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 .
Summary of the Claims
The present application (18/422,573) was filed on January 25, 2024 and does not claim priority to any prior application. Claims 1-14 are pending. Claims 1 and 11 are the independent claims.
References and Documents Cited in this Action
Luo (US 2005/0201442 A1)
Morita (WO 2023/119749 A1; see English-language equivalent family document US 2025/0007231 A1)
Summary of Rejections and Objections in this Action
Claims 1, 4, 7, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morita.
Claims 1-3, 6, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Luo.
Claims 5 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morita.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morita in view of Luo.
Claims 13 and 14 contain allowable subject matter.
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 1-3, 6, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Luo.
Regarding independent claim 1, Luo discloses a laser pumping device (Figure 2A), comprising:
a pump-light emitter (i.e., one of five LED arrays 230 shown in Figure 2A; paragraph [0050]), configured to emit a pump light and having a pump axis (i.e., an axis from LED array 230 toward the center of Figure 2A);
a dielectric tube 240 (“coated with dielectric HR film”; paragraph [0053]), being hollow-shaped and comprising an accommodation space, an entrance surface (i.e., transmitting window 241) and a plurality of reflection surfaces, wherein the pump-light emitter is disposed adjacent to the entrance surface 9Figure 2A; paragraph [0053]); and
a laser gain material 210, installed in the accommodation space (paragraphs [0045]-[0047]);
wherein the dielectric tube 240 is configured to receive the pump light into the entrance surface 241, guide the pump light along the pump axis surrounded by the reflection surfaces, and transmit the pump light into the laser gain material (paragraphs [0045]-[0057]).
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Regarding claim 2, Luo discloses that the pump-light emitter is an LED plate comprising arrays of LED dies, and the pump axis is parallel to a normal direction of a surface of the pump-light emitter (i.e., each of the five LED arrays 230 shown in Figure 2 “includes a number of individual LEDs” mounted on fixtures 260, and the pump axis is toward the center of Figure 2A, i.e., parallel to a normal direction of a surface of the pump-light emitter; paragraphs [0050]-[0052]).
Regarding claim 3, Luo discloses that the pump-light emitter comprises a blue-green light LED (e.g., “green light emanating from GaInN/GaN LED is peaked at 505 nm with the FWHM of almost 40 nm”; paragraph [0072]).
Regarding claim 6, Luo discloses that the laser gain material 210 is a laser rod (paragraph [0047]) and has a rod axis, and the pump axis and the rod axis are transverse to each other (i.e., Figure 2A shows a rod axis going into the figure and a pump axis going to the center of the figure toward the rod).
Regarding independent claim 11, Luo discloses a laser pumping device (Figure 2A), comprising:
a plurality of pump-light emitters (i.e., LED arrays 230; paragraph [0050]), wherein each of the pump-light emitters is configured to emit a pump light and has a pump axis (i.e., an axis from LED array 230 toward the center of Figure 2A);
a tube structure 240, being hollow-shaped and comprising at least one accommodation space and at least one dielectric tube (tube 240 is “coated with dielectric HR film”; paragraph [0053]), wherein the dielectric tube comprises at least one entrance surface (i.e., transmitting window 241) and a plurality of reflection surfaces, a number of the pump-light emitters and a number of the at least one entrance surface are plural and the same, and each of the pump-light emitters is disposed adjacent to a corresponding one of the entrance surfaces (i.e., Figure 2A shows five LED arrays 230 adjacent to five transmitting windows 241); and
a laser gain material 210, installed in the accommodation space (paragraphs [0045]-[0047]);
wherein the dielectric tube 240 is configured to receive at least one of the pump lights into the corresponding entrance surface 241, guide the pump light along a corresponding one of the pump axes surrounded by the reflection surfaces, and concentrate the pump light into the laser gain material (paragraphs [0045]-[0057]).
Regarding claim 12, Luo discloses that the laser gain material 210 is a laser rod (paragraph [0047]) and has a rod axis, and each of the pump axes and the rod axis are transverse to each other (i.e., Figure 2A shows a rod axis going into the figure and pump axes going to the center of the figure toward the rod).
