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 invention I in the reply filed on 7/08/202 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-19 will be examined on the merits. Claims 20 is withdrawn from consideration as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-15, and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication to Bhargava (2021/0405308US).
In terms of Claim 1, Bhargava teaches an optical circuit (Figures 1-12) comprising: a polarization rotation/separation element (Figure 12: within 1003-1/1021) that spatially separates and outputs a first component which is a component in a first polarization direction (Figure 1c: See TE/ TM modes), out of input light (Figure 12: light from coupler 1203-1), and a second component obtained by converting a component in a second polarization direction orthogonal to the first polarization direction (Figure 1c: TE modes are orthogonal to TM Modes), out of the input light (Figure 1c: both modes TE/TM come from coupler Figure 12: 1203-1), into a component in the first polarization direction (Figure 1c: directional location from left to right of TE/TM modes); a multiplexer (Figure 12: 1211) that is disposed on an output side of the polarization rotation/separation element (Figure 12: 1211 is outside of controller 1003-1 which contains PSR 1021), and multiplexes the first component and the second component (Figure 12: 1211 performs multiplexing [0159]); and at least one attenuation element (Figure 1b: 163) that is disposed on the output side of the polarization rotation/separation element (Figure 1b: 163 is located outside of PSR 156), and attenuates any optical power of one of the first component and the second component ([0077-0778]), both of the first component and the second component, and multiplexed light multiplexed by the multiplexer (Figure 1b: teaches light can travel bi-directionally, hence the same can be done with Figure 12. This means all light that travels from right to left will be multiplex by multiplexer 1211 through the polarization control circuit 1003-1, wherein Figure 1b teaches the circuit may contain a VOA 163 to prevent back reflection light that may damage the source equipment [0077-078]).
As for Claim 2, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one attenuation element (Figure 1b: 163) attenuates any of the optical power ([0077]), by an amount of attenuation by which the optical power of the multiplexed light that is output from the optical circuit has a predetermined magnitude (Figure 12: 1211, Figure 1b: teaches wherein light can be bi-directional from left to right and right to left; hence VOA 163 will also attenuate all signals in any direction).
As for Claim 3, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one attenuation element (163) is disposed between the polarization rotation/separation (Figure 1b: 163 is located after the PSR) element and the multiplexer (Figure 12: illustrates PSR in 1003-1 is located before 1211, hence 163 will be between the PSR and 1211; [0078] teaches the VOA can be applied to fiber; hence any light that travels back to PSR via back reflection will be attenuated including all light being reflected through 1211), and attenuates optical power of at least a component in which a ratio of optical power that is lost by the polarization rotation/separation element is relatively small ([0136]), between the first component and the second component (This functionality is able to be performed by the voa since the voa is capable of adjust the the attenuation via reduction, stopping, and increasing the attenuates as desired [0077-0078]. The difference in voltages or power ratio does not impart any additional structures to the prior art device of Figure 1b and 12).
As for Claim 4, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claim 2, wherein the at least one attenuation element (163) is disposed between the polarization rotation/separation element and the multiplexer Figure 12: illustrates PSR in 1003-1 is located before 1211, hence 163 will be between the PSR and 1211), and attenuates optical power of at least a component ([077-0078]) in which a ratio of optical power that is lost by the polarization rotation/separation element is relatively small ([0136]), between the first component and the second component (Figure 1c: TE and TM modes from PSR).
As for Claim 5, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claim 3, wherein the at least one attenuation element attenuates any of the optical power ([0077-0078]), by an amount of attenuation by which respective ratios of the optical power to be lost in the first component and in the second component ([0136] and the voa is capable of adjust different power ratios [0077-0078]), between inputs to the polarization rotation/separation element and inputs to the multiplexer, become equal to each other in a predetermined range (the voa 163 is capable of adjust power ratio of PSR to be equal to the optical power from the 1211 by adjust the voltage [0077-0078]. The difference in voltages or power ratio does not impart any additional structures to the prior art device of Figure 1b and 12).
As for Claim 6, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claim 4, wherein the at least one attenuation element attenuates any of the optical power ([0077-0078]), by an amount of attenuation by which respective ratios of the optical power to be lost in the first component and in the second component ([0136] and the voa is capable of adjust different power ratios [0077-0078]), between inputs to the polarization rotation/separation element and inputs to the multiplexer, become equal to each other in a predetermined range (the voa 163 is capable of adjust power ratio of PSR to be equal to the optical power from the 1211 by adjust the voltage [0077-0078]. The difference in voltages or power ratio does not impart any additional structures to the prior art device of Figure 1b and 12).
