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 .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 2, 10, 11, 19 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jhung et al. (US PG Pub 2009/0185586) in view of Yang et al. (US PG Pub 2004/0105144).
Regarding claim 1, Jhung et al. disclose: in a tunable laser system comprising a mode-selective first transmission grating (103) disposed in a resonant cavity between a gain medium (300) and a controllable resonator mirror (mirror portion of 302) (Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]), a method for aligning a diffracted return beam (diffracted from grating 103) with the gain medium, the diffracted return beam resulting from diffraction of a return beam from the controllable resonator mirror off the first transmission grating (Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]), the method comprising: creating a monitoring beam outside the resonant cavity by using a partially reflecting mirror(304) disposed outside the resonant cavity, a zero-order return beam transmitted through the first transmission grating (Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]); measuring a displacement of a position associated with the monitoring beam relative to an alignment position; and controlling a physical configuration based on the measured displacement, the physical configuration being of the controllable resonator mirror, or of the first transmission grating, or of both the controllable resonator mirror and the first transmission grating (a monitor unit 311 for converting an output of the partially reflected light into an electrical signal may further be included. In addition, a diffraction grating driving unit 312 for rotating the diffraction unit 302, a laser driving unit 313 for driving the laser diode 300, and a control unit 310 for controlling the diffraction grating driving unit 312 to have an angle according to an external control signal and controlling a magnitude of current provided from the laser driving unit 313 by comparing an output of the monitor unit 304 and an output magnitude according to the external control signal may further be included) (Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]).
Jhung et al. do not disclose: creating a monitoring beam outside the resonant cavity by diffracting, off a second transmission grating disposed outside the resonant cavity, a zero-order return beam transmitted through the first transmission grating.
Yang et al. disclose: creating a monitoring beam by using a transmission grating (440) (Fig. 4, [0034]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jhung by replacing the partially reflecting mirror with a transmission grating because the substitution of one known element for another yields predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. In the instant case, the predictable result is a tunable laser system comprising a second transmission grating used to create a monitor beam.
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Fig. 15 of Jhung et al.
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Fig. 4 of Yang et al.
Regarding claim 2, Jhung as modified disclose: wherein the physical configuration comprises at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: a position of the controllable resonator mirror along a direction of the return beam, a position of the first transmission grating in a laser plane defined by the return beam and the diffracted return beam, and a tilt angle of the controllable resonator mirror with respect to the laser plane (a diffraction grating driving unit 312 for rotating the diffraction unit 302, a laser driving unit 313 for driving the laser diode 300, and a control unit 310 for controlling the diffraction grating driving unit 312 to have an angle according to an external control signal and controlling a magnitude of current provided from the laser driving unit 313 by comparing an output of the monitor unit 304 and an output magnitude according to the external control signal may further be included) (Jhung, Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]).
Regarding claim 10, Jhung et al. disclose: a tunable laser system comprising: a first resonator mirror (mirror portion of 302) and a second resonator mirror (left facet of laser diode 300), the first and second resonator mirrors forming a resonant cavity, the first resonator mirror being controllable (diffraction grating driving unit for 302 would move mirror portion of 302) (Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]); a gain medium (laser diode 300) disposed inside the resonant cavity; a mode-selecting first transmission grating (103) disposed inside the resonant cavity between the gain medium and the controllable resonator mirror, the first transmission grating configured to generate, from a return beam received from the controllable resonator mirror, a diffracted return beam and a zero-order return beam (Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]); a partially reflecting mirror (304) disposed outside the resonant cavity in a path of the zero-order return beam, the partially reflecting mirror configured to reflect the zero-order return beam to generate a monitoring beam; a position monitoring subsystem configured to measure a displacement of a position associated with the monitoring beam relative to an alignment position; and a controller configured to control a physical configuration based on the measured displacement, the physical configuration being of the controllable resonator mirror, or of the first transmission grating, or of both the controllable resonator mirror and the first transmission grating (a monitor unit 311 for converting an output of the partially reflected light into an electrical signal may further be included. In addition, a diffraction grating driving unit 312 for rotating the diffraction unit 302, a laser driving unit 313 for driving the laser diode 300, and a control unit 310 for controlling the diffraction grating driving unit 312 to have an angle according to an external control signal and controlling a magnitude of current provided from the laser driving unit 313 by comparing an output of the monitor unit 304 and an output magnitude according to the external control signal may further be included) (Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]).
Jhung et al. do not disclose: a second transmission grating disposed outside the resonant cavity in a path of the zero-order return beam.
Yang et al. disclose: creating a monitoring beam by using a transmission grating (440) (Fig. 4, [0034]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Jhung by replacing the partially reflecting mirror with a transmission grating because the substitution of one known element for another yields predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. In the instant case, the predictable result is a tunable laser system comprising a second transmission grating used to create a monitor beam.
