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 lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claims 1-3, 6, 7, 9-14 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 111308690.
As to claims 1 and 12, CN 111308690 discloses the claimed subject matter, including a meta-lens array including a plurality of meta-lenses (§§8-10: "one optical super lens array … the optical metalens array"); an image sensor configured to obtain images using the meta-lens array (§8, 12: "the detector acquires four-dimensional light field information", abstract); at least one memory (§18: "the integrated circuit control system [… ] store video images") ; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory (§8, 12, 18: "an integrated control system"), wherein the at least one processor is configured to: obtain image data for a scene from the image sensor, wherein the image data includes image information for a plurality of sub-images (§60, 63: "After acquiring multi- channel raw image data through the integrated control system, the light field image needs to be preprocessed first, including [… ] sub-image extraction") ; determine depth information for the scene based on the image information for the plurality of sub-images (§63: "The 3D reconstruction algorithm takes super-resolution images from different perspectives as input, extracts image feature points for matching and registration, obtains the depth map of the target area"); and output information based on the determined depth information (§18: "the integrated circuit control system is used to control the endoscopic light field camera, the light source and the light field image intelligent processing system to shoot the observed target, store video images, and transmit the collected image data to a computer", wherein the image data collected by the integrated circuit control system includes the data obtained by the 3D reconstruction algorithm, see §63, which is based on or includes depth map).
As to claims 2, 3, 13, and 14, the claimed limitations are disclosed by CN 111308690 (§16 "The microstructure includes a plurality of nanometer-scale or submicrometer-scale cylinders").
As to claims 6, 7, 9, 11, 17-19, the claimed limitations are disclosed by CN 111308690 (§63 "sub-image extraction [...] a two-dimensional image of multiple viewing angles [...] depth map").
As to claims 10 and 20, the claimed limitation is disclosed by CN 111308690 (Fig. 3(a) or 3(b), detector 10).
Claims 1-7, 9, 11-14 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin (“Achromatic metalens array for full-colour light-field imaging”, nature nanotechnology).
As to claims 1 and 12, Lin discloses the claimed subject matter, including a meta-lens array including a plurality of meta-lenses (p.1 paragraphs 1 and 2); an image sensor configured to obtain images using the meta-lens array (p.1, paragraphs 1 and 2); at least one memory (p.1, paragraphs 3 and 4) ; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory (p.1, paragraphs 3 and 4), wherein the at least one processor is configured to: obtain image data for a scene from the image sensor, wherein the image data includes image information for a plurality of sub-images; determine depth information for the scene based on the image information for the plurality of sub-images; and output information based on the determined depth information (p. 1, "Lin et al. constructed an metalens array of 60 X 60 achromatic metalenses to demonstrate a full color light-field camera [ …] Based on a compact planar achromatic metalens array, the light field camera captures light field images [...]. Each metalens captures a portion of the light field image [...] one can finally achieve [ …] estimated depth map corresponding to image (Figures 3d-f). " ).
As to claims 2, 3, 13, and 14, the claimed limitations are disclosed by Lin (p. 1 paragraph 1, Fig. 1d, “Metalens made of GaN nanopillars".
As to claims 4, 5 and 15-16, the claimed limitations are disclosed by Lin (Fig. 2(a) and paragraphs 3-6 bridging the two columns which discloses, as achromatic metalenses stacked multilayered metasurfaces, wherein "The multilayered metalens consist of three- layer closely stacked metallic disc-shaped nanoparticles made of different materials", with "a distance of 200 nm between layers").
As to claims 6, 7, 9, 11, 17-19, the claimed limitations are disclosed by Lin (p.1 paragraphs 2-4, “Each metalens captures a portion of the light field image [...] captures light field images [...] estimated depth map").
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.
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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 111308690 or Lin (“Achromatic metalens array for full-colour light-field imaging”, nature nanotechnology) in view of WO 2022262640.
CN 111308690 or Lin does not show the image sensor is disposed on a first substrate layer, wherein the at least one processor is disposed on a second substrate layer, and wherein the first substrate layer is coupled to the second substrate layer in a stacked wafer. WO 2022262640 discloses the first substrate layer including the image sensor is coupled to the second substrate layer including the processor in a stacked wafer (§54 and fig. 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify CN 111308690 or Lin by stacking a first layer comprising an image sensor and optical metasurfaces, and a second layer comprising a processor unit as taught by WO 2022262640 in order to improve sensor's signal-to-noise ratio, photosensitivity, and signal processing efficiency.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tsai (US 20200225386 A1) discloses a metalens for light field imaging.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sherrie Hsia whose telephone number is (571)272-7347.
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, John Miller can be reached at 571-272-7353.
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.
Any response to this action should be mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Or faxed to:
(571) 273-8300
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the Customer Service Office whose telephone number is 571-272-1000.
/SHERRIE HSIA/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2422
SH
June 27, 2026
Prosecution Insights