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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 14 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.
Applicant's arguments filed 8/19/25 concerning claim 12 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The amendment of claim 12 recites an angle between the optical axes being an acute angle, but Ohta teaches an embodiment wherein the optical axes are acute angles so the rejection has been updated accordingly.
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 (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 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.
Claims 1, 2, 8-11, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Falkenberg (US 6,695,486 B1). Falkenberg teaches:
1. An optical connection device (200, Figs. 2-3) comprising:
a first optical component (now shown in Fig. 2-3, connectors of 130 that connects to 220; C2 L67 – C3 L2) having a first optical axis (see Fig. 2-3);
a second optical component (not shown in Figs. 2-3, connectors of 110 that connects to 210; C2 L63-67) having a second optical axis different from the first optical axis (see Figs. 2-3); and
a silicon optical waveguide circuit including a silicon optical waveguide (C4 L10-14) having a bending shape (see 320) for changing a direction of the first optical axis to a direction of the second optical axis, and being connected to each of the first optical component (130) and the second optical component (110),
wherein an angle (see reproduced figure 3) formed between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is an acute angle (see Fig. 2).
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2. The optical connection device according to claim 1, wherein the silicon optical waveguide circuit is fixed under a state in which one end of the silicon optical waveguide and the first optical axis are optically coupled to each other, and is fixed under a state in which another end of the silicon optical waveguide and the second optical axis are optically coupled to each other (nothing in 200 moves (nothing moving = “fixed”) when the device is connected to the other devices).
8. The optical connection device according to claim 1, wherein an angle formed between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is fixed (the device 200 is fixed).
9. The optical connection device according to claim 2, wherein an angle formed between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is fixed (the device 200 is fixed).
10. The optical connection device according to claim 1, wherein the first optical component is a ferrule (part of 130), and the second optical component is a ferrule (part of 100) (ferrules are a part of optical connectors that connect to each end of 200).
11. The optical connection device according to claim 2, wherein the first optical component is a ferrule (part of 130), and the second optical component is a ferrule (part of 100) (ferrules are a part of optical connectors that connect to each end of 200).
14. A manufacturing method of an optical connection device, comprising
connecting, to each one of a first optical component (now shown in Fig. 2-3, connectors of 130 that connects to 220; C2 L67 – C3 L2) having a first optical axis (see Fig. 2-3) and a second optical component (not shown in Figs. 2-3, connectors of 110 that connects to 210; C2 L63-67) having a second optical axis (see Fig. 2-3) different from the first optical axis, a silicon optical waveguide circuit including a silicon optical waveguide (C4 L10-14) having a bending shape for changing a direction of the first optical axis to a direction of the second optical axis (see Fig. 3),
wherein an angle (see reproduced figure 3) formed between the first optical axis and the second optical axis is an acute angle (see Fig. 2).
15. The manufacturing method of an optical connection device according to claim 14, comprising: fixing one end of the silicon optical waveguide circuit and the first optical axis to each other under an optically coupled state; and fixing another end of the silicon optical waveguide circuit and the second optical axis to each other under an optically coupled state (nothing in 200 moves (nothing moving = “fixed”) when the device is connected to the other devices).
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Falkenberg as applied to claims 1-2 above, and further in view of Gaebe et al (US 7,352,924 B2).
Falkenberg teaches the optical connection device previously discussed.
Falkenberg does not teach expressly further comprising a lens included in at least one of a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is between the first optical component and the one end of the silicon optical waveguide, and the second position is between the second optical component and the another end of the silicon optical waveguide.
Gaebe teaches a lens (14) included in a second position, wherein the first position is between a second optical component (12) and the one end of the silicon optical waveguide (22) (Fig. 1).
Falkenberg and Gaebe are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, optical connection devices.
At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Falkenberg to include a lens between the optoelectronic device 110 and the device in Falkenberg as taught by Gaebe.
The motivation for doing so would have been improve the signal quality into and/or out of the connection device.