Claims 1, 4, 7, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morita.
Since Morita (WO 2023/119749 A1) is in Japanese, all references to its disclosure in this action are made to the English-language equivalent family document US 2025/0007231 A1.
Regarding independent claim 1, Morita discloses a laser pumping device (Figure 9), comprising:
a pump-light emitter (element on the left side of Figure 9 that is not explicitly numbered but corresponds to light source 30 shown in other figures such as Figures 1, 4, and 8; paragraphs [0059] and [0071]), configured to emit a pump light and having a pump axis (i.e., direction D1 shown in Figure 9);
a dielectric tube (i.e., light guide portion 21, which is “formed in a columnar shape using, for example, sapphire, quartz, non-doped YAG, or the like” and coated “with a dielectric multilayer film”; paragraphs [0051] and [0077]), being hollow-shaped and comprising an accommodation space, an entrance surface 27 and a plurality of reflection surfaces (i.e., surfaces of light guide portion 21 other than surface 27), wherein the pump-light emitter 30 is disposed adjacent to the entrance surface 27; and
a laser gain material (element on the right side of Figure 9 that is not explicitly numbered but corresponds to laser gain material 10 shown in other Figures such as Figures 1, 4, and 8; paragraphs [0048] and [0076]) installed in the accommodation space;
wherein the dielectric tube 21 is configured to receive the pump light into the entrance surface, guide the pump light along the pump axis surrounded by the reflection surfaces, and transmit the pump light into the laser gain material 10 (paragraphs [0077]-[0078]).
Further regarding claim 1, laser gain medium 10 is “installed in the accommodation space” of the dielectric tube 21 at least in the sense that it is installed in direct contact with the hollow space at the end of the tube. The claim does not further recite specific details of the location of the laser gain material.
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Regarding claim 4, Morita discloses that oppositely faced two of the reflection surfaces are parallel to each other and surround the pump axis (e.g., Figure 9 shows oppositely faced, parallel top and bottom reflection surfaces that surround pump axis D1).
Regarding claim 7, Morita further discloses that the accommodation space is filled with a liquid 25 for cooling (i.e., flowing refrigerant 25 may be “a solution” instead of a gas; paragraph [0078]) and an air encloses the dielectric tube (i.e., Morita discloses that the tube 21 is enclosed by “outside,” which contains air; paragraphs [0054] and [0078]). Further regarding claim 7, given that it is well understood in the art that liquids have refractive indices greater than a refractive index of air and that the system shown in Figure 9 is designed to transmit light within liquid 25, Morita inherently discloses that a refractive index of the liquid 25 is inherently greater than a refractive index of the air.
Regarding claim 8, Morita discloses that the liquid 25 is configured to remove a heat generated by the pump-light emitter and the laser gain material (paragraph [0078]).
Regarding claim 10, Morita discloses that each of the reflection surfaces of the dielectric tube 21 at a dielectric-air boundary provides total internal reflection to an incident pump light (paragraph [0077]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 5 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morita.
Again, since Morita (WO 2023/119749 A1) is in Japanese, all references to its disclosure in this action are made to the English-language equivalent family document US 2025/0007231 A1.
Regarding claim 5, Morita discloses a laser pumping device as discussed above with regard to claim 1 and further discloses oppositely faced two of the reflection surfaces (e.g., top and bottom reflection surfaces shown in Figure 9). Morita does not specifically disclose that the reflection surfaces in the embodiment shown in Figure 9 are wedged with a wedge angle to concentrate the pump light from the entrance surface with a greater aperture toward the laser gain material in a smaller aperture. However, Morita teaches a wedge-shaped light guide portion 21 in a different embodiment (Figure 10; paragraph [0079]). Regarding claim 5, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to wedge the reflection surfaces in the Figure 9 embodiment disclosed by Morita with a wedge angle to concentrate the pump light from the entrance surface with a greater aperture toward the laser gain material in a smaller aperture (as taught by Morita, Figure 10) in order to advantageously distribute the pump light intensity more uniformly (paragraph [0079]).
