Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Application No. 17/981,108

PASSIVE DISPERSION COMPENSATION FOR AN ACOUSTO-OPTIC DEFLECTOR

Final Rejection §102§112
Filed
Nov 04, 2022
Examiner
LEI, JIE
Art Unit
2872
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Orbotech Ltd.
OA Round
2 (Final)
72%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
2y 11m
To Grant
90%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 72% — above average
72%
Career Allow Rate
641 granted / 887 resolved
+4.3% vs TC avg
Strong +17% interview lift
Without
With
+17.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 11m
Avg Prosecution
46 currently pending
Career history
933
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.5%
-39.5% vs TC avg
§103
45.7%
+5.7% vs TC avg
§102
24.0%
-16.0% vs TC avg
§112
24.5%
-15.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 887 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §112
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 . This office action is in response to A filing of 8/28/2025. Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 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 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 The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 1/10/2025, 8/20/2024, 12/20/2022 and 11/4/2022 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner. Election/Restrictions Applicant's election of invention of specie 1 (claims 1-21 and 29-30) in the reply filed on 8/28/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.03(a)). Claims 22-28 (invention of specie 2) are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. 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 1-21 and 29-30 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Regarding claim 1, cited term of “wherein dispersion by the dispersion compensator at least partly compensates for dispersion by the one or more AODs…” (line 6-7) is vague and renders the claims indefinite. The term of “partly” does not define a scale range of compensations. It is unclear how much of compensation invention claims, for examples, 1%, 10%, or 99%?. One of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. More, cited term of “…within a second tolerance” (line 13) is vague and renders the claims indefinite. Term of “tolerance” alone is not a measurable/executable parameter. It is unclear that the second tolerance relates to which one of operative paraments (incident angles, intensities, or wavelengths); it is also unclear how to define the second tolerance range wherein the dispersion/transmittance of the dispersion compensator is independent of a polarization of the optical beam. Further, cited term of “…the deflection angle of the optical beam by the one or more AODs and the dispersion compensator…” (line 8-9) are indefinite and lacks antecedent. Claim cites “wherein a deflection angle of the optical beam from the one or more AODs” (line 3-4); but claim does not cite “a deflection angle of the optical beam by the one or more AODs and the dispersion compensator”. Cited two deflection angles clearly are not same. Claims 2-16 are rejected as containing the deficiencies of claim 1 through their dependency from claim 1. Claim 17 has same undefined issues of terms of “partly” and “second tolerance” as these in claim 1. Claims 18-21 are rejected as containing the deficiencies of claim 17 through their dependency from claim 17. Claim 29 has same undefined issues of terms of “partly”, “the deflection angle” and “second tolerance” as these in claim 1. Claim 30 is rejected as containing the deficiencies of claim 29 through its dependency from claim 29. Therefore proper amendments are required in order to clarify the scopes of the claims and overcome the rejections. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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 – (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. Claims 1-21 and 29-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brookhyser et al (US 20220048135). Regarding claim 1, Brookhyser teaches an optical scanner (abstract; fig. 1 and figs. 26-30) comprising: one or more acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) configured to deflect an optical beam along one or more scanning directions (fig. 28, 2602-AOD; ¶[0205], line 1-10, the AOD 2602 is an AOD of the first positioner 106; ¶[0068], line 1-36, first positioner 106 is provided as an AOD system including at least one (e. g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) single-element AOD, at least one (e.g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) multi-element AOD; to deflect the beam axis along a different axis; a multi-cell, multi-axis system can include a first AOD (e.g., a single- or multi-element AOD system) operative to deflect the beam 1 axis along one axis ( e.g., along the X-axis), and a second AOD (e.g., a single- or multielement AOD) operative to deflect the beam axis along a second axis ( e.g., along the Y-axis)), wherein a deflection angle of the optical beam from the one or more AODs is controllable by one or more drive signals applied to the one or more AODs (fig. 1, 106, 122-controller; ¶[0068], line 1-36, includes at least two ultrasonic transducer elements acoustically coupled to a common AO cell. The AOD system may be provided as single-axis AOD system (e.g., operative to deflect the beam axis along a single axis) or as a multi-axis AOD system (e.g., operative to deflect the beam axis along one or more axes, such as along the X-axis, along the Y-axis, or any combination thereof); and a dispersion compensator (fig. 28, 2600; ¶[0205], line 1-10, the dispersion compensator 2600 is disposed in the beam path 114), wherein dispersion by the dispersion compensator at least partly compensates for dispersion by the one or more AODs (fig. 28, , 2602-AOD, 2600, 114) to provide that the deflection angle of the optical beam by the one or more AODs and the dispersion compensator at a particular configuration of the one or more drive signals is constant within a first tolerance for wavelengths of the optical beam within a wavelength range (¶[0013], line 1-16, a system that includes an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) operative to diffract an incident beam of laser energy and output the diffracted beam of laser energy along a beam path, wherein the AOD is operative to variably diffract the incident beam of laser energy to thereby deflect the beam path within a first angular range and within a second angular range; a first dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating, the first dispersion compensator optically coupled to the output of the AOD and arranged in the beam path deflected within the first angular range; and a second dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating, the second dispersion compensator optically coupled to the output of the AOD and arranged in the beam path deflected within the second angular range; ¶[0200], line 1-2, Compensation for Wavelength Dispersion; ¶[0203], line 1-32, the beam path 114 has wavelengths in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., in the MWIR or LWIR ranges, spanning wavelengths in the range from 3 µm ( or thereabout) to 15 µm ( or thereabout), or the like), the dispersion compensator may be provided as a dispersion prism formed of a material such as fused silica, silicon,…), wherein at least one of the dispersion of the dispersion compensator or a transmittance of the dispersion compensator is independent of a polarization (fig. 28, 2600; -- dispersion compensator 2600 is a prism, normally a dispersion or a transmittance of a prism can be independent of a polarization) of the optical beam within a second tolerance (--has 112 issue, see above; the second tolerance can be within a range of intensities and/or wavelengths). Regarding claim 2, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the dispersion compensator comprises: a diffractive optical element (fig. 28, 2600; ¶[0013], line 1-16, dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating). Regarding claim 3, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the dispersion compensator comprises: a prism (fig. 28, 2600; ¶[0013], line 1-16, dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating). Regarding claim 4, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein a magnitude of the dispersion by any one of the one or more AODs varies within an operational range associated with the corresponding one of the one or more drive signals, wherein a magnitude of the dispersion by the dispersion compensator projected along a dispersion direction associated with a particular one of the one or more AODs is equal to a magnitude of the dispersion by the particular one of the one or more AODs for at least one value of the corresponding operational range (fig. 28, 2600, 2602, 114; ¶[0013], line 1-16, a system that includes an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) operative to diffract an incident beam of laser energy and output the diffracted beam of laser energy along a beam path, wherein the AOD is operative to variably diffract the incident beam of laser energy to thereby deflect the beam path within a first angular range and within a second angular range; a first dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating, the first dispersion compensator optically coupled to the output of the AOD and arranged in the beam path deflected within the first angular range; and a second dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating, the second dispersion compensator optically coupled to the output of the AOD and arranged in the beam path deflected within the second angular range; ¶[0243], line 1-19, the magnitude of spectral dispersion imparted to beam of laser energy deflected within the first sub-scan field 3106a is equal to (or at least substantially equal to) the magnitude of spectral dispersion imparted to beam of laser energy deflected within the second sub-scan field 3106b). Regarding claim 5, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the dispersion compensator is located prior to the one or more AODs (fig. 26, 2600, 2602, 114). Regarding claim 6, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the dispersion compensator is located after to the one or more AODs (fig. 28, 2602, 2600, 114). Regarding claim 7, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the dispersion compensator is located adjacent to one of the one or more AODs (fig. 28, 2602, 2600). Regarding claim 8, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, further comprising: an optical relay between the dispersion compensator and at least one of the one or more AODs (fig. 27, 2700, 2702, 2600, 2602). Regarding claim 9, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 8, wherein the dispersion compensator comprises a diffractive optical