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 .
This Office Action is in response to amendments and remarks filed June 22, 2026. Claims 11-21 currently pending. The Examiner notes the Applicant has combined portions of the sub-combinations useable together in invention I with elected invention II. The inventions are described in the Restriction sent out on November 3, 2025. The newly added amendments contain the first and second set of conductive traces and dummy traces and their connections to the photodiodes, which is part of sub-combination invention I.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection as set forth below.
Applicant’s arguments, see arguments and amendments, filed June 22, 2026, with respect to claims 11 and 16 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of the claims and their corresponding dependents has been withdrawn.
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) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizuno et al. (US 2005072912) in view of Masa et al. (US 20200072644) and Sugiyama et al. (US 7193197).
Re claim 21: Mizuno teaches an electronic device (fig. 2, 4 and 5), comprising: a shared epitaxial structure (500) (paragraph 43, fig. 4); an array of photodiodes (501/502/51) formed in the shared epitaxial structure (500) (paragraph 43, fig. 4), the array of photodiodes (501/502) having an absence of guard structures between adjacent photodiodes (501/502) (see fig. 4, no isolation structures between photodiodes); a readout circuit (70/60) electrically connected to the array of photodiodes (501/502) (see fig. 5) including a set of conductive traces (504 or 507) and operable to read out values for a set of channels defined by the photodiodes in the array of photodiodes (501/502) (fig. 5, paragraph 39 and 47-60) and each conductive trace (504 or 507) in the set of conductive traces is oriented parallel to a first axis (see fig. 3), but does not specifically teach a control circuit operable to configure the readout circuit in one or more modes of operation, each mode of operation in the one or more modes of operation defining at least one of, a number of channels in the set of channels; or a number of photodiodes per channel in the set of channels and each conductive trace in the set of conductive traces is electrically connected to a respective subset of photodiodes of a respective column of the array of photodiodes and the readout circuitry is operable to read out different subsets of photodiodes in each column of the array of photodiodes. Masa teaches a control circuit (40/41/42) operable to configure a readout circuit (41/42) in one or more modes of operation, each mode of operation in the one or more modes of operation defining at least one of, a number of channels in a set of channels; or a number of photodiodes per channel in the set of channels and the readout circuitry is operable to read out different subsets of photodiodes in each column of the array of photodiodes (paragraphs 68-70 and 110-116, first mode is readout of all of the channels, second mode to readout a subset of the channels with a specific number of photodiodes, see fig. 21, 6, 7 and 8, as different subsets in a column). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include a control circuit to configure the readout circuit in one or modes of operation reading different subsets of photodiodes in each column in Mizuno similar to Masa in order to increase the accuracy of rotation angle detection providing for more efficient and precise measurements. Mizuno as modified by Masa does not specifically teach each conductive trace in the set of conductive traces is electrically connected to a respective subset of photodiodes of a respective column of the array of photodiodes. Sugiyama teaches a readout circuit (320 or 330) electrically connected to an array of photodiodes (abstract, see fig. 21 and 22) including a set of conductive traces (an example, the conductive traces in B21 and B22 connected to photodiodes, in parallel across three columns, B21 and B22 being different subsets in a respective column, fig. 22) and operable to read out values for a set of channels defined by the photodiodes in the array of photodiodes and each conductive trace in the set of conductive traces is oriented parallel to a first axis and electrically connected to a respective subset of photodiodes of a respective column of the array of photodiodes (an example, the conductive traces in B21 and B22 connected to photodiodes, in parallel across three columns, B21 and B22 being different subsets in a respective column, fig. 22); the readout circuitry is operable to read out different subsets of photodiodes in each column of the array of photodiodes (col. 22, line 60 – col. 23, line 63). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include a control circuit to configure the conductive traces similar to Sugiyama with the traces and grouping modes of Mizuno as modified by Masa in order to increase the accuracy of rotation angle detection providing for more efficient and precise measurements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regards to claim 11, the prior art of record individually or in combination fails to teach an electronic device as claimed, comprising: a shared epitaxial structure; an array of photodiodes formed in the shared epitaxial structure, the array of photodiodes having an absence of guard structures between adjacent photodiodes; a readout circuit electrically connected to the array of photodiodes and operable to read out values for different subsets of photodiodes defined in the array of photodiodes, more specifically in combination with the readout circuit comprising: a first set of conductive traces oriented parallel to a first axis and extending from within the array of photodiodes to outside the array of photodiodes; and a second set of conductive traces oriented parallel to a second axis and orthogonal to the first axis and electrically connecting each photodiode in the array of photodiodes to a particular conductive trace in the first set of conductive traces; a set of dummy conductive traces, each dummy conductive trace oriented parallel to the second axis, and each dummy conductive trace disposed in line with one or more conductive traces in the second set of conductive traces; and a control circuit operable to configure the readout circuit in one or more modes of operation, each mode of operation in the one or more modes of operation defining at least one of a number of channels in the set of channels; or a number of photodiodes per channel in the set of channels.
Claims 12-15 are allowed because of their dependency on claim 11.
In regards to claim 16, the prior art of record individually or in combination fails to teach an electronic device as claimed, comprising: a housing; a crown having a shaft, the shaft extending through the housing and having a set of features disposed around the shaft; a light source positioned within the housing and configured to emit light toward the shaft; and an optical sensor positioned within the housing and configured to receive reflections of the emitted light from the set of features, the optical sensor including, a shared epitaxial structure; and an array of photodiodes formed in the shared epitaxial structure and having an absence of guard structures between adjacent photodiodes; more specifically in combination with a first set of conductive traces; a second set of conductive traces oriented parallel to an axis and electrically connecting each photodiode in the array of photodiodes to a particular conductive trace in the first set of conductive traces; a set of dummy conductive traces, each dummy conductive trace disposed in line with one or more conductive traces in the second set of conductive traces.
Claims 17-20 are allowed because of their dependency on claim 16.
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.
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/JENNIFER D BENNETT/Examiner, Art Unit 2878
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