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
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) 1-9, 12-18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al., US 2023/0090827.
In regard to claim 1, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses an image sensing device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate (see figure 2, element 202 and para 47);
a first array of photodetectors (see figure 4, element 404) disposed on the substrate at a predefined pitch (see para 54);
a color filter layer (see figure 6, element 604 and 8A) disposed over the photodetectors and comprising a matrix of red, green, and blue regions, each region overlying a respective group of the photodetectors (see para 72 and 84-86); and
a second array of microlenses (see figures 5A-C and 8A-B) disposed over the color filter layer (see para 33-34 and 57-67) and comprising:
first microlenses (see figure 8A, element 808a-b) having a first transverse dimension no greater than the pitch disposed respectively over all the photodetectors within the green regions (see para 89); and
second microlenses (see figure 8A, elements 806a-b) having a second transverse dimension greater than the pitch disposed over at least some of the photodetectors within the red and blue regions, each second microlens being configured to focus light onto two or more of the photodetectors in the respective group (see para 88).
In regard to claim 2, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device according to claim 1, wherein the two or more of the photodetectors (see figure 8A, elements 804a-b or 804c-d) onto which the second microlenses focus the light define phase detection autofocus (PDAF) pixels (see para 56, 86, and 92).
In regard to claim 3, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses an imaging apparatus, comprising:
the device according to claim 2 (see claim 2 above);
objective optics (see figure 2, element 204) configured to image a target onto the device (see para 47);
an autofocus mechanism (see figure 2, element 206) configured to adjust a focal property of the objective optics (see para 50); and
a controller (see figure 12, element 1204) configured to drive the autofocus mechanism responsively to signals output by the PDAF pixels (see para 56 and 108).
In regard to claim 4, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to reconstruct a full-color image based on signals output by the photodetectors by first computing a green image by interpolating the signals of the photodetectors in the green regions over the red and blue regions and then computing red and blue images by interpolating the signals of the photodetectors in the red and blue regions using the green image (see para 105-107).
In regard to claim 5, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device according to claim 1, wherein the second transverse dimension is twice the pitch (see figure 8A).
In regard to claim 6, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device according to claim 5, wherein each of at least some of the second microlenses is configured to focus the light onto a respective 1x2 set of the photodetectors (see figure 8a, element 806a or 806b).
In regard to claim 7, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device according to claim 6, wherein for some of the second microlenses, the respective 1x2 set of the photodetectors is disposed along a row of the array, while for others of the second microlenses, the respective 1x2 set of the photodetectors is disposed along a column of the array (see figure 9C).
In regard to claim 8, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device according to claim 5, wherein each of at least some of the second microlenses is configured to focus the light onto a respective 2x2 set of the photodetectors (see figure 8B).
In regard to claim 9, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device according to claim 1, wherein the second microlenses are disposed over all the photodetectors within the red and blue regions (see figure 8b).
In regard to claim 12, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device according to claim 1, wherein within one or more of the red or blue regions, the color filter layer comprises filters over some of the photodetectors of a color other than red or blue (see figure 10A).
In regard to claim 13, since Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device and its operations as described above in regard to claim 1 above, the method of claim 13 is also disclosed (see claim 1 above).
In regard to claim 14, since Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device and its operations as described above in regard to claim 1 above, the method of claim 14 is also disclosed (see claim 1 above).
In regard to claim 15, Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the method according to claim 14, and comprising:
imaging a target onto the photodetectors in the first array using objective optics (see para 47); and
driving an autofocus mechanism to adjust a focal property of the objective optics responsively to signals output by the PDAF pixels (see para 50, 56, and 108).
In regard to claim 16, since Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device and its operations as described above in regard to claim 4 above, the method of claim 16 is also disclosed (see claim 4 above).
In regard to claim 17, since Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device and its operations as described above in regard to claim 5 above, the method of claim 17 is also disclosed (see claim 5 above).
In regard to claim 18, since Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device and its operations as described above in regard to claim 9 above, the method of claim 18 is also disclosed (see claim 6 above).
In regard to claim 20, since Li et al., US 2023/0090827, discloses the device and its operations as described above in regard to claim 12 above, the method of claim 20 is also disclosed (see claim 12 above).
Claim(s) 1, 10, 11, 13, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jang, US 2023/0232136.
In regard to claim 1, Jang, US 2023/0232136, discloses an image sensing device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate (see figure 2, element PA and para 45-47);
a first array of photodetectors (see figure 3, element PA1) disposed on the substrate at a predefined pitch (see para 51-54);
a color filter layer (see figure 4, element CF) disposed over the photodetectors and comprising a matrix of red, green, and blue regions, each region overlying a respective group of the photodetectors (see figure 3 and para 58-61); and
a second array of microlenses (see figure 4, element ML) disposed over the color filter layer (see para 58-63) and comprising:
first microlenses (see figure 3, element ML1) having a first transverse dimension no greater than the pitch disposed respectively over all the photodetectors within the green regions (see para 59-62); and
second microlenses (see figure 3, elements ML2) having a second transverse dimension greater than the pitch disposed over at least some of the photodetectors within the red and blue regions, each second microlens being configured to focus light onto two or more of the photodetectors in the respective group (see para 59-62).
In regard to claim 10, Jang, US 2023/0232136, discloses the device according to claim 1, wherein the second microlenses are disposed over only a first subset of the photodetectors within the red and blue regions, while the first microlenses are also disposed over a second subset of the photodetectors within the red and blue regions (see figure 3).
In regard to claim 11, Jang, US 2023/0232136, discloses the device according to claim 1, wherein the respective group of the photodetectors that is overlain by each of the red, green, and blue regions comprises a 4x4 set of the photodetectors (see figure 3).
In regard to claim 13, since Jang, US 2023/0232136, discloses the device and its operations as described above in regard to claim 1 above, the method of claim 13 is also disclosed (see claim 1 above).
In regard to claim 19, since Jang, US 2023/0232136, discloses the device and its operations as described above in regard to claim 10 above, the method of claim 19 is also disclosed (see claim 10 above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2021/0185286, discloses an imaging device with elongated microlenses. US 2017/0094210, discloses an imaging device with microlenses that cover multiple pixels. US 11,563,910, discloses an imaging device with PDAF pixels.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lin Ye can be reached at 571-272-7372. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GEVELL V SELBY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2638
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