DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-15 are pending in the application.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement(s) (IDS), Form PTO-1449, filed 20 June 2024 and 08 July 2024. The information therein was considered.
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) 1-4 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ogasahara (WO 2021/171797) (The English language counterpart application is relied on for the following citations, US 2023/0127881).
Re: independent claim 1, Ogasahara discloses in figs. 3A-3B an imaging device, comprising: a first pixel including (9R) a first filter (19R) that transmits light of a first wavelength and a first photoelectric converter (24); a second pixel (9G) including a second filter (19G) that transmits light of a second wavelength and a second photoelectric converter (24); a third pixel (9B) including a third filter (19B) that transmits light of a third wavelength and a third photoelectric converter (24); a fourth pixel (9C) including a fourth filter (19C) that transmits light of the second wavelength and light of the third wavelength and a fourth photoelectric converter (24); a fifth pixel (9M) including a fifth filter (19M) that transmits light of the first wavelength and light of the third wavelength and a fifth photoelectric converter (24); and a sixth pixel (9v) including a sixth filter (19Y) that transmits light of the first wavelength and light of the second wavelength and a sixth photoelectric converter (24).
Re: claim 2, Ogasahara discloses in figs. 3A-3B the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first filter (19R) transmits, as the light of the first wavelength, light of a wavelength band of red [0061], the second filter (19G) transmits, as the light of the second wavelength, light of a wavelength band of green [0061], and the third filter (19B) transmits, as the light of the third wavelength, light of a wavelength band of blue [0061].
Re: claim 3, Ogasahara discloses in figs. 3A-3B the imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the fourth filter (19C) transmits light of a wavelength band of cyan [0061], the fifth filter (19M) transmits light of a wavelength band of magenta [0061], and the sixth filter (19Y) transmits light of a wavelength band of yellow [0061].
Re: claim 4, Ogasahara discloses in figs. 3A-3B the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first photoelectric converter (24) photoelectrically converts the light transmitted through the first filter (19r), the second photoelectric converter (24) photoelectrically converts the light transmitted through the second filter (19G), the third photoelectric converter (24) photoelectrically converts the light transmitted through the third filter (19B), the fourth photoelectric converter (24) photoelectrically converts the light transmitted through the fourth filter (19C), the fifth photoelectric converter (24) photoelectrically converts the light transmitted through the fifth filter (19M), and the sixth photoelectric converter (24) photoelectrically converts the light transmitted through the sixth filter (19Y).
Re: independent claim 15, Ogasahara discloses in figs. 3A-3B an electronic apparatus, comprising: an imaging device including a first pixel (9R) including a first filter (19R) that transmits light of a first wavelength and a first photoelectric converter (24), a second pixel (9G) including a second filter (19G) that transmits light of a second wavelength and a second photoelectric converter (24), a third pixel (9B) including a third filter (19G) that transmits light of a third wavelength and a third photoelectric converter (24), a fourth pixel (9C) including a fourth filter (19C) that transmits light of the second wavelength and light of the third wavelength and a fourth photoelectric converter (24), a fifth pixel (9M) including a fifth filter (19M) that transmits light of the first wavelength and light of the third wavelength and a fifth photoelectric converter (24), and a sixth pixel (9Y) including a sixth filter (19Y) that transmits light of the first wavelength and light of the second wavelength and a sixth photoelectric converter (24); and a signal processing section (fig. 1) that performs signal processing on a signal outputted from the imaging device.
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.
Claims 5-7 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogasahara (WO 2021/171797) (The English language counterpart application is relied on for the following citations, US 2023/0127881) in view of Tsuchita (US 2013/0222553).
Re: claim 5, Ogasahara discloses in figs. 3A-3B the imaging device according to claim 1.
Ogasahara does not disclose expressly a first lens provided with respect to four of the first pixels, wherein the first photoelectric converters of the four first pixels photoelectrically convert light transmitted through the first lens and the respective first filters.
Tsuchita discloses in fig. 1 a first lens (L2) provided with respect to four first pixels (R), wherein first photoelectric converters (figs. 2A-2B) of the four first pixels photoelectrically convert light transmitted through the first lens (L2) and a respective first filters [0045].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a first lens provided for four first pixels for the purpose of generating a 3D image as exemplified by Tsuchita [0054].
