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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s response of 1/13/2026. In that response, Applicant amended claims 1 and 20 and cancelled claim 7.
DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having Application No. 17/549,834 filed on 12/13/2021 is presented for examination by the Examiner.
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the Applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-13, 20 in the reply filed on 6/6/2025 is acknowledged.
Applicant is reminded that upon the cancelation of claims to a non-elected invention, the inventorship must be corrected in compliance with 37 CFR 1.48(a) if one or more of the currently named inventors is no longer an inventor of at least one claim remaining in the application. A request to correct inventorship under 37 CFR 1.48(a) must be accompanied by an application data sheet in accordance with 37 CFR 1.76 that identifies each inventor by his or her legal name and by the processing fee required under 37 CFR 1.17(i).
Claims 14-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/6/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-6, 8 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maleki at al. (US 2019/0154832, hereinafter, “Maleki”) in view of Hall (US 2011/0216304, hereinafter, “Hall”) and further in view of Tang et al. (US 2023/0106643, hereinafter, “Tang”).
Regarding claim 1, Maleki discloses an optical sensing system, comprising:
an integrated transmitter-receiver-scanner (TX-RX-scanner) module 100 comprising a plurality of optical components (e.g., 102, 120) that are optically aligned with each other (Fig. 1, [0035], [0036]), the plurality of optical components comprising a first optical component (e.g., 102) located in a first region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module and a second optical component (e.g., 120) located in a second region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module different than the first region, wherein the plurality of optical components are disposed on a same substrate after optical alignment ([0036] in Maleki. All components are optically aligned (so that the LIDAR operation is accurate), and then a LIDAR sensor for automotives is produced, i.e., all components are disposed on one substrate).
Maleki does not disclose a plurality of pins located on edges of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module, and the plurality of pins comprising a first set of pins located in the first region and coupled to the first optical component and a second set of pins located in the second region and coupled to the second optical component.
Hall discloses a LIDAR system comprising optical components, e.g., a light emitter and a light detector formed on respective circuit boards 30, 32 (Figs. 6, 7, [0048]). As seen in Figs. 6, 7, the edges of the circuit boards comprise a plurality of pins.
Both Maleki and Hall disclose LIDAR systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Maleki so that the edges of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module of Maleki comprise a plurality of pins (and, in particular, at edges in the proximity of respective optical components 102, 120) coupled to the two respective optical components, as taught by Hall, for mounting the integrated board to other necessary electrical components, e.g., respective electrical drivers ([0049] in Hall, where it is stated that the emitter/detector boards are then connected to motherboards).
In addition, Maleki/Hall does not disclose a plurality of printed circuit boards separated from and connected to the integrated TX-RX-scanner module such that each of the plurality of printed circuit boards is disposed to be adjacent to the substrate in a plan view direction of the substrate, the plurality of printed circuit boards comprising a first printed circuit board positioned proximate to the first region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module and a second printed circuit board positioned proximate to the second region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module, the first printed circuit board comprising a first set of serving electronic components connected to the first optical component through the first set of pins, and the second printed circuit board comprising a second set of serving electronic components connected to the second optical component through the second set of pins
Tang discloses a LIDAR system comprising a photonics chip 510 mounted to a substrate 502 and comprising a plurality of optical components (e.g., 515A) and a plurality of electrical components (e.g., associated with the optical components); and one or more IC chips (e.g., 512A) mounted to the photonics chip (Fig. 5, [0046], [0049]), wherein the IC chips process signals generated by the optical components/electrical components of the photonics chip (i.e., they are serving electronic components); and the one or more IC chips are physically separated from the substrate (claim 1, step 918 in Fig. 9). It is noted that under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the IC chips (e.g., 512) are soldered proximate to the substrate 502 as seen in a plan view direction of the substrate 502, i.e., as seen from above.
Both Maleki and Tang disclose Lidar systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Maleki/Hall so that serving/driving components of the optical components of the integrated module of Maleki/Hall are positioned on a printed circuit board separate from the integrated module, as taught by Tang, for reducing crosstalk ([0047] in Tang).
Regarding claim 2, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 1, wherein
the optical components comprise one or more laser diodes 102 and one or more photosensors 120 aligned in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array, and a scanning optical unit 116 in proximity to the one or more laser diodes and the one or more photosensors (Fig. 1, [0035] in Maleki).
Regarding claim 3, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 2, wherein
the scanning optical unit is a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) scanning mirror ([0035] in Maleki).
Regarding claim 4, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 1, wherein
the optical components comprise one or more of a fast axis collimator, a slow axis collimator, a beam splitter (beam splitter 108 in Fig. 1 of Maleki), and a receiving lens.
