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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 15 and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 15, line 2 – “the second optical element” is presumed to be intended as “the second optical element pair”.
Claim 17 requires a period (.) at the end.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Peterson (US 6,501,772).
Regarding claim 1, Peterson discloses a method for seeding an optical beam (Abstract), comprising:
emitting an optical beam from an energy source (28, Fig. 1) towards an optical amplifier (36, Fig. 1; col. 11, lines 22-33) along an optical axis (55, Fig. 4) (col. 10, lines 36-39);
rotating one or more optical elements (50, Figs. 1, 4) disposed with in the beam path of the optical beam between the energy source (28) and the optical amplifier (36) about the optical axis (55) to a align the optical beam with a reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-59; col. 13, lines 40-56).
Regarding claim 2, Peterson discloses wherein the one or more optical elements (50) includes a first optical wedge (first 52) and a second optical wedge (second 52) aligned with one another along the optical axis (55) so as to form a Risley prism configured to adjust an angle of the optical beam relative to the reference beam (Fig. 4; col. 12, lines 6-59; col. 13, lines 40-56),
wherein rotating the one or more optical elements (50) about the optical axis (55) includes rotating the first optical wedge (first 52) by a first amount in a first direction, and rotating the second optical wedge (second 52) by a second amount in a second direction until the optical beam is parallel with reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 3, Peterson discloses wherein the one or more optical elements (50) further includes a first optical plate (first 52 of second 50) and a second optical plate (second 52 of second 50) aligned with one another along the optical axis (55) disposed in the beam path of the optical beam between the Risley prism (first 50) and the optical amplifier (36) (Figs. 1, 4) configured to adjust a lateral position of the optical beam relative to the reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-28),
wherein rotating the one or more optical elements (50) about the optical axis (55) includes rotating the first optical plate (first 52) by a first amount in a first direction, and rotating the second optical plate (second 52) by a second amount in a second direction until the optical beam is co-linear with reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 4, Peterson discloses wherein the one or more optical elements (50) further includes a third optical wedge (first 52 of second 50) and a fourth optical wedge (second 52 of second 50) aligned with one another along the optical axis (55) so as to form a second Risley prism disposed in the beam path of the optical beam between the Risley prism (first 50) and the optical amplifier (36) (Figs. 1, 4) configured to adjust an angle of the optical beam relative to the reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-28),
wherein rotating the one or more optical elements (50) about the optical axis (55) includes rotating the third optical wedge (first 52 of second 50) by a first amount in a first direction, and rotating the fourth optical wedge (second 52 of second 50) by a second amount in a second direction until the optical beam is parallel with reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 5, Peterson discloses further comprising, maintaining an alignment of the one or more optical elements (50) within a defined plane for rotation about only the optical axis (55) (col. 12, lines 6-28); and
constraining the one or more optical elements (50) from rotation about any other axis (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 6, Peterson discloses a seed beam alignment system (Figs. 1-4), comprising:
a laser transmitter (28, Fig. 1) configured to emit an optical beam along an optical axis (55, Fig. 4) (col. 10, lines 36-39);
an optical amplifier (36, Fig. 1; col. 11, lines 22-33) configured to receive the optical beam;
a first optical element pair (50; Figs. 1, 4) disposed in a beam path of the optical beam between the laser transmitter (28) and the optical amplifier (36) (Fig. 1); and
a second optical element pair (second 50, Fig. 1) disposed in the beam path of the optical beam between the first optical element pair (first 50) and the optical amplifier (last 36) (Fig. 1),
wherein the first optical element pair (first 50) and the second optical element pair (second 50) are oriented relative to one another about the optical axis (55) to align the optical beam with a predefined reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-59; col. 13, lines 40-56).
Regarding claim 7, Peterson discloses wherein the first optical element pair (first 50, Fig. 1) includes a first optical wedge (first 52) and a second optical wedge (second 52) (Fig. 4) and wherein the first optical wedge is oriented relative to the second optical wedge to steer the optical beam to be parallel to the reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 8, Peterson discloses wherein the second optical element pair (second 50, Fig. 1) includes a first optical plate (first 52) and a second optical plate (second 52) (Fig. 4) wherein the second optical plate is oriented relative to the first optical plate to steer the optical beam to align the optical beam to be co-linear with the reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 9, Peterson discloses wherein the second optical element pair (second 50, Fig. 1) includes a third optical wedge (first 52) and a fourth optical wedge (second 52) (Fig. 4), wherein the fourth optical wedge is oriented relative to the third optical wedge to steer the optical beam to be parallel to the reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 10, Peterson discloses further comprising, a plurality of optical element pairs (50) disposed in the beam path of the optical beam, each optical element pair including a pair of optical wedges (52, Fig. 4), wherein the optical element pairs are oriented relative to one another configured to align the optical beam with the reference beam and configured to remove holes introduced into the optical beam (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 11, Peterson discloses wherein the system is configured to be mounted in a housing (54, Figs. 1, 4) such that the first and second optical element pairs (50) are mounted for rotation about the optical axis (55), wherein the first and second optical element pairs are mounted such that the first and second optical element pairs are prevented from tilting about an x axis or a y axis (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 12, Peterson discloses wherein the housing (54) is a cylindrical housing (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding claim 13, Peterson discloses wherein the system is configured to maintain an orientation and spacing of the first and second optical element pairs (50) relative to one another under vibratory loads, temperature change, and/or pressure change (col. 9, lines 24-38; col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 14, Peterson discloses a system (Figs. 1-4), comprising
a beam seeding alignment system (10, Fig. 1), comprising:
a housing (54, Figs. 1, 4);
a first optical element pair (50, Figs. 1, 4) mounted to the housing (54); and
a second optical element pair (second 50, Fig. 1) mounted to the housing (54),
wherein the first optical element pair (first 50) and the second optical element pair (second 50) are oriented relative to one another within the housing (54) about an optical axis (55) configured to align an optical beam emitted through the housing with a predefined reference beam to seed a master laser with an optical amplifier (36, Fig. 1; col. 11, lines 22-33) (col. 12, lines 6-59; col. 13, lines 40-56).
Regarding claim 15, Peterson discloses wherein the first optical element pair (first 50) includes a Risley prism pair (52, Fig. 4), and wherein the second optical element (second 50) includes an optical plate pair (52, Fig. 4), wherein the optical plate pair is disposed in the beam path of the optical beam between the Risley prism pair (first 50) and the optical amplifier (36) (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 16, Peterson discloses wherein the housing (54) is a cylindrical housing (Figs. 1, 4), wherein the first and second optical element pairs (50) are configured to be rotated about the optical axis (55) within the housing to align the optical beam with the reference beam (col. 12, lines 6-28).
Regarding claim 17, Peterson discloses wherein the first and second optical element pairs (50) are mounted in the housing (54) for rotational adjustment only (Figs. 1, 4; col. 12, lines 6-28)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peterson (US 6,501,772).
Regarding claim 18, Peterson discloses wherein the beam seeding alignment system (10) is configured to steer and align the optical beam relative to the optical amplifier (36) (Fig. 1; col. 12, lines 6-28).
Peterson does not explicitly disclose a LIDAR system, wherein the beam seeding alignment system is optically coupled to the LIDAR system, wherein the optical beam is a beam of the LIDAR system.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a LIDAR system, wherein the beam seeding alignment system is optically coupled to the LIDAR system, wherein the optical beam is a beam of the LIDAR system, to implement a distance-finding system as desired (Peterson, col. 3, lines 1-13).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAISLEY L WILSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5023. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MICHAEL CALEY can be reached at 571-272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAISLEY L WILSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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