DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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.
Re claims 2-8, the arguments presented for these claims were based on their dependency of claim 1, which the rejection has been changed to address the new claim scope due to the amendments.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harstead et al (herein Harstead) US Patent 5,912,749, Hinderthuer et al (herein Hinderthuer) US PG PUB 2009/0154918, and Zheng US PG PUB 2016/0377822.
Re claim 1, Harstead discloses an optical power supply, comprising:
a laser array including a plurality of lasers (the central office includes a WDM-TDM multi-frequency source 14, Fig. 1, wherein a multi-frequency optical source such as a multifrequency laser or a WDM laser array is customary used to generated the comb of wavelengths required for the WDM network, Col 1, lines 40-44, such that thit is understood that the multi-frequency source is a laser array), wherein each of the plurality of lasers is configured to generate a separate beam of continuous wave laser light having a different one of a number N of wavelengths (the bit-interleaved multifrequency light source 14 for emitting N wavelength channels, Col 3, lines 34-37);
an optical power adjuster controlled by the digital controller, the optical power adjuster configured to adjust an optical power level of one or more beams of continuous wave laser light generated by the plurality of lasers to produce an optical power encoding across the one or more beams of continuous wave laser light (Fig. 1 includes a plurality of data-encoding modulators M1-Mn, wherein ), , and wherein the optical power adjuster is configured to convey all of the number N of wavelengths of continuous wave laser light as generated by the laser array (Each stage comprises a 1:M power splitter 26, 28 and, where appropriate to maintain the requisite power level, a pre-amplifier 30, 32. The light passes through distribution fabric 16 and, thereafter, through a modulator as modulator M.sub.1, where a TDM signal encodes data onto each WDM channel sequentially. Col 5, lines 4-9, such that it is understood that the modulator imparts all the changes to all the wavelengths. Furthermore, it is disclosed that the system was configured such that data for each separate channel may be multiplexed into the buffer of a pattern generator (not shown), and delivered in Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) format to a modulator 48 Col 5, lines 35-39 such that a NRZ format through a modulation method would result in a power adjustment to impart the data).
Harstead does not explicitly disclose a digital controller configured to receive notification of the temperature from the temperature sensor, or wherein the optical power encoding conveys information about the temperature associated with the laser array as acquired by the temperature sensor. However, Hinderthuer discloses that some SFP transceivers support digital optical monitoring functions according to the industry standards SSF that make it possible to monitor real time parameters of the SFP module, such as optical output power, optical input power, temperature, laser bias current, and transceiver supply voltage ¶ [0007] , such that the temperature could be transmitted about the transceiver, which transmits an optical temperature of the module.
Additionally Hinderthuer discloses FIG. 13A shows a possible embodiment for the pluggable module 1 comprising an embedded communication channel ECC. In the shown embodiment, the pluggable module 1 comprises a diagnostic unit 22 to receive local performance data and electronic components within the pluggable module 1. These electronic components comprise in the given example a transmission diode 23, a receiving diode 24, a transimpedance amplifier TIA 25, a laser driver 26 and a limiting or linear amplifier 27. On the backside of the pluggable module 1 the electrical interface 8 comprises a data transmission interface 8-1, an electrical reporting interface 8-2 and for the reception data path an electrical data reception interface 8-3. Furthermore, the pluggable module 1 comprises a mapping unit 28 which controls the laser driver 26 depending on local performance data received from the diagnostic unit 22 to transfer the performance data via the provided embedded communication channel ECC to a remote pluggable module 1 ¶ [0142], such that the mapping unit alongside the diagnostic unit 22 that receives local performance data, wherein it was previously disclosed that they could include internally measured module temperature, is used to communicate said information, such that it is understood that a controller is used to receive the information of the temperature of the unit to be communicated. Furthermore, as the system is able to measure the module temperature, there is some sensor to measure the temperature.
Harstead and Hinderthuer are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, optical communication systems. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Harstead and Hinderthuer before him or her, to modify data being transmitted of Harstead to include the monitoring information, such as temperature, of Hinderthuer because it combines prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield predictable results, in this case, enabling exchanging performance monitoring data such that the system is aware of the status of the performance of the units it is communicating with.
To the extent that Hinderthuer does not explicitly disclose a temperature sensor configured to acquire a temperature associated with the laser array, Zheng discloses a multi-channel transceiver module includes a transceiver housing and at least one temperature controlled multi-channel transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) package located in the transceiver housing. The TOSA package is configured to transmit a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signal on multiple channel wavelengths. The TOSA package includes a TOSA housing, a laser array located in the TOSA housing and configured to generate laser light associated with a plurality of optical channels, and an optical multiplexer located in the TOSA housing and optically coupled to the laser array. The optical multiplexer is configured to combine the laser light at different respective channel wavelengths. The TOSA package also includes at least first and second temperature sensors located in the TOSA housing at first and second locations proximate at least first and second ends of the laser array. The first and second temperature sensors are configured to sense at least first and second temperatures at the first and second locations of the laser array.
Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zheng are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, optical communication system using a plurality of wavelengths. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zheng before him or her, to modify the transmission system capable of measuring the temperature of the module of Hinderthuer to include the sensor of the laser array of Zheng because combines prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield predictable results, enabling the system to better monitoring the operation of the laser source.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kamijima US PG PUB 2008/0165815.
Re claim 2, Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zheng disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 2 is dependent. Furthermore, Harstead discloses the use of a laser array, Hinderthuer discloses the transmission of temperature through power encoding, and Zhang discloses the measuring of a laser array with sensors. However, the combination does not explicitly disclose wherein the temperature associated with the laser array includes a temperature of each of the plurality of lasers, and wherein the optical power encoding conveys information about the temperature of each of the plurality of lasers.
However, Kamijima discloses he drive signal control unit 271 of the controller 270 comprises correspondence tables 510, 520, and 530 for the individual light source devices 10, 20, and 30, and a white balance table 540. The drive signal control unit 271 acquires the temperatures of each of the semiconductor laser devices from the respective light source device temperature sensors ¶ [0095], such that the drive signal considers only the temperature of each of the device.
Harstead, Zheng, and Kamijima are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, optical communication systems. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Harstead, Zheng, and Kamijima before him or her, to modify the consideration of a plurality of lasers of Harstead and Zheng to include the consideration of the temperature of the specific laser of Kajima because it combines prior art elements, according known methods, to yield predictable results, in this case, allows the reflect of the specific laser rather than the entire array.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wach US Patent 8,699,533.
Re claim 3, Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 3 is dependent. Furthermore, Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang do not explicitly disclose wherein the temperature associated with the laser array is acquired in real-time, and wherein the digital controller is configured to direct operation of the optical power adjuster to generate the optical the power encoding in real-time.
However, Wach discloses the control module 175 can be a master controller, while the temperature loop controllers 155 are slave controllers, for example. Thus, the control module 175 can output respective target temperatures to the temperature loop controllers 155 that maintain the lasers 105, 110 at the target temperatures. In the illustrated embodiment, each laser 105, 110 has an associated temperature sensor 107 that provides feedback to its respective temperature loop controller 155 in support of real-time or closed-loop temperature control, Col 7, lines 41-50.
Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Wach are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, optical control considering temperature sensor information. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Wach before him or her, to modify the control of the temperature sensor of Harstead, HInderthuer, and Zhang to include the ability to be performed through real time of Wach because it combines prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield predictable results, in this case, enabling the real time reflection of the signal.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee et al (herein Lee) US PG PUB 2004/0228637 .
Re claim 4, Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 4 is dependent. Furthermore, while Harstead discloses the use of a modulator to adjust the power according to data to generate an NRZ signal, it does not disclose wherein the optical power adjuster is configured to adjust one or more bias currents respectively supplied to one or more of the plurality of lasers in accordance with control signals received from the digital controller.
However, Lee discloses a duobinary optical transmission apparatus includes a light source 101 for generating a carrier wave; a signal generator for generating NRZ electric signals; a duobinary precoder 103 for encoding the NRZ electric signals; a semiconductor optical amplification unit 110 for receiving a gain difference varying with a bias current combined with the encoded signal. ¶ [0023]
Harstead and Lee are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, the modulation of an optical signal. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Harstead and Lee before him or her, to modify the modulation of Harstead to include the modulation current and bias current of Lee because it combines prior art elements according to known methods, to yield predictable results, generating of an NRZ signal or a duobinary optical signal.
Claim(s) 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Graves et al (herein Graves) US PG PUB 2013/0343752.
Re claim 5, Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 5 is dependent. Furthermore, Harstead discloses the use of a modulator to adjust the power or intensity of the signal, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the optical power adjuster is configured to amplify one or more of the separate beams of continuous wave laser light generated by the plurality of lasers in accordance with control signals received from the digital controller.
However, Graves discloses that VOICs 410 are used for provided intensity control in the form of either attenuator or amplification. Thus each of the VOICs 410 can either be a variable optical attenuator or a variable optical amplifier, depending on the operation requirements of the invention. The range of intensity control (i.e., attenuation or gain) required of an individual VOIC is typically expect to be on the order of 8 decibels or less, although it is within the scope of the invention to provide a greater or smaller dynamic range of attenuator or gain ¶ [0092], wherein it is disclose that the system has optical splitters connectable to output multiplexers of the switching and as variable optical intensity controllers (VOICs) for insertion into the individual signal paths to individually control the intensity of optical signal present in the signal paths via intensity control signal, Abstract.
