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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10/2/24, 1/15/25, and 3/10/25 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are 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) 1, 2, 9-12, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Szilagyi et al. (US 6,522,793 B1).
Re. Claims 1 and 11, Szilagyi et al. discloses an optical modulation system comprising: an electro-optical modulator (Fig. 3; col. 2 lines 1-3), comprising:
an electrode conversion portion 300 (Fig. 3; col. 6 lines 5-16), comprising:
a first input electrode, wherein the first input electrode is configured to receive a first modulation signal 78 output by an electrical chip (Fig. 3; col. 2 lines 49-50; col. 6 lines 8-14); and
a second input electrode, wherein the second input electrode is configured to receive a second modulation signal 76 output by the electrical chip (Fig. 3; col. 2 lines 49-50; col. 6 lines 8-14); and
an optical modulation portion 200 (Figs. 1-3; col. 2 lines 29-35), comprising:
a first modulation electrode 44 (Figs. 1-3; col. 4 lines 31-43);
a second modulation electrode 40 (Figs. 1-3; col. 4 lines 31-43);
a third modulation electrode 42 (Figs. 1-3; col. 4 lines 31-43);
a first modulation arm 16 (Figs. 1-3; col. 4 lines 31-43); and
a second modulation arm 18 (Figs. 1-3; col. 4 lines 31-43), wherein the first modulation electrode 44 is between the second modulation electrode 40 and the third modulation electrode 42 (Fig. 1), the first modulation arm 16 is between the first modulation electrode 44 and the second modulation electrode 40 (Fig. 1), and the second modulation arm 18 is between the first modulation electrode 44 and the third modulation electrode 42 (Fig. 1);
wherein the first modulation electrode 44 is coupled to the first input electrode, and is configured to receive the first modulation signal 78 (Fig. 3; col. 4 lines 40-43; col. 6 lines 13-14);
wherein the second modulation electrode 40 and the third modulation electrode 42 are separately coupled to the second input electrode, and are separately configured to receive the second modulation signal 76 (Fig. 3; col. 4 lines 40-43; col. 6 lines 12-13);
wherein the first modulation electrode 44, the second modulation electrode 40, and the third modulation electrode 42 are configured to modulate input light in the first modulation arm 16 and the second modulation arm 18 based on the first modulation signal 78 and the second modulation signal 76 (col. 6 lines 42-60); and
wherein modulated input light is output as modulated light from the first modulation arm 16 and the second modulation arm 18 (Figs. 1-3; col. 2 lines 36-47); and
the electrical chip, wherein the electrical chip is separately coupled to the first input electrode and the second input electrode, and is configured to: output the first modulation signal 78 to the first input electrode; and output the second modulation signal 76 to the second input electrode (col. 6 lines 5-14).
Re. Claims 2 and 12, Szilagyi et al. discloses the electro-optical modulator further comprises a substrate, and the electrode conversion portion 300 and the optical modulation portion 200 are on a same surface of the substrate (Fig. 4; col. 8 lines 20-23).
Re. Claims 9 and 18, Szilagyi et al. discloses the first modulation signal 78 and the second modulation signal 76 are radio frequency signals (col. 11 lines 6-15).
Re. Claims 10 and 19, Szilagyi et al. discloses the first modulation arm 16 and the second modulation arm 18 are made of lithium niobate (col. 2 lines 29-35).
Re. Claim 20, Szilagyi et al. discloses an integrated optical chip, comprising: a laser configured to emit input light; and the electro-optical modulator discussed above coupled to the laser and configured to receive the input light, modulate the input light, and output modulated light (col. 11 lines 6-15).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8 and 13-17 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 3 and 13, the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest the electrode conversion portion further comprises a bridging portion, the bridging portion is embedded in the substrate, and a part of the bridge portion is exposed relative to the surface that is of the substrate and on which the electrode conversion portion is located; and the part of the bridging portion exposed relative to the substrate is separately coupled to the first modulation electrode and the first input electrode.
Re. Claims 4, 5, 14, and 15, the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest the two ends of the second input electrode are respectively coupled to the second modulation electrode and the third modulation electrode, and the second modulation electrode, the second input electrode, and the third modulation electrode are enclosed to form an accommodation area having an opening; and the first input electrode is in the accommodation area, and the first modulation electrode extends from outside of the accommodation area through the opening to the accommodation area and is coupled to the first input electrode.
Re. Claims 6-8, 16, and 17, the prior art does not disclose or reasonably suggest the first modulation electrode, the second modulation electrode, and the third modulation electrode are made of metal; the optical modulation portion further comprises a transparent conduction layer on the substrate; and the first modulation electrode, the second modulation electrode, and the third modulation electrode are on a surface that is of the transparent conduction layer and that is away from the substrate, and are in electrical contact with the transparent conduction layer.
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 1/30/26