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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species A and A1 in the reply filed on 1/15/2026 is acknowledged.
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) 1-3 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 9,437,629 to Davids.
Regarding claims 1-3, Davids teaches a photoelectric conversion device comprising
An emitter electrode 202 that receives incident light having a predetermined wavelength and emits electrons (Figs. 2, 3, C2/L52-58, C3/L19-35, C3/L42-53, C4/L4-17)
An anode electrode (not shown) that absorbs the electrons (C3/L3-7, C4/L51-52)
An insulator 310 that supports the emitter electrode 202 and the anode electrode (C4/L29-36)
A fixed charge portion 204 (204 is doped with ions in an embodiment to aid with conduction, C3/L53-63, C6/L7-20) that generates an electric field for giving the electrons a potential to help to jump out of from the emitter electrode 202 and move toward the anode electrode (C3/L19-35, C5/L19-31).
Per claims 2 and 3, Davids teaches the limitations of claim 2. The fixed charge portion 204 is formed on the insulator (204 is on a lower side of the insulator 310 in the frame of Fig. 3), or at a predetermined position in the insulator (204 extends into insulator 310 in an upwards direction in the frame of Fig. 3).
The predetermined position is on the path between the emitter electrode 202 and the anode electrode (Fig. 3, the fixed charge portion 204 extends into insulator 310 to intercede between the portions 302, 304, 306 of the emitter electrode 202 and the anode electrode associated with 311).
Regarding claim 9, Davids teaches a method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device including
An emitter electrode 202 that receives incident light having a predetermined wavelength and emits electrons (Figs. 2, 3, C2/L52-58, C3/L19-35, C3/L42-53, C4/L4-17)
An anode electrode (not shown) that absorbs the electrons (C3/L3-7, C4/L51-52)
An insulator 310 that supports the emitter electrode 202 and the anode electrode (C4/L29-36)
Wherein the method comprises
Forming a fixed charge portion 204 (204 is doped with ions in an embodiment to aid with conduction, C3/L19-35, C3/L53-63, C6/L7-20, C5/L19-31)
Forming the emitter electrode 202 and the anode electrode in such a manner that the fixed charge portion is positioned on the path between the position where the emitter electrode 202 is formed and the position where the anode electrode is formed (Fig. 3, the fixed charge portion 204 extends into insulator 310 to intercede between the portions 302, 304, 306 of the emitter electrode 202 and the anode electrode associated with 311).
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claim(s) 4, 5, and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davids, and further in view of US 8,115,683 to Stefanakos.
Regarding claim 4, 5, and 7, Davids teaches a photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above). Davids teaches that the device of that invention is a rectenna that converts infrared energy to electrical energy (C1/L48-52, C3/L22-28, C4/L5-17, C4/L59-C5/L5). Davids does not specifically teach a photovoltaic device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of photoelectric conversion devices are coupled in series, in parallel, or in series and parallel.
Stefanakos teaches a photovoltaic device (Fig. 13) comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices as photoelectric conversion layers, wherein the plurality of devices are configured to convert light of different polarization (C3/L66-C4/L4, C13/L9-47). Therefore it would have been obvious as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a person having ordinary skill in the art to form a photovoltaic device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices according to claim 1 in order to convert different light polarities. Stefanakos teaches that it would have been obvious as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a person having ordinary skill in the art to form such a plurality of devices are connected in series and/or parallel in order to form a useful setup (C10/L63-C11/L14). The use of a known technique to improve similar devices (methods or products) in the same way is likely to be obvious. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, USPQ2d 1385, 1395 – 97 (2007) (see MPEP § 2143, C.).
Regarding claim 5, Davids teaches a photoelectric conversion layer including
An emitter electrode 202 that receives incident light having a predetermined wavelength and emits electrons (Figs. 2, 3, C2/L52-58, C3/L19-35, C3/L42-53, C4/L4-17)
An anode electrode (not shown) that absorbs the electrons (C3/L3-7, C4/L51-52)
An insulator 310 that supports the emitter electrode 202 and the anode electrode (C4/L29-36)
A fixed charge portion 204 (204 is doped with ions in an embodiment to aid with conduction, C3/L53-63, C6/L7-20) that generates an electric field for giving the electrons a potential to help to jump out of from the emitter electrode 202 and move toward the anode electrode (C3/L19-35, C5/L19-31).