Harstead and Graves are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, control of optical signal intensity. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Sanchez and Graves before him or her, to modify the control of the intensity of amplitude of the output of the laser module of Graves to include the optical switch that has multiple splitters connected to output multiplexers of the switch and has variable optical intensity controllers of Sanchez because it combines prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield predictable results, in this case, enabling a large dynamic range of control over a plurality of signals.
Re claim 6, Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 6 is dependent. Furthermore, Harstead discloses the use of a modulator to control the amplitude or intensity of the signal, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the optical power adjuster is configured to attenuate one or more of the separate beams of continuous wave laser light generated by the plurality of lasers in accordance with control signals received from the digital controller.
However, Graves discloses that VOICs 410 are used for provided intensity control in the form of either attenuator or amplification. Thus each of the VOICs 410 can either be a variable optical attenuator or a variable optical amplifier, depending on the operation requirements of the invention. The range of intensity control (i.e., attenuation or gain) required of an individual VOIC is typically expect to be on the order of 8 decibels or less, although it is within the scope of the invention to provide a greater or smaller dynamic range of attenuator or gain ¶ [0092], wherein it is disclose that the system has optical splitters connectable to output multiplexers of the switching and as variable optical intensity controllers (VOICs) for insertion into the individual signal paths to individually control the intensity of optical signal present in the signal paths via intensity control signal, Abstract.
Harstead and Graves are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, control of optical signal intensity. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Sanchez and Graves before him or her, to modify the control of the intensity of amplitude of the output of the laser module of Graves to include the optical switch that has multiple splitters connected to output multiplexers of the switch and has variable optical intensity controllers of Sanchez because it combines prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield predictable results, in this case, enabling a large dynamic range of control over a plurality of signals.
Re claim 7, Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim is dependent. Furthermore, Harstead discloses the modulator performing the adjustment of optical power or intensity, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the optical power adjuster is configured to amplify or attenuate one or more of the separate beams of continuous wave laser light generated by the plurality of lasers in accordance with control signals received from the digital controller.
However, Graves discloses that VOICs 410 are used for provided intensity control in the form of either attenuator or amplification. Thus each of the VOICs 410 can either be a variable optical attenuator or a variable optical amplifier, depending on the operation requirements of the invention. The range of intensity control (i.e., attenuation or gain) required of an individual VOIC is typically expect to be on the order of 8 decibels or less, although it is within the scope of the invention to provide a greater or smaller dynamic range of attenuator or gain ¶ [0092], wherein it is disclose that the system has optical splitters connectable to output multiplexers of the switching and as variable optical intensity controllers (VOICs) for insertion into the individual signal paths to individually control the intensity of optical signal present in the signal paths via intensity control signal, Abstract.
Harstead and Graves are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, control of optical signal intensity. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Sanchez and Graves before him or her, to modify the control of the intensity of amplitude of the output of the laser module of Graves to include the optical switch that has multiple splitters connected to output multiplexers of the switch and has variable optical intensity controllers of Sanchez because it combines prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield predictable results, in this case, enabling a large dynamic range of control over a plurality of signals.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Aronson et al (herein Aronson) US Patent 7,359,643.
Re claim 8, Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 8 is dependent. Furthermore, Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Zhang do not explicitly disclose an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the temperature acquired by the temperature sensor from an analog signal to a digital signal in route to the digital controller; and
a digital-to-analog converter configured to convert digital signals output by the digital controller to analog signals in route to the optical power adjuster.
However, Aronson discloses the power controller IC 230 may also include other internal components, such as one or more analog to digital converters 518 (e.g., for monitoring one or more voltages or other signals within the optical transceiver module), one or more digital to analog converters 520 (each of which generates an output voltage or current in accordance with the digital value presented to the converter 520), a configurable logic module 524, one or more multiplexers, or the like. As the power controller IC 230 may generate considerable heat, a temperature sensor 514 may also be coupled to the analog to digital converter 518 to monitor the power controller IC's temperature, Col 13, lines 27-37.
Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Aronson are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, optical transmission systems. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Harstead, Hinderthuer, and Aronson before him or her, to modify the control circuit of Harstead and Hinderthuer to include the analog to digital converters and digital to analog converters of Aronson because it combines prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield predictable results, in this case, enabling the signals to be converted and needed within the system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-18, 21-28 allowed.
Conclusion
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TANYA MOTSINGER
Examiner
Art Unit 2637
/TANYA T MOTSINGER/ Examiner, Art Unit 2635