CTNF 18/349,419 CTNF 100148 DETAILED ACTION This is the first office action on the merits. Claims 1-19 are currently pending. Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/11/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Tomioka, JP H0685367 A (“Tomioka”) . Regarding claim 1, Tomioka discloses a method for generating amplified laser radiation, comprising steps of: generating a forward-propagating laser beam in a first waveguiding gain stage (Fig. 2, transmitter 4, first optical amplifier 1, Paragraph [0013]) ; amplifying the forward-propagating laser beam in a second waveguiding gain stage (Fig. 3, second optical amplifier 1, Paragraph [0013]) ; and directing the forward-propagating laser beam from an output waveguide of the first waveguiding gain stage to an input waveguide of the second waveguiding gain stage via a propagation path passing through a Kerr medium that suppresses coupling, between the first and second waveguiding gain stages, of high-peak-power laser radiation exceeding a threshold intensity in the Kerr medium (Fig. 2, optical limiter 2, Paragraph [0013]; Fig. 3, nonlinear waveguide 8, Paragraph [0014]; See also Paragraph [0008]) , wherein the coupling is suppressed by self-focusing of the high-peak-power laser radiation in the Kerr medium, the self-focusing causing a majority of the high-peak-power laser radiation to be outside at least one of an acceptance aperture and an acceptance angle of a receiving one of the output waveguide of the first waveguiding gain stage and the input waveguide of the second waveguiding gain stage (Figs. 3 and 12, nonlinear waveguide 8, Paragraph [0008], [0010]) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomioka in view of Goodno, US 20220255281 A1 (“Goodno”) . Regarding claim 2, Tomioka discloses the method of claim 1, […], and the self-focusing suppresses coupling of the backward-propagating stimulated Brillouin scattering radiation into the output waveguide of the first waveguiding gain stage (Figs. 11 – 12, nonlinear waveguide section 8, Paragraph [0008], [0010]). Tomioka does not teach: wherein the high-peak-power laser radiation is backward-propagating stimulated Brillouin scattering radiation generated in the second waveguiding gain stage. However, Goodno teaches a non-linear fiber amplifier that is used to suppress stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in the fiber amplifier by reducing the spectral overlap of the backscattered SBS (Fig. 1, amplifier 28, Paragraph [0025], [0035]). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by using the optical limiter to suppress the coupling of SBS to the waveguide, which is disclosed by Goodno. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to maintain beam power in the main carrier spectrum, as suggested by Goodno (Paragraph [0036]). Regarding claim 3, Tomioka discloses the method of claim 1, […], and the self-focusing suppresses coupling of the forward-propagating stimulated Brillouin scattering radiation into the input waveguide of the second waveguiding gain stage (Figs. 11 – 12, nonlinear waveguide section 8, Paragraph [0008], [0010]) . Tomioka does not teach: wherein the high-peak-power laser radiation is forward-propagating stimulated Brillouin scattering radiation generated in the first waveguiding gain stage. However, Goodno teaches a non-linear fiber amplifier that is used to suppress stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in the fiber amplifier by reducing the spectral overlap of the SBS (Fig. 1, amplifier 28, Paragraph [0025], [0035]). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by using the optical limiter to suppress the coupling of SBS to the waveguide, which is disclosed by Goodno. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to maintain beam power in the main carrier spectrum, as suggested by Goodno (Paragraph [0036]) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 4-6 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomioka in view of Kobtsev et al., US 8995478 B1 (“Kobtsev”) . Regarding claim 4, Tomioka discloses the method of claim 1. Tomioka does not teach: wherein the propagation path passes through free space between the output waveguide of the first waveguiding gain stage and the Kerr medium and between the Kerr medium and input waveguide of the second waveguiding gain stage. However, Kobtsev teaches a pulsed ring fiber laser where the radiation is output from a first fiber end to an optical element with Kerr non-linearity in free space. Then the radiation re-enters a second fiber end (Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides, which is disclosed by Oto. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55). Regarding claim 5, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev, discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the directing step includes focusing the forward-propagating laser beam to a waist inside the Kerr medium (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12 placed at waist of beam, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides, which is disclosed by Oto. