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`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/347,460
`
`06/14/2021
`
`SANSHIRO SHISHIDO
`
`083710-3421
`
`3485
`
`Rimon PC - Pansonic Corporation
`8300 Greensboro Dr.
`Suite 500
`McLean, VA 22102
`
`SEVEN, EVREN
`
`2812
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`01/12/2024
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOmail@rimonlaw.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/347,460
`SHISHIDO etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`EVREN SEVEN
`2812
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORYPERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensionsof time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 28 December 2023.
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`2a)[¥) This action is FINAL.
`2b) (J This action is non-final.
`3) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)(2) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-3,5-15 and 17-22 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`Claim(s) 5-9,11-17 and 19-22 is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-3,10 and 18 is/are rejected.
`[) Claim(s)__ is/are objectedto.
`C] Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)() The drawing(s) filed on
`is/are: a)C] accepted or b)() objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121(d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12).) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`—_c)LJ None ofthe:
`b)LJ Some**
`a)D) All
`1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`*“ See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`2) (J Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`4)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20240108
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/347,460
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 2
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`Detailed Action
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`The presentapplication,filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
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`inventorto file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Response to Arguments
`
`Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. A detailed
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`explanation follows
`
`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 ina printed publication, or in public use, on sale,
`or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
`
`Claims 1-4 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pat. No.
`
`20080237481 to Zentaietal. (Zentai).
`
`Regarding Claim 1, Zentai teaches an imaging device comprising:
`
`a first pixel; and
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`a second pixel adjacentto the first pixel, wherein each of thefirst pixel and the second
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`pixel includes (see Fig. 4, each TFT is for a single pixel):
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`a first electrode 108a/b;
`
`a second electrode 114 positioned on or abovethefirst electrode and facing the
`
`first electrode;
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/347,460
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 3
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`a top surface of the first charge blocking layer is flat (either side of the “V”
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`shape are considered “atop surface”and areflat); and
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`a first charge-blocking layer (402, may be N or P type to block holesor electrons, [0018])
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`positioned between thefirst electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer, the first charge -blocking
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`layer of the first pixel is separated from thefirst charge-blocking layer of the second pixel, the
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`photoelectric conversion layer is disposed continuously to the first pixel and the second pixel, and an
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`area of the first charge-blocking layer of the first pixel is larger than an area of the first electrode of the
`
`first pixel in plan view (see Fig. 4)).
`
`Regarding Claim 2, Zentai teaches the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein thefirst
`
`electrodeof thefirst pixel is positioned inside the first charge-blocking layer of the first pixel in plan view
`
`(see again Fig. 4).
`
`Regarding Claim 3, Zentai teaches the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein electrical
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`conductivity of the first charge-blocking layer is higher than electrical conductivity of the photoelectric
`
`conversionlayer in each of thefirst pixel and the secondpixel (n or p doped semiconductor vs. the
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`materials listed in [0020]).
`
`Regarding Claim 10, Zentai teaches the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein a portion
`
`of the photoelectric conversion layer is positioned between thefirst charge -blocking layer of the first
`
`pixel and the first charge-blocking layer of the second pixel (see againFig. 4).
`
`Regarding Claim 17, Zentai teaches the imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first
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`electrode is positioned on or below a bottom surface of the photoelectric conversion layer (see Fig. 4).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/347,460
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page 4
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`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 forthin 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.
`
`Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zentaiin viewof U.S. pat.
`
`Pub. No. 20160211392to So etal. (So)
`
`Regarding Claim 18, Zentai teaches the imaging device according to claim 1, but does not
`
`explicitly teach that the first charge-blocking layer contains a doped metal oxide or metal nitride.
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`However, in analogous art, So teaches that a charge blocking layer in a photodetector may be
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`doped nickel oxide [0032].
`
`It would have been obvious to the person of ordinary skill in the art before
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`the time offiling to include the teaching of So because NiO is highly light transmissive as taught by So in
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`the quoted section.
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
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`Claims 5-9, 11-17 and 19-22 are allowed.
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`Reasons for allowance can be found in the prior action and remain valid
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`Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment
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`of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such
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`submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/347,460
`Art Unit: 2812
`
`Page5S
`
`Conclusion
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`THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicantis reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37
`
`CFR 1.136(a).
`
`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing
`
`date of this action.
`
`In the eventa first reply is filed within TWO MONTHSofthe mailing date of this final action and
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`the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTHshortened statutory period, thenthe
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`shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisoryaction is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to
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`37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailingdate of the advisory action.
`
`In no event, however,will the
`
`statutory period forreply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date ofthis final action.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner shouldbe
`
`directed to EVREN SEVEN whose telephone numberis (571)270-5666. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-
`
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`
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`
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`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Charles
`
`Garber can be reached on (571) 272-2194. The fax phone numberfor the organization where this application or
`
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`
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`
`/EVREN SEVEN/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
`
`