DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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.
Information Disclosure Statement
This acknowledges that as of the date of this office action, no additional Information Disclosure Statement has been submitted by the applicant.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-15 and 17 are currently pending.
Independent claim(s) 1 and 11 and dependent claims 10, 12 and 13 have been amended by applicant’s amendments received 26 February 2026. No new matter has been introduced.
Claim 16 has been canceled, and therefore the prior objections and rejections are moot.
Prior objections of the drawings have been overcome by amendment and are therefore withdrawn.
Prior objections of claims 12 and 16 have been overcome by amendment and are therefore withdrawn.
Prior rejections of claims 10 and 13 under USC § 112(b) have been overcome by amendment and are therefore withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 10 of Remarks, filed 26 February 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-10 and 11-17 under 35 USC 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of newly found prior art references in response to the submitted amendments changing the scope of the claims. As the applicant’s arguments noted, the previously relied upon art (Rickman et al., US 20150207296 A1 regarding claims 1-10 and Zilkie, US 20200295537 A1 regarding claims 11-17) do not anticipate the newly added limitations. However, an updated rejection of these claims under 35 USC 103 is included in this office action below.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rickman et al. (hereinafter Rickman, US 20150207296 A1) in view of Ensher et al. (hereinafter Ensher, US 10355446 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Rickman teaches an imaging system, comprising:
an external cavity laser having a laser cavity having a gain medium in a laser cavity ([0011]) that is partially defined by a tunable optical grating ([0067] – [0069], [0072]; Fig. 1(a) where laser (1) includes tunable grating (31)),
the tunable optical grating configured to reflect light signals in multiple different reflection bands ([0010], [0016], [0069]; Fig. 2(a) shows reflectance bands (91) of first grating);
and electronics configured to tune the optical grating such wavelengths of light in the reflection bands changes in response to the tuning ([0017], where tuning is completed by application of current or voltage to the grating, which inherently must be in response to a controller or electronics signal).
Rickman does not teach use of the external cavity laser in a system such as a LIDAR, where a current applied to a gain medium within the laser is applied in a way where linear changes of the emitted frequency occur.
Ensher teaches a system and method of operation for an electromagnetic radiation source such as a laser, which is used in systems utilized for Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), where
the laser is configured to output an outgoing LIDAR signal (Col. 1, lines 25-43, Col. 8, lines 20-52; Fig. 1, exemplary system (10) which includes an electromagnetic radiation source (14) which emits a signal (20) into an environment for object detection and tracking), and
and a LIDAR system configured to output a system output signal that includes light from the outgoing LIDAR signal (Col. 1 lines 25-43), the electronics being configured to drive an electrical current through the gain medium so as to cause a frequency of the system output signal change at a linear rate (Col. 1, line 57 - Col. 2 line 8, Col. 8, lines 20-52, Col. 13 line 55 - Col. 14, line 12; Figs. 1, 5-8, exemplary system's (10) source (14) may include a changing gain current, where the gain current may affect the medium within the laser cavity to perform wavelength (frequency) sweeps of the emission which are linear in nature).
Therefore, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious prima facie to modify Rickman with Ensher to utilize the laser as taught by Rickman in the system as taught by Ensher to incorporate linear frequency changes in emission for use in a LIDAR system with a reasonable expectation of success. As Ensher notes, linear frequency changes in emitted light are used in Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LIDAR systems (Col. 1, lines 25-43) to extract information about objects in an environment, such as position and velocity (Col. 13, lines 55-65), and as such use of the laser system of Rickman in the LIDAR system/method of operation of Ensher would have a predictable result of stable operation in an FMCW system .
Regarding claim 2, Rickman as modified above teaches the system of claim 1, wherein
the tunable optical grating is a Bragg reflector ([0067] – [0069], where gratings may be Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR)).
Regarding claim 3, Rickman as modified above teaches the system of claim 1, wherein
the external cavity laser is partially defined by a second optical grating ([0069]; Fig. 1(a) with second grating (32)).
