DETAILED ACTION
General Remarks
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
When responding to this office action, applicants are advised to provide the examiner with line numbers and page numbers in the application and/or references cited to assist the examiner in locating appropriate paragraphs.
Per MPEP 2111 and 2111.01, the claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation and the words of the claims are given their plain meaning consistent with the specification without importing claim limitations from the specification.
For Examiner’s Interview fill out the online Automated Interview Request (AIR) form (http://www.uspto.gov/patent/uspto-automated-interview-request-air-form.html).
Status of claim(s) to be treated in this office action:
Independent: 1
Pending: 1-10
Priority Claim
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraph 0014, lines 18-19 it says “image sensing modules 1A can be directly seen from the top view of Fig. 1a”. The label for image sensing module should be 1a while the label for the Fig should be 1A.
Appropriate correction is required.
The Abstract is objected to because of the following informalities:
The abstract exceeds a length of 150 words.
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
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.
Claim 10 is 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Dependent Claim 10 recite(s) the limitation “a frame portion” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear whether this refers to “a frame portion” recited in Independent Claim 1 (line 15), the claim on which this claim depends, or is a new recitation of a frame portion. In this case, it has been interpreted to mean the same recitation of the frame portion of 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.
(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
Claim(s) 1-2, 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hsu (US 9419033 B2).
Re: Independent Claim 1, Hsu discloses:
An image sensing module (Hsu, a chip scale package of image sensor; Fig. 1, element 100), comprising:
an image sensor chip (Hsu, image sensor chip; Fig.1, element 110), comprising an image sensing region (Hsu, image sensing area; Fig.1, element 113);
a support member (Hsu, second dam part; Fig. 3, element 122) arranged on an upper surface (Hsu, plurality of electrodes, Fig. 3, element 114, Col.2, lines 66-67) of the image sensor chip and surrounding the image sensing region;
a transparent layer (Hsu, transparent lid; Fig. 3, element 130), arranged on an upper surface of the support member (Hsu, Col. 1, lines 62-65), wherein the transparent layer comprises an upper surface and a lower surface (Hsu, transparent lid has dimension (Col. 3, lines 61-64) so therefore has an upper surface and a lower surface, the topmost part of the lid comprising the upper surface and the bottom portion comprising the lower surface), the lower surface faces the image sensor chip and comprises a transparent region (Hsu, lateral portion of the transparent layer (Hsu, Fig. 4, element 130) to external terminal stack, between the dams (Hsu, Fig. 4, element 120), can be considered the transparent region) and a shielding region surrounding the transparent region (Hsu, lateral end portions of the transparent layer (Hsu, Fig. 4, element 130) to external terminal stack, where the dams (Hsu, Fig. 4, element 120) are can be considered the shielding region, Fig. 4), the transparent region corresponds to the image sensing region (Hsu, the transparent region as described can correspond to the image sensing area, Fig. 4, element 113), and a projection of the shielding region in a normal direction of the lower surface of the transparent layer does not overlap with the image sensing region; and
a shielding layer (Hsu, first dam portion; Fig. 3, element 121), formed on the shielding region of the lower surface of the transparent layer and located between the transparent layer and the support member, wherein the shielding layer comprises a frame portion (Hsu, first dam portion; Fig. 3, element 121) and a plurality of reinforcing portions (Hsu, first dam part and second dam part; Fig. 5 and 6, element 121 and 122), and the reinforcing portions are individually located at corners of the frame portion (Hsu, Fig. 5).
Re: Dependent Claim 2, Hsu disclose(s) all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Hsu further discloses:
wherein the plurality of reinforcing portions (Hsu, first dam part and second dam part; Fig. 5 and 6, element 121 and 122) extend inward from the corners of the frame portion to form a triangle (Hsu, Col. 5, lines 49-61).
Re: Dependent Claim 6, Hsu disclose(s) all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Hsu further discloses:
wherein the plurality of reinforcing portions (Hsu, first dam part and second dam part; Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, element 121 and 122) extend inward from the corners of the frame portion to form a rectangle (Hsu, Col. 5, lines 44-62).
