Ex Parte Chen et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Aug 24, 2016

12940756 (P.T.A.B. Aug. 24, 2016)

UNITED STA TES p A TENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE
12/940,756 11/05/2010
60601 7590 08/25/2016
Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe, P,C,
4000 Legato Road
Suite 310
FAIRFAX, VA 22033
FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
Hao-Min CHEN
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www .uspto.gov
ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
094l/2480PUS1 8201
EXAMINER
LE,TUANH
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
2662
MAILDATE DELIVERY MODE
08/25/2016 PAPER
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.
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte HAO-MIN CHEN, CHEN-WEI LU, and CHIH-KUNG CHANG
Appeal2015-004202
Application 12/940,756
Technology Center 2600
Before THU A. DANG, TERRENCE W. McMILLIN, and
STACY B. MARGOLIES, Administrative Patent Judges.
DANG, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
I. STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Appellants appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) of the Examiner's Final
Rejection of claims 1-3, 5, 7-12, 14--18, and 20, which are all of the pending
claims. Claims 4, 6, 13, and 19 have been canceled. We have jurisdiction
under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b).
We reverse.
A. THE INVENTION
According to Appellants, the invention "relates to a color filter of an
illumination image sensor," and in particular, "to a light shield portion of a
color filter of an illumination image sensor" (Spec. i-f 1 ).
Appeal2015-004202
Application 12/940,756
B. ILLUSTRATIVE CLAIM
Claim 1 is exemplary:
1. A color filter of an illumination image sensor, comprising:
a light shield portion constructed by grid photoresist patterns,
wherein the light shield portion covers a periphery region of an
illumination image sensor chip, wherein the grid photoresist patterns
are arranged in an array, and wherein the two adjacent grid photoresist
patterns are separated from each other by a gap.
C. REJECTIONS
The prior art relied upon by the Examiner in rejecting the claims on
appeal is:
Hsu US 2007 /0087467 Al Apr. 19, 2007
Otsuka US 2009/0303359 Al Dec. 10, 2009
Claims 1-3, 5, 7-12, 14--18, and 20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C.
§ 103(a) as being unpatentable over Hsu and Otsuka.
II. ISSUE
The issue before us is whether the Examiner erred in finding the
combination of Hsu and Otsuka teaches or would have suggested "a light
shield portion constructed by grid photoresist patterns" that "covers a
periphery region of an illumination image sensor chip" (claim 1, emphasis
added).
III. FINDINGS OF FACT
The following Findings of Fact (FF) are shown by a preponderance of
the evidence.
2
Appeal2015-004202
Application 12/940,756
Hsu
Hsu discloses an image sensor device, wherein Figure 7 is reproduced
below:
".' "'' • ~ ••• • ~U ''' • .. , ' ' ' ~ • ' '' H'" •>• ~,.,,,, .. ~, ,. ••'•' "• .. •'' .... •'•''-• .. •' ',, .~.' , ... ••' ' .... ~' ... ... ~· .... ~~ ....... ~· .... ~·~ ... ,~ ... ,~ ~·· ~•h''"'"
~' . ., .. , .. , .. ·.·. ,,, '' .. , . ~ .. ., •... ". ,, ,. ·~· ... ~·
'"'"~''''"'~ "" ••'•' ,,,. """''''"'' .... • u ,,,., .•• -~ •••
',' ::.:.·, ·.·.:- .'"..:."... ".".\'} ::.:.·, ·:~·-·:·:.. ·, ·.~-· ::.:.·. ·.·~}}.; ........ ·~~~} !, ·:.~~·.'
"'"'"'H•~~·••1,,••••''"' •• , • , •••• c • ..... ,,, ••• ,• '"' ••
• > ... •-'"H' ·~"'~-·Oh ~•>h O~
~-;;:~~·:··~?::~~·:·::·:\ .. ;;:.-:~·:·:· . ,,, ' ....... ~ "'. , .. ,, ' .. .
;:.:;.~; ,".,,';_;_.c,",,','.,,',"_; ,"",",,';,:: .".,"..,',".:.",'.,,':.,:.::,',.~""..'t . .",",-.,,': .• , • ••, •• ''' .• • "'"; • "' r.••"' .•• • • • .· •• •• ,., .••"' t.•• ''' .•• • : .. :::-;,',,','r".:.:;~--..·/,.":",'',,",'.: :,"..,',',"_.
,,., ''' ,.,,,,, oU• ''' •"<,•>> •'•'''' ~'' ''h U'~ •h #'#' •••<'#' "''' #',• ' '' <#'•,• •H Ho#',,'''•"<,••>•"#'•''
:., ., '.') ....... ~ ·.~ ... -..,·, ·. '.') ... -·;;.: ,' .. · .. :, ·;,·· ;".., · .. ::.:: ,',: .·-...::;,;,· .... ·.::.· ... ·:.:: -~ -. ·.·:.: ,'.', ·.·.::: .· .... ·.·: ;;-. ·:.; . .-.· .. · ... :: ~---_.-,·::.:~~ ..-::.:: ;-,; .. ··,-.. ·.~~· .......... ~·· ·~ ·.:: ;;;·' ':; :~· ..... ·~ ·.:; ..... ·:.:
:~::~::f8:::~~l:~z::;;:E~~~:;t:i:~~~±~:~±:~:~(:~I5~~:~YY{:D:1~:~E~~::::§:S:t:l~~:~:n:~~::11z::%Y~s:~ -- ---~' w2
•• , ...... -............ -..................... - ............................................. h .......... -,-, •• , ...... - ............ - ............. ,-, ..... ..
