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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/28/2024, 10/14/2025, 12/15/2025. The submission is following the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION. The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
4. Claims 16, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C.112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 16 depends on claim 1 and recites “the light splitting unit”. However, claim 1 recites “a plurality of light splitting units, the plurality of light splitting units comprise a first light splitting unit and a second light splitting unit”. It is unclear which specific light splitting unit claim 16 is referring to?
Claim 20 depends on claim 17 and recites “the distance of the translation”, which is not disclosed in claim 17.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 1, 5, 7-8, 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun et al., (US 2022/0208822 A1) in view of Kim et al., (US 2019/0086579 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yun et al., disclose an image sensor (1000, Fig.2), wherein the image sensor (1000) comprises a first metasurface layer (130, Figs.1and 32), and a detection layer (110, Figs.1, 32); the first metasurface layer is configured to receive incident light (130, Fig.32), the incident light comprises incident rays at a plurality of incident angles (Fig.2 and [0087], [0088], “ light starting from the different points A, B, C, and D is incident on the pixel array 110 at different angles”), the first metasurface layer (130) comprises a plurality of light splitting units (see Fig.26 at least and [0149], “color separating lens array 130 may also include a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged unit patterns”, different light splitting units correspondingly receive incident rays from different incident angles (see [0133], the metasurface layer 130 is divided into regions that correspond to specific pixel regions; and [0096] with Figs. 27, 28, the units are the localized regions of the layer 130, that are center portion (90 degree incident) and periphery portion (angle incident), the plurality of light splitting units comprise a first light splitting unit (131, Fig.26 at least); and a second light splitting unit (134), the first light splitting unit and the second light splitting unit have different patterns (see Figs. 26-34, and [0153], [0154], “The nanoposts NP included in the first and fourth regions 131 and 134 corresponding to the green pixel G may have different distribution rules in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction)”), the first light splitting unit (131) and the second light splitting unit B (134) separately split corresponding incident rays into light of a plurality of colors ([0135], both 131 and 134 use nanopost pattern to creates a phase profile PP1 to split wavelengths, see Fig.26) by using the different patterns (Fig.27C and [0153], “nanoposts NP having various shapes, sizes, and arrangements”), and a pattern of the second light splitting unit (134) is obtained by transforming a pattern of the first light splitting unit ([0157], “the first region 131 and the fourth region 134 are rotated by a 90° angle with respect to each other”) and
the detection layer (110) is configured to: receive light of a plurality of colors split by the plurality of light splitting units ([0150], Fig. 26, the 110 includes light sensing cells 111-114, receiving different wavelength of light), and convert the received light of the plurality of colors into electrical signals (Fig.2, and [0085], “the image sensor 1000 includes the 110 includes light sensing cells 111-114, converting the optical image formed by the lens assembly 1910 into an electrical image signal).
Yun et al., do not disclose the image sensor comprising a cover as claimed. Kim et al., disclose imaging sensor comprising a cover (210, Fig.2C, and paragraph [0076], “The cladding layer 210 covers the meta-surface 118”). In combination, the first metasurface layer would be located between the cover and the detection layer as claimed. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Yun et al., by utilizing the teaching of Kim et al., to protect the metasurface.
Regarding claim 5, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 1, Yun et al., disclose patterns of any two adjacent light splitting units (131, 134, Figs. 26) are different ([0157], “the first region 131 and the fourth region 134 are rotated by a 90° angle with respect to each other”).
Regarding claim 7, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 1, do not disclose the plurality of light splitting units comprising a plurality of second light splitting units , and the plurality of second light splitting units are arranged around the first light splitting unit as claimed; however, in the Fig.5, Yun et al., plurality of light splitting units comprising a plurality of second light splitting units (the center unit, Fig. 5) , and the plurality of second light splitting units are arranged around the first light splitting unit (see Figs.4 and 5, the shifted units (second) surround the center units to cover the full sensor area). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yun et al., and Kim et al., accordingly to provide better performance for oblique incident light, thus, improving image quality.
Regarding claim 8, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 1, Yun et al., disclose an incident angle of an incident ray corresponding to the first light splitting unit (the portion 131 located at the center portion of the pixel array 1000, Fig.28 A) being within a range centered on 00 ([0088], “From the viewpoint of the image sensor 1000, the CRA of the light incident on the center portion of the pixel array 1100 is 0 degree”).
Regarding claim 11, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 1, Yun et al., disclose the pattern of the second light splitting unit being obtained by translating the pattern of the first light splitting unit ([0157], “the first region 131 and the fourth region 134 are rotated by a 90° angle with respect to each other”) and then changing a part of graphics in a translated pattern (changing the symmetry orientation via 90 rotation).
