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 Interpretation
Claims 1-20 are not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the recitations of “pixels” and “divided pixels” provide sufficient structure to perform all claimed limitations.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 12 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hoshuyama (U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2005/0212934 A1, referred as Hoshuyama hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1 as a representative claim, Hoshuyama teaches an imaging element (see figures 1-2 and para. [0044] (camera 1 is provided with a color image sensor 11)) comprising:
pixels configured to receive light corresponding to three primary colors (see paras. [046] – [0049] (sensor 11 comprises a plurality of pixel blocks B and a plurality of pixel blocks P as described in para. [0047]; three primary colors RGB are described in para. [0049] and illustrated in fig. 2a are received by the pixel blocks B and P of the sensor 11)); and
divided pixels configured to form light-receiving units in the pixels (see paras. [046] – [0049] (pixel blocks B and pixel blocks P are formed the light receiving units of the sensor 11; thus blocks are referred to the so-called divided pixels)), wherein the divided pixels include:
a divided pixel configured to receive light of a first color in the pixel that receives the light of the first color among the three primary colors (see paras. [046] – [0049] (each of pixel block B has an R pixel Pr for detecting red light which corresponds to a first pixel as described in para. [0049]));
a divided pixel configured to receive light of a second color in the pixel that receives the light of the second color among the three primary colors (see paras. [046] – [0049] (a G1 pixel Pg1 for detecting green light which corresponds to a second pixel as described in para. [0049]));;
a divided pixel configured to receive light of a third color in the pixel that receives the light of the third color among the three primary colors (see paras. [046] – [0049] (a B pixel Pb for detecting blue light which corresponds to blue light which corresponds to the third pixel as described in para. [0049])); and
a divided pixel configured to receive light of a fourth color different from any of the three primary colors in the pixel that receives the light of any of the three primary colors (see paras. [046] – [0049] (a G2 pixel Pg2 for detecting light having a wavelength between the green light and blue light which corresponds to the fourth pixel and arranged in cross shape as described in para. [0049])), and wherein
a spectrum of the light of the fourth color has a maximum value in a region in which absolute values of negative values in color-matching functions of the first color, the second color, and the third color are larger than in other regions (see figure 4 which illustrates the color matching function r of the first color R, color matching function g of the second color G1, color matching function b of the third color B (this interpretation is consistent with applicant’s disclosed figure 4 and paragraph [0048] (“Fig. 4 is a graph showing RGB color-matching functions”), for example; para. [0061] (fourth color i.e., G2, has peak spectrum at 530nm); as can be seen from fig. 4, negative values in color-matching functions r, g, and b are in the larger regions ranging from 500-700nm which covers the peak/max value of the fourth color G2).
Regarding claim 2, Hoshuyama further teaches wherein 2x2 or more divided pixels are provided in the pixel (see fig. 2: block B comprises 2x2 pixels such as RG1G2B).
Regarding claim 12, Hoshuyama further teaches wherein the pixel includes an on ·chip lens (see para. [0045] (lens 2 is formed on sensor 11), and the on-chip lenses provided in the pixel including the divided pixel that receives the light of the fourth color has a shape different from those of the on-chip lenses provided in the other pixels (see figure 3: fourth color G2 has a shape different from the shapes of other pixels RBG1).
Regarding claim 15, the advanced statements as applied to claim 1 above are incorporated hereinafter. Hoshuyama further teaches an image device comprising imaging element according to claim 1 ((see figures 1-2 and para. [0044] (camera 1 is provided with a color image sensor 11); paras. [046] – [0049] (sensor 11 comprises a plurality of pixel blocks B and a plurality of pixel blocks P as described in para. [0047]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-20 are allowed.
Claims 3-11 and 13-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3 as a representative claim, the cited prior art does not teach or suggest claim limitations that of “wherein the three primary colors are RGB (Red, Green, Blue), a color-matching function of the fourth color has a maximum value in a wavelength range of 520 nm± 10 nm, and the number of divided pixels that receive the light of the fourth color is smaller than the number of divided pixels that receive the G light”.
Claims 4-11 and 13-14 depend on claim 3 and thus are allowable for the same reasons as well.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 16 as a representative claim, the cited prior art does not teach or suggest claim limitations that of “a divided pixel configured to receive light of an emerald color different from any of the three primary colors, and a spectrum of the light of the emerald color has a maximum value in a wavelength range of 520 nm± 10 nm, and the number of divided pixels that receive the emerald light is smaller than the number of divided pixels that receive the G light”.
Claims 17-20 depend on claim 16 and thus are allowed for the same reasons as well
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shao et al. (U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2015/0253476 A1) teaches a display panel and pixel structure comprising pixel receiving light corresponding to three primary colors (see figure 2: primary colors RGB), divided pixels (blocks 21-23 in figure 3 and described in para. [0022] ( each block comprises a 4x4 pixels)).
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DMD
12/2025
/DUY M DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2662