Re: Dependent Claim 7, Hsu disclose(s) all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Hsu further discloses:
wherein a distance between a border of each reinforcing portion (Hsu, first dam part and second dam part; Fig. 3, element 121 and 122, using the inner border of 121) and a border of the image sensing region (Hsu, image sensing area; Fig.1, element 113, right-most side) is less than a distance between a border of the frame portion (Hsu, image sensing window; Fig. 4, element 123, using left most border) and the border of the image sensing region.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 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 of this title, 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) 3-5 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu (US 9419033 B2).
Re: Dependent Claim 3, Hsu discloses all the limitations of claim 2 on which this claim depends. Hsu further discloses:
wherein the triangle (Hsu, Col. 5, lines 49-61)
Hsu does not disclose:
is an isosceles triangle.
Hsu teaches the dam part (Hsu, second dam part; Fig. 3, element 122) to be L-shaped, or triangles or rectangles, but does not explicitly disclose the triangle to be an isosceles triangle. Hsu further teaches that actual shapes and dimensions may be selectively designed based on layout (Hsu, Col. 2, lines 51 - 58). Selecting an isosceles triangle from among the disclosed triangular configuration would have been an obvious design choice to try for a person of ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) before the effective filing date, as it is one of a finite number of predictable alternatives, with a reasonable expectation of success in reinforcing the support member.
Re: Dependent Claim 4, Hsu discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Hsu further discloses:
wherein the plurality of reinforcing portions (Hsu, first dam part and second dam part; Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, element 121 and 122) extend inward from the corners of the frame portion (Hsu, image sensing window; Fig. 5, element 123)
Hsu does not disclose:
to form a sector.
Hsu teaches the dam part (Hsu, second dam part; Fig. 3, element 122) to be L-shaped, or triangles or rectangles, but does not explicitly disclose the corners of the frame portion to form a sector. Hsu further teaches that actual shapes and dimensions may be selectively designed based on layout (Hsu, Col. 2, lines 51 - 58). Selecting a sector from among the disclosed configurations would have been an obvious design choice to try for a person of ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) before the effective filing date, as it represents one of a finite number of predictable alternatives, with a reasonable expectation of success in reinforcing the support member.
Re: Dependent Claim 5, Hsu discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Hsu further discloses:
wherein the plurality of reinforcing portions (Hsu, first dam part and second dam part; Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, element 121 and 122) extend inward from the corners of the frame portion (Hsu, image sensing window; Fig. 5, element 123)
Hsu does not disclose:
to form a shape of an umbrella.
Hsu teaches the dam part (Hsu, second dam part; Fig. 3, element 122) to be L-shaped, or triangles or rectangles, but does not explicitly disclose the corners of the frame portion to form a shape of an umbrella. Hsu further teaches that actual shapes and dimensions may be selectively designed based on layout (Hsu, Col. 2, lines 51 - 58). Selecting an umbrella shape from among the disclosed configurations would have been an obvious design choice to try for a person of ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) before the effective filing date, as it represents one of a finite number of predictable alternatives, with a reasonable expectation of success in reinforcing the support member.
Claim(s) 8-10 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu (US 9419033 B2) in view of Chen (US 20190057952 A1).
Re: Dependent Claim 8, Hsu discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Hsu further discloses:
a frame portion (Hsu, first dam portion; Fig. 4, element 121)
Hsu is silent regarding:
wherein the frame portion comprises an overhead shielding section and an inner side shielding section, the overhead shielding section is arranged over the support member, and the inner side shielding section extends inward from the overhead shielding section.
Chen discloses:
wherein the frame portion (Chen, frame; Fig. 1, element 3) comprises an overhead shielding section (Chen, notch; Fig. 5A, element 33) and an inner side shielding section (Chen, Fig. 1, element 32, the inner shielding section referring to the inner most layer across from element 321), the overhead shielding section is arranged over the support member (Chen, ring-shaped base; Fig. 3, element 31), and the inner side shielding section extends inward from the overhead shielding section.