Regarding claim 12, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 11, Yun et al., disclose the pattern of the first light splitting unit comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in an array (paragraphs [0149],[0151], “the color separating lens array 130 may be divided into first to fourth regions 131, 132, 133, and 134 respectively corresponding to the first to fourth light sensing cells 111, 112, 113, and 114 of FIG. 27A”); and a proportion of changed pixels in the translated pattern to a total quantity of pixels in the pattern of the first light splitting unit does not exceed a threshold ([0154]-[0155], and Fig. 27C, in the first and fourth regions 131 and 134 corresponding to the green pixel G may have different distribution rules in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction), the nanoposts at the periphery changes position without affecting all pixel, showing a proportion of changed pixels; and Fig. 27C, some nanoposts are different, most of the array structure unchanged, showing the “does not exceed a threshold”).
Regarding claim 13, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 12, do not disclose a value range of the threshold being 20% to 30% as claimed. However, choosing a specific range for the threshold is a matter of design choice. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., accordingly to improve more stable optical performance over time.
Regarding claim 14, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 12, Yun et al., disclose a form in which the pixel ([0065], “nanoposts of a color separating lens array according to positions on a pixel array”) is changed comprises at least one of the following: changing a shape of the pixel, changing a quantity of first pixels, or changing an arrangement of a first pixel and a second pixel ([0151], The pattern is determined by size, shape, space and/or arrangement of the nanoposts, and [0188], “the patterns may be optimized so that a value representing the performance may be maximized”, and [0154], “the nanoposts NP included in the first and fourth regions 131 and 134 corresponding to the green pixel G may have different distribution rules in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction)”)
, wherein the first pixel and the second pixel are two types of pixels corresponding to different material refractive indexes in the plurality of pixels (see Fig. 26 and [0136], “the refractive index of a material depends on the wavelength of reacting light”) and “[0149]-[0158], nanoposts correspond to different wavelengths/colors, and nanoposts correspond to the pixel array having regions 131 and 134).
Regarding claim 15, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 12, do not disclose the distance of the translation being an integer multiple of a pixel size as claimed as claimed. However, choosing a specific range for the for the distance is a matter of design choice. Thus, absent any showing of criticality, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., accordingly to improve more stable optical performance over time.
Regarding claim 16, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 1, Yun et al., disclose the image sensor further comprises a light filter (140, Fig. 26); and the light filter (140) is located between the first metasurface layer (130) and the detection layer (150), and the light filter is configured to separately filter light of a plurality of colors split by the light splitting unit (see Fig. 26, and [0132], “the color filter layer 140 is used for color separation of incident light” and [0131]-[0132], the color separating lens array 130 is used together with the color filter layer 140”) to filter out stray light of another color in light of each color in the light of the plurality of colors ([0132], the color filter layer 140 is used for color separation of incident light and correct wavelength reaching each pixel).
Regarding claim 17, Yun et al., disclose an electronic device, comprising:
one or more processors (1960, Fig.2); and an image sensor (1000) coupled to the one or more processors (1960, see Fig.2), wherein the one or more processors (1960) are configured to process an electrical signal output by the image sensor ([0085], “mage signal processor 1960 processing the electrical image signal output from the image sensor 1000”)
wherein the image sensor (100, Fig.2) comprises a first metasurface layer (130, Figs.1 and 26), and a detection layer (110, Fig.26); wherein the first metasurface layer (130) is configured to receive incident light (Fig.26), the incident light comprises incident rays at a plurality of incident angles (Fig.2 and [0087], [0088], “light starting from the different points A, B, C, and D is incident on the pixel array 110 at different angles”), the first metasurface layer (130) comprises a plurality of light splitting units (regions 131, 132, 133, and 134, Fig. 26), different light splitting units correspondingly receive incident rays from different incident angles (see [0133], the metasurface layer 130 is divided into regions that correspond to specific pixel regions; and [0096] with Figs. 27, 28, the units are the localized regions of the layer 130, that are center portion (90 degree incident) and periphery portion (angle incident),
the plurality of light splitting units comprise a first light splitting unit and a second light splitting unit (131, 134, Fig.26) the first light splitting unit and the second light splitting unit have different patterns (see Figs. 26-34, and [0153], [0154], “The nanoposts NP included in the first and fourth regions 131 and 134 corresponding to the green pixel G may have different distribution rules in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction)”), the first light splitting unit and the second light splitting unit separately split corresponding incident rays into light of a plurality of colors ([0135], both 131 and 134 use nanoposts pattern to creates a phase profile PP1 to split wavelengths, see Fig.26) by using the different patterns (Fig.27C and [0153], “nanoposts NP having various shapes, sizes, and arrangements”), and a pattern of the second light splitting unit (134) is obtained by transforming a pattern of the first light splitting unit (131) ([0157], “the first region 131 and the fourth region 134 are rotated by a 90° angle with respect to each other”), and wherein the detection layer (110) is configured to receive light of a plurality of colors split by the plurality of light splitting units ([0150], Fig. 26, the 110 includes light sensing cells 111-114, receiving different wavelength of light), and convert the received light of the plurality of colors into electrical signals (Fig.2, and [0085], “the image sensor 1000 includes the 110 includes light sensing cells 111-114, converting the optical image formed by the lens assembly 1910 into an electrical image signal).
