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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9, 11-14, 20 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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-7, 10, 15-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin et al. (US 20180248068 A1) hereafter referred to as Jin in view of Chen et al. (CN 217639787 U) hereafter referred to as Chen
In regard to claim 1 Jin teaches a device [“As shown in FIG. 1A, the optical system 100 may include a device 101 configured to emit an electromagnetic signal and a detection sensor chip 102”], comprising:
a laser [“Device 101 may include a laser or other device for emitting electromagnetic radiation”];
a transmit optical assembly (TxO) [“optical detection sensor 1 may detect a nearby object by transmitting, through transmissive region 302, the electromagnetic radiation produced by device 101”];
a receive optical assembly (RxO) [“If a nearby object is present, the transmitted electromagnetic radiation may be reflected by the object and then pass back into the interior of the optical detection sensor 1 through transmissive region 301”]; and
a sensor [“detection sensor chip 102 that includes a first sensor 311 for detecting an electromagnetic signal and a second sensor 312 for detecting an electromagnetic signal”],
wherein: the laser and the sensor are embedded [see 101 and 102 in “encapsulant material 104, which may be a polymer material such as epoxy”] in a first compound, and
the TxO and the RxO are embedded [“selectively transmissive structure 300 may include regions 301, 302 of transmissive material embedded in an encapsulant material 303, which may be a polymer material such as epoxy”] in a second compound,
but does not mention that the sensor is a time of flight (ToF) sensor, and does not say that the second compound “that is different than the first compound”.
See “In some embodiments, encapsulant material 303 may be formed of the same material as that of encapsulant material 104” so Jin is not clear about other embodiments.
See Chen teaches “the existing 3D vision technology mainly comprises: binocular imaging technology, time flight measurement technology (TOF), 3D structure optical imaging …” “projects the structure light spot with a certain coding characteristic to the target object, the structure light spot reflected by the target object is collected by the infrared receiving module, calculating the depth map of the target object …”, see Fig. 5 see 403 and 705 “the infrared imaging lens 705 is composed of one or more lenses and a lens barrel, the lens is fixed in the lens barrel” “the material of the lens 4032 can be glass or plastic material, the lens barrel 4031 can be made of metal or plastic material, The lens barrel 4031 is fixedly connected with the optical assembly by UV glue (shadowless glue) with small fluidity” “the second circuit board 701 is fixedly connected with one end of the infrared imaging lens 705 through black glue or AA glue” “infrared imaging chip 702”, see that the transmitted light and the received light are controlled by the lens, see Chen also uses laser source “light source 402 generally has vcsel (vertical cavity surface emitting laser, vertical cavity surface emitting laser). hcsel (AmptalCavity Surface EmittingLaser, horizontal cavity surface emitting laser)”.
See that Jin also uses glue with opaque region “bonding material 200 may be disposed between the optical system 100 and the selectively transmissive structure 300 to bond the optical system 100 to the selectively transmissive structure 300. Any suitable bonding material 200 may be used, such as a double sided glue, for example. In addition, an opaque region 202 may be disposed between the optical system 100 and structure 300 in a region between the sensors 311 and 312. Opaque region 202 may prevent the direct passage of light between the device 101 and cavity 201, thereby preventing direct passage of light from device 101 to sensor 312”.
Thus, it 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 to modify Jin to include the multiple lens in a lens barrel (see “the material of the lens 4032 can be glass or plastic material, the lens barrel 4031 can be made of metal or plastic”) on sending and receiving side and to use the device for time of flight applications i.e. to modify Jin to include that the sensor is a time of flight (ToF) sensor, and that the second compound “that is different than the first compound”.
Thus it would be obvious to combine the references to arrive at the claimed invention.
The motivation is to obtain better optics control to perform advanced applications such as time of flight (ToF) sensor to perform work such as 3D vision, and that metal, plastic and glass are standard and give good results in the art for use in optics.
In regard to claim 2 Jin and Chen as combined teaches [see Jin “Device 101 may include a laser or other device for emitting electromagnetic radiation”] but does not state wherein the laser comprises a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL).
See Chen “light source 402 generally has vcsel (vertical cavity surface emitting laser, vertical cavity surface emitting laser). hcsel (AmptalCavity Surface EmittingLaser, horizontal cavity surface emitting laser)”.
Thus, it 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 to modify Jin to include wherein the laser comprises a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL).
Thus it would be obvious to combine the references to arrive at the claimed invention.
The motivation is Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser is standard in the art and easy to use and is known to a person of ordinary skill in the art to give good quality laser emission .
In regard to claim 4 Jin and Chen as combined teaches [see combination, see Chen Fig. 5 see plurality of lens in a lens holder for both transmit and receive side] wherein the TxO comprises one or more lens and a lens holder.
In regard to claim 5 Jin and Chen as combined teaches [see combination, see Chen Fig. 5 see plurality of lens in a lens holder for both transmit and receive side see plastic in common, ““the material of the lens 4032 can be glass or plastic material, the lens barrel 4031 can be made of metal or plastic material” broadest reasonable interpretation of integrated is that they are joined to formed one unit] wherein the one or more lens and the lens holder are integrated and made of a same material.