element (DOE) (fig. 28, 2600; ¶[0013], line 1-16, dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating), wherein the optical scanner further includes a filter to block at least zero-order diffraction from the DOE (fig. 2, 202, 200; fig. 3, 202, 300; fig. 6, 600, 300; ¶[0125], line 1-7, to form a surface or other structure that suitably absorbs an incident beam of laser energy). Regarding claim 10, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the one or more AODs comprise a single AOD, wherein the one or more scanning directions of the one or more AODs comprise a single scanning direction (¶[0068], line 1-36, first positioner 106 is provided as an AOD system including at least one (e. g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) single-element AOD, at least one (e.g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) multi-element AOD; to deflect the beam axis along a different axis; a multi-cell, multi-axis system can include a first AOD (e.g., a single- or multi-element AOD system) operative to deflect the beam 1 axis along one axis ( e.g., along the X-axis), and a second AOD (e.g., a single- or multielement AOD) operative to deflect the beam axis along a second axis ( e.g., along the Y-axis)). Regarding claim 11, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the one or more scanning directions of the one or more AODs includes a first scanning direction and a second scanning direction (¶[0068], line 1-36, first positioner 106 is provided as an AOD system including at least one (e. g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) single-element AOD, at least one (e.g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) multi-element AOD; to deflect the beam axis along a different axis; a multi-cell, multi-axis system can include a first AOD (e.g., a single- or multi-element AOD system) operative to deflect the beam 1 axis along one axis ( e.g., along the X-axis), and a second AOD (e.g., a single- or multielement AOD) operative to deflect the beam axis along a second axis ( e.g., along the Y-axis)). Regarding claim 12, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 11, wherein the one or more AODs comprise two AODs, wherein the first and second scanning directions are orthogonal (¶[0068], line 1-36, first positioner 106 is provided as an AOD system including at least one (e. g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) single-element AOD, at least one (e.g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) multi-element AOD; to deflect the beam axis along a different axis; a multi-cell, multi-axis system can include a first AOD (e.g., a single- or multi-element AOD system) operative to deflect the beam 1 axis along one axis ( e.g., along the X-axis), and a second AOD (e.g., a single- or multielement AOD) operative to deflect the beam axis along a second axis ( e.g., along the Y-axis)), wherein the optical scanner further comprises: a polarization rotator between the two AODs to rotate a polarization of the optical beam by 90 degrees (fig. 30, 2004a, 2004b; 3006a, 3006b; ¶[0226], line 1-40, first optical component 2004a and second optical component 2004b are formed of an AO cell; one of the mirrors 3006a and 3006b may be provided as a reflective phase retarder (e.g., configured to impart a 180 degree phase shift), or both of the mirrors 3006a and 3006b may be provided as a reflective phase retarder ( e.g., configured to impart a 90 degree phase shift)). Regarding claim 13, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 12, polarization rotator comprises: at least one of one or more reflective phase retarders or one or more rhombs (fig. 30, 2004a, 2004b; 3006a, 3006b; ¶[0226], line 1-40, first optical component 2004a and second optical component 2004b are formed of an AO cell; one of the mirrors 3006a and 3006b may be provided as a reflective phase retarder (e.g., configured to impart a 180 degree phase shift), or both of the mirrors 3006a and 3006b may be provided as a reflective phase retarder ( e.g., configured to impart a 90 degree phase shift)). Regarding claim 14, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the dispersion compensator is a transmissive element (fig. 28, 2600). Regarding claim 15, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the dispersion compensator is a reflective element (fig. 26, 2600a+2908a3; 2600b+2908b3; ¶[0210], line 1-28, mirrors 2908al, 2908a2, and 2908a3, each generically referred to as a "first mirror 2908a") to the first dispersion compensator 2600a; mirrors 2908bl, 2908b2, and 2908b3, each generically referred to as a "second mirror 2908b") to the second dispersion compensator 2600b). Regarding claim 16, Brookhyser teaches the optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the optical beam has a wavelength in a range of 9 to 12 micrometers (¶[0203], line 1-32, the beam path 114 has wavelengths in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., in the MWIR or LWIR ranges, spanning wavelengths in the range from 3 µm ( or thereabout) to 15 µm ( or thereabout), or the like), the dispersion compensator may be provided as a dispersion prism formed of a material such as fused silica, silicon,…). Regarding claim 17, Brookhyser teaches a method abstract; fig. 1 and figs. 26-30) comprising: deflecting an optical beam with an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) along one or more scanning directions (fig. 28, 2602-AOD; ¶[0205], line 