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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakurano et al., US 2021/0270939.
In regard to claim 1, Sakurano et al., US 2021/0270939, discloses a light-receiving element comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein
each of the plurality of pixels (see figures 2, 8, and 9, element 21 and para 36 and 69) includes
a sensing circuit (see figure 8, element R (R0-R15)) that allows detection of incidence of a photon (see para 32, 69-72, and 76), and
a counter circuit (seer figure 8, element TFF (TFF0-TFF15)) that counts a pulse output from the sensing circuit (see para 36-40 and 69-73), and
in a first mode, at least one first counter circuit among a plurality of counter circuits included in the plurality of pixels counts on a basis of an output value of a second counter circuit different from the first counter circuit among the plurality of counter circuits (see para 66-67 and 78-86).
In regard to claim 2, Sakurano et al., US 2021/0270939, discloses the light-receiving element according to claim 1, wherein, in a second mode, the first counter circuit counts a pulse signal of a first sensing circuit corresponding among a plurality of the sensing circuits included in the plurality of pixels (see para 66).
In regard to claim 22, Sakurano et al., US 2021/0270939, discloses an electronic apparatus comprising:
the light-receiving element according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above); and
an optical system (see figure 1, element 13 and 14) that supplies return light to the light-receiving element (see para 25-30).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-21 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 11,856,302, discloses an imaging device with multiple in-pixel counters. US 2023/0142762, discloses an imaging system with a plurality of counter that count pulses. US 2023/0124286, discloses an image sensor with high speed photon counters.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GEVELL V SELBY whose telephone number is (571)272-7369. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6 AM - 3:30 PM; Friday 6-10 AM.
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/GEVELL V SELBY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2638
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