Regarding claim 5, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 1, wherein
the integrated TX-RX-scanner module further comprises a plurality of driving circuits 126 coupled to the optical components (Fig. 1, [0035] in Maleki).
Regarding claim 6, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 5, wherein
the driving circuits comprise one or more of a laser driver 104, a receiver driver, and a scanner driver 118 (Fig. 1 in Maleki).
Regarding claim 8, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 1, wherein
the optical components are assembled inside a same package ([0036] in Maleki).
Regarding claim 20, Maleki discloses a method for forming an optical sensing system, comprising:
assembling an integrated TX-RX-scanner module 100, the integrated TX-RX-scanner module comprising a plurality of optical components (e.g., 102, 120) optically aligned with each other (Fig. 1, [0035], [0036]), the plurality of optical components comprising a first optical component (e.g., 102) located in a first region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module and a second optical component (e.g., 120) located in a second region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module different than the first region, wherein the plurality of optical components are disposed on a same substrate after optical alignment ([0036] in Maleki. All components are optically aligned (so that the LIDAR operation is accurate), and then a LIDAR sensor for automotives is produced, i.e., all components are disposed on one substrate). .
Maleki does not disclose a plurality of pins located on edges of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module, and the plurality of pins comprising a first set of pins located in the first region and coupled to the first optical component and a second set of pins located in the second region and coupled to the second optical component.
Hall discloses a LIDAR system comprising a light emitter and a light detector formed on respective circuit boards 30, 32 (Figs. 6, 7, [0048]). As seen in Figs. 6, 7, the edges of the circuit boards comprise a plurality of pins.
Both Maleki and Hall disclose LIDAR systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Maleki so that the edges of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module of Maleki comprise a plurality of pins (and, in particular, at edges in the proximity of respective optical components 102, 120) coupled to the two respective optical components, as taught by Hall, for mounting the integrated TX-RX-scanner board to other necessary electrical components, e.g., respective electrical drivers ([0049] in Hall, where it is stated that the emitter/detector boards are then connected to motherboards).
In addition, Maleki/Hall does not disclose assembling a plurality of printed circuit boards coupled to the integrated TX-RX-scanner module, such that each of the plurality of printed circuit boards is disposed to be adjacent to the substrate in a plan view direction of the substrate, the plurality of printed circuit boards comprising a first printed circuit board positioned proximate to the first region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module and a second printed circuit board positioned proximate to the second region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module, the first printed circuit board comprising a first set of serving electronic components connectable to the first optical component through the first set of pins, and the second printed circuit board comprising a second set of serving electronic components connectable to the second optical component through the second set of pins; and
connecting the first set of serving electronic components with the integrated TX-RX-scanner module through the first set of pins located in the first region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module and the second set of serving electronic components through the second set of pins located in the second region of the integrated TX-RX- scanner module, to form the optical sensing system containing the integrated TX-RX-scanner module.
Tang discloses a LIDAR system comprising a photonics chip 510 mounted to a substrate 502 and comprising a plurality of optical components (e.g., 515A) and a plurality of electrical components (e.g., associated with the optical components); and one or more IC chips (e.g., 512A) mounted to the photonics chip (Fig. 5, [0046], [0049]), wherein the IC chips process signals generated by the optical components/electrical components of the photonics chip (i.e., they are serving electronic components). It is noted that under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the IC chips (e.g., 512) are soldered proximate to the substrate 502 as seen in a plan view direction of the substrate 502, i.e., as seen from above.
Both Maleki and Tang disclose Lidar systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Maleki/Hall so that serving/driving components of the optical components of the integrated module of Maleki/Hall are positioned on a printed circuit board separate from the integrated module and are connected to the integrated module through the plurality of pins of Maleki/Hall, thus, forming the optical sensing system containing the integrated TX-RX-scanner module as taught by Tang, for reducing crosstalk ([0047] in Tang).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maleki/Hall/Tang and further in view of Fried et al. (US 2016/0356890, hereinafter, “Fried”).
Regarding claim 9, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 1.
Maleki/Hall/Tang does not disclose wherein a package of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module is hermetically sealed.
Fried discloses a LIDAR system (Fig. 1, [0051). In one embodiment, Fried discloses that LIDAR system is hermetically isolated from the environment (e.g., via a hermetic seal 181), (Fig. 1C, [0104]).
Both Maleki and Fried disclose LIDAR systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Maleki/Hall/Tang so that integrated TX-RX-scanner module of Maleki/Hall/Tang is hermetically sealed, as taught by Fried, for preventing contamination ([0104] in Fried).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maleki/Hall/Tang and further in view of Song (US 2020/0319315, hereinafter, “Song”).
Regarding claim 10, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 1.
