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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LIANG (CN 111544617 A).
Regarding claim 1, LIANG discloses an ultraviolet light irradiation system (figs. 1-5) (abstract) comprising:
an optical transmission unit (4, 7, 4) that propagates ultraviolet light (abstract) using a plurality of optical transmission lines (4);
an ultraviolet light source unit (1, 6) that inputs ultraviolet light to each of the optical transmission lines (4) with arbitrary power; and
an irradiation unit (5) that irradiates a target location (8) with the ultraviolet light propagated through the plurality of optical transmission lines (4)
(figs. 1-5; light source 1/6, fiber optic cables 4, optical fibre splitter 7; optical fibre head 5 outputs UV light to a downstream target (i.e. air and/or surface 8, 9, and/or 86))
(translation, pgs. 10-12).
Regarding claim 6, LIANG discloses an ultraviolet light irradiation method (figs. 1-5) (abstract) characterized by comprising a step of
propagating ultraviolet light (figs. 2-4; from 6) to a single irradiation unit (individual 5) using a plurality of optical transmission lines (4 to 7 to another 4) when irradiating a target location (i.e. air and/or surface 8) with the ultraviolet light outputted (at 5) from an ultraviolet light source unit (1, 6) from an irradiation unit (1, 6)
(figs. 1-5; light source 1/6, fiber optic cables 4, optical fibre splitter 7; optical fibre head 5 outputs UV light to a downstream target (i.e. air and/or surface 8, 9, and/or 86))
(translation, pgs. 10-12).
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.
2. Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over LIANG (CN 111544617 A) in view of ICHII et al. (JP 2015087614 A).
Regarding claim 2, LIANG discloses wherein the plurality of optical transmission lines (fig. 4; 4, 7) is configured with at least one of:
a
a first optical cable (4)
a second optical cable (4)
at least one of the
But LIANG fails to disclose use of a multi-core optical fiber;
a first optical cable in which a plurality of single-core optical fibers is bundled; or
a second optical cable in which multi-core optical fibers are bundled, and
at least one of the multi-core optical fiber, the first optical cable , or the second optical cable (4) is connected with a single irradiation unit .
ICHII, however, discloses a bundle type multi core fiber (1) wherein
a plurality of optical transmission lines (figs. 1-2 and 5-7; 25, 10a-10g) is configured with at least one of:
a multi-core optical fiber (1) (figs. 1 and 7; 1 containing with fibers 10-10g each with a core 11);
at least one of the multi-core optical fiber (1), is connected with an irradiation unit (23, 21 light source for fibers 25 connected to fibers 10a-10g of bundle type multi-core optical fiber 1)
(pgs. 1-3 and 8)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA applications) to combine/modify the invention of LIANG, with use of a multi-core optical fiber, as taught by ICHII, to use as a substitution of one known fiber type (i.e. bundle type multi core fiber) for another to obtain predictable light propagation and cross talk reduction results (abstract).
Regarding claim 3, LIANG discloses a plurality of the irradiation units (5’s),
wherein the optical transmission unit (figs. 2-3; 4, 7, 4) is provided for each core included in the
further includes a first optical distribution unit (fig. 2; splitter 7) (pg. 8) that distributes ultraviolet light propagated by each core (from 6 to 4 to 7 to 4) included in the
each of the plurality of irradiation units (5’s) is connected with the first optical distribution unit (7) (figs. 2-3; 7 via 4’s) and irradiates a target location (post 5’s) with each ultraviolet light distributed by the first optical distribution unit (7).
But LIANG fails to disclose a multi-core optical fiber.
ICHII, however, discloses a bundle type multi core fiber (1) and
wherein an optical transmission unit (figs. 7; 25, 35) is provided for each core (11’s of 10a-10g) included in the multi-core optical fiber (1), and
(figs. 1 and 7; multi-core optical fiber (1) (1 containing fibers 10-10g each with a core 11))
(pgs. 1-3 and 8)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA applications) to combine/modify the invention of LIANG, with use of a multi-core optical fiber, as taught by ICHII, to use as a substitution of one known fiber type (i.e. bundle type multi core fiber) for another to obtain predictable light propagation and cross talk reduction results (abstract).
2. Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over LIANG (CN 111544617 A) in view of ICHII et al. (JP 2015087614 A), as applied to claim 2 above, and further in light of ISHIDA (CN 105388573 B).
Regarding claim 4, LIANG discloses wherein the optical transmission unit (figs. 2-3; 4, 7, 4) further includes a “second” optical distribution unit (fig. 2; splitter 7) (pg. 8) that fans out a “second” optical cable (4 previous to 7)
(Note claim 4 depends from claim 2 and a “first” optical distribution unit has not been introduced previously to claim 4 with respect to claims 1-2).
But LIANG fails to disclose a bundled multi-core optical fibers .
ICHII, however, discloses a bundle type multi core fiber (1)
(figs. 1 and 7; multi-core optical fiber (1) (1 containing fibers 10-10g each with a core 11))
(pgs. 1-3 and 8)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA applications) to combine/modify the invention of LIANG, with use of a multi-core optical fiber, as taught by ICHII, to use as a substitution of one known fiber type (i.e. bundle type multi core fiber) for another to obtain predictable light propagation and cross talk reduction results (abstract).
But LIANG as modified by ICHII fails to disclose an optical cable in which multi-core optical fibers (4’s) are bundled to each multi-core optical fiber included in the second optical cable.
ISHIDA, however, discloses use of a bundled multi-core optical fiber (fig. 3, 4) that bundles plural multi-core optical fibers (5) contained therein (5 in 5)
(figs. 2, multi-core optical fiber 5 with a plurality of core elements 10)
(fig. 3; 4 bundles 5’s inside of 4)
(pgs. 1, 4 and 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA applications) to combine/modify the invention of LIANG as modified by ICHII, with use of a bundled multi-core optical fiber (fig. 3, 4) that bundles plural multi-core optical fibers (5) contained therein, as taught by ISHIDA, to use as a substitution of one known fiber type (i.e. bundled type multi core fiber that bundles plural multi-core optical fibers) for another to obtain predictable light propagation and compact size results.
2. Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over LIANG (CN 111544617 A) in view of of MUKASA (JP 2011095332 A).
Regarding claim 5, LIANG discloses wherein at least one of the plurality of optical transmission lines (4, 7) is:
But LIANG fails to disclose at least one of the plurality of optical transmission lines is:
a solid core type optical fiber including a core having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of a clad;
a coupled-core type optical fiber that guides light by optical wave coupling between a plurality of cores;
a hole-assist type optical fiber including a plurality of holes on an outer periphery of a core having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of a clad;
a hole-structure optical fiber that guides light to a region surrounded by holes;
a hollow core type hole-structure optical fiber that guides light to a hollow core surrounded by holes; or
a multi-core optical fiber in which a plurality of at least one of the solid core type optical fibers, coupled-core type optical fibers, hole-assist type optical fibers, hole structure optical fibers, or hollow core type hole structure optical fibers is arranged in a same optical fiber cross section.
MUKASA, however, discloses use of a solid core type optical fiber (pg. 2) including a core having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of a clad (pg. 2) .
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA applications) to combine/modify the invention of LIANG, with a solid core type optical fiber including a core having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of a clad, as taught by MUKASA, to use as a substitution of one known fiber type (i.e. bundled type multi core fiber that bundles plural multi-core optical fibers) for another to obtain predictable results (i.e. to use for confining light to the core of the fiber) (pg. 2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Andrew Smyth whose telephone number is 571-270-1746. The examiner can normally be reached between 9:00AM - 6:00PM; Monday thru Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Kim can be reached on 571-272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW SMYTH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881