DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1 through 20 originally filed 15 February 2023. By amendment received 18 May 2026; claims 1 through 20 are amended. Claims 1 through 20 are addressed by this 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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4).
The description uses the reference characters "385" to refer to more than one part each. The same reference character must never be used to designate different parts.
In the present case, these reference characters or similar numbers appear in the following locations: "385" is mentioned in ¶34, ¶35, and ¶36.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5).
The drawings include the reference characters "256", "611", "612", "621", "622", and "623" which do not appear in the description. Reference characters not mentioned in the description must not appear in the drawings.
The description includes the reference characters "236", "388", "511", "512", "521", "522", and "523" which do not appear in the drawings. Reference characters mentioned in the description must appear in the drawings.
In the present case, these reference characters or similar numbers appear in the following locations: "236" is mentioned in ¶30, "388" is mentioned in ¶34, ¶35, and ¶36, "511" is mentioned in ¶36, "512" is mentioned in ¶36, "521" is mentioned in ¶36, "522" is mentioned in ¶36, and "523" is mentioned in ¶36.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as "amended." If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either "Replacement Sheet" or "New Sheet" pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). 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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 11, 17, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Douyere (US Patent 11,115,251) in view of Vaughan (US Pub. 2003/0043869).
Regarding claim 1, Douyere discloses, "A variable gain amplifier (VGA) swing control loop" (col. 3, lines 33-48 and Fig. 1, pt. 106). "A VGA" (col. 3, lines 33-36 and Fig. 1, pt. 106). "A detector" (col. 3, lines 37-39 and Fig. 1, pt. 110). "Wherein the VGA swing control loop is configured to receive an input signal" (col. 3, lines 33-48 and Fig. 1, pts. 108 and 110). "Wherein the input signal has a variable swing amplitude" (col. 3, lines 33-48 and Fig. 1, pt. 110). "[The VGA swing control loop is configured to] modulate the variable swing amplitude of the input signal" (col. 3, lines 33-48 and Fig. 1, pts. 106 and 108). "[The variable swing amplitude is modulated] to produce a fixed swing amplitude" (col. 3, lines 33-48 and Fig. 1, pts. 106 and 108, where the compensation of swing variation produces a fixed amplitude output). "A laser driver circuit configured to receive a VGA output signal from the VGA" (col. 3, lines 33-48 and Fig. 1, pts. 106 and 108). "[The laser driver circuit configured to] generate a linear output response to the input signal" (col. 3, lines 49-52). Douyere does not explicitly disclose, "[The laser driver circuit] provides an output current to drive the laser diode." Vaughan discloses, "[The laser driver circuit] provides an output current to drive the laser diode" (p. [0032] and Fig. 3, pts. 102 and 164). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Douyere with the teachings of Vaughan. In view of the teachings of Douyere regarding a feedback circuit for use with a variable gain amplifier in a driving circuit, the alternate use of the a feedback-controlled amplifier in a driver for a laser diode as taught by Vaughan would enhance the teachings of Douyere by allowing the laser driver to also experience the benefits of a feedback controlled variable gain amplifier.
Regarding claim 11, Douyere does not explicitly disclose, "Wherein the laser driver circuit comprises a direct modulation laser (DML) driver that electrically couples with a cathode and an anode of the laser diode." Vaughan discloses, "Wherein the laser driver circuit comprises a direct modulation laser (DML) driver that electrically couples with a cathode and an anode of the laser diode" (p. [0032] and Fig. 3, pts. 104, 162, 163, 164, and 165). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Douyere with the teachings of Vaughan for the reasons provided above regarding claim 1.
Regarding claim 17, Douyere discloses, "Wherein the input signal is a pulse-amplitude modulation 4-level (PAM4) signal" (col. 3, lines 7-10).
Regarding claim 18, Douyere discloses, "Wherein the input signal is a non-return-to-zero (NRZ) signal" (col. 3, lines 21-22 and Fig. 1).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Douyere, in view of Vaughan, and further in view of Asmanis et al. (Asmanis, US Patent 8,989,300).
Asmanis was initially cited in the IDS received 25 April 2023.