As for Claims 7-10, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claims 3, 4, 5, 6, wherein the at least one attenuation element (163) is disposed, between the polarization rotation/separation element and the multiplexer (Figure 12: 1211 and 1003-1 and psr within 1003-1), on respective optical paths of the first component and the second component on a one to one basis (the voa is capable adjusting its attenuation to have a one to one basis between the PSR and the multiplexer because it has adjusting, reduction, stopping, increase and decreasing attenuations capabilities. The functional language of having a one-to-one basis between the attenuation of the PSR and multiplexer does not impart any additional structure to what is disclosed in the prior of Figure 12 and Figure 1b: PSR/ multiplexer 1211 and voa 163).
As for Claims 11-13, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claims 3, 4, and 5, wherein the at least one attenuation element (163) is disposed between the polarization rotation/separation element and the multiplexer (Figure 12: 1003-1 and 1211; Figure 1b: 163), and only on an optical path of the component in which the ratio of the optical power that is lost by the polarization rotation/separation element is relatively small (Figure 1b: top optical path wherein 163 is located), between respective optical paths of the first component and the second component (Figure 1c: TE/TM modes being sent through 163 from the PSR shown in Figure 1b).
As for Claim 14, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claim 1, further comprising: an optical branch coupler (Figure 12: within 1003 at 1037/1211a-1) that is disposed on an optical path between both of the multiplexer and the at least one attenuation element (Figure 12: within 1003-1 and 1211 and Figure 1b: 163), and an output side of the optical circuit, and causes a part of the multiplexed light to be branched in a direction different from a path to the output side of the optical circuit (output light from 1211); and a light receiving element (Figure 12: 1215) that receives a part of the multiplexed light branched by the optical branch coupler (Figure 12: 1215 receives light from 1211a-1 that is then directed to 1211b-1 and coupled 1215-1-1), to determine in advance an amount of attenuation of the optical power by the at least one attenuation element such that the optical power of the multiplexed light which is output from the optical circuit has a predetermined magnitude (Figure 1b: 163 and Feedback circuit 1015; [0077-0078] and [0162]).
As for Claim 15, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claim 1, further comprising: a second optical branch coupler (Figure 12: within 1003 at 1037/1211a-1) that is disposed on an optical path of each of the first component and the second component, between the polarization rotation/separation element and the multiplexer (Figure 12: 1003-1 through 1003-N: PSR and see 1215N), and causes a part of each of the first component and the second component to be branched in a direction different from a path to the multiplexer (Figure 12: coupler under 1037 does not coupled to 1215); and a second light receiving element that receives a part of each of the first component and the second component branched by the second optical branch coupler, to determine in advance an amount of attenuation of the optical power by the at least one attenuation element such that the optical power of the multiplexed light which is output from the optical circuit has a predetermined magnitude (Figure 12: see 1215-1-1 through 1215N and optical power is manage via adjusting means 163 and feedback circuit 1015; [0162]).
As for Claim 18, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one phase shifter (Figure 10c:L 1027 or 1035) that matches phases of the first component and the second component with each other between the polarization rotation/separation element and the multiplexer (Figure 12: 1003-1 and 1215; [0148] teaches phase imbalance between optical paths maybe adjusted using the phase shifters).
As for Claim 19, Bhargava teaches an optical function element (Figure 12: component coupled 1219-1), and the optical circuit according to claim 1 (see rejection of Claim 1) wherein the optical circuit inputs (1203-1), to the optical function element (at 1219-1), the multiplexed light which is output (from 1211).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication to Bhargava (2021/0405308US).
In regard to claim 16, Bhargava teaches the optical circuit according to claim 1, an attenuator (163) that attenuates the optical power of the light ([0077-0078])
Bhargava does not teach wherein at least one attenuation element is disposed between the multiplexer and an output side of the optical circuit and attenuates multiplexed light by an amount of attenuation by which the optical power of the multiplexed light that is output from the optical circuit has a predetermined magnitude. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the location of VOA 163 to be on the output end by right before the resonators 1215 in order to reduce back reflections cause the by the ring resonators ([0105] teaches that attenuator 163 operations should be linked