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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 02/17/2026 is acknowledged. The election/restriction requirement of the previous action is made final.
Claims
Claims 8-20 are cancelled.
Claims 21-33 are new.
Claims 1-7 and 21-33 are pending and examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 21-28, 30-33 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent Application Publication 2018/0083417 A1 to Pezeshki et al.
Regarding Claim 1, Pezeshki discloses a system comprising optical devices (Fig’s. 1,2, and 4A, switch module with optical input/output) , the system comprising:
a carrier (¶ 29, substrate underlying the switch, optical assemblies and PLCs);
a light source over the carrier (Fig. 4A, laser (411a));
a first device over the carrier (Fig. 4A, modulator (413a));
a second device over the carrier (Fig. 1, switch (113)); and
additional first devices disposed adjacent to one side of the second device (Fig. 4A, modulators (413b-d) on one side of the switch (113)),
wherein the first device and the additional first devices share the light source (Fig. 4A, modulators (413a-d) share laser 411a), and
the first device and the additional first devices are at a same side of the second device (Fig. 4A, modulators (413a-d) on same side of switch (113)).
Regarding Claim 2, Pezeshki discloses wherein the second device comprises four sides, and the four sides comprise a first side and a second side substantially parallel to each other (Fig. 1, switch (113) with four sides, being a rectangle opposite sides are parallel to each other.)
Regarding Claim 3, Pezeshki discloses an optical fiber connected to the first device, wherein the optical fiber comprises a first portion extending along a first direction, and a second portion extending along a second direction different from the first direction (Fig. 1, connector (100) for a fiber that connects to another transceiver at the far end, the near end extends towards the connector (100) in a direction, the far end connects to a connector in the opposite direction.)
Regarding Claim 21, Pezeshki discloses wherein the second device has a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, and a third side substantially perpendicular to the first side, wherein the first device is disposed at the first side of the second device and the light source is free from overlapping the first device in a first direction substantially parallel to the third side in a top view perspective (Fig. 1, switch (113) is free from overlapping the optical assembly (111)).
Regarding Claim 22, Pezeshki discloses wherein the light source is free from overlapping the first device in a second direction substantially parallel to the first side of the second device in the top view perspective (Fig. 4A, lasers (411a-d) are free from overlapping modulator (413a)).
Regarding Claim 23, Pezeshki discloses wherein the system further comprises additional light sources, wherein a number of the additional light sources is different from a number of the additional first devices (¶¶ 44-46, any number of additional light sources may be used different from the number of modulators).
Regarding Claim 24, Pezeshki discloses wherein the number of the additional light sources is less than the number of the additional first devices (¶¶ 44-46, one additional light source powers three additional modulators.)
Regarding Claim 25, Pezeshki discloses wherein the first side and the second side of the second device are substantially parallel to each other (Fig. 1, switch (113) with four sides, being a rectangle opposite sides are parallel to each other.)
Regarding Claim 26, Pezeshki discloses wherein two or more of the additional first devices are at the first side of the second device, and another two or more of the additional first devices are at the second side of the second device (Fig. 1, many additional modulators in optical assemblies (111) on all sides of switch (113)).
Regarding Claim 27, Pezeshki discloses wherein two or more of the additional first devices are at the first side of the second device, and another two or more of the additional first devices are at the second side of the second device (Fig. 1, many additional modulators in optical assemblies (111) on all sides of switch (113)).
Regarding Claim 28, Pezeshki discloses a system comprising optical devices (Fig’s. 1,2, and 4A, switch module with optical input/output) , the system comprising:
a carrier (¶ 29, substrate underlying the switch, optical assemblies and PLCs);
a light source over the carrier (Fig. 4A, laser (411a));
a first device over the carrier (Fig. 4A, modulator (413a));
a second device over the carrier (Fig. 1, switch (113)); and
additional first devices disposed adjacent to one side of the second device (Fig. 4A, modulators (413b-d) on one side of the switch (113)),
wherein the first device and the additional first devices share the light source (Fig. 4A, modulators (413a-d) share laser 411a), and
some of the additional first devices are disposed substantially parallel to each other in a top view perspective (Fig. 4A, modulators (413a-d) substantially parallel to each other.)
Regarding Claim 30, Pezeshki discloses wherein the light source is free from overlapping the first device in a second direction substantially parallel to the first side of the second device in the top view perspective (Fig. 4A, lasers (411a-d) are free from overlapping modulator (413a)).
Regarding Claim 31, Pezeshki discloses a system comprising optical devices (Fig’s. 1,2, and 4A, switch module with optical input/output) , the system comprising:
a carrier (¶ 29, substrate underlying the switch, optical assemblies and PLCs);
a light source over the carrier (Fig. 4A, laser (411a));
a first device over the carrier (Fig. 4A, modulator (413a));
a second device over the carrier (Fig. 1, switch (113)); and
additional first devices disposed at a same side of the second device (Fig. 4A, modulators (413b-d) on one side of the switch (113)),
wherein the first device and the additional first devices share the light source (Fig. 4A, modulators (413a-d) share laser 411a), and
wherein an elevation of a top surface of the first device is higher than an elevation of a top surface of the second device (Fig. 1, optical assemblies (111) are higher than switch (113)).
Regarding Claim 32, Pezeshki discloses wherein the additional first devices are arranged in a side-by-side manner at the same side of the second device (Fig. 4A, modulators (413a-d) in side-by-side manner.)
Regarding Claim 33, Pezeshki discloses additional light sources wherein the number of the additional light sources is less than the number of the additional first devices (¶¶ 44-46, one additional light source powers three additional modulators.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 and 29 are 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL G DOBSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9781. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth Vanderpuye can be reached at 5712723078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL G DOBSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634 05/30/2026