DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Remarks and Response to Arguments
In this Office action, a new grounds of rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) is introduced and a new reference (Paniccia, US 2021/0140768) is introduced for showing a cavity housing a photodetector in a new grounds of rejection of claims under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
Applicant argues at the top of pages 7 and also 9, "Unlike the Khan publication, the photodiodes are powered by multiple sources." It is not clear to the Examiner what the "multiple sources" is referring to. The claims do not pertain to powering photodiodes, nor clearly recite photodiodes being an element of the claimed assembly. If Applicant is referring to the light sources, the claims do not recite multiple light sources. In addition, Figure 4 of Khan shows a single light source 402, consistent with Figure 2 of the present invention.
Applicant argues Wang and Khan do not show at least one cavity that houses a plurality of photodiodes. The Examiner agrees. The new grounds of rejection relies on Paniccia to show a cavity for housing a photodiode.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 16, 17, and 23-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 16 recites "at least one cavity that houses plurality of photodiodes" is not clear if it is a statement of the purpose of the cavity or if the photodiodes are elements of the claimed assembly. The claim does not list the photodiodes by a separate indented line nor clearly state that the assembly comprises the plurality of photodiodes. "Where a claim sets forth a plurality of elements or steps, each element or step of the claim should be separated by a line indentation." 37 C.F.R. 1.75(i).
Similarly, claim 16 recites "at least one output and input port coupled to at least one multifunctional integrated optical circuit," but the claim does not list the multifunctional integrated optical circuit by a separate indented line nor clearly state that the assembly comprises the multifunctional integrated optical circuit. Further, dependent claim 28 positively recites the multifunctional integrated optical circuit.
Because the claim does not clearly state the photodiodes and multifunctional integrated optical circuit are elements of the assembly but refers to these elements as being physically coupled to the assembly, the claim is not clear if they are elements of the assembly or if the limitations are statements of purpose.
For examination purposes, the claim will be interpreted as requiring the photodiodes and the multifunctional integrated optical circuit.
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.
Claim(s) 16, 24, and 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 2018/0259337) in view of Paniccia (US 2021/0140768) and Khan. (US 2009/0154872)
With respect to claim 16, Wang shows:
A semi-finished product for the realization of a gyroscope, comprising the following components:
a super-luminescent diode polarized light source ([0049]: “the light source 320 may be a superluminescent diode (SLD)”),
an optical medium having a photonic integrated circuit ([0064]: “hybrid photonic integrated circuit (HPIC)”; EPIC Fig. 6) having a group of waveguides ([0065]: “the light source waveguide,” “the PIC waveguide”) , wherein the photonic integrated circuit ([0064]: “photodetector 404”; 606 and waveguide 318);
an optical coupling device ([0064]: “the first coupler 407”; 610) that couples said super-luminescent diode polarized light source to said optical medium; and
a single substrate ([0064]: “common submount 405”; [0004]:”substrate”; EPIC of Fig. 6) upon which said super-luminescent diode polarized light source and said optical medium and said optical coupling device are attached, wherein the group of waveguides and said optical coupling device are arranged to maintain unchanged a polarization state of the light beam from said super-luminescent diode polarized light source (Wang does not disclose any of the waveguides and coupling device change the polarization state.)
wherein said optical medium comprises:
an input port that receives the light beam generated by said super-luminescent diode polarized light source through said optical coupling device (302; coupler 407 has an input where 416 is);
at least one output and input port (316, 314) coupled to at least one multifunctional integrated optical circuit ([0016]: “A multifunction optic integrated circuit”);
at least one output port (304) operatively connected to a corresponding photodiode
The beamsplitter and pair of second beam splitter for additional sensor coils:
Wang does not show the beamsplitter with a pair of second beam splitters.
Khan shows photonic fiber optic gyroscope and an embodiment in Figure 1 where a single sensor coil 110 is used to measure rotation in one axis, and in another embodiment (Fig. 4), an expansion where three sensor coils are used to measure 3-axis of rotation. A single light source is still used but now feed sensing light to the separate sensing coils by the use of a beamsplitter (400) and second splitters (see splitters and sensing coils in 408), (see paras. [0037]-[0038]), output and input port (316, 314) coupled to couple to the sensing coils; and an output port (304) operatively connected to a corresponding photodiode.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious modify the single sensor embodiment of Wang to have multiple sensor coils in order to take additional measurements and in particular, three axis of rotation. As proposed, the corresponding input ports, output ports, photodetectors and the second beam splitters would be added for each sensing coil.