In regard to claim 6 Jin and Chen as combined teaches [see combination, see Chen Fig. 5 see plurality of lens in a lens holder for both transmit and receive side] wherein the RxO comprises one or more lens and a lens holder.
In regard to claim 7 Jin and Chen as combined teaches [see combination, see Chen Fig. 5 see plurality of lens in a lens holder for both transmit and receive side see plastic in common, ““the material of the lens 4032 can be glass or plastic material, the lens barrel 4031 can be made of metal or plastic material” broadest reasonable interpretation of integrated is that they are joined to formed one unit] wherein the one or more lens and the lens holder are integrated and made of a same material.
In regard to claim 10 Jin and Chen as combined teaches [see Jin “encapsulant material 104, which may be a polymer material such as epoxy”] wherein one or both of the first compound and the second compound comprise an epoxy mold compound (EMC).
In regard to claim 15 Jin and Chen as combined teaches wherein one or more slugs [see Jin Fig. 1A see 103 “optical system 100 may also include one or more metal plugs 103, a metal interconnect 107 contacting the metal plug(s) 103, and a passivation layer 108” “metal plugs 103 and metal interconnect 107 may be electrically coupled to the sensor chip 102”] are operably coupled between a bottom redistribution layer [see Fig. 1B “one or more solder balls 105 may be formed on the metal plug(s) 103” see that under broadest reasonable interpretation solder balls are redistribution layer and are implicitly connected to an external circuit] and one or both of the ToF sensor and the laser.
In regard to claim 16 Jin and Chen as combined teaches [“metal plugs 103”] but does not state wherein the one or more slugs comprise aluminum nitride, copper and/or sintering silver.
However see Chen teaches “plating a layer of metal film 4042 on the surface of the polarization grating structure, the material of the metal film 4042 can be aluminium (Al), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), copper, one or other metal material of silver”.
Thus, it 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 to modify Jin to include wherein the one or more slugs comprise aluminum nitride, copper and/or sintering silver.
Thus it would be obvious to combine the references to arrive at the claimed invention.
The motivation is that copper, silver are commonly used metals in the art and known to give good results as interconnect.
In regard to claim 17 Jin and Chen as combined teaches wherein a top redistribution layer is operably coupled [see Jin Fig. 1A, see combination Chen see that 107 is beneath the glue which connects the lens barrels to the lower optical system 100 see Jin Fig. 1A see 103 “optical system 100 may also include one or more metal plugs 103, a metal interconnect 107 contacting the metal plug(s) 103, and a passivation layer 108” “metal plugs 103 and metal interconnect 107 may be electrically coupled to the sensor chip 102”] between the compound A and the compound B.
In regard to claim 18 Jin and Chen as combined teaches wherein one or more vias [see Fig. 1B “one or more solder balls 105 may be formed on the metal plug(s) 103” see that under broadest reasonable interpretation solder balls are redistribution layer and are implicitly connected to an external circuit] are located between a bottom redistribution layer and the top redistribution layer.
In regard to claim 19 Jin and Chen as combined teaches wherein the top redistribution layer comprises [see Jin Fig. 1A, “optical system 100 may also include one or more metal plugs 103, a metal interconnect 107 contacting the metal plug(s) 103, and a passivation layer 108” “metal plugs 103 and metal interconnect 107 may be electrically coupled to the sensor chip 102”] one or more metal traces.
Claim(s) 3, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin and Chen as combined and further in view of Nyaribo et al. (US 20240045035 A1) hereafter referred to as Nyaribo
In regard to claim 3 Jin and Chen as combined teaches [see Jin “Device 101 may include a laser or other device for emitting electromagnetic radiation”] but does not state wherein the laser comprises a plurality of addressable VCSELs.
See Nyaribo Fig. 2, Fig. 3 “projector 250 includes a source array (not shown). The source array includes a plurality of light sources that emit light in an optical band. The optical band may be, e.g., the infrared or near-infrared (collectively referenced to as “IR”). Examples of light sources include but are not limited to: light-emitting diodes (LEDs), micro light-emitting diodes (μLEDs), micro super luminescent diodes (μSLDs), vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) …” “In some embodiments, the source array 335 is GaAs substrate back side emitting VCSEL” “the projector 250 may be configured to emit different patterns of light, e.g., structured light (e.g., dot pattern, bar pattern, etc.), a flash (e.g., flood illumination), etc”.
Thus, it 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 to modify Jin to include wherein the laser comprises a plurality of addressable VCSELs.
Thus it would be obvious to combine the references to arrive at the claimed invention.
The motivation is to control light output to provide illumination in different patterns for obtaining maximum information.
In regard to claim 8 Jin Chen and Nyaribo as combined teaches wherein the laser, in combination with the TxO, is operable to generate one or more of [“the projector 250 may be configured to emit different patterns of light, e.g., structured light (e.g., dot pattern, bar pattern, etc.), a flash (e.g., flood illumination), etc”] a full-field illumination, a dot illumination and a flood illumination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
See for claim 9 Bikumandla (US 20190227151 A1) teaches see Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B “positioning system 326 may be referred to individually as a positioning component 326A and a positioning component 326B. The component or components of the positioning system 326 may be provided by one or more micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) actuators or devices, voice coil motors, or other small-scale active positioning components suitable for integration into the imaging device 310A”.
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/SITARAMARAO S YECHURI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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