Hsu discloses a frame portion but does not disclose this frame portion comprising an overhead shield section. Chen discloses a frame portion with a notch to extend the bearing plate (Chen, ¶ [0036] and [0058]) and increase levelness of the sensor chip. Both Hsu and Chen disclose components within an image sensor and are therefore analogous art. It would have been obvious to a POSITA before the effective filing date to include a shielding region, as disclosed by Chen, to the frame portion of Hsu to mitigate the extent of warpage of a stack type sensor package structure (Chen, ¶ [0037]).
Re: Dependent Claim 9, Hsu discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Hsu is silent regarding:
further comprising a packaging layer, wherein the packaging layer is configured to surround the transparent layer, the support member, and a side surface of the image sensor chip.
Chen discloses:
further comprising a packaging layer (Chen, package compound, Fig. 1, element 8), wherein the packaging layer is configured to surround the transparent layer (Chen, transparent layer, Fig. 1, element 6), the support member (Chen, ring-shaped base; Fig. 1, element 31), and a side surface of the image sensor chip (Chen, sensor chip; Fig. 1, element 4) (Chen, ¶ [0047]).
Hsu discloses a transparent layer, a support member and an image sensor chip but does not disclose a packaging layer surrounding theses element. Chen discloses a packaging layer for structural strength of the package structure (Chen, abstract). Both Hsu and Chen disclose components within an image sensor and are therefore analogous art. It would have been obvious to a POSITA before the effective filing date to include a packaging layer, as disclosed by Chen, to surround the elements disclosed by Hsu to effectively improve the defects potentially cause by conventional package structures (Chen, ¶ [0049]), such as increasing the stability of the frame (Chen, ¶ [0005].
Re: Dependent Claim 10, Hsu discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Hsu is silent regarding:
further comprising an adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer is between the transparent layer and the support member, and comprises a frame portion and a plurality of whirling portions, and the projection of the shielding layer in the normal direction of the lower surface of the transparent layer overlaps with the frame portion and the plurality of whirling portions.
Chen discloses:
further comprising an adhesive layer (Chen, support, Fig. 1, element 7 (made of glass mount epoxy), Chen ¶ [0046]), wherein the adhesive layer is between the transparent layer (Chen, transparent layer, Fig. 1, element 6) and the support member (Chen, ring-shaped base; Fig. 1, element 31), and comprises a frame portion (Chen, frame; Fig. 1, element 3) and a plurality of whirling portions (Chen, curved portions of ring-shaped adhesive layer; Fig. 1, element 7, can be considered as the whirling portions, Chen ¶ [0046]) and the projection of the shielding layer (Chen, bearing plane; Fig. 1, element 321) in the normal direction of the lower surface of the transparent layer overlaps with the frame portion and the plurality of whirling portions.
Hsu discloses a transparent layer, a support member, a frame portion but does not disclose an adhesive layer between the transparent layer and support member or a plurality of whirling portions. Chen discloses a plurality of whirling portions and an adhesive layer to better dispose the transparent layer over the chip (Chen, ¶ [0044]). Both Hsu and Chen disclose components within an image sensor and are therefore analogous art. It would have been obvious to a POSITA before the effective filing date to include an adhesive layer and whirling portions, as disclosed by Chen, to the disclosed invention of Hsu to better seal the transparent layer and connect surfaces of the image sensor chip (Chen, ¶ [0062]).
Prior art made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to current application disclosure.
Xu (CN 119836022 A) discloses image sensing modules with a support member, transparent layer, shielding layer, and frames.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIMARTA KAUR CHOWDHARY whose telephone number is (571)272-7679. The examiner can normally be reached usually Monday - Thursday, 7:00 AM - 5:00 pm.
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/NIMARTA KAUR CHOWDHARY/ Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898