Claims 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohta (US 8,272,788 B2). Ohta teaches:
12. A composite optical connection device (Figs. 4-5) comprising:
a first optical connection device (1, 2’, 21) including:
a first optical component (2’) having a first optical axis (vertical),
a second optical component (1, 21) having a second optical axis (horizontal) different from the first optical axis (vertical) (Figs. 4-5), and
an optical waveguide circuit (25) including a silicon optical waveguide (24, C5 L21-36) having a bending shape (at 24b) for changing a direction of the first optical axis (horizontal) to a direction of the second optical axis (vertical), and being connected to each of the first optical component (2’) and the second optical component (1, 21); and
a second optical connection device (3, 2’, 23) including a configuration identical to that of the first optical connection device (1, 2’, 21) (see Fig. 5, the device is symmetric through 6, 22a), wherein
the second optical component (1, 21) of the first optical connection device (1, 2’, 21) and the second optical component (3, 23) of the second optical connection device (3, 2’, 23) are connected to each other via an optical transmission path (part of 25, shown in Fig. 13 – the line 24’ points to shows the optical transmission path from 1 to 3).
13. The composite optical connection device according to claim 12, wherein the optical transmission path includes any one of a ferrule (1, 2, 3), an optical waveguide circuit (25), and an optical fiber (24).
Ohta does not teach the optical waveguide circuit is a silicon optical waveguide circuit, but it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to try using silicon for the optical waveguide circuit, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. Silicon is a standard material in optical waveguide circuits and one of ordinary skill in the art would expect silicon to work as the circuit material in Ohta since the fibers in the device are already glass based.
The embodiment of Figs. 4-5 of Ohta do not show an angle formed between the optical axis of the first optical connection device and the second optical axis of the first optical connection device is an acute angle. Ohta teaches another embodiment (Figs. 6-8) wherein the angle between axis of the optical axes are acute (see reproduced figures 7).
The embodiments of Ohta are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, optical connection devices.
At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the embodiment of Fig. 4-5 of Ohta to use the angled connection device as taught by the embodiment of Figs. 6-8.
[AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: arc]The motivation for doing so would have been to allow the device to be used when a Y-shaped connection is required.
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Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Falkenberg as applied to claims 1 and 14 above, and further in view of Fowler (US 10,939,546 B2).
Falkenberg teaches the composite optical connection device previously discussed.
Falkenberg does not teach expressly wherein the first optical connection device comprises a knob configured to connect the first optical component of the first optical connection device to another optical device, wherein the first optical component of the first optical connection device is a ferrule, and the second optical component of the first optical connection device is any one of a ferrule and an optical fiber.
Fowler teaches a first connection device (300) wherein a first connection device (at 514) comprises a knob (506, 508) configured to connect the first component of the first connection device to another device (connector that mates with 506, 508), wherein the first component of the first connection device is a ferrule (part of 506, 508 is a ferrule of the connector) and the second component of the first connection device is a ferrule (part of 404).
Falkenberg and Fowler are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, connection devices.
At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the first connection device of Falkenberg to use a knob type connector as taught by Fowler.
The motivation for doing so would have been to reduce cost or complexity by using known knob type connectors.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohta as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Fowler.
Ohta teaches the composite optical connection device previously discussed.
Ohta does not teach expressly wherein the first optical connection device comprises a knob configured to connect the first optical component of the first optical connection device to another optical device, wherein the first optical component of the first optical connection device is a ferrule, and the second optical component of the first optical connection device is any one of a ferrule and an optical fiber.
Fowler teaches a first connection device (300) wherein a first connection device (at 514) comprises a knob (506, 508) configured to connect the first component of the first connection device to another device (connector that mates with 506, 508), wherein the first component of the first connection device is a ferrule (part of 506, 508 is a ferrule of the connector) and the second component of the first connection device is a ferrule (part of 404).
Ohta and Fowler are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, connection devices.
At the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the first connection device of Ohta to use a knob type connector as taught by Fowler.
The motivation for doing so would have been to reduce cost or complexity by using known knob type connectors.
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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN A LEPISTO whose telephone number is (571)272-1946. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-5PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hollweg can be reached on 571-270-1739. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN A LEPISTO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874