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55). Regarding claim 6, Tomioka discloses an amplified laser apparatus, comprising: a first waveguiding gain stage for generating a forward-propagating laser beam including an output waveguide for emitting the forward-propagating laser beam from the first waveguiding gain stage (Fig. 2, transmitter 4, first optical amplifier 1, Paragraph [0013]); a second waveguiding gain stage for amplifying the forward-propagating laser beam including an input waveguide for receiving the forward-propagating laser beam into the second waveguiding gain stage (Fig. 2, second optical amplifier 1, Paragraph [0013]); […]; and a bulk Kerr medium positioned in a propagation path of the forward-propagating laser beam between the first and second lenses such that coupling between the first and second waveguiding gain stages of high-peak-power laser radiation, exceeding an intensity threshold in the bulk Kerr medium, is suppressed by Kerr-induced self-focusing in the bulk Kerr medium (Fig. 2, optical limiter 2, Paragraph [0013]; Fig. 7, nonlinear core 13, Paragraph [0008], [0010], [0014]-[0015]) . Tomioka does not teach: a plurality of lenses for coupling the forward-propagating laser beam from the output waveguide of the first waveguiding gain stage into the input waveguide of the second waveguiding gain stage, the lenses including a first lens for collecting the forward-propagating laser beam from the output waveguide, and a second lens for coupling the forward-propagating laser beam into the input waveguide. However, Kobtsev teaches a pulsed ring fiber laser where the radiation is output from a first fiber end to a collimating lens, an optical focusing element, and to an optical element with Kerr non-linearity. Then the radiation passes through to a second optical focusing element, a second collimator, and into a second fiber end (Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, first collimator 18, first optical focusing element 19, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, second optical focusing element 11, second collimator 10, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides with lenses to direct the light, which is disclosed by Kobtsev. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55). Regarding claim 9, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev, discloses the amplified laser apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of lenses is arranged such that the forward-propagating laser beam, at least in the absence of the high-peak-power laser radiation, has a waist in the bulk Kerr medium (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, first collimator 18, first optical focusing element 19, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, second optical focusing element 11, second collimator 10, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides with lenses to direct the light, which is disclosed by Kobtsev. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55). Regarding claim 10, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev, discloses the amplified laser apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of lenses further includes third and fourth lenses, the third lens cooperating with the first lens to form a telescope between the output waveguide of the first waveguiding gain stage and the bulk Kerr medium (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, first collimator 18, first optical focusing element 19, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, Col. 7 lines 41-54) , the fourth lens cooperating with the second lens to form a telescope between the bulk Kerr medium and the input waveguide of the second waveguiding gain stage (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, second optical focusing element 11, second collimator 10, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides with lenses to direct the light, which is disclosed by Kobtsev. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55). Regarding claim 11, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev, discloses the amplified laser apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of lenses and the bulk Kerr medium are implemented in a fiber-optic component (Tomioka, Fig. 7, nonlinear core 13, Paragraph [0015]; Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, first collimator 18, first optical focusing element 19, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, second optical focusing element 11, second collimator 10, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides with lenses to direct the light, which is disclosed by Kobtsev. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55). Regarding claim 12, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev, discloses the amplified laser apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of the output waveguide and the input waveguide is an optical fiber, and wherein each of the first and second waveguiding gain stages includes a gain fiber (Tomioka, Fig. 7, nonlinear core 13, Paragraph [0009], [0012], [0015]) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev, in further view of Ren et al., CN 101572383 A (“Ren”) . Regarding claim 7, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev, discloses the amplified laser apparatus of claim 6. Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev, does not teach: wherein the bulk Kerr medium has first and second convex end-faces intersecting the propagation path, respectively. However, Ren teaches a convex lens being integrated onto a gain medium (Fig. 1, convex lens 4 gain medium 5, Paragraph [0015]). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s nonlinear medium by integrating a convex lens onto both ends of the Kerr medium, which is taught by Ren. