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 .
Response to Amendment
Examiner acknowledges amending of claims 1, 5-6, and addition of new claim 16. Claim 6-7 112b rejections withdrawn. Examiner acknowledges amending of figs. 8-10. Drawing objections withdrawn. Examiner acknowledges amending of specification 0009 and 0032. Specification objections withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks pgs. 10-11, filed 10/16/25, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive (relationships between electrode pads of first and second optical modulators). Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Nakamura (fig. 9 embodiment).
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks pgs. 11-13, filed 10/16/25, with respect to claim 5 have been fully considered and are persuasive (matching resistor spaced from two parts of ground conductor). The rejections of claim 5-9, 13-15 has been withdrawn.
Drawings
Figure 4 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada (US-20120045161-A1) in view of Nakamura fig. 7 (US-20160370609-A1) and Nakamura fig. 9.
Regarding claim 1, Okada discloses a laser light source apparatus (fig. 4, 0034) comprising: a metal stem (fig. 4 stem 1, 0037); a lead pin penetrating the metal stem (fig. 4 lead pin 2 penetrates 1, 0019); a support block mounted on the metal stem (fig. 4 support block 4+5+9 mounted on 1, 0020, 0024); a dielectric substrate mounted on a side surface of the support block (fig. 4 dielectric substrate 6+10 mounted on side surface of 4+5+9, 0021); a signal line formed on the dielectric substrate and having one end connected to the lead pin (fig. 4 signal line 7 formed on 6+10 with one end (closer to 2) physically + electrically indirectly connected to 2, 0027 lines 1-3); a semiconductor optical modulation device/“SOMS” mounted on the dielectric substrate (fig. 4 SOMS 13 mounted on 6+10, 0027 lines 1-3); and a conductive wire connecting the other end of the signal line and the semiconductor optical modulation device (fig. 4 conductive wire 17 indirectly electrically+physically connects end of 7 closest to 13 with 13, 0026).
Okada does not disclose wherein the semiconductor optical modulation device includes a plurality of optical modulators separated from each other, including a first optical modulator and a second optical modulator, the signal line includes first and second differential driving signal lines, a differential electrical signal is provided to the semiconductor optical modulation device via the first and second differential driving signal lines, the first optical modulator and the second optical modulator are connected in series between the first and second differential driving signal lines, wherein the differential electrical signal is provided between a p-type electrode pad of a first optical modulator via the first differential driving signal line and a n-type electrode pad of a second optical modulator via the second differential driving signal line, and an n-type electrode pad of the first optical modulator is directly electrically connected to a p-type electrode pad of the second optical modulator.
Nakamura fig. 7 discloses an optical signal generator with a plurality of electro-absorption modulators separated from each other, including a first EA modulator and a second EA modulator (fig. 7 plurality of fig. 4 EAs (first EA1+second EA2) separated from each other, 0035 (same for fig. 4)) with corresponding modulator drivers and differential electrical signals (figs. 4+7 each EA has corresponding driver combo 156+154 and differential electrical signals, 0065-0066), where the electro-absorption modulators are connected in series between first and second differential driving signal lines (fig. 4 6,EA1 and 6,EA2 optically+physically connected in series between fig. 7 upper 38+36 and lower 38+36, 0034 final 3 lines).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a plurality of optical modulators, drivers, and signal lines in the manner required by claim 1 to improve modulation bandwidth and extinction ratio within the device (Nakamura 0055, 0070).
Modified Okada does not disclose wherein the differential electrical signal is provided between a p-type electrode pad of a first optical modulator via the first differential driving signal line and a n-type electrode pad of a second optical modulator via the second differential driving signal line, and an n-type electrode pad of the first optical modulator is directly electrically connected to a p-type electrode pad of the second optical modulator.
Nakamura fig. 9 discloses an optical signal generator with a differential electrical signal provided between a p-type electrode pad of a first EA modulator via the first differential driving signal line and a n-type electrode pad of a second EA modulator via the second differential driving signal line, and an n-type electrode pad of the first EA modulator is directly electrically connected to a p-type electrode pad of the second EA modulator (fig. 9 signal between first EA modulator EA2 p electrode 10b + second EA modulator EA1 n electrode 104, n electrode of EA2 directly electrically connected to p electrode of EA1 (within electrode 306), 0076-0079).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the differential electrical signal provided between a p-type electrode pad of a first optical modulator via the first differential driving signal line and a n-type electrode pad of a second optical modulator via the second differential driving signal line, and an n-type electrode pad of the first optical modulator is directly electrically connected to a p-type electrode pad of the second optical modulator to improve modulation band characteristics, reduce load on circuit, + reduce time and money to produce circuit (Nakamura 0080).