Maleki/Hall/Tang does not disclose wherein the first set of serving electronic components comprise one or more first power supplies, connected to the first optical component, and the second set of serving electronic components comprise one or more second power supplies connected to the second optical component.
Song discloses an integrated LIDAR device (Fig. 6). In one embodiment, a power supply 613 powers a laser 605 on a chip 602 via wires 602, i.e., it is separate from the chip 602 ([0085]-[0087]).
Both Maleki and Song disclose LIDAR systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Maleki/Hall/Tang so that the power supplies to the laser and the detector of the LIDAR are the serving electronic components formed on the circuit board separate from the integrated TX-RX-scanner module and connected to the optical components, i.e., the laser and the detector, as taught by Song, for reducing crosstalk ([0047] in Tang).
Claims 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maleki/Hall/Tang and further in view of Stettner at al. (US 2015/0301180, hereinafter, “Stettner”).
Regarding claim 11, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 1.
Maleki/Hall/Tang does not disclose wherein the first set of serving electronic components and the second set of serving electronic components each comprise one or more readout circuits.
Stettner discloses a LIDAR device (Fig. 1). In one embodiment, a readout circuit 6 is connected to the detector 5 (Figs. 1, 4, [0038]).
Both Maleki and Stettner disclose LIDAR systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Maleki/Hall/Tang so that a readout circuit is connected to the laser and the detector of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module, as taught by Stettner, and is one of the serving electronic components formed on the circuit board separate from the integrated TX-RX-scanner module, as taught by Tang, for reducing crosstalk ([0047] in Tang).
Regarding claim 12, Maleki/Hall/Tang/Stettner discloses the optical sensing system of claim 11, wherein
the one or more readout circuits comprise one or more of a transimpedance amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, a time-to-digital converter (an input amplifier 88 receiving the input from the detector 5 is a transimpedance amplifier, Fig. 10, [0045] in Stettner).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maleki/Hall/Tang and further in view of Shah et al. (US 2022/0334231, hereinafter, “Shah”).
Regarding claim 13, Maleki/Hall/Tang discloses the optical sensing system of claim 1.
Maleki/Hall/Tang does not disclose wherein the first set of serving electronic components are connected to the first set of pins located in the first region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module through a first plurality of flexible bonding wires, and the second set of serving electronic components are connected to the second set of pins located in the second region of the integrated TX-RX-scanner module through a second plurality of bonding wires different than the first set of bonding wires.
Shah discloses a LIDAR system (Fig. 1). In one embodiment, the detector 340 is electrically coupled to the circuit 345 via electrical interconnects 347a, 347b which may be bonding wires (Fig. 29, [0227]).
Both Maleki and Shah disclose LIDAR systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Maleki/Hall/Tang so that the serving components of the circuit board that are separate from the integrated TX-RX-scanner module are connected therein (at the plurality of pins) via a plurality of flexible bonding wires, as taught by Shah, for flexibility in assembling the composite integrated TX-RX-scanner module/circuit board.
Response to Applicant’s Arguments
Regarding independent claims 1 and 20, Applicant stated that “none of Maleki, Hall, or Tang, whether viewed individually or in combination with one another, teach or suggest "a plurality of printed circuit boards separated from and connected to the integrated TX-RX-scanner module such that each of the plurality of printed circuit boards is disposed to be adjacent to the substrate in a plan view direction of the substrate," as recited by amended independent claims 1 and 20… However, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 of Tang, reproduced below, these components of Tang are above Tang's substrate 502 and 602, see pp. 7, 8 of the Remarks.
Applicant's argument has been fully considered but it is not persuasive.
First of all, it is noted that claim 20 does not recite “a plurality of printed circuit boards separated from the integrated TX-RX-scanner module (emphasis added).
The Office notes that in Tang, under the broadest reasonable interpretation principle, the IC chips 512A, 512B, 514A are disposed adjacent to the substrate 502 (Fig. 5). Moreover, as seen in Fig. 5 of Tang in a plan view of the substrate 502 (i.e., as seen from above), the IC chips are still proximate to the substrate.
In summary, Applicant's argument has been fully considered but it is not persuasive, thus, the rejection of independent claim 1 (and its dependents) and independent claim 20 is maintained.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure.
Schmalenberg (US 2017/0350965) discloses a laser scan transceiver LIDAR system comprising a TX-RX-scanner optical chip 12 that includes optical components and a printed circuit 46 connected to the optical module (Fig. 3, [0031], [0035]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEONIDAS BOUTSIKARIS whose telephone number is (703)756-4529. The Examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fr. 9.00-5.00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Stephone Allen, can be reached on 571-272-2434. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/L.B./
Patent Examiner, AU 2872
/STEPHONE B ALLEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872