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to improve system stability, as suggested by Ren (Paragraph [0010]). Regarding claim 8, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev and Ren, the amplified laser apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first lens is configured to collimate the forward-propagating laser beam (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first collimator 18, Col. 7 lines 41-54) , the first convex end-face is configured to produce a waist in the forward-propagating laser beam inside the bulk Kerr medium (Ren, Fig. 1, convex lens 4 gain medium 5, Paragraph [0015]; Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first optical focusing element 19, waist in optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, Col. 7 lines 41-54) , and the second convex end-face is configured to re-collimate the forward-propagating laser beam (Ren, Fig. 1, convex lens 4 gain medium 5, Paragraph [0015]; Kobtsev, Fig. 8, second optical focusing element 11, Col. 7 lines 41-54) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s nonlinear medium by integrating a convex lens onto both ends of the Kerr medium, which is taught by Ren. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to improve system stability, as suggested by Ren (Paragraph [0010]) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 13-14 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomioka in view of Kobtsev and Goodno . Regarding claim 13, Tomioka discloses a master-oscillator fiber-amplifier system , comprising: a first fiber gain stage for generating a forward-propagating laser beam, the forward-propagating laser beam being continuous-wave, the first fiber gain stage including an output fiber for emitting the forward-propagating laser beam from the first fiber gain stage (Fig. 2, transmitter 4, first optical amplifier 1, Paragraph [0013]), the output fiber having an acceptance aperture and acceptance angle with respect to coupling of backward-propagating radiation into the output fiber (Paragraph [0009]); a second fiber gain stage for amplifying the forward-propagating laser beam, the second fiber gain stage including an input fiber for receiving the forward-propagating laser beam into the second fiber gain stage (Fig. 2, second optical amplifier 1, Paragraph [0013]) ; […]; and a bulk Kerr medium for suppressing coupling, into the first fiber gain stage, of a backward-propagating pulse of high-peak-power laser radiation generated in the second fiber gain stage , the bulk Kerr medium being positioned in a propagation path of the forward-propagating laser beam between the first and second lenses such that the backward-propagating pulse undergoes Kerr-induced self-focusing in the bulk Kerr medium, the self-focusing causing a majority of the backward-propagating pulse to be outside at least one of the acceptance aperture and the acceptance angle of the output fiber of the first fiber gain stage (Fig. 2, optical limiter 2, Paragraph [0013]; Fig. 7, nonlinear core 13, Paragraph [0008], [0010], [0014]-[0015]) . Tomioka does not teach: a plurality of lenses for coupling the forward-propagating laser beam from the output fiber of the first fiber gain stage into the input fiber of the second fiber gain stage, the lenses including a first lens for collecting the forward-propagating laser beam from the output fiber, and a second lens for coupling the forward-propagating laser beam into the input fiber. However, Kobtsev teaches a pulsed ring fiber laser where the radiation is output from a first fiber end to a collimating lens, an optical focusing element, and to an optical element with Kerr non-linearity. Then the radiation passes through to a second optical focusing element, a second collimator, and into a second fiber end (Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, first collimator 18, first optical focusing element 19, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, second optical focusing element 11, second collimator 10, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides with lenses to direct the light, which is disclosed by Kobtsev. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55). Tomioka also does not teach: a master-oscillator fiber-amplifier system and backward-propagating pulse of high-peak-power laser radiation generated in the second fiber gain stage. However, Goodno teaches a fiber laser amplifier system with a master oscillator that generates a continuous wave single frequency seed beam (Fig. 1, MO 14, Paragraph [0025]). Goodno also teaches a non-linear fiber amplifier that is used to suppress stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in the fiber amplifier by reducing the spectral overlap of the backscattered SBS (Fig. 1, amplifier 28, Paragraph [0025], [0035]). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter and transmitter by using a master oscillator and by using the optical limiter to suppress the coupling of SBS to the waveguide, which is disclosed by Goodno. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to maintain beam power in the main carrier spectrum, as suggested by Goodno (Paragraph [0036]). Regarding claim 14, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev and Goodno, discloses the master-oscillator fiber-amplifier system of claim 13, wherein the backward-propagating pulse contains stimulated Brillouin scattering radiation (Goodno, Fig. 1, amplifier 28, Paragraph [0025], [0035]) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter and transmitter by using a master oscillator and by using the optical limiter to suppress the coupling of SBS to the waveguide, which is disclosed by Goodno. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to maintain beam power in the main carrier spectrum, as suggested by Goodno (Paragraph [0036]). Regarding claim 17, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev and Goodno, discloses the master-oscillator fiber-amplifier system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of lenses is arranged such that the forward-propagating laser beam, at least in the absence of high-peak-power laser radiation, has a waist in the bulk Kerr medium (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, first collimator 18, first optical focusing element 19, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, second optical focusing element 11, second collimator 10, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides with lenses to direct the light, which is disclosed by Kobtsev. