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
Applicant’s Amendment filed May 5, 2026 has been fully considered and entered.
Inventorship
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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.
Claims 21-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Marom (US 2002/0197000 A1), in view of Cooke et al. (US 8,286,325 B2) and Courchaine et al. (US 9,360,645 B2).
Regarding claims 21, 22, 25, and 26; Marom discloses a fiber optic terminal (see Figures 4, 7, and 8) comprising:
at least two input connection ports (410, 420, 430 in Figures 4 and 7; 954, 964, 974 in Figure 8), including a first input connect port (410 in Figures 4 and 7; 954 in Figure 8) and a second input connection port (420 in Figure 4 and 7; 964 in Figure 8);
at least two splitters (412, 422, 432 in Figures 4 and 7; 852, 862, 872 in Figure 8), each configured to split an input optical signal received at each of the respective at least two input connection ports, the splitters including a first splitter (412 in Figures 4 and 7; 852 in Figure 8) and a second splitter (422 in Figures 4 and 7; 862 in Figure 8), wherein each of the first and second splitters comprise an input (see Figures 4, 7, and 8), a first splitter output (414-1, 424-1 in Figures 4 and 7; illustrated by not labelled in Figure 8) and a second slitter output (414-2, 424-2 in Figures 4 and 7; illustrated by not labelled in Figure 8);
at least two wavelength division multiplexer devices (452, 462, 472 in Figure 4; 752, 762, 772 in Figure 7; 412, 422, 432 in Figure 8), each configured to directly receive output optical signals from the at least two splitters and multiplex the output optical signals into at least two multiplexed output optical signals, the wavelength division multiplexer devices including a first waveguide division multiplexer (452 in Figure 4; 752 in Figure 7; 412 in Figure 8) and a second wavelength division multiplexer device (462 in Figure 4; 762 in Figure 7; 422 in Figure 8), wherein each of the first wavelength division multiplexer device and the second wavelength division multiplexer device comprise a first multiplexer input (450-1, 460-1 in Figure 4; illustrated by not labelled in Figure 7; 450-1, 460-1 in Figure 8), a second multiplexer input (450-2, 460-2 in Figure 4; illustrated by not labelled in Figure 7; 450-2, 460-2 in Figure 8), and a multiplexer output (454, 464 in Figure 4; 754, 764 in Figure 7; illustrated but not labelled in Figure 8); and
at least two output connection ports (454, 464 in Figure 4; 754, 764, 774 in Figure 7; illustrated but not labeled in Figure 8), wherein the at least two output connection ports each receive the least two multiplexed output optical signals;
wherein:
the at least two output connection ports (454, 464 in Figure 4; 754, 764, 774 in Figure 7; illustrated but not labeled in Figure 8) receive at least two output optical signals from the first wavelength division multiplexer device (452 in Figure 4; 752 in Figure 7; 412 in Figure 8) and second wavelength division multiplexer device (462 in Figure 4; 762 in Figure 7; 422 in Figure 8);
the first splitter output (414-1 in Figures 4 and 7; pictured by not labelled in Figure 8) of the first splitter (412 in Figures 4 and 7; 852 in Figure 8) is optically coupled directly to the first multiplexer input (450-1 in Figures 4 and 8; pictured by not labelled in Figure 7) of the first wavelength division multiplexer device (452 in Figure 4; 752 in Figure 7; 412 in Figure 8);
the second splitter output (414-2 in Figures 4 and 7; pictured by not labelled in Figure 8) of the first splitter (412 in Figures 4 and 7; 852 in Figure 8) is optically coupled directly to the first multiplexer input (460-1 in Figures 4 and 8; pictured by not labeled in Figure 7) of the second wavelength division multiplexer device (462 in Figure 4; 762 in Figure 7; 422 in Figure 8);
the first splitter output (424-1 in Figures 4 and 7; pictured by not labelled in Figure 8) of the second splitter (422 in Figures 4 and 7; 862 in Figure 8) is optically coupled directly to the second multiplexer input (pictured by not labelled in Figure 7; 450-2 in Figures 4 and 8) of the first wavelength division multiplexer device (452 in Figure 4; 752 in Figure 7; 412 in Figure 8); and
the second splitter output (424-2 in Figures 4 and 7; pictured by not labelled in Figure 8) of the second splitter (422 in Figures 4 and 7; 862 in Figure 8) is optically coupled directly to the second multiplexer input (pictured by not labelled in Figure 7; 460-2 in Figures 4 and 8) of the second wavelength division multiplexer device (462 in Figure 4; 762 in Figure 7; 422 in Figure 8).
Marom does not disclose a housing or enclosure for the device and thus does not disclose:
a shell comprising a cavity;
that the input connection ports comprise a port opening extending from an outer surface of the shell into the cavity;
that the two splitters are disposed within the cavity;
that the two wavelength division multiplexer devices are disposed within the cavity;
that the output connection ports each comprise a port opening extending from the outer surface of the shell into the cavity;
wherein the input and output connection ports are arranged at an edge of the shell.
The examiner takes Official notice that housings and/or enclosures in the form of shells are known to be used to house optical fiber devices. For example:
Cooke et al. (US 8,286,325 B2) discloses a fiber optic module housing (30; see Figures 2-4) including a shell (main body 30 and lid 64 form a shell) comprising a cavity (internal chamber 38), input connection ports (40) comprising a port opening extending from an outer surface of the shell into the cavity and arranged in an array at an edge of the shell; and output connection ports (49) each comprising a port opening extending from the outer surface of the shell into the cavity (see Figure 3) and arranged in an array at an edge of the shell; and
Courchaine et al. (US 9,360,645 B2) discloses a fiber optic module housing (100; see Figures 1-4) including a shell (contain portion 110 and lid 120 form a shell) comprising a cavity (internal chamber defined by sides 111, 112, 113, 114 and bottom 115), input connection ports (1125; see Figure 2) comprising a port opening extending from an outer surface of the shell into the cavity and arranged in an array at an edge of the shell; and output connection ports (1115; see Figure 2) each comprising a port opening extending from the outer surface of the shell into the cavity (see Figures 1-4) and arranged in an array at an edge of the shell, wherein the housing (100) may include any number of input and outputs (see column 4, lines 35-40).
Thus, before the effective filing date of the present invention, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to provide a housing and/or enclosure comprising a shell with ports to house the elements of the device of Marom for the purpose of providing protection to the elements and making the device easier to handle and install in a desired system, and to thereby provide a shell comprising a cavity, wherein the input connection ports comprise a port opening extending from an outer surface of the shell into the cavity, wherein the two splitters are disposed within the cavity, wherein the two wavelength division multiplexer devices are disposed within the cavity; wherein the output connection ports each comprise a port opening extending from the outer surface of the shell into the cavity; and wherein the input and output connection ports are arranged in an array at an edge of the shell, since all of these elements were known elements of prior art and one of ordinary skill could have combined the elements by known coupling methods with no change in their respective functions to yield predictable results. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claims 23 and 27; since Marom discloses a single row of inputs and a single row of outputs (see Figures 4, 7, and 8), a person of ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to arrange the input port array of the shell and the output port array of the shell in a single row.
Regarding claims 24 and 28; Before the effective filing date of the present invention, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to arrange the array of input and output ports in any desired number or rows for each of connections, including wherein the array comprises a first row and a second row, since no novel or unexpected results would appear to occur regardless.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 21-28 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 MICHELLE R CONNELLY whose telephone number is (571)272-2345. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at 571-272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHELLE R CONNELLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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