DETAILED ACTION
1. This Office Action is responsive to amendments filed for No. 18/231,399 on August 21, 2023. Please note Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on September 19, 2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 7-10 and 17-20 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.
Claim 7 recites aspects of a fabrication method for the whispering gallery mode resonator, including etching of particular interval, finding a waveguide position and a particular cleaning step. This level of detail, as a whole, is not taught by the prior art. Claims 8-10 and 17-20 depend from Claim 7.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu et al.
( CN 211236336 U ), a copy of which has been provided in the file wrapper.
Liu teaches in Claim 1:
A whispering gallery mode resonator based on a cylindrical cavity in an optical fiber ( Page 2 discloses an echo wall micro-sphere resonator in an optical fiber device. Respectfully, an echo wall in a micro-scale is equivalent to a whispering gallery mode resonator ), comprising an optical fiber body ( Figure 2, Page 4 discloses an optical fibre 4 with 4(a) and 4(b) as well ), wherein a cylindrical cavity is provided in the optical fiber body ( Figure 2, Page 4 discloses details on microsphere 6, which is a cylindrical aspect in the cylindrical cavity, as shown. Furthermore, the cylindrical cavity encompasses more than just micro-sphere 6. The cylindrical cavity/shape extends through 4/4(a)/4(b) as shown ), a central axis of the cylindrical cavity is perpendicular to a central axis of the optical fiber body ( Figure 2 shows the perpendicular aspect of microsphere 6 relative to 4/4(a)/4(b). Please note the similarities to Applicant’s own Figure 1 in this sense ), a top end of the cylindrical cavity is open ( Figure 2, Page 4 details the small hole 5 at the top of the cylindrical cavity ), a bottom end of the cylindrical cavity is located inside the optical fiber body ( Figure 2, Pages 4-5 detail how light passes through suspension core 9 and impacts the microsphere 6, which is located within the fibre 4/4(a)/4(b), as opposed to the opening part on top ), part or all of the cylindrical cavity blocks part of transmitted light beam of the optical fiber body ( Pages 4-5 disclose how the light transmits through and then forms interference with light directly transmitted, forming the output spectrum of the echo wall mode. To clarify, some of the wall blocks the light ), so that the part of transmitted light beam of the optical fiber body is coupled to an inner wall of the cylindrical cavity in a tangential direction, and then periodically propagates on the inner wall of the cylindrical cavity to form a whispering gallery mode. ( Figures 1 and 2, Pages 4-5 discloses how the echo wall structure causes interference on some light and passes some through (propagates) to the spectrum analyzer 3. This is how the echo wall resonator operates, i.e. forms )
Liu teaches in Claim 4:
The whispering gallery mode resonator according to claim 1, wherein when the optical fiber body is a single-mode optical fiber, a diameter of the cylindrical cavity is not less than a diameter of a single-mode optical fiber core, the cylindrical cavity is arranged eccentrically with respect to the single-mode optical fiber, and part of a side surface and part of a bottom surface of the cylindrical cavity are located in the single-mode optical fiber core. ( Figure 1, Page 5 details the single-mode optical fibre core 4(a), including a diameter of the cylindrical cavity which is not less than the diameter of the core, as shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, the term “eccentrically” is broad in that it is not centrally disposed, which is true for a cylindrical shape in general. In addition, the side and bottom surface of the cylindrical cavity is located in 4(b), as shown )
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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.
8. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
9. Claims 2, 3, 5, 6 and 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. ( CN 211236336 U ), as applied to Claim 1, further in view of Yang et al.
( US 2024/0159968 A1 ).
As per Claim 2:
Liu does not explicitly teach “wherein when the optical fiber body is a multi-mode optical fiber, a diameter of the cylindrical cavity is smaller than a diameter of a multi-mode optical fiber core, and the bottom end of the cylindrical cavity is located in the multi-mode optical fiber core.”
However, in the same field of endeavor, micro-resonators, Yang teaches of a whispering gallery mode (WGM) type, ( Yang, Figure 5A/5B, [0026] ). Notably, Yang teaches in [0028] of several types of fibers, including single-mode (similar to Liu) and also multi-core, multi-fiber, etc. Respectfully, given Yang teaches of several types of cores to implement the WGM aspect in, it is clear Liu could be modified to include multi-core aspects. As for the diameter of the cylindrical cavity being smaller than the diameter of the core, Liu shows this in Figure 1 (comparing the interpreted cavity to the fibre 4/4(a)/4(b)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the effective filed date of the invention, to implement the multi-mode aspects, as taught by Yang, with the motivation that such types of cores are well known and Yang teaches in [0028] of several well known types, also shown in Figure 4.
Liu teaches in Claim 3:
The whispering gallery mode resonator according to claim 2, wherein the central axis of the cylindrical cavity is perpendicular to a central axis of the multi-mode optical fiber. ( Liu, Figure 2 shows the perpendicular aspects, as detailed in Claim 1. As combined, the same would be true with the multi-mode fibre as well )
As per Claim 5:
Liu does not explicitly teach “wherein a plurality of cylindrical cavities are provided, and the plurality of cylindrical cavities are arranged sequentially in a light transmission direction in the optical fiber body.”