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55). Regarding claim 18, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev and Goodno, discloses the master-oscillator fiber-amplifier system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of lenses further includes third and fourth lenses (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first collimator 18, second collimator 10, Col. 7 lines 41-54) , the third lens cooperating with the first lens to form a telescope between the output fiber of the first fiber gain stage and the bulk Kerr medium (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, first collimator 18, first optical focusing element 19, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, Col. 7 lines 41-54) , the fourth lens cooperating with the second lens to form a telescope between the bulk Kerr medium and the input fiber of the second fiber gain stage (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, second optical focusing element 11, second collimator 10, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides with lenses to direct the light, which is disclosed by Kobtsev. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55). Regarding claim 19, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev and Goodno, discloses the master-oscillator fiber-amplifier system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of lenses and the bulk Kerr medium are implemented in a fiber-optic component (Tomioka, Fig. 7, nonlinear core 13, Paragraph [0015]; Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first fiber end 4, first collimator 18, first optical focusing element 19, optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, second optical focusing element 11, second collimator 10, second fiber end 9, Col. 7 lines 41-54) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s optical limiter by placing the nonlinear material in free space between the waveguides with lenses to direct the light, which is disclosed by Kobtsev. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to restore the proper alignment of the optical system, as suggested by Kobtsev (Col. 8 lines 51-55) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev and Goodno, in further view of Ren . Regarding claim 15, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev and Goodno, discloses the master-oscillator fiber-amplifier system of claim 13. Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev and Goodno, does not teach: wherein the bulk Kerr medium has first and second convex end-faces intersecting the propagation path, respectively. However, Ren teaches a convex lens being integrated onto a gain medium (Fig. 1, convex lens 4 gain medium 5, Paragraph [0015]). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s nonlinear medium by integrating a convex lens onto both ends of the Kerr medium, which is taught by Ren. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to improve system stability, as suggested by Ren (Paragraph [0010]). Regarding claim 16, Tomioka, as modified in view of Kobtsev and Goodno and Ren, discloses the master-oscillator fiber-amplifier system of claim 15, wherein the first lens is configured to collimate the forward-propagating laser beam (Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first collimator 18, Col. 7 lines 41-54) , the first convex end-face is configured to produce a waist in the forward-propagating laser beam inside the bulk Kerr medium (Ren, Fig. 1, convex lens 4 gain medium 5, Paragraph [0015]; Kobtsev, Fig. 8, first optical focusing element 19, waist in optical element with Kerr non-linearity 12, Col. 7 lines 41-54) , and the second convex end-face is configured to re-collimate the forward-propagating laser beam (Ren, Fig. 1, convex lens 4 gain medium 5, Paragraph [0015]; Kobtsev, Fig. 8, second optical focusing element 11, Col. 7 lines 41-54) . It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomioka’s nonlinear medium by integrating a convex lens onto both ends of the Kerr medium, which is taught by Ren. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to improve system stability, as suggested by Ren (Paragraph [0010]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RACHEL N NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-5405. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 5:30 pm ET. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yuqing Xiao can be reached at (571) 270-3603. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /RACHEL NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3645 /YUQING XIAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 2 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 3 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 4 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 5 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 6 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 7 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 8 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 9 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 10 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 11 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 12 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 13 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 14 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 15 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 16 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/349,419 Page 17 Art Unit: 3645