n ''' n .,., ~n• "'" n .,, n.•••" ''·"' n ~n· ••• '" ''•''·" "'"'" '" '••• ''' '·"" , ....... ''•'"" ''' •''" ''" "°'°'"'" '"''·"''' •''" '"•''" ''" n ''' n •• ·: .. _.;; : ... _._ ·: .. :: ·.: ·: .. :_· .. ·~· ;·:-. ..... ·~·.'.'".'..'. ·_: ;·;.:: .. _.; :· ...... ·_:·;·;.-.. ·.::·.'.'. · .. ·.: ;·. '.. '. · .. ::.: :·. '.. ':::·;·. '.".·.: ;·; ..... ::::.·. ·.··_; ;·. '..'. ·.::·.'.'. ..._ ·.: ;· ....... ·_;;·;::::·: ;· ...... _.. :·:.".·~·:·: .... · ..·;
''''~~··••• H .. "'' H_,. ••• 0 .-.o,.-.-o ''' ,..,., ... , .. ,, ''' '"''' ,,.,, .. _,.,., .. , 0 ''' _,.,_ "'' '' ''- _,.," ''' '' ,.,,.,''°'a'"'.-.-'""''"''•••#"-'•••#"-''' .................... ., .................. · ..... ' .... ·.-. .... · ....... ''• .. · ...... -..... ... ... . .. .. .. " ....... · .... " ..... -~ ...... · .... .
'"" d H• •' "'''' n •••. '·"'" ~ • "'••'·" • "'' •-• ••• '' ''' ,.,. "' '' "'" •''" .,,,. ''' n ''" •'·"'" •'• n ''' '' • ''' '·" '" •'·"''"'n.• ''' ~• "'' "' • ...,, ' :·: ·:: \:~ -.::: •. \:-::·:: ·: \::;:·:.: :-:~:·: ·":':.:· ~-:·:·.'.."; ;.>::·:· ~·-.. :.: ~·.':::. :-:·: ·:·:.·:·: ~·':"//::·:~·.'..';-:-:·:·:·::; :-:·:·.'·':-:. ~~· .... \:. :-::: ·:.'--.. :·:·:·:·:~·>: ~ ·":":Y::· ... '"i·:~:·:·::··:-:.: ~ ... ;:, :~:~ .;; :~:·: ·":
FIG. 7
Figure 7 shows a light shielding layer 702 comprising a black
photoresist formed over a color filter photoresist 704 to cover peripheral area
706 of the image sensor (i-fi-f 28-29).
IV. ANALYSIS
According to Appellants, although the Examiner relies on Hsu for
disclosing "color filter photoresists of red, green and blue colors [that] make
up a portion of the portion corresponding to the peripheral area" and thus
disclosing the claimed "light shield portion" (App. Br. 5), Appellants
contend "Hsu, however, does not teach or suggest that the color filter
photoresist has any portion covering the peripheral area 706 of the image
sensor" (App. Br. 7, emphasis omitted).
3
Appeal2015-004202
Application 12/940,756
After reviewing the record on appeal, we find the preponderance of
evidence supports Appellants' position. Even though the Examiner finds
Hsu discloses a "light shield portion (portion corresponding to peripheral
area 706) constructed by grid photoresist patterns (area 706 comprising
overlaid color filter photoresists in patterns)" (Final Act. 5), we do not find
any teaching or suggestion of a light shield portion constructed of the color
filter photoresists in patterns in the referenced sections of Hsu (FF). Instead,
the sections of Hsu referenced by the Examiner show a light shielding layer
702 comprising a black photoresist covering the peripheral area 706 of the
image sensor (id.).
Although the Examiner adds in the Answer that "the light shielding
peripheral area 706 is constructed by the grid black photoresist patterns" as
well as the "grid color photoresist patterns" (Ans. 6), the Examiner has not
sufficiently identified where in the cited portions of Hsu there is a teaching
or suggestion that the black photoresist 702 is constructed of "grid" black
photoresist "patterns." Furthermore, we are unpersuaded by the Examiner's
finding that the cited sections of Hsu disclose or suggest that the color filter
photoresist 704 (provided as a color filter) in addition to the black
photoresist 702 forms a light shield portion on the peripheral area 706 (Ans.
6, FF). That is, we do not find any disclosure or even a suggestion of grid
patterns constructing a light shielding portion, let alone one that covers a
periphery region of an image sensor, as required by claim 1.
To affirm the Examiner's proffered combination would require us to
resort to speculation, unfounded assumptions, or hindsight reconstruction.
See In re Warner, 379 F.2d 1011, 1017 (CCPA 1967). We do not resort to
4
Appeal2015-004202
Application 12/940,756
hindsight reconstruction, speculation, or assumptions to cure the deficiencies
in the proffered combination in order to support the Examiner's rejection.
Accordingly, we are constrained to reverse the Examiner's§ 103
rejection of independent claim 1, independent claim 11 (similarly reciting
the contested limitations and standing therewith), and claims 2, 3, 5, 7-10,
12, 14--18, and 20 depending respectively therefrom over Hsu in further
view of Otsuka.
V CONCLUSION AND DECISION
We reverse the Examiner's rejection of claims 1-3, 5, 7-12, 14--18,
and 20 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a).
REVERSED
5