Regarding claim 4, Rickman as modified above teaches the system of claim 3, wherein
the light signal resonates between a reflective surface and the tunable optical grating and also resonates between the reflective surface and the second optical grating ([0068]; Fig. 1(a) where resonance occurs in cavity with high reflectivity mirror, DBR1 and DBR2 and signals reflect off mirror and gratings).
Regarding claim 5, Rickman as modified above teaches the system of claim 3, wherein
the second optical grating is configured to reflect light signals in multiple different second reflection bands ([0076]; Fig. 2(b) shows reflectance bands (92) of second grating).
Regarding claim 6, Rickman as modified above teaches the system of claim 5, wherein
the second optical grating is tunable ([0034], [0072]).
Regarding claim 7, Rickman as modified above teaches the system of claim 6, wherein
the electronics are configured to tune the second optical grating such wavelengths of light in the second reflection bands changes in response to the tuning ([0072], [0093]).
Regarding claim 8, Rickman as modified above teaches the system of claim 7, wherein
the light signal resonates between a reflective surface and the tunable optical grating and also resonates between the reflective surface and the second optical grating ([0068]; Fig. 1(a) where resonance occurs in cavity with high reflectivity mirror, DBR1 and DBR2 and signals reflect off mirror and gratings).
Regarding claim 9, Rickman as modified above teaches the system of claim 1 (5, per interpretation noted prior in this office action), wherein
the laser cavity includes a phase tuner operated by the electronics so as to tune a phase of a light signal resonating in the laser cavity such that a frequency of an output from the laser cavity changes in response to the tuning of the phase tuner ([0071], [0081]; Fig. 1(a) where additional phase tuning regions (51), (52) and (53) enable fine tuning of the lasing frequency).
Regarding claim 10, Rickman as modified above teaches the system of claim 9, wherein
the external cavity laser is partially defined by a second optical grating ([0069]; Fig. 1(a) with second grating (32)) configured to reflect light signals in multiple different second reflection bands and the output from the laser cavity has wavelengths that are shared by one of the reflection bands and one of the second reflection bands ([0076]; Figs. 2(b, c) where Fig. 2(b) shows reflectance bands (92) of second grating and the output spectrum (93) corresponds to the sum of the two reflectance spectra (91, 92) which picks out overlapping modes).
Claim(s) 11-15 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zilkie (US 20200295537 A1) in view of Ensher et al. (hereinafter Ensher, US 10355446 B1).
Regarding claim 11, Zilkie teaches an imaging system, comprising:
an external cavity laser having a gain medium ([0028] - [0031]) in a laser cavity in which a light signal resonates along a pathway (Fig. 2(a)), the pathway including waveguides (Fig. 2(a)), the pathway including waveguides ([0081], [0099]; Fig. 5a waveguides (520), (525)) and a tunable ring resonator ([0081], [0099] – [0101]; where DBRs (306), (316) and (326) along a path may be replaced by a ring resonator Fig. 5a (535)),
the tunable ring resonator configured to couple light traveling along one of the waveguides in multiple different transmission bands from the waveguide into the tunable ring resonator ([0027], [0074]; Fig. 2c tunable reflectors have multiple transmission bands based on structure);
and electronics configured to tune the tunable ring resonator such wavelengths of light in the transmission bands changes in response to the tuning ([0098, [0100] - [0101], where a ring resonator is tuned by either changing temperature of integrated heater or with additional phase shifters within the waveguide of the ring resonator).
Zilkie does not teach use of the external cavity laser in a system such as a LIDAR, where a current applied to a gain medium within the laser is applied in a way where linear changes of the emitted frequency occur.
