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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
`
`17/370,012
`
`07/08/2021
`
`SHOTA YAMADA
`
`083710-3448
`
`4810
`
`Rimon PC - Panasonic Corporation
`8300 Greensboro Dr.
`Suite 500
`McLean, VA 22102
`
`HRNJIC, ADIN
`
`2817
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`08/15/2024
`
`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
`
`eofficeaction @appcoll.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/370,012
`YAMADAetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`ADIN HRNJIC
`2817
`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 06/13/2024.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)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*
`1-17 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) 8-13 and 15-16 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`() Claim(s)__is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-5,14 and 17 is/are rejected.
`)
`Claim(s) 6-7 is/are objectedto.
`(J Claim(s
`are subject to 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)C) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)) The drawing(s) filed on 07/08/2021 is/are: a)’ accepted or b)C) 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)¥) 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)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`4)
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date07/08/2021and04/08/2022.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20240715
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/370,012
`Art Unit: 2817
`
`Page 2
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`Detailed Action
`
`This office action is in response to the response to election/restriction filed on June 13*, 2024.
`
`Claims 1-17 are pending. Claims 8-12 and 15-16 are withdrawn.
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA orAIA Status
`
`The present application,filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under thefirst
`
`inventorto file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Election/Restrictions
`
`Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A and Species Cin the reply filed on June 13*,
`
`2024 is acknowledged.
`
`Applicant’s election of Species A and Species C in the reply filed on June 13*, 2024is
`
`acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the
`
`restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP §
`
`818.01(a)).
`
`Claims 8-12 and 15-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as
`
`being drawn to anonelected species, there being no allowable generic orlinking claim. Election was
`
`made without traverse inthe reply filed on June 13*, 2024.
`
`Claim 13 also contains subject matter drawn to a nonelected species. Claim 13 recites “the bias
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`voltage to be applied to the photoelectric conversion layer by supplying the first voltage to the first
`
`electrodefalls within the first voltage range, andthe bias voltage to be applied to the photoelectric
`
`conversion layer by supplying the second voltage to thefirst electrode falls within the second voltage
`
`range” which applies to a nonelected species B.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/370,012
`Art Unit: 2817
`
`Page 3
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`Claim 13 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to
`
`a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic orlinking claim. Election was made without
`
`traverse in the reply filed on June 13*, 2024.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`Inthe 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-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory
`
`basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AlA) 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 paragraphsof 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 effectivefiling date of the claimed invention.
`
`Claims 1, 3-4, 14 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakata et
`
`al. (WO 2018/025545 A1; hereinafter Nakata).
`
`Regarding Claim 1, Nakata(figs. 1-3 and 6) teaches:
`
`e Animaging device ([0031], 101) comprising:
`
`e
`
`e
`
`e
`
`®
`
`oneor more pixels ([0032], 14), each of the one or morepixels (14) including
`
`a photoelectric converter ([0032], 10) including
`
`a first electrode ([0032], 52),
`
`asecond electrode ([0032], 50),
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/370,012
`Art Unit: 2817
`
`Page 4
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`a photoelectric conversion layer ([0032], 51, [0062], 511, 512) that is located between
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`the first electrode (52) and the second electrode (50), and that converts incident light
`
`into a signal charge ([0038], charges generated by 51), and
`
`a blocking layer ([0063], 515) that is located between the photoelectric conversion layer
`
`(51) and the second electrode (50); and
`
`a charge accumulation region ([0038], 24, 25) that is coupled to the second electrode
`
`(50), and that accumulates the signal charge ([0038]), wherein
`
`an energy barrier of the blocking layer (515) against migration of a charge having an
`
`opposite polarity to a polarity of the signal charge ([0087], electron blocking layer when
`
`holes are collected) from the second electrode (50) to the photoelectric conversion
`
`layer (511, 512)is larger than or equal to 1.8 eV (seefig. 6), and
`
`an energybarrier of the blocking layer (515) against migration of the charge from the
`
`photoelectric conversion layer (511, 512) to the second electrodeis (50) smaller than or
`
`equal to 1.6 eV (seefig. 6).
`
`Regarding Claim 3, Nakata(figs. 1-3 and 6) teaches the signal charge is a hole ([0087]), an
`
`electron affinity ([0085]-[0088]) of the blocking layer (515) is smaller (2.2 is smaller than 5,seefig. 6)
`
`than a workfunction of the second electrode (50) and a difference between the electronaffinity of the
`
`blocking layer (515) and the work function of the second electrode (50) is larger thanor equal to 1.8 eV
`
`(see fig. 6), and the electron affinity of the blocking layer (515) is smaller (2.2 is smaller than 3.15, see
`
`fig. 6) than an electronaffinity of the photoelectric conversion layer (511, 512) and a difference
`
`between the electronaffinity of the blocking layer (515) and the electron affinity of the photoelectric
`
`conversionlayer (511, 512) is smaller than or equal to 1.6 eV (see fig. 6).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/370,012
`Art Unit: 2817
`
`Page5S
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`Regarding Claim 4, Nakata (figs. 1-3 and 6) teaches an ionization potential ([0085]-[0088]) of
`
`the blocking layer (515)is larger (5.5 is larger than 5.35, seefig. 6) than an ionization potential of the
`
`photoelectric conversion layer (511, 512).
