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 II in the reply filed on 1/8/26 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/8/23 was filed 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
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.
Claim(s) 10, 13, 15, 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Deveau (EP 0737876 A2).
Re. Claim 10, Deveau discloses a method of fabricating a fiber array unit 10 (Fig. 4; col. 13 lines 7-9), comprising:
seating each of a plurality of first optical fibers 11 in a respective groove 14 of an arcuate surface having a plurality of grooves 14 (Fig. 6B; col. 13 lines 19-25);
applying a first amount of uncured matrix 15 sufficient to cover at least a portion of each of the plurality of first optical fibers 11 seated in the grooves 14 of the arcuate surface (Fig. 6B; col. 13 lines 19-25);
moving a substrate 12 having a fiber-side surface to a first bonding distance from the arcuate surface that brings the fiber-side surface into contact with the first amount of uncured matrix 15 (Figs. 6B-6C; col. 13 lines 25-30);
curing the first amount of uncured matrix 15 so that the first optical fibers 11 are bonded to the substrate 12 by a first amount of cured matrix 15 (Fig. 6C; col. 13 lines 30-46); and
moving the substrate 12 to a separation distance from the arcuate surface so that the plurality of first optical fibers 11 bonded to the substrate 12 are released from the arcuate surface (Fig. 6D; col. 13 lines 47-53).
Re. Claim 13, Deveau discloses curing the first amount of uncured matrix 15 comprises exposing the first amount of uncured matrix 15 to ultraviolet light (Fig. 6C; col. 13 lines 30-46).
Re. Claim 15, Deveau discloses determining the substrate 12 has reached the first bonding distance from the arcuate surface based on an increase in an amount of resistance to the movement of the substrate 12 (col. 13 lines 25-30).
Re. Claim 21, Deveau discloses forming a unit end face 11a of the fiber array unit 10, wherein the unit end face includes respective end faces of the first optical fibers 11 surrounded by the cured matrix 15 (Figs. 4 and 6F; col. 14 lines 15-17).
Re. Claim 22, Deveau discloses forming the unit end face 11a further comprises cleaving or dicing the plurality of first optical fibers 11 when the plurality of first optical fibers is embedded in the cured matrix (col. 15 lines 55-58; col. 16 lines 1-5).
Re. Claim 23, Deveau discloses forming the unit end face 11a further comprises polishing the unit end face (col. 15 lines 55-58; col. 16 lines 1-5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-12, 14, 24, and 25 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Re. Claims 11-12, the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest the method as required by the claims, further comprising: seating each of a plurality of second optical fibers in the respective groove of the arcuate surface having the plurality of grooves; applying a second amount of uncured matrix sufficient to cover at least a portion of each of the plurality of second optical fibers seated in the grooves of the arcuate surface; moving the substrate to a second bonding distance from the arcuate surface that brings the plurality of first optical fibers into contact with the second amount of uncured matrix; and curing the second amount of uncured matrix so that the plurality of second optical fibers are bonded to the substrate by the first amount of cured matrix and a second amount of cured matrix.
Re. Claim 14, the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest the method as required by the claims, wherein seating each of the plurality of first optical fibers in the respective groove of the arcuate surface includes applying tension to the plurality of first optical fibers.
Re. Claim 24, the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest the method as required by the claims, wherein each optical fiber of the plurality of first optical fibers has an orientation at an entry point into the cured matrix and follows a curved path between the entry point and the unit end face, and wherein the curved path is configured so that the unit end face is angled relative to the orientation.
Re. Claim 25, the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest the method as required by the claims, wherein the first optical fibers are embedded in the cured matrix, the method further comprising: removing the substrate from the cured matrix.
The most applicable prior art, Deveau (EP 0737876 A2), addressed above, fails to disclose or reasonably suggest the claimed invention, specifically those portions highlighted above in combination with the remaining limitations of the claims.
Claims 26-30 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest a method of fabricating a fiber array unit, comprising: (a) seating each of a plurality of first optical fibers in a respective groove of an arcuate surface having a plurality of grooves; (b) applying a first amount of uncured matrix sufficient to cover at least a portion of each of the plurality of first optical fibers seated in the grooves of the arcuate surface; (c) moving a substrate having a fiber-side surface to a first bonding distance from the arcuate surface that brings the fiber-side surface into contact with the first amount of uncured matrix; (d) curing the first amount of uncured matrix so that the first optical fibers are bonded to the substrate by a first amount of cured matrix; (e) moving the substrate to a separation distance from the arcuate surface so that the plurality of first optical fibers bonded to the substrate are released from the arcuate surface; and (f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for at least a plurality of second optical fibers; and (g) forming a unit end face of the fiber array unit, wherein the unit end face includes a respective fiber end face for each optical fiber in the plurality of first optical fibers and the at least a plurality of second optical fibers, and wherein the fiber end faces are arranged in a two- dimensional array and surrounded by the cured matrix.
The most applicable prior art, Deveau (EP 0737876 A2), addressed above, fails to disclose or reasonably suggest the claimed invention, specifically those portions highlighted above in combination with the remaining limitations of the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See the attached PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to R. PEACE whose telephone number is (571)272-8580. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5 pm.
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/RHONDA S PEACE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874 2/17/26