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 .
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.
Claims 1-8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kageyama (US2021/0306581).
Regarding claim 1, Kageyama discloses a phase detection autofocus pixel comprising, a photodiode (Fig.2, 5-6; 8-9, 14A-B: See PD 61 in each detection pixel 131A-131B), a plurality of microlenses for concentrating light, incident on each of the microlenses, onto the photodiode (Fig. 8-9: See light rays incident on lenses 225 on to each detection pixel 131A-131D or 132A-132D light transmitting portions; [0151-0154]), and for each microlens, a light shield associated therewith, for blocking part of the light transmitted by the microlens towards the photodiode (Fig. 5; 9; 14A-B: See light shield 133A-133D; [0144-0148; 0153]), wherein the light shields are offset from an optical axis of their associated microlenses in a same offset direction (See light shield offset directions of light shield 133A-133B and 133C-133D in Fig. 5 and 14A-B; [0146; 0153-155; 0194-0195]).
Regarding claim 2, Kageyama discloses the phase detection autofocus pixel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of microlenses are organized in a square array ([0151-0155; 0371-0374]: chip lens formed on the upper layer of the pixel array and a sample of 2 pixels and lenses in Fig. 8-9).
Regarding claim 3, Kageyama discloses the phase detection autofocus pixel in accordance with claim 2, wherein the square array of microlenses comprises rows and columns of microlenses, each row and column comprising at least two microlenses ([0151-0155; 0371-0374]: See column and row of pixel arrays in Fig. 5, 9 and 14A-14B and chip lens formed on the upper layer of the pixel array and a sample of 2 pixels and lenses in Fig. 8-9).
Regarding claim 4, Kageyama discloses the phase detection autofocus pixel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of microlenses are substantially uniform in shape and size ([0151-0155; 0371-0374]: chip lens formed on the upper layer as shown in Fig. 8-9).
Regarding claim 5, Kageyama discloses the phase detection autofocus pixel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light shield associated with a microlens blocks substantially all light transmitted by the associated microlens that would, in absence of the microlens, be collected by the photodiode at a side of said optical axis in said offset direction ([0144-0148; 0153-0154]).
Regarding claim 6, Kageyama discloses the phase detection autofocus pixel in accordance with claim 1, wherein each light shield is formed of a metal ([0113; 0144-0148]).
Regarding claim 7, Kageyama discloses the phase detection autofocus pixel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light shields have substantially the same dimensions, and wherein the light shields are offset by substantially a same distance from the optical axis of their associated microlens (See light shield size/dimension and offset distance to optical axis in Fig. 5, 9 and 14A-14B).
Regarding claim 8, Kageyama discloses the image sensor comprising a pair of phase detection autofocus pixels comprising: a first phase detection autofocus pixel in accordance with claim 1 (See rejection of claim 1 phase detection pixels of Fig. 5 and 14A-B), wherein the light shields of the first phase detection autofocus pixel are each offset from the optical axis of their associated microlens in a first offset direction (See light shielding on left side of each pixels in Fig. 5 and 14A or See light shielding on top of each pixel in Fig 14B), and a second phase detection autofocus pixel in accordance with claim 1 (See rejection of claim 1 phase detection pixels of Fig. 5 and 14A-B), wherein the light shields of the second phase detection autofocus pixel are each offset from the optical axis of their associated microlens in a second offset direction, substantially opposite to the first offset direction (See light shielding on right side of each pixels in Fig. 5 and 14A or See light shielding in bottom of each pixel in Fig 14B).
Regarding claim 11, Kageyama discloses the Use of a phase detection autofocus pixel in accordance with claim 1 for focusing of a camera lens (See the rejection of claim 1; abstract; [0004; 0006; 0176-0177] ).
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 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kageyama in view of Sano (US2017/0150063).
Regarding claim 9, Kageyama fails to explicitly discloses the image sensor in accordance with claim 8, comprising a device configured for comparing a signal generated by the photodiode of the first phase detection autofocus pixel with a signal generated by the photodiode of the second phase detection autofocus pixel.
In an analogous of art, Sano teaches that a defocus amount can be calculated by finding a phase difference phase_dif of the pixel signal of the pair of one side light-shielding pixel and opposite side light-shielding pixel using a correlation operation, and thus, auto-focus can be achieved by adjusting (moving) an imaging forming lens ([0062; 0106; 0160; 0218]). In light of the teaching from Sano, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the phase difference comparison and auto focus system of Sano. The modifications thus provide a means for adjusting (moving) an imaging forming lens based on phase difference comparison (Sano: [0062; 0106; 0160; 0218]).
Regarding claim 10, Kageyama in view of Sano discloses the camera comprising the image sensor in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a camera lens, wherein the camera is configured for moving the camera lens along an optical axis of the camera lens based on said comparing of a signal generated by the photodiode of the first phase detection autofocus pixel with a signal generated by the photodiode of the second phase detection autofocus pixel (Sano: [0106; 0160; 0218]).
Conclusion
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/HUNG H LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639 12/26/25