Photodiodes in a cavity:
Wang does not show the photonic integrated circuit to have a cavity to house the photodiodes.
Paniccia shows a multi-layer integrated photonics gyroscope chip wherein the photodetectors are mounted in a cavity at paragraph [0050]:
FIGS. 8C-8D show (side view 800C and top view 800D respectively) that the laser and detector module 600 is inserted into a cavity etched in the SiN layer 500A. Etched cavity facilitates in self-alignment of the laser and the detector module 600 with the corresponding SiN integrated photonics waveguide components in SiN layer 500A.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to mount the photodetectors in an etched cavity in order to facilitate self-alignment of the photodiodes.
24. The assembly of claim 16, wherein said super-luminescent diode polarized light source generates a light beam having a wavelength of 1550 nanometers (Wang teaches the light source may use short wavelength light at para. [0063] and this would include 1550nm).
27. The assembly of claim 16, wherein said optical medium is formed of LNOI ([0017]).
Claim(s) 17 and 28-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang, Paniccia, and Khan as applied to claim 16 above and further in view of Admitted Prior Art.
Wang shows all the elements of claim 16 and further shows the substrate [0004]: “a common substrate….the resulting compactness of the described embodiments facilitates an ability to operate across a wide range of temperature”; in the alternative, submount) that provides a common temperature to said super-luminescent diode polarized light source and to said optical medium and to said optical coupling device,
said optical medium being an optical interface fused (optical connection points of the PIC to coil) at an input and an output towards a multifunctional integrated optical circuit ([0016]: “A multifunction optic integrated circuit”).
Wang does not show a package for the MIOC. It is taken to be admitted prior art that housings were well known. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to enclose the MIOC in a housing in order to protect the components from detrimental environmental factors.
28. A gyroscope having the assembly of claim 17, further comprising:
at least one of said multifunctional integrated optical circuit (see claim 16); and
a fiberoptic multiturns coil (108) in which said at least one multifunctional integrated optical circuit and said fiberoptic multiturns coil are external to said single package and are optically coupled to the assembly by a fiber-array (see fibers connected at 314, 316, 414, 412).
29. The gyroscope of claim 28, wherein the fiber-array is metalized ([0013]: “metal coated D-shaped fiber”).
30. The gyroscope of claim 28, wherein said at least one multifunctional integrated optical circuit has a splitter (306, 312).
31. The gyroscope of claim 28, wherein said at least one multifunctional integrated optical circuit has a respective package separate and distinct from said single package (323).
Claim(s) 23 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang, Paniccia, and Khan as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Sherrer et al. (US 2009/0154872).
Wang shows all the elements as discussed for claim 16 above but does not show the single substate to be made of a ceramic material or germanium doped silicon.
Sherrer shows an electronic device package on a PIC (852) wherein the substrate may be made of ceramic ([0080]) or germanium doped silicon ([0048]). Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to use a ceramic substrate for the predicable ability of ceramic to be a suitable substrate and to use germanium doped silicon as a suitable substrate.
Claim(s) 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang, Paniccia, and Khan as applied to claim 24 above and further in view of Official notice.
Wang shows all the elements as discussed for claim 24 above and shows:
an optical isolator (310a);
(see Fig. 3, 4, 6; there would be air around the components as Wang does not teach otherwise).
Wang does not explicitly teach the focalizing lens and collimating lens. Wang teaches at [0054]: “the focusing lens (not shown)” and “optical lens may be utilized at the connector 302.” Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to use a lens at other connectors too (314, 412, connectors in Fig. 6) in order to optimize coupling of light. Official notice is taken that collimating lenses were well known and before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to use a collimating lens for the SLED in order to gather light together from the SLED and efficiently use the light produced.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hwa Andrew S Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-2419. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm.
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/Hwa Andrew Lee/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877