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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgement is made of receipt of Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO-1449) filed 03/20/2024. An initialed copy is attached to this Office Action.
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)(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.
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sano (US 2014/0268345 A1).
With respect to Claim 1, Sano discloses an optical filter comprising: a first reflection film (54, Figure 5); and a second reflection film (55, Figure 5) placed to face the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) via a gap (G1, Figure 5), wherein as seen from a direction (optical axis O, direction, Figure 5) in which the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) and the second reflection film (55, Figure 5) face, a range in which the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) and the second reflection film (55, Figure 5) overlap forms a light transmission region (591 and 593, Figure 5), and a dimension (¶[0149) of the gap (G1, Figure 5) in a center portion (center of 591 and 593, Figure 5) of the light transmission region (591 and 593, Figure 5) is smaller than a dimension (¶[0149) of the gap (G1, Figure 5) in an outer peripheral portion (outside of 591 and 593, Figure 5) outside of the center portion (center of 591 and 593, Figure 5) within the light transmission region (591 and 593, Figure 5).
With respect to Claim 2, Sano further discloses: a first substrate (51, Figure 5) on which the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) is provided; a second substrate (52, Figure 5) placed to face the first substrate (51, Figure 5), on which the second reflection film (55, Figure 5) is provided; and a first stress film (one of 59, Figure 5) provided on the first substrate (51, Figure 5), wherein the first stress film (one of 59, Figure 5) applies a stress to the first substrate (51, Figure 5) to deform the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) toward the second reflection film (55, Figure 5) side.
With respect to Claim 3, Sano further discloses wherein the first substrate (51, Figure 5) includes a first surface (51 facing 52, Figure 5) facing the second substrate (52, Figure 5) and a second surface (51 facing away from 52, Figure 5) at an opposite side to the first surface (51 facing 52, Figure 5), and the first stress film (one of 59, Figure 5) is a compressive stress film provided between the first surface of the first substrate (51, Figure 5) and the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) or a tensile stress film provided on the second surface of the first substrate (51, Figure 5).
With respect to Claim 4, Sano further discloses further comprising a second stress film (second of 59, Figure 5) provided on the second substrate (52, Figure 5), wherein the second stress film (second of 59, Figure 5) applies a stress to the second substrate (52, Figure 5) to deform the second reflection film (55, Figure 5) toward the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) side.
With respect to Claim 5, Sano further discloses wherein the second substrate (52, Figure 5) includes a first surface facing the first substrate (51, Figure 5) and a second surface at an opposite side to the first surface, and the second stress film (second of 59, Figure 5) is a compressive stress film provided between the first surface of the second substrate (52, Figure 5) and the second reflection film (55, Figure 5) or a tensile stress film provided on the second surface of the second substrate (52, Figure 5).
With respect to Claim 6, Sano further discloses wherein the second reflection film (55, Figure 5) is deformed to an opposite side to the first substrate (51, Figure 5) side, and an amount of deformation of the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) is larger than an amount of deformation of the second reflection film (55, Figure 5).
With respect to Claim 7, Sano further discloses wherein at least a part of the first stress film (one of 59, Figure 5) is placed to overlap with the light transmission region (591 and 593, Figure 5) as seen from the direction (optical axis O, direction, Figure 5) in which the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) and the second reflection film (55, Figure 5) face.
With respect to Claim 8, Sano further discloses wherein a center portion (center of one of 59, Figure 5) of the first stress film (one of 59, Figure 5) coincides with the center portion (center of 591 and 593, Figure 5) of the light transmission region (591 and 593, Figure 5) as seen from the direction (optical axis O, direction, Figure 5) in which the first reflection film (54, Figure 5) and the second reflection film (55, Figure 5) face.
With respect to Claim 9, Sano further discloses wherein the first stress film (one of 59, Figure 5) has a ring shape (¶[0149] mentions 59 has a diameter and circumferential edge which is a ring shape).
With respect to Claim 10, Sano further discloses wherein an inner circumference (¶[0149] mentions 59 has a circumferential edge) and an outer circumference (¶[0149] mentions 59 has a circumferential edge) of the first stress film (one of 59, Figure 5) have circular shapes (¶[0149] mentions 59 has a diameter and circumferential edge which is a circular shape) around the center portion (center of 591 and 593, Figure 5) of the light transmission region (591 and 593, Figure 5).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAMARA Y WASHINGTON whose telephone number is (571)270-3887. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur 730-530 EST.
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/TYW/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/STEPHONE B ALLEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872