DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objection
Claim 8 is objected to because lines 4-6 recite that the laser assembly has a "photo detector active area". It is believed that this may be a typo since it is not clear why a laser assembly (i.e., a light emitting device) would have a "photo detector" active area. Accordingly, it appears that in line 5, "photo detector" should be deleted and "a" should be replaced with "an".
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 1 is indefinite because there is insufficient antecedent basis for "the other side of the recessed groove" as recited in lines 7 and 9. The earlier text of claim 1 does not establish that the recessed groove has only two sides. Claim 1 could be clarified by replacing "the other side" with "another side" in each of lines 7 and 9.
Claims 2-10 are indefinite by dependence from claim 1.
Claim 6 is also indefinite because line 5 recites "the locating groove" but lines 2-3 recite a plurality of locating grooves. It appears that "the locating groove" should be replaced with "each locating groove" in line 5.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 would be allowable if the indefiniteness issues mentioned above are resolved (and for claim 8, if it is amended to overcome the informality objection). US 2023/0194808 A1 is regarded as the closest prior art of record. '808 discloses a module including a PCB substrate 201, a fiber array 210, a detector assembly 107-1, a laser assembly 204-1, and a silicon substrate 203 including optical waveguides 105 / 106, the silicon substrate being attached in a recessed groove 215 in the PCB substrate. However, '808 does not disclose or suggest at least a surface circuit board mounted at an upper side of the silicon substrate; a fiber port of the fiber array being provided with a light reflecting surface; a first microlens located directly below the light reflecting surface; or a second microlens located directly below the detector assembly or the laser assembly. There is no apparent motivation or suggestion to substantially redesign the '808 device in order to add these extra elements in the recited positions.
Conclusion
The additional references listed on the attached 892 form disclose other examples of optical modules associated with a PCB.
Contact Information
Examiner: 571-272-2360
Examiner's direct supervisor: 571-272-2397
Official correspondence by fax: 571-273-8300
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/Michael Stahl/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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