Ensher teaches a system and method of operation for an electromagnetic radiation source such as a laser, which is used in systems utilized for Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), where
the laser is configured to output an outgoing LIDAR signal (Col. 1, lines 25-43, Col. 8, lines 20-52; Fig. 1, exemplary system (10) which includes an electromagnetic radiation source (14) which emits a signal (20) into an environment for object detection and tracking), and
and a LIDAR system configured to output a system output signal that includes light from the outgoing LIDAR signal (Col. 1 lines 25-43), the electronics being configured to drive an electrical current through the gain medium so as to cause a frequency of the system output signal change at a linear rate (Col. 1, line 57 - Col. 2 line 8, Col. 8, lines 20-52, Col. 13 line 55 - Col. 14, line 12; Figs. 1, 5-8, exemplary system's (10) source (14) may include a changing gain current, where the gain current may affect the medium within the laser cavity to perform wavelength (frequency) sweeps of the emission which are linear in nature).
Therefore, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious prima facie to modify Zilkie with Ensher to utilize the laser as taught by Zilkie in the system as taught by Ensher to incorporate linear frequency changes in emission for use in a LIDAR system with a reasonable expectation of success. As Ensher notes, linear frequency changes in emitted light are used in Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LIDAR systems (Col. 1, lines 25-43) to extract information about objects in an environment, such as position and velocity (Col. 13, lines 55-65), and as such use of the laser system of Zilkie in the LIDAR system/method of operation of Ensher would have a predictable result of stable operation in an FMCW system .
Regarding claim 12, Zilkie as modified above teaches the system of claim 11, wherein
the pathway includes a second ring resonator configured to couple light traveling along one of the waveguides in multiple different second transmission bands from the waveguide into the second ring resonator ([0022] – [0023, [0071] – [0074], [0083], where tunable reflectors along a waveguide will emit wavelengths within the given AWG channel and available wavelengths of each tunable reflector may differ).
Regarding claim 13, Zilkie as modified above teaches the system of claim 12, wherein
the second ring resonator is tunable ([0100]).
Regarding claim 14, Zilkie as modified above teaches the system of claim 13, wherein
the electronics are configured to tune the second ring resonator such wavelengths of light in the second transmission bands changes in response to the tuning ([0100] - [0101], where a ring resonator is tuned by either changing temperature of integrated heater or with additional phase shifters within the waveguide of the ring resonator).
Regarding claim 15, Zilkie as modified above teaches the system of claim 11, wherein
the laser cavity includes a phase tuner operated by the electronics so as to tune a phase of a light signal resonating in the laser cavity such that a frequency of an output from the laser cavity changes in response to the tuning of the phase tuner ([0029], [0076]; Fig. 2a additional phase tuner (303)).
Regarding claim 17, Zilkie as modified above teaches the system of claim 14, wherein
the output from the laser cavity has wavelengths that are shared by one of the transmission bands and one of the second transmission bands ([0007], [0022] – [0023], [0083], where tunable reflectors along a waveguide will emit wavelengths within the given AWG channel, and only if overlap of wavelength mode exists between tunable reflectors).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lipson et al. (US 20220006260 A1) teaches a laser output device and method of control, which includes a waveguide, an optical ring resonator, and at least one tuning element to adjust the output frequency of the ring resonator.
Gunn et al. (US 20040228564 A1) teaches a multi-wavelength light source which includes multiple paths with attenuation and phase shifting, and may comprise a plurality of ring resonators.
Bovington et al. (US 9551832 B1) teaches an optical source which includes a first optical waveguide, a distributed Bragg reflector ring resonator, and controller to thermally adjust the wavelength of the resonator.
Park et al. (US 20060078257 A1) teaches a tunable wavelength transmission module, where the cavity includes a plurality of Bragg gratings to tune a wavelength being output, optical switches and additional phase adjustment.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is 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 event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kara Richter whose telephone number is (571)272-2763. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 8A-5P EST, Fridays are variable.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Helal Algahaim can be reached at (571) 270-5227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.M.R./
Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/HELAL A ALGAHAIM/SPE , Art Unit 3645