1-10, the AOD 2602 is an AOD of the first positioner 106; ¶[0068], line 1-36, first positioner 106 is provided as an AOD system including at least one (e. g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) single-element AOD, at least one (e.g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) multi-element AOD; to deflect the beam axis along a different axis; a multi-cell, multi-axis system can include a first AOD (e.g., a single- or multi-element AOD system) operative to deflect the bean1 axis along one axis ( e.g., along the X-axis), and a second AOD (e.g., a single- or multielement AOD) operative to deflect the beam axis along a second axis ( e.g., along the Y-axis)), wherein a deflection angle of the optical beam from the AOD is controllable by one or more drive signals applied to the AOD (fig. 1, 106, 122-controller; ¶[0068], line 1-36, includes at least two ultrasonic transducer elements acoustically coupled to a common AO cell. The AOD system may be provided as single-axis AOD system (e.g., operative to deflect the beam axis along a single axis) or as a multi-axis AOD system (e.g., operative to deflect the beam axis along one or more axes, such as along the X-axis, along the Y-axis, or any combination thereof); dispersing the optical beam with a dispersion compensator (fig. 28, 2600; ¶[0205], line 1-10, the dispersion compensator 2600 is disposed in the beam path 114), wherein dispersion by the dispersion compensator at least partly compensates for dispersion by the AOD (fig. 28, , 2602-AOD, 2600, 114) such that a deflection angle of the optical beam from the AOD and the dispersion compensator at a particular configuration of the one or more drive signals is constant within a first tolerance for wavelengths of the optical beam within a wavelength range (¶[0013], line 1-16, a system that includes an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) operative to diffract an incident beam of laser energy and output the diffracted beam of laser energy along a beam path, wherein the AOD is operative to variably diffract the incident beam of laser energy to thereby deflect the beam path within a first angular range and within a second angular range; a first dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating, the first dispersion compensator optically coupled to the output of the AOD and arranged in the beam path deflected within the first angular range; and a second dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating, the second dispersion compensator optically coupled to the output of the AOD and arranged in the beam path deflected within the second angular range; ¶[0200], line 1-2, Compensation for Wavelength Dispersion; ¶[0203], line 1-32, the beam path 114 has wavelengths in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., in the MWIR or LWIR ranges, spanning wavelengths in the range from 3 µm ( or thereabout) to 15 µm ( or thereabout), or the like), the dispersion compensator may be provided as a dispersion prism formed of a material such as fused silica, silicon,…), wherein at least one of the dispersion by the dispersion compensator or a transmittance of the dispersion compensator is independent of a polarization (fig. 28, 2600; -- dispersion compensator 2600 is a prism, normally a dispersion or a transmittance of a prism can be independent of a polarization) of the optical beam within a second tolerance (--has 112 issue, see above; the second tolerance can be within a range of intensities and/or wavelengths). Regarding claim 18, Brookhyser teaches the method of claim 17, further comprising: placing the dispersive element adjacent to the AOD (fig. 28, 2600, 2602). Regarding claim 19, Brookhyser teaches the method of claim 17, further comprising: relaying the optical beam between the dispersion compensator and the AOD with an optical relay (fig. 27, 2700, 2702, 2600, 2602).. Regarding claim 20, Brookhyser teaches the method of claim 17, further comprising: wherein the dispersion compensator comprises a diffractive optical element (DOE) (fig. 28, 2600; ¶[0013], line 1-16, dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating), wherein the method further comprises: filtering at least zero-order diffraction from the DOE (fig. 2, 202, 200; fig. 3, 202, 300; fig. 6, 600, 300; ¶[0125], line 1-7, to form a surface or other structure that suitably absorbs an incident beam of laser energy). Regarding claim 21, Brookhyser teaches the method of claim 17, wherein the optical beam has a wavelength in a range of 9 to 12 micrometers (¶[0203], line 1-32, the beam path 114 has wavelengths in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., in the MWIR or LWIR ranges, spanning wavelengths in the range from 3 µm ( or thereabout) to 15 µm ( or thereabout), or the like), the dispersion compensator may be provided as a dispersion prism formed of a material such as fused silica, silicon,…). Regarding claim 29, Brookhyser teaches a system (abstract; fig. 1 and figs. 26-30) comprising: an optical source configured to generate an optical beam (fig. 1, 104); a scanner comprising: one or more acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) configured to deflect an optical beam along one or more scanning directions (fig. 28, 2602-AOD; ¶[0205], line 1-10, the AOD 2602 is an AOD of the first positioner 106; ¶[0068], line 1-36, first positioner 106 is provided as an AOD system including at least one (e. g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) single-element AOD, at least one (e.g., one, two, three, four, five, six, etc.) multi-element AOD; to deflect the beam axis along a different axis; a multi-cell, multi-axis system can include a first AOD (e.g., a single- or multi-element AOD system) operative to deflect the bean1 axis along one axis ( e.g., along the X-axis), and a second AOD (e.g., a single- or multielement AOD) operative to deflect the beam axis along a second axis ( e.g., along the Y-axis)), wherein a deflection angle of the optical beam from the one or more AODs is controllable by one or more drive signals applied to the one or more AODs (fig. 1, 106, 122-controller; ¶[0068], line 1-36, includes at least two ultrasonic transducer elements acoustically coupled to a common AO cell. The AOD system may be provided as single-axis AOD system (e.g., operative to deflect the beam axis along a single axis) or as a multi-axis AOD system (e.g., operative to deflect the beam axis along one or more axes, such as along the X-axis, along the Y-axis, or any combination thereof); and a dispersion compensator (fig. 28, 2600; ¶[0205], line 1-10, the dispersion compensator 2600 is disposed in the beam path 114), wherein dispersion by the dispersion compensator at least partly compensates for dispersion by the one or more AODs (fig. 28, , 2602-AOD, 2600, 114) such that the deflection angle of the optical beam by the dispersion compensator and the one or more AODs at a particular configuration of the one or more drive signals is constant within a first tolerance for wavelengths of the optical beam within a wavelength range (¶[0013], line 1-16, a system that includes an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) operative to diffract an incident beam of laser energy and output the diffracted beam of laser energy along a beam path, wherein the AOD is operative to variably diffract the incident beam of laser energy to thereby deflect the beam path within a first angular range and within a second angular range; a first dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating, the first dispersion compensator optically coupled to the output of the AOD and arranged in the beam path deflected within the first angular range; and a second dispersion compensator including at least one selected from the group consisting of a prism and a grating, the second dispersion compensator optically coupled to the output of the AOD and arranged in the beam path deflected within the second angular range; ¶[0200], line 1-2, Compensation for Wavelength Dispersion; ¶[0203], line 1-32, the beam path 114 has wavelengths in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., in the MWIR or LWIR ranges, spanning wavelengths in the range from 3 µm ( or thereabout) to 15 µm ( or thereabout), or the like), the dispersion compensator may be provided as a dispersion prism formed of a material such as fused silica, silicon,…), wherein at least one of the dispersion by the dispersion compensator or a transmittance of the dispersion compensator is independent of a polarization (fig. 28, 2600; -- dispersion compensator 2600 is a prism, normally a dispersion or a transmittance of a prism can be independent of a polarization) of the optical beam within a second tolerance (--has 112 issue, see above; the second tolerance can be within a range of intensities and/or wavelengths); and one or more focusing optics configured to focus the optical beam deflected by the one or more AODs to a sample (fig. 1, 112a, 112b, 102a, 102b; ¶[0048], line 1-11, laser energy deflected to scan lens 112a is delivered to workpiece 102a and laser energy transmitted deflected to scan lens 112b is delivered to workpiece 102b; ¶[0050], line 1-21, the beam of laser energy delivered to the workpiece 102 can have a spot size greater than, less than, or equal to 2 µm, 3 µm, 5 µm, 7 µm, 10 µm, ….). Regarding claim 30, Brookhyser teaches the system of claim 29, wherein the optical beam has a wavelength in a range of 9 to 12 micrometers (¶[0203], line 1-32, the beam path 114 has wavelengths in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., in the MWIR or LWIR ranges, spanning wavelengths in the range from 3 µm ( or thereabout) to 15 µm ( or thereabout), or the like), the dispersion compensator may be provided as a dispersion prism formed of a material such as fused silica, silicon,…). Examiner’s Note Regarding the references, the Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Jie Lei whose telephone number is (571) 272 7231. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by the telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on (571) 272 3689.The Fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is (571) 273 8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published application may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Services Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199(In USA or Canada) or 571-272-1000. /JIE LEI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 04, 2022
Application Filed
Sep 15, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §112
Feb 17, 2026
Response Filed
Apr 12, 2026
Final Rejection — §102, §112 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
72%
Grant Probability
90%
With Interview (+17.2%)
2y 11m
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 887 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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