`
`Regarding Claim 14, Nakata(figs. 1-3 and 6) teaches the one or morepixels (14) include a
`
`plurality of pixels (14) arrangedina matrix (seefig. 1), and the first electrode (52) of eachof the
`
`plurality of pixels (14) is continuous to each other ([0099], seefig. 9).
`
`Regarding Claim 17, Nakata(figs. 1-3 and 6) teaches a semiconductorsubstrate ([0047], 31),
`
`wherein each of the one or more pixels (14) includes an amplification transistor ([0032], 11) including a
`
`gate ([0038], [0049], 39B) coupled to the second electrode (50), the charge accumulation region (24, 25)
`
`includes the gate (39B), and the gate (39B)is not coupled {[0049], 38B in between 39B and 31) tothe
`
`semiconductor substrate (31).
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`Inthe 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-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory
`
`basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AlA) 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 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 claimedinvention 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
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/370,012
`Art Unit: 2817
`
`Page 6
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`claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention
`was made.
`
`Claims 2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakata, as applied
`
`in Claims 1 and 3, and further in view of Tashiro (2018/0152652 A1; hereinafter Tashiro).
`
`Regarding Claim 2, Nakata (figs. 1-3 and 6) teachesa voltage supplycircuit {([0101], 60),
`
`wherein the voltage supply circuit (60) supplies a first voltage ([0101], VL) to the first electrode (52) ina
`
`first period {[0101], first frame) to accumulate the signal charge from the photoelectric converter (10)in
`
`the charge accumulation region (24, 25), and supplies a second voltage ([0101], VH) being different
`
`([0101], VH > VL) from the first voltage (VL) to the first electrode (52) in asecond period ([0101], second
`
`frame).
`
`Nakata doesn’t explicitly teach that supplying the second voltage resets the signal charge
`
`accumulated in the charge accumulation region.
`
`However, Tashiro (fig. 14) teaches supplying the second voltage ([0069], V3) being different
`
`from thefirst voltage ([0062], V1) to thefirst electrode ([0062], 101) in asecond period (t4 to t5, see
`
`fig. 8) to reset the signal charge accumulated in the charge accumulation region ([0069], [0137]).
`
`Tashiro also teachesthat this approach is capable of reducing the circuit area of the pixel since the reset
`
`transistor may be omitted ([0137]).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to combine the imaging device of Nakata to include the voltage
`
`application of Tashiro to reducecircuit pixel size.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/370,012
`Art Unit: 2817
`
`Page 7
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`Regarding Claim 5, Nakata (figs. 1-3 and 6) teachesa voltage supplycircuit ([0101], 60),
`
`wherein the voltage supply circuit (60) supplies a first voltage {[0101], VH) to the first electrode (52) ina
`
`first period {[0101], first frame) to accumulate the signal charge from the photoelectric converter (10)in
`
`the charge accumulation region (24, 25), and supplies a second voltage ([0101], VL) being smaller
`
`([0101], VH > VL) than the first voltage (VH) to the first electrode (52) in a second period ([0101],
`
`second frame).
`
`Nakata doesn’t explicitly teach that supplying the second voltage resets the signal charge
`
`accumulated in the charge accumulation region.
`
`However, Tashiro (fig. 14) teaches supplying the second voltage ([0069], V3) being smallerthan
`
`the first voltage ([0062], V1, the given exampleis for an electron signal charge and the relationship
`
`between V1 and V3 would be opposite) tothe first electrode ([0062], 101) in a second period (t4 to t5,
`
`seefig. 8) to reset the signal charge accumulated in the charge accumulation region {[0069], [0137]).
`
`Tashiro also teaches that this approach is capable of reducing the circuit area of the pixel since the reset
`
`transistor may be omitted ([0137]).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to combine the imaging device of Nakata to include the voltage
`
`application of Tashiro to reducecircuit pixel size.
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`Claims 6-7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be
`
`allowable if rewrittenin independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any
`
`intervening claims.
`
`The following isa statement of reasonsfor the indication of allowable subject matter. None of
`
`the references cited teach or render obvious the limitation recited in Claim 6 wherein “a semiconductor
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/370,012
`Art Unit: 2817
`
`Page 8
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`substrate provided with the charge accumulation region, wherein a third voltage is supplied to the
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`semiconductor substrate inthe first period, and a fourth voltage being different from the third voltage is
`
`supplied to the semiconductor substrate in the second period”.
`
`Conclusion
`
`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
`
`should be directed to ADIN HRNJIC whose telephone number is (571)270-1794. The examiner can
`
`normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
`
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`
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`
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`
`If attempts to reachthe examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
`
`Kretelia Graham can be reached on (571) 272-5055. The fax phone number for the organization where
`
`this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/370,012
`Art Unit: 2817
`
`/A.H./
`Examiner,Art Unit 2817
`/NICHOLASJ TOBERGTE/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
`
`Page9
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`