Regarding independent claim 11, Morita discloses a laser pumping device (Figure 9), comprising:
a pump-light emitter (element on the left side of Figure 9 that is not explicitly numbered but corresponds to light source 30 shown in other figures such as Figures 1, 4, and 8; paragraphs [0059] and [0071]), configured to emit a pump light and having a pump axis (i.e., direction D1 shown in Figure 9);
a tube structure (i.e., light guide portion 21), being hollow-shaped and comprising at least one accommodation space and at least one dielectric tube ((i.e., light guide portion 21 is “formed in a columnar shape using, for example, sapphire, quartz, non-doped YAG, or the like” and is coated “with a dielectric multilayer film”; paragraphs [0051] and [0077]), wherein the dielectric tube comprises at least one entrance surface 27 and a plurality of reflection surfaces (i.e., surfaces of light guide portion 21 other than surface 27), wherein the pump-light emitter 30 is disposed adjacent to the entrance surface 27; and
a laser gain material (element on the right side of Figure 9 that is not explicitly numbered but corresponds to laser gain material 10 shown in other Figures such as Figures 1, 4, and 8; paragraphs [0048] and [0076]) installed in the accommodation space;
wherein the dielectric tube 21 is configured to receive the pump light into the corresponding entrance surface, guide the pump light along a corresponding one of the pump axes surrounded by the reflection surfaces, and concentrate the pump light into the laser gain material 10 (paragraphs [0077]-[0078]).
Further regarding claim 11, laser gain medium 10 is “installed in the accommodation space” of the dielectric tube 21 at least in the sense that it is installed in direct contact with the hollow space at the end of the tube. The claim does not further recite specific details of the location of the laser gain material.
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Further regarding claim 11, Morita does not disclose in the embodiment of Figure 9 a plurality of pump-light emitters 30 or that a number of the pump-light emitters and a number of the at least one entrance surface are plural and the same. However, Morita teaches in the embodiment of Figure 12, two pump-light emitters 30 disposed adjacent to corresponding two entrance surfaces 21a and 21b of a similar light guide element 21 (paragraphs [0085]-[0088]). Regarding claim 11, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the laser pumping device disclosed by Morita, Figure 9, with a plurality of pump-light emitters and corresponding entrance surfaces as taught by Morita, Figure 12, in order to efficiently excite and cool laser gain medium from more than one side (paragraph [0088]).
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Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morita in view of Luo.
Regarding claim 9, Morita discloses a laser pumping device as discussed above with regard to claim 7, including liquid 25 and a dielectric tube 21 (Figure 9; paragraphs [0077]-[0078]), but does not specifically disclose that the liquid is a water or that a material of the dielectric tube is glass or plastic. However, Luo teaches a laser pumping device that is related to the one disclosed by Morita, including a pump-light emitter (LED arrays 230), a tube 240 with an accommodation space 250, and a laser gain material 210 (Luo, Figure 2A). Luo further teaches that the accommodation space is filled with a liquid for cooling (e.g., “water or other appropriate liquid”; paragraph [0056]) and that a material of the tube 240 is glass or plastic (paragraph [0048]). Regarding claim 9, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use water and glass as taught by Luo as the liquid and a tube material in the laser pumping device disclosed by Morita as an engineering design choice of known specific materials for implementing these elements with predictable results.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13 and 14 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 prior art does not specifically disclose or fairly suggest a laser pumping device including the combination of all of the elements, steps, and limitations recited in claims 13 and 14 (including all of the limitations of any respective parent claims), particularly wherein:
each of a number of the dielectric tube, the number of the pump-light emitters and the number of the entrance surfaces is more than two, the dielectric tubes are respectively extended along the pump axes of the pump-light emitters, and the pump axes intersect in the laser gain material (e.g., claim 13); or
the laser gain material is a laser rod and has a rod axis, each of the pump axes and the rod axis are parallel to each other, the number of the entrance surfaces is two, and two ends of the laser gain material is located adjacent to the two entrance surfaces, respectively (e.g., claim 14).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christina Leung at telephone number (571) 272-3023. If attempts to reach the examiner are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Patricia Engle can be reached at (571) 272-6660.
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/CHRISTINA Y. LEUNG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3991
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