Regarding claim 2, modified Okada discloses the laser light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein absorption layers of the plurality of optical modulators are in optical communication by a transparent waveguide (figs. 4+5 EA1 and EA2 in optical communication via waveguide 8 with waveguide layer 132, 0034 final 3 lines, 0059-0061), and laser light is sequentially modulated by the plurality of optical modulators (figs. 4+5 EA1+EA2 disposed in sequence to modulated light from 4, 0019, 0059).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada in view of Nakamura fig.7, Nakamura fig. 9, and Kikuchi (JP-2003229636-A, machine translation "Kikuchi_English" cited and included herewith).
Regarding claim 10, modified Okada discloses the laser light source apparatus according to claim 1.
Modified Okada does not disclose further comprising a light receiving device mounted on the metal stem and receiving back light of the semiconductor optical modulation device.
Kikuchi discloses an optical module with a light receiving device mounted on a metal plate within a stem and receiving back light of a modulated semiconductor laser element (fig. 2 receiving device 11 mounted on metal plate 1 within stem 2 and receives back light of semiconductor laser element in/on subassembly 5, lines 41-56).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a light receiving device mounted on the metal stem and receiving back light of the semiconductor optical modulation device to monitor the laser light of the semiconductor laser element (Kikuchi lines 54-55).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada in view of Nakamura fig. 7, Nakamura fig. 9, and Takagi (JP-2004047833-A, machine translation "Takagi_English" cited and included herewith).
Regarding claim 11, modified Okada discloses the laser light source apparatus according to claim 1.
Modified Okada does not disclose further comprising a cap bonded to the metal stem and airtightly sealing the semiconductor optical modulation device; and a lens provided in the cap and collecting or collimating laser light emitted from the semiconductor optical modulation device.
Takagi discloses an optical semiconductor element module with a cap bonded to a stem and airtightly sealing a modulated laser diode (figs. 1-3 cap 13 bonded to stem 10 and airtightly seals 40, lines 192-212 + 291-295); and a lens provided in the cap and collecting or collimating laser light emitted from the modulated laser diode (figs 1-3 lens 12 provided in 13 for collecting laser light from 40, lines 192-212).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a cap bonded to the metal stem and airtightly sealing the semiconductor optical modulation device; and a lens provided in the cap and collecting or collimating laser light emitted from the semiconductor optical modulation device to seal the components of the device from the outside while still allowing emission of a focused/collected beam (Takagi lines 194-196 + 209-212).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada in view of Nakamura fig. 7, Nakamura fig. 9, and Fujita (WO-2019102605-A1, machine translation "Fujita_English" cited and included herewith).
Regarding claim 12, modified Okada discloses the laser light source apparatus according to claim 1.
Modified Okada does not disclose further comprising a lens bonded to the dielectric substrate and collecting or collimating laser light emitted from the semiconductor optical modulation device.
Fujita discloses an optical semiconductor device with a lens bonded directly to a semiconductor substrate enclosing a light emitting unit and collecting or collimating laser light emitted from the light emitting unit (fig. 11 lens 61+31 directly bonded to substrate 11 encloses light emitting unit 91 and collimates light from 91, lines 166-191).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a lens bonded to the dielectric substrate and collecting or collimating laser light emitted from the semiconductor optical modulation device to allow for refraction and collimation of emitted light while minimizing added size, complexity, and cost of device (Fujita lines 192-204).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5-9, 13-16 allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 5: Prior art of record does not disclose matching resistor spaced from two divided parts of ground conductor, when considering all other limitations of claim 5.
Claim 6-9, 13-15: Depend from claim 5
Claim 16: Prior art of record does not disclose upper or lower surface of matching resistor being positioned at different vertical level from each of upper and lower surface of both parts of ground conductor, when considering all other limitations of claim 16.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Alex Ehrlich whose telephone number is (703)756-5716. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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/A.E./Examiner, Art Unit 2828
/MINSUN O HARVEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2828