Regarding claim 11, Jhung as modified disclose: wherein the physical configuration comprises at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: a position of the controllable resonator mirror along a direction of the return beam, a position of the first transmission grating in a laser plane defined by the return beam and the diffracted return beam, and a tilt angle of the controllable resonator mirror with respect to the laser plane (a monitor unit 311 for converting an output of the partially reflected light into an electrical signal may further be included. In addition, a diffraction grating driving unit 312 for rotating the diffraction unit 302, a laser driving unit 313 for driving the laser diode 300, and a control unit 310 for controlling the diffraction grating driving unit 312 to have an angle according to an external control signal and controlling a magnitude of current provided from the laser driving unit 313 by comparing an output of the monitor unit 304 and an output magnitude according to the external control signal may further be included) (Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]).
Regarding claim 19, Jhung as modified disclose: a first focusing optic (301), disposed inside the resonant cavity, to focus the diffracted return beam onto the gain medium; and a second focusing optic (303), disposed outside the resonant cavity, to focus the monitoring beam (Jhung, Fig. 15, [0083], [0090]).
Regarding claim 31, the apparatus of claim 10 discloses the claimed method (see the rejection of claim 10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13, 15-18, 20, 21, 23-25 and 32-34 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.
Claim 3 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein: measuring the displacement comprises: measuring a displacement in the laser plane of the position associated with the monitoring beam relative to the alignment position; and controlling the physical configuration comprises: controlling the position of the controllable mirror along the direction of the return beam or the position of the first transmission grating in the laser plane to align a cavity mode of a laser of the tunable laser system with a filter spectrum associated with the first transmission grating and the controllable resonator mirror.”
Claim 4 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein: measuring the displacement comprises: measuring a displacement out of the laser plane of the position associated with the monitoring beam from the alignment position; and controlling the physical configuration comprises: controlling the tilt angle of the resonator mirror based on the measured displacement out of the laser plane to align the diffracted return beam with the gain medium in a direction normal to the laser plane.”
Claim 6 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…calibrating the tunable laser system by measuring the position associated with the monitoring beam and an output power of a laser of the laser system over a range of positions and over a range of tilt angles of the resonator mirror to create a mapping between the position associated with the monitoring beam and the output power, the range of positions being of the controllable resonator mirror along the direction of the return beam or of the first transmission grating in the laser plane; and determining the alignment position based on the mapping.”
Claim 7 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…further comprising: focusing the monitoring beam onto a position-sensitive detector, wherein the position associated with the monitoring beam is a position of the focused monitoring beam on the position-sensitive detector; or focusing the monitoring beam and using a scanning mirror to scan the focused monitoring beam across an area containing a small-area receiver, wherein the position associated with the monitoring beam corresponds to an orientation of the scanning mirror when the focused monitoring beam is incident on the small-area receiver; or focusing the monitoring beam and scanning the small-area receiver across an area intersected by the focused monitoring beam, wherein the position associated with the monitoring beam corresponds to a position of the small-area receiver within the scanned area when the focused monitoring beam is incident on the small-area receiver.”
Claim 12 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein the position monitoring subsystem is configured to measure the displacement by: measuring a displacement in the laser plane of the position associated with the monitoring beam relative to the alignment position; and the controller is configured to control the physical configuration by: controlling the position of the controllable mirror along the direction of the return beam or the position of the first transmission grating in the laser plane to align a cavity mode of a laser of the tunable laser system with a filter spectrum associated with the first transmission grating and the controllable resonator mirror.”
Claim 13 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein: the controller is further configured to: tune a wavelength position of a filter spectrum associated with the first transmission grating and the controllable resonator mirror by adjusting an orientation of the controllable resonator mirror in the laser plane; the position monitoring subsystem is configured to measure the displacement in the laser plane by: measuring the displacement in the laser plane across a tuning range of the wavelength position of the filter spectrum; and the controller is further configured to control, while the filter spectrum is being tuned, the position of the controllable resonator mirror along the direction of the return beam or the position of the first transmission grating in the laser plane based on the displacement in the laser plane measured, for an instantaneous wavelength position of the filter spectrum, to achieve mode-hop-free wavelength tuning.”
Claim 16 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein: the position monitoring subsystem is configured to measure the displacement by: measuring a displacement out of the laser plane of the position associated with the monitoring beam from the alignment position; and the controller is configured to control the physical configuration by: controlling the tilt angle of the resonator mirror based on the measured displacement out of the laser plane to align the diffracted return beam with the gain medium in a direction normal to the laser plane.”
Claim 17 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein: the position monitoring subsystem is configured to measure the displacement by: measuring the displacement both in the laser plane and out of the laser plane; and the controller is configured to control the physical configuration by: controlling the position of the controllable resonator mirror relative along the direction of the return beam or the position of the first transmission grating in the laser plane, and controlling the tilt angle of the controllable mirror.”
