DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-6 and 8-13 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1:
Line 8, “Collimated light…” appears to be --the collimated light--.
Line 2 from the bottom, “provided” should be –provided for--.
Other claims are objected to due to claim dependency.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sullivan (US 7894044 B1, hereinafter “Sullivan”).
Regarding claim 1, Sullivan teaches an optical device comprising:
a first reflector configured to reflect light emitted from a light emitter and irradiate collimated light onto an object (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a parabolic or spherical transmitter mirror 237 (equivalent to first reflector) in the center of the device 233 collimates transmitted light 239 from the transmitter optical fiber 225 toward object (not shown but inherently)); and
a second reflector configured to reflect, toward a light receiver, reflected light resulting from reflection of the collimated light at the object (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a parabolic or spherical ring mirror 241 focuses return light 234 (reflected from object is not shown but inherently) into the receiver optical fiber 229), wherein
collimated light irradiated by the first reflector passes through an opening part provided the second reflector and is incident on the object (Sullivan; Fig. 13, clearly seen the collimated transmitted light 239 passes through a center opening provided by the parabolic ring mirror 241).
Regarding claim 2, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first reflector causes the collimated light to pass through a center part of the opening part (Sullivan; Fig. 13, clearly seen the collimated transmitting light 239 passes through a center opening provided by the parabolic ring mirror 241).
Regarding claim 3, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 1, wherein the first reflector and the second reflector are accommodated in a same housing (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, transmitter mirror 237 (equivalent to first reflector) in the center of the device 233. The first optical fiber head 233 and second optical fiber head 235 are located symmetrically on opposite side of the device 233; clearly seen the first mirror 237 and second mirror 241 is in the same housing (device 223)).
Regarding claim 4, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitted from the light emitter is a pulse wave (Sullivan; Column 1, line 54-66, disclosed the LIDAR systems using pulse wave for different applications such as the sensor sends laser pulses vertically into the atmosphere. The pulse rate varies with the temperature to maintain a constant power output. The time interval between the pulse transmission and the reflected reception is used to determine the cloud height).
Regarding claim 5, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter is an end surface of a first optical fiber (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a transmitter optical fiber head 233 (equivalent to the light emitter is an end surface of a first optical fiber), transmitter optical fiber 225 or a transmitter 227 itself), and
the light receiver is an end surface of a second optical fiber (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a receiver optical fiber head 235 (equivalent to het light receiver is an end surface of a second optical fiber), receiver optical fiber 229 or a receiver 234 itself).
Regarding claim 6, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 5, wherein the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are installed in parallel to each other (Sullivan; Fig. 13, fiber 233 and fiber 235 is set in the opposite side of the device 223. Though it is not specified both fiber is installed in parallel to each other, MPEP § 2144.04 VI C Rearrangement of Parts states that the particular placement of a contact in a conductivity measuring device was held to be an obvious matter of design choice (MPEP § 2144.01 VI C: Rearrangement of Parts)).
Claim 7 is the method claim possesses nearly identical limitation to claim 1 and are thus rejected for the same reasoning.
Regarding claim 8, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 2, wherein the first reflector and the second reflector are accommodated in a same housing (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, transmitter mirror 237 (equivalent to first reflector) in the center of the device 233. The first optical fiber head 233 and second optical fiber head 235 are located symmetrically on opposite side of the device 233; clearly seen the first mirror 237 and second mirror 241 is in the same housing (device 223)).
Regarding claim 9, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 2, wherein the light emitted from the light emitter is a pulse wave (Sullivan; Column 1, line 54-66, disclosed the LIDAR systems using pulse wave for different applications such as sends laser pulses vertically into the atmosphere. The pulse rate varies with the temperature to maintain a constant power output. The time interval between the pulse transmission and the reflected reception is used to determine the cloud height).
Regarding claim 10, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 3, wherein the light emitted from the light emitter is a pulse wave (Sullivan; Column 1, line 54-66, disclosed the LIDAR systems using pulse wave for different applications such as sends laser pulses vertically into the atmosphere. The pulse rate varies with the temperature to maintain a constant power output. The time interval between the pulse transmission and the reflected reception is used to determine the cloud height).
Regarding claim 11, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 2, wherein the light emitter is an end surface of a first optical fiber (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a transmitter optical fiber head 233 (equivalent to the light emitter is an end surface of a first optical fiber), transmitter optical fiber 225 or a transmitter 227 itself), and
the light receiver is an end surface of a second optical fiber (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a receiver optical fiber head 235 (equivalent to the light receiver is an end surface of a second optical fiber), receiver optical fiber 229 or a receiver 234 itself).
Regarding claim 12, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 3, wherein the light emitter is an end surface of a first optical fiber (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a transmitter optical fiber head 233 (equivalent to the light emitter is an end surface of a first optical fiber), transmitter optical fiber 225 or a transmitter 227 itself), and
the light receiver is an end surface of a second optical fiber (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a receiver optical fiber head 235 (equivalent to the light receiver is an end surface of a second optical fiber), receiver optical fiber 229 or a receiver 234 itself).
Regarding claim 13, Sullivan teaches the optical device according to claim 4, wherein the light emitter is an end surface of a first optical fiber (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a transmitter optical fiber head 233 (equivalent to the light emitter is an end surface of a first optical fiber), transmitter optical fiber 225 or a transmitter 227 itself), and
the light receiver is an end surface of a second optical fiber (Sullivan; Fig. 13, column 5, paragraph 5, a receiver optical fiber head 235 (equivalent to the light receiver is an end surface of a second optical fiber), receiver optical fiber 229 or a receiver 234 itself).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhu (US 20150185313 A1), Fig. 5, [0090], disclosed a parabolic mirror 510 is positioned along the path of the launch beam, between the source 2 and the LDIAR head 200. The launch beam 8 passes through a small aperture 511 in the centre of the mirror 510 and toward the LDIAR head 200. As is characteristic with monostatic optical systems, upon reflection off the object 10 (not shown), the return beam 9 is co aligned with the launch beam 8, reflects off the mirror 510 and is focused toward the transversely-mounted detector 7 (APD); Similar design is also shown in Fig. 6, [0093].
Davis et al. (US 20220035002 A1), Fig. 1, [0016], disclosed the mirror portions 110 of the reflective element 108 may be used to reflect any return light 121 received back form the environment 119. Additionally, an edge of the hole in the reflective element 108 (for example, the portion of the reflective element including the polarizing beam splitter portion 112), or the transition from polarizing beam splitter portion 112 to the one or more mirror portion 110 may be used as an aperture to shape or trim the emitted light 114 from the emitter device 102.
Alpern et al. (US 20210341729 A1), Fig. 3D, [0084], [0085, disclosed projecting unit 102 may include at least one light source 112 configured to project light emission. The projected light emission may travel along an outbound path towards field of view 120. Specifically, the projected light emission may be reflected by deflector 114A through an exit aperture 314 (may include a hole or cut-away in the wall 316) when projected light 204 travel towards optical window 124.
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/CHIA-LING CHEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/YUQING XIAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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