sensing pixel and the first signal transmission line, the second signal transmission line and the at least one shared connection line, so as to adjust a connection mode between at least two of the plurality of the thermal sensing pixels with the first signal transmission line, the second signal transmission line and the at least one shared connection line to change a sensing signal provided by the thermal sensing pixels (paragraphs [0043-0044], set and reset can be performed as groups, provided by shared connection line), wherein the thermal sensing pixels and the switching circuits are jointly formed on a silicon substrate through a semiconductor manufacturing process (paragraph [0038], silicon substrate).
Claim 9
Samarao discloses the thermal sensing method of the micro-bolometer according to claim 6, wherein the connection mode of the thermal sensing pixels comprises at least one of a series connection, a parallel connection, and a disconnection (Samarao, Fig. 11, series connections between pixels 42).
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 2, 3, 7, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. 2017/0363478 (“Samarao”) in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2003/0146383 (“Knauth”).
Claim 2
Samarao discloses the micro-bolometer according to claim 1.
Samarao does not appear to explicitly disclose further comprising: a sensing circuit, coupled to the first signal transmission line and the second signal transmission line, and performing a signal amplification processing on the sensing signal; and a signal processing circuit, coupled to the sensing circuit, and performing an analog to digital conversion processing on the sensing signal provided by the sensing circuit.
Knauth discloses a microbolometer connected to a sensing circuit, amplifier, and ADC processing based on the sensing signal (paragraphs [0030-0032], bridge circuit output to amplifier 116 and ADC 122).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a sensing circuit, coupled to the first signal transmission line and the second signal transmission line, and performing a signal amplification processing on the sensing signal; and a signal processing circuit, coupled to the sensing circuit, and performing an analog to digital conversion processing on the sensing signal provided by the sensing circuit, as disclosed by Knauth, into the device of Samarao, for the purpose of removing non-uniform variations to the signals (Knauth, paragraphs [0033-0034]).
Claim 3
Samarao in view of Knauth discloses the micro-bolometer according to claim 2, further comprising: a control circuit, coupled to the switching circuits, and controlling the switching circuits to adjust the connection mode of the thermal sensing pixels according to a dynamic range of the signal processing circuit (Knauth, paragraph [0031-0032], dynamic range processing to match ADC).
Claim 7
Samarao discloses the thermal sensing method of the micro-bolometer according to claim 6.
Samarao does not appear to explicitly disclose wherein the sensing signal generated by the thermal sensing pixels is transmitted to a signal processing circuit to perform an analog to digital conversion processing.
Knauth discloses a microbolometer connected to a sensing circuit, amplifier, and ADC processing based on the sensing signal (paragraphs [0030-0032], bridge circuit output to amplifier 116 and ADC 122).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated wherein the sensing signal generated by the thermal sensing pixels is transmitted to a signal processing circuit to perform an analog to digital conversion processing, as disclosed by Knauth, into the device of Samarao, for the purpose of removing non-uniform variations to the signals (Knauth, paragraphs [0033-0034]).
Claim 8
Samarao in view of Knauth discloses the thermal sensing method of the micro-bolometer according to claim 7, comprising: controlling the switching circuits to adjust the connection mode of the thermal sensing pixels according to a dynamic range of the signal processing circuit (Knauth, paragraph [0031-0032], dynamic range processing to match ADC).
Claim 10
Samarao in view of Knauth discloses the thermal sensing method of the micro-bolometer according to claim 8, wherein the thermal sensing pixels comprise a micro-bolometer pixel (Samarao, paragraph [0003], mems bolometers).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERICA S Y LIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7911. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4, TW M,W.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas X Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERICA S LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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