Yun et al., do not disclose the image sensor comprising a cover as claimed. Kim et al., disclose imaging sensor comprising a cover (210, Fig.2C, and paragraph [0076], “The cladding layer 210 covers the meta-surface 118”). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Yun et al., by utilizing the teaching of Kim et al., to protect the metasurface.
Claims 9, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., and further in view of Miyata et al., (US 2024/0147032 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 1, although Yun et al., disclose patterns of the metasurface layer 130 being determined by size, shape, space and/or arrangement ([0151]), and using asymmetric shapes ([0158]) that can split light by polarization; and the detection layer is configured to: receive a plurality of types of light output by the first metasurface layer (see Fig.26 at least), and convert the plurality of types of received light into electrical signals (Figs. 2, 4, and [0091], “the sensor substrate 110 may include a first light sensing cell 111, a second light sensing cell 112, and a third light sensing cell 113 converting light into an electrical signal), wherein any two types of light in the plurality of types of light are different in at least one of color and polarization ([0151], “the first wavelength light is branched and condensed on the first light sensing cell 111 and the fourth light sensing cell 114, the second wavelength light is branched and condensed on the second light sensing cell 112”, showing the detector layer 110 receives two types of light with different wavelengths (different colors) at different sensing cells), Yun et al., and Kin et al., do not disclose explicitly the first metasurface layer being further configured to split a corresponding incident ray into light of a plurality of polarizations as claimed. Miyata et al., disclose a metasurface layer ([0084], “the optical element 12 is a metasurface”) being further configured to split a corresponding incident ray into light of a plurality of polarizations ([0078], “a first lens pattern region 12-1 for separating linearly polarized light of 0° (horizontal) and linearly polarized light of 90° (vertical) and a second lens pattern region 12-2 for separating linearly polarized light of +45° (diagonal) and linearly polarized light of −45° (diagonal) form a pair”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yun et al., by utilizing the teaching of Miyata et al., to allow the detector layer to capture more light properties, and thus, getting better image quality.
Regarding claim 10, Yun et al., in view of Kim et al., as discussed in claim 1, Yun et al., disclose the image sensor further comprising a second metasurface layer (150, Fig.26), and the first metasurface layer (130) is located between the cover and the second metasurface layer (150)( see Figs. 1, 2, 26-32, the lens 1910 covers the image sensor system 1000 that light passes through the lens 1910 to the lens array 130), and the detection layer is configured to: receive a plurality of types of light output by the second metasurface layer, and convert the plurality of types of received light into electrical signals (Figs. 2, 4, and [0091], “the sensor substrate 110 may include a first light sensing cell 111, a second light sensing cell 112, and a third light sensing cell 113 converting light into an electrical signal), wherein any two types of light in the plurality of types of light are different in at least one of color and polarization. ([0151], “the first wavelength light is branched and condensed on the first light sensing cell 111 and the fourth light sensing cell 114, the second wavelength light is branched and condensed on the second light sensing cell 112”, showing the detector layer 110 receives two types of light with different wavelengths (different colors) at different sensing cells), Yun et al., and Kim et al., do not disclose explicitly the second metasurface layer being further configured to split a corresponding incident ray into light of a plurality of polarizations as claimed. Miyata et al., disclose a metasurface layer ([0084], “the optical element 12 is a metasurface”) being further configured to split a corresponding incident ray into light of a plurality of polarizations ([0078], “a first lens pattern region 12-1 for separating linearly polarized light of 0° (horizontal) and linearly polarized light of 90° (vertical) and a second lens pattern region 12-2 for separating linearly polarized light of +45° (diagonal) and linearly polarized light of −45° (diagonal) form a pair”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yun et al., by utilizing the teaching of Miyata et al., to allow the detector layer to capture more light properties, and thus, getting better image quality.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claim 20 would be allowed once the 112b rejection is overcome.
7. Claims 2, 3, 4, 6, 18-20 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.
Regarding claims 2 and 18, the prior art fails to disclose the pattern of the second light splitting unit being obtained by translating the pattern of the first light splitting unit, and a direction and a distance of the translation are determined based on a position relationship between the second light splitting unit and the first light splitting unit.
Regarding claims 3 and 19, the prior art fails to disclose the second light splitting unit being located on a first side of the first light splitting unit, the pattern of the second light splitting unit is obtained by translating the pattern of the first light splitting unit towards a second side, and the second side and the first side are two opposite sides of the first light splitting unit.
Claim 4 depends on claim 2.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art fails to disclose the plurality of light splitting units being arranged in an array, one row or one column of light splitting units are divided into a plurality of groups of light splitting units, one group of light splitting units in the plurality of groups of light splitting units comprises a plurality of light splitting units that are consecutively arranged, and the plurality of light splitting units that are consecutively arranged have a same pattern.
Regarding claim 20, the prior art fails to disclose the distance of the translation being positively correlated with a distance between the second light splitting unit and the first light splitting unit.
Conclusion
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/M.T.T./Examiner, Art Unit 2878
/GEORGIA Y EPPS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2878