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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bouthinon (U.S. PGPub 2025/0126960).
Regarding claim 1, Bouthinon teaches an optical sensor ([0001]) comprising:
a plurality of lower electrodes (105, [0037]),
an organic material layer that includes a lower carrier transport layer including a plurality of first electrode covering parts each covering at least an upper surface of corresponding one of the plurality of lower electrodes (107, [0037], electron injection layer), and
a carrier mobility reducing part that is provided in at least a part of an area between the adjacent first electrode covering parts so as to reduce carrier mobility of the adjacent first electrode covering parts (Fig. 3, 301, [0058], resin).
Regarding claim 2, Bouthinon teaches wherein the first electrode covering part covers a side surface of the lower electrode (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3, Bouthinon teaches wherein the carrier mobility reducing part is partially provided along a direction in which an edge of the lower electrode extends in a plan view (Fig. 3, [0059], Fig. 1B, [0057]).
Regarding claim 4, Bouthinon teaches wherein the carrier mobility reducing part is formed of a material that is different from a material of the organic material layer and has a lower carrier mobility than at least a material of the lower carrier transport layer ([0058], resin).
Regarding claim 5, Bouthinon teaches wherein the organic material layer further includes an organic light receiving layer including a plurality of second electrode covering parts respectively overlapping the first electrode covering parts, and the carrier mobility reducing part is disposed between the adjacent second electrode covering parts (Fig. 3, [0037], 107).
Regarding claim 6, Bouthinon teaches wherein the organic material layer further includes an upper carrier transport layer including a plurality of third electrode covering parts respectively overlapping the second electrode covering parts, and the carrier mobility reducing part is disposed between the adjacent third electrode covering parts (Fig. 3, [0037], 107, hole injection layer).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hayashi (U.S. PGPub 2018/0114909) in view of Bouthinon (U.S. PGPub 2025/0126960).
Regarding claims 1 and 7, Hayashi teaches an optical sensor (Figs. 3-4) comprising:
a plurality of lower electrodes (113, [0104]),
an organic material layer including a plurality of first electrode covering parts each covering at least an upper surface of corresponding one of the plurality of lower electrodes (116, [0104]); and
a carrier mobility reducing part that is provided in at least a part of an area between the adjacent first electrode covering parts so as to reduce carrier mobility of the adjacent first electrode covering parts, the organic material layer further includes an organic light receiving layer, and a part of the organic light receiving layer constitutes the carrier mobility reducing part (116Ba, [0109]-[0111]).
Hayashi does not explicitly teach wherein the organic material layer includes a lower carrier transport layer, and the organic light receiving layer is provided on the lower carrier transport layer.
Maehara teaches wherein an organic photoelectric layer comprises a lower carrier transport layer covering at least an upper surface of a corresponding lower electrode and an organic light receiving layer on the lower carrier transport layer (Fig. 1A, [0037], 107, 105).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Maehara with Hayashi such that the organic material layer includes a lower carrier transport layer, and the organic light receiving layer is provided on the lower carrier transport layer for the purpose of providing an electron injection layer for the optical sensor (Maehara, [0037]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALIA SABUR whose telephone number is (571)270-7219. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-5:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine S. Kim can be reached at 571-272-8458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ALIA SABUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
Prosecution Insights