Davids teaches that the device of that invention is a rectenna that converts infrared energy to electrical energy (C1/L48-52, C3/L22-28, C4/L5-17, C4/L59-C5/L5), and that the dimensions, shape, and configuration emitter electrodes affects the predetermined wavelength and polarization that is captured by a photoelectric conversion layer (Fig. 4, C4/L4-21, C4/L37-46, C5/L6-17). Davids does not specifically teach a photoelectric conversion device comprising a plurality of such photoelectric conversion layers, wherein a length of emitter electrode is set in such a manner that the predetermined wavelength is different for each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion layers.
Stefanakos teaches a photovoltaic device (Fig. 13) comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices as photoelectric conversion layers, wherein the plurality of devices are configured to convert light of different polarization and wavelength (C3/L66-C4/L4, C13/L9-47). Therefore it would have been obvious as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a person having ordinary skill in the art to form a photoelectric conversion device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion layers according to Davids’ teachings, a length of the emitter electrode of a photoelectric conversion layer set in such a manner that the predetermined wavelength is different for each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion layers, in order to convert different light polarities and wavelength.
Regarding claim 7, Davids teaches a photoelectric conversion layer including
An emitter electrode 202 that receives incident light having a predetermined wavelength and emits electrons (Figs. 2, 3, C2/L52-58, C3/L19-35, C3/L42-53, C4/L4-17)
An anode electrode (not shown) that absorbs the electrons (C3/L3-7, C4/L51-52)
An insulator 310 that supports the emitter electrode 202 and the anode electrode (C4/L29-36)
A fixed charge portion 204 (204 is doped with ions in an embodiment to aid with conduction, C3/L53-63, C6/L7-20) that generates an electric field for giving the electrons a potential to help to jump out of from the emitter electrode 202 and move toward the anode electrode (C3/L19-35, C5/L19-31).
Davids teaches that the device of that invention is a rectenna that converts infrared energy to electrical energy (C1/L48-52, C3/L22-28, C4/L5-17, C4/L59-C5/L5), and that the dimensions, shape, and configuration emitter electrodes affects the polarization that is captured by a photoelectric conversion layer (Fig. 4, C4/L4-21, C4/L37-46, C5/L6-17). Davids does not specifically teach a photoelectric conversion device comprising a plurality of such photoelectric conversion layers, wherein an orientation of respective emitter electrodes is set corresponding to a polarization plane of the incident light to be received, different for each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion layers.
Stefanakos teaches a photovoltaic device (Fig. 13) comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices as photoelectric conversion layers, wherein the plurality of devices are configured to convert light of different polarization (C3/L66-C4/L4, C13/L9-47). Therefore it would have been obvious as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a person having ordinary skill in the art to form a photoelectric conversion device comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion layers according to Davids’ teachings, an orientation of an emitter electrode of a photoelectric conversion layer set corresponding to a polarization plane of the incident light to be received in order to convert different light polarities.
Claim(s) 6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davids and Stefanakos, and further in view of US 2013/0146117 to Brady.
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Davids and Stefanakos renders the photoelectronic conversion device according to claim 5 obvious (see rejection of claim 5 above), but the combination of those references does not teach a plurality of such photoelectric conversion devices coupled in series and/or parallel. Brady that it would have been obvious as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a person having ordinary skill in the art to compile a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices (similar to subarray 405 of Fig. 4) and couple them in series in order to provide power to an electrical circuit (¶0034, 0035).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Davids and Stefanakos renders the photoelectronic conversion device according to claim 7 obvious (see rejection of claim 7 above), but the combination of those references does not teach a plurality of such photoelectric conversion devices coupled in series and/or parallel. Brady that it would have been obvious as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention for a person having ordinary skill in the art to compile a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices (similar to subarray 405 of Fig. 4) and couple them in series in order to provide power to an electrical circuit (¶0034, 0035).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ryan S Cannon whose telephone number is (571)270-7186. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30am-5:30pm PST.
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Ryan S. Cannon
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1726
/RYAN S CANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726