Claim 18 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein the controller is further configured to: create, based on the position associated with the monitoring beam and an output power of a laser of the laser system over a range of positions and over a range of tilt angles of the resonator mirror, a mapping between the position associated with the monitoring beam and the output power, the range of positions being of the controllable resonator mirror along the direction of the return beam or of the first transmission grating in the laser plane; and determine the alignment position based on the mapping.”
Claim 20 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein a focal length of the second focusing optic is greater than a focal length of the first focusing optic.”
Claim 21 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein the position monitoring subsystem comprises a position-sensitive detector disposed in a path of the monitoring beam, and wherein the position associated with the monitoring beam corresponds to a position of the monitoring beam on the position-sensitive detector.”
Claim 23 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein the position monitoring subsystem comprises a small-area receiver and a beam scanner, the beam scanner configured to scan the monitoring beam across an area containing the small-area receiver, wherein the position associated with the monitoring beam corresponds to an orientation of the beam scanner when the monitoring beam is incident on the small-area receiver.”
Claim 24 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein the position monitoring subsystem comprises a movable small-area receiver and an actuation mechanism configured to move the small-area receiver across an area intersected by the monitoring beam, wherein the position associated with the monitoring beam corresponds to a position of the small-area receiver when the monitoring beam is incident on the small-area receiver.”
Claim 25 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein the position monitoring subsystem comprises a small-area receiver configured to receive incident light from the monitoring beam, the small-area receiver comprising a photodetector, or an input face of an optical fiber coupled to a photodetector at an output end of the optical fiber.”
Claim 32 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein: the controllable resonator mirror has a position along a direction of the return beam; the first transmission grating has a position of in a laser plane defined by the return beam and the diffracted return beam; measuring the displacement comprises: measuring a displacement in a laser plane of the position associated with the monitoring beam relative to the alignment position; and controlling the physical configuration comprises: controlling the position of the controllable mirror along a direction of the return beam or the position of the first transmission grating in the laser plane to align a cavity mode of a laser of the tunable laser system with a filter spectrum associated with the first transmission grating and the controllable resonator mirror.”
Claim 33 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein: a laser plane is defined by the return beam and the diffracted return beam; the controllable resonator mirror has a tilt angle with respect to the laser plane; measuring the displacement comprises: measuring a displacement out of a laser plane of the position associated with the monitoring beam from the alignment position; and controlling the physical configuration comprises: controlling a tilt angle based on the measured displacement out of the laser plane to align the diffracted return beam with the gain medium in a direction normal to the laser plane, the tilt angle being of the controllable resonator mirror with respect to the laser plane.”
Claim 34 is allowable as the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the claimed limitations including “…wherein the second transmission grating is oriented at an angle relative to a path of the zero-order return beam equal to an angle of the first transmission grating relative to a path of the return beam.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lang et al. (US PG Pub 2004/0165639) disclose: a laser apparatus is disclosed utilizing a laser diode having a reflective back facet and a front facet having a reflectance of less than about 1% for emitting an optical beam at a fundamental frequency along an optical path. A collimating lens is provided for collimating the optical beam into a collimated beam. A transmission grating is optically coupled to receive the collimated beam and returns a portion of the collimated beam back into the laser diode by means of diffraction through lens and the laser diode front facet. The laser diode reflective back facet and the transmission grating form an extended laser cavity. In operation, a substantial portion of the collimated beam is transmitted through the transmission grating for producing the laser output beam propagating along the optical path (Abstract). Gao (US PG Pub 2014/0010250) discloses: the invention relates to a precision optical frequency tunable laser. The laser includes: a laser gain medium, an intracavity collimating lens, an active optical phase modulator, a tunable acousto-optic filter and an intracavity total reflection mirror all arranged sequentially in a laser cavity, and the tunable laser further includes an active polarization rotator, a polarization beam splitter, two etalons, a temperature control system attached to the etalons, two total reflection mirrors, a radio frequency signal source, a laser pumping source, an active optical phase modulator drive source, an active polarization rotator drive source and a laser drive control circuit. Through the temperature control system attached to the etalons, stable laser output and the precision optical frequency tuning less than 1 GHz within a wide spectrum range can be realized, thereby greatly reducing the bandwidth requirements in achieving narrowband filtering for the tunable acousto-optic filter. The invention is compact with high performance, low cost for volume production and installation, and achieves stable tunable laser output within a wide spectrum range (Abstract). Hunter et al. (US PG Pub 2015/0222082) disclose: embodiments of systems and methods are provided for a tunable laser device. The tunable laser device may include a diffraction grating connected to a pivot arm that pivots the diffraction grating about a pivot point to tune the laser device. In pivoting the diffraction grating about the pivot point, both the wavelength to which the diffraction grating is tuned and the length of the optical cavity may be changed. The length of the pivot arm may be selected to reduce the number of mode hops of the tunable laser device when tuning the laser device over its tuning range (Abstract).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XINNING(TOM) NIU whose telephone number is (571)270-1437. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30am-6:00pm.
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/XINNING(Tom) NIU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2828
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