CTNF 17/956,750 CTNF 78923 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restrictions 08-25-01 AIA Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-13 and 23-25) in the reply filed on 1/23/2026 is acknowledged. 08-06 AIA Claim s 14-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention , there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 1/23/2026 . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 10-13, 23, and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin (US 2009/0020924 A1) . In regard to claim 1, Lin discloses an apparatus (page 5, section [0061] – page 6, section [0064], Figure 1.1A) comprising: a first optical medium (page 6, section [0063], re: SiO 2 -coated Si wafer, Figure 1.1A, “Si”); a second optical medium (page 6, section [0063], Figure 1.1A, re: spherical silica lens); a coating (page 2, sections [0015]-[0016]) that has a first side and a second side opposite the first side (Figure 1.1A, re: coating between “Sphere” and “Si”), wherein the first side of the coating optically couples with a surface of the first optical medium (Figure 1.1A, “Si”), and wherein the second side of the coating is proximate to the second optical medium (Figure 1.1A, “Sphere”); and wherein the coating includes a plurality of nanorods with a similar orientation with respect to the surface of the first optical medium (page 5, section [0061], re: concentric rings). Regarding claim 2, Lin discloses wherein the coating further includes a layer that includes at least some of the plurality of nanorods (page 5, section [0061] – page 6, section [0062], re: concentric ring patterns of nanorods in single or several layers). Regarding claim 4, Lin discloses wherein the similar orientation is oblique to the surface of the first optical medium page 5, section [0061], re: concentric rings). Regarding claim 10, Lin discloses wherein the first optical medium includes a selected one or more of: glass, silicon, carbon, nitrogen, SiCN, or SiNx (page 6, section [0063], re: SiO 2 -coated Si wafer, Figure 1.1A, “Si”). Regarding claim 11, Lin discloses wherein the second optical medium includes a selected one or more of: glass, silicon, carbon, nitrogen, SiCN, SiN x , or air (page 6, section [0063], Figure 1.1A, re: spherical silica lens). Regarding claim 12, Lin discloses wherein the second side of the coating is optically coupled with the surface of the second optical medium (Figure 1.1A, “Sphere”). Regarding claim 13, Lin discloses wherein the coating is conformally deposited on the surface of the first optical medium (Figure 1.1A, “Si”). In regard to claim 23, Lin discloses a method (page 5, section [0061] – page 6, section [0064], Figure 1.1A) comprising: providing an optical medium medium (page 6, section [0063], re: SiO 2 -coated Si wafer, Figure 1.1A, “Si”); and depositing a coating on a surface of the optical medium (page 2, sections [0015]-[0016], Figure 1.1A, re: coating between “Sphere” and “Si”), wherein the coating includes a plurality of nanorods, wherein the plurality of nanorods are in a similar orientation with respect to the surface of the optical medium (page 5, section [0061], re: concentric rings), and wherein the coating is optically coupled with the surface of the optical medium (page 5, section [0061] – page 6, section [0062]). Regarding claim 24, Lin discloses wherein the optical medium is a first optical medium (page 6, section [0063], re: SiO 2 -coated Si wafer, Figure 1.1A, “Si”); and further comprising: providing a second optical medium (page 6, section [0063], Figure 1.1A, re: spherical silica lens); and coupling a surface of the second optical medium to the coating, wherein the first optical medium, the second optical medium, and the coating are optically coupled with each other (page 2, sections [0015]-[0016]) & page 5, section [0061] – page 6, section [0062], Figure 1.1A, re: coating between “Sphere” and “Si”) . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 3, 5-9, and 25 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 3: an apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the at least some of the plurality of nanorods of the layer include a selected one or more of: titanium, oxygen, silicon, nitrogen, TiO 2 , SiO 2 , SiN x , SiO x N y , or TiN x . The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claims 5 and 6: an apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the coating further includes a film, wherein the film is optically coupled with the at least a portion of the surface of the first optical medium, and wherein the film is optically coupled with the layer. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claims 7-9: an apparatus as claimed, specifically wherein the similar orientation is a first similar orientation, wherein the layer is a first layer, and further comprising a second layer optically coupled with the first layer, wherein the second layer includes some of the plurality of nanorods, wherein the some of the plurality of nanorods have a second similar orientation, and wherein the second similar orientation is oblique to the surface of the first optical medium. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in claim 25: a method as claimed, specifically wherein depositing the coating on the surface of the optical medium further includes depositing the coating on the surface of the optical medium using oblique-angle deposition. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C CHOI whose telephone number is (571)272-2324. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached at (571) 270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /WILLIAM CHOI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 May 26, 2026 Application/Control Number: 17/956,750 Page 2 Art Unit: 2872 Application/Control Number: 17/956,750 Page 3 Art Unit: 2872 Application/Control Number: 17/956,750 Page 4 Art Unit: 2872 Application/Control Number: 17/956,750 Page 5 Art Unit: 2872 Application/Control Number: 17/956,750 Page 6 Art Unit: 2872 Application/Control Number: 17/956,750 Page 7 Art Unit: 2872
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