However, in the same field of endeavor, micro-resonators, Yang teaches of a whispering gallery mode (WGM) type, ( Yang, Figure 5A/5B, [0026] ). Notably, Yang teaches in [0028] of several types of fibers, including single-mode (similar to Liu) and also multi-core, multi-fiber, etc. Respectfully, given Yang teaches of several types of cores to implement the WGM aspect in, it is clear Liu could be modified to include multi-core aspects. As for the diameter of the cylindrical cavity being smaller than the diameter of the core, Liu shows this in Figure 1 (comparing the interpreted cavity to the fibre 4/4(a)/4(b)). Furthermore, Yang, Figure 1, [0024] discloses a plurality of microresnsoators 110 sequentially arranged in the horizontal (light transmission path) and as combined, there are a plurality of Liu’s Figure 1 aspects, cavities, etc.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the effective filed date of the invention, to implement the multi-mode aspects, as taught by Yang, with the motivation that such types of cores are well known and Yang teaches in [0028] of several well known types, also shown in Figure 4.
Liu and Yang teach in Claim 6:
The whispering gallery mode resonator according to claim 5, wherein diameters of the plurality of cylindrical cavities are not exactly the same. ( Figure 2, Pages 4-5 disclose width and depth aspects of the structure and from Figure 1, it is clear the diameters are not exactly the same. Furthermore, Yang’s Figure 1, which shows a plurality of microresonantors, are slightly different in their configurations, meaning the diameters are also not exactly the same )
Liu teaches in Claim 11:
The whispering gallery mode resonator according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of cylindrical cavities are provided, and the plurality of cylindrical cavities are arranged sequentially in a light transmission direction in the optical fiber body. ( Yang, Figure 1, [0024] discloses a plurality of microresnsoators 110 sequentially arranged and as combined, there are a plurality of Liu’s Figure 1 aspects, cavities, etc. )
Liu and Yang teach in Claim 12:
The whispering gallery mode resonator according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of cylindrical cavities are provided, and the plurality of cylindrical cavities are arranged sequentially in a light transmission direction in the optical fiber body. ( Yang, Figure 1, [0024] discloses a plurality of microresnsoators 110 sequentially arranged and as combined, there are a plurality of Liu’s Figure 1 aspects, cavities, etc. )
As per Claim 13:
Liu does not explicitly teach “wherein a plurality of cylindrical cavities are provided, and the plurality of cylindrical cavities are arranged sequentially in a light transmission direction in the optical fiber body.
However, in the same field of endeavor, micro-resonators, Yang teaches of a whispering gallery mode (WGM) type, ( Yang, Figure 5A/5B, [0026] ). Notably, Yang teaches in [0028] of several types of fibers, including single-mode (similar to Liu) and also multi-core, multi-fiber, etc. Respectfully, given Yang teaches of several types of cores to implement the WGM aspect in, it is clear Liu could be modified to include multi-core aspects. As for the diameter of the cylindrical cavity being smaller than the diameter of the core, Liu shows this in Figure 1 (comparing the interpreted cavity to the fibre 4/4(a)/4(b)). Furthermore, Yang, Figure 1, [0024] discloses a plurality of microresnsoators 110 sequentially arranged in the horizontal (light transmission path) and as combined, there are a plurality of Liu’s Figure 1 aspects, cavities, etc.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the effective filed date of the invention, to implement the multi-mode aspects, as taught by Yang, with the motivation that such types of cores are well known and Yang teaches in [0028] of several well known types, also shown in Figure 4.
Liu and Yang teach in Claim 14:
The whispering gallery mode resonator according to claim 11, wherein diameters of the plurality of cylindrical cavities are not exactly the same. ( Figure 2, Pages 4-5 disclose width and depth aspects of the structure and from Figure 1, it is clear the diameters are not exactly the same. Furthermore, Yang’s Figure 1, which shows a plurality of microresonantors, are slightly different in their configurations, meaning the diameters are also not exactly the same )
Liu and Yang teach in Claim 15:
The whispering gallery mode resonator according to claim 12, wherein diameters of the plurality of cylindrical cavities are not exactly the same. ( Figure 2, Pages 4-5 disclose width and depth aspects of the structure and from Figure 1, it is clear the diameters are not exactly the same. Furthermore, Yang’s Figure 1, which shows a plurality of microresonantors, are slightly different in their configurations, meaning the diameters are also not exactly the same )
Liu teaches in Claim 16:
The whispering gallery mode resonator according to claim 13, wherein diameters of the plurality of cylindrical cavities are not exactly the same. ( Figure 2, Pages 4-5 disclose width and depth aspects of the structure and from Figure 1, it is clear the diameters are not exactly the same. Furthermore, Yang’s Figure 1, which shows a plurality of microresonantors, are slightly different in their configurations, meaning the diameters are also not exactly the same )
Conclusion
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/DENNIS P JOSEPH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621