Re: claim 6, Ogasahara in view of Tsuchita discloses in figs. 1, 2A, 2B of Tsuchita the imaging device according to claim 5, further comprising: a second lens (L2) provided with respect to four of the second pixels (G); and a third lens (L2) provided with respect to four of the third pixels (B), wherein the second photoelectric converters (PD) of the four second pixels (G) photoelectrically convert light transmitted through the second lens (L2) and the respective second filters [0045], and the third photoelectric converters (PD) of the four third pixels (B) photoelectrically convert light transmitted through the third lens (L2) and the respective third filters [0045].
Re: claim 7, Ogasahara in view of Tsuchita discloses in figs. 1, 2A, 2B of Tsuchita the imaging device according to claim 6, further comprising: a fourth lens (L1) provided with respect to the fourth pixel [0060]; a fifth lens (L1) provided with respect to the fifth pixel [0060]; and a sixth lens (L1) provided with respect to the sixth pixel [0060].
Re: claim 10, Ogasahara discloses in figs. 3A-3B the a fourth lens provided with respect to four of the fourth pixels, wherein the fourth photoelectric converters of the four fourth pixels photoelectrically convert light transmitted through the fourth lens and the respective fourth filters.
Ogasahara does not disclose expressly a fourth lens provided with respect to four of the fourth pixels, wherein the fourth photoelectric converters of the four fourth pixels photoelectrically convert light transmitted through the fourth lens and the respective fourth filters.
Tsuchita discloses in figs. 1, 2A, 2B a fourth lens (L2) provided with respect to four of the fourth pixels ([0060], pixels can include color filters that transmit cyan), wherein the fourth photoelectric converters (figs. 2A-2B) of the four fourth pixels photoelectrically convert light transmitted through the fourth lens (L2) and the respective fourth filters [0045].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a fourth lens provided for four fourth pixels for the purpose of generating a 3D image as exemplified by Tsuchita [0054].
Re: claim 11, Ogasahara in view of Tsuchita discloses in figs. 1, 2A, 2B of Tsuchita the imaging device according to claim 10, further comprising: a fifth lens (L2) provided with respect to four of the fifth pixels ([0060], pixels can include color filters that transmit magenta); and a sixth lens (L2) provided with respect to four of the sixth pixels ([0060], pixels can include color filters that transmit yellow), wherein the fifth photoelectric converters (PD) of the four fifth pixels (M, [0060]) photoelectrically convert light transmitted through the fifth lens (L1) and the respective fifth filters [0045], and the sixth photoelectric converters (PD) of the four sixth pixels ([0060], pixels can include color filters that transmit yellow) photoelectrically convert light transmitted through the sixth lens (L1) and the respective sixth filters (Y, [0060]).
Re: claim 12, Ogasahara in view of Tsuchita discloses in figs. 1, 2A, 2B of Tsuchita the imaging device according to claim 11, further comprising: a first lens (L1) provided with respect to the first pixel (R); a second lens (L1) provided with respect to the second pixel (G); and a third lens (L1) provided with respect to the third pixel (B).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 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: The prior art of record fails to teach the claimed limitations in combination namely, as recited in claim 8, the imaging device according to claim 7, wherein 6 by 6 pixels are repeatedly arranged, the 6 by 6 pixels including a plurality of the first pixels, a plurality of the second pixels, a plurality of the third pixels, a plurality of the fourth pixels, a plurality of fifth pixels, and a plurality of the sixth pixels; and as recited in claim 13, the imaging device according to claim 12, wherein 6 by 6 pixels are repeatedly arranged, the 6 by 6 pixels including a plurality of the first pixels, a plurality of the second pixels, a plurality of the third pixels, a plurality of the fourth pixels, a plurality of fifth pixels, and a plurality of the sixth pixels.
Conclusion
The examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner. When responding to this office action, applicants are advised to provide the examiner with the line numbers and page numbers in the application and/or references cited to assist the examiner in locating appropriate paragraphs.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALLISON BERNSTEIN whose telephone number is (571)272-9011. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM.
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/ALLISON BERNSTEIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2824 7/27/2026
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