Regarding claim 16, The combination of Douyere and Vaughan does not explicitly disclose, "Wherein the laser diode is an edge emitting laser diode or a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) diode." Asmanis discloses, "Wherein the laser diode is an edge emitting laser diode or a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) diode" (col. 5, lines 36-45). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of the combination of Douyere and Vaughan with the teachings of Asmanis. In view of the teachings of Douyere regarding a feedback circuit for use with a variable gain amplifier in a driving circuit, the alternate construction of the emission device as a VCSEL as taught by Asmanis would enhance the teachings of Douyere and Vaughan by providing a suitably alternate format for the laser device.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Douyere, in view of Vaughan, and further in view of Ahmed et al. (Ahmed, US Pub. 2019/0296706).
Regarding claim 19, The combination of Douyere and Vaughan does not explicitly disclose, "Wherein the detector receives a voltage target from at least one of a VCSEL target voltage generator, a DML target voltage generator, and an electro-absorption modulator (EML) target voltage generator." Ahmed discloses, "Wherein the detector receives a voltage target from at least one of a VCSEL target voltage generator, a DML target voltage generator, and an electro-absorption modulator (EML) target voltage generator" (p. [0030] and Fig. 5, pt. OA). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of the combination of Douyere and Vaughan with the teachings of Ahmed. In view of the teachings of Douyere regarding a feedback circuit for use with a variable gain amplifier in a driving circuit, the additional inclusion of a reference voltage against which to compare the feedback voltage as taught by Ahmed would enhance the teachings of Douyere and Vaughan by allowing the operation to be regulated against an externally controlled factor.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Douyere, in view of Vaughan, and further in view of Kunst et al. (Kunst, US Pub. 2007/0114361).
Regarding claim 20, The combination of Douyere and Vaughan does not explicitly disclose, "Wherein the fixed swing amplitude is user-programmed." Kunst discloses, "Wherein the fixed swing amplitude is user-programmed" (p. [0027] and Fig. 2, pts. 170, 260, and 280). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of the combination of Douyere and Vaughan with the teachings of Kunst. In view of the teachings of Douyere regarding a feedback circuit for use with a variable gain amplifier in a driving circuit, the additional inclusion of a programmed reference voltage to compare the feedback voltage as taught by Kunst would enhance the teachings of Douyere and Vaughan by allowing the operation to be regulated against an externally controlled factor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 through 10 and 12 through 15 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 2 depends properly from claim 1 and inherits all limitations thereof. This claim additionally requires a common mode regulator loop which shares the VGA with the VGA swing control loop. The common mode regulator loop requires a common mode sensor and a regulator and operates to maintain a desired bias level.
The art cited in the above rejection of parent claim 1 is notable in relation to this claim. However, that cited art does not include a common mode regulator loop that includes each claimed element.
The prior art does not teach a common mode regulator loop that includes every claimed feature. As such, this claim is allowed.
Claim 8 depends properly from claim 1 and inherits all limitations thereof. This claim additionally requires the detector of the VGA swing control loop to include an amplifier, a mixer, and a regulator. These elements of the detector are required to be connected in a particular arrangement.
The art cited in the above rejection of parent claim 1 is notable in relation to this claim. However, that cited art does not include the particular claimed detector arrangement.
The prior art does not teach the particular claimed detector arrangement. As such, this claim is allowed.
Claim 12 depends properly from claims 1 and 11 and inherits all limitations thereof. This claim additionally requires a pre-driver and a second regulator.
The art cited in the above rejections of parent claims 1 and 11 is notable in relation to this claim. However, that cited art does not include a regulator employed in a context that includes each other claimed element.
The prior art does not teach a regulator employed in a context that includes each other claimed element. As such, this claim is allowed.
Claims 3 through 7, 9, 10, and 13 through 15 each depend properly from one of claims 2, 8, and 12 and inherit all limitations thereof. As such, these claims are also allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ries et al. (Ries, US Patent 5,394,416) is cited for teaching a driver circuit for a laser device that includes feedback control for a variable amplifier.
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 Sean P Hagan whose telephone number is (571)270-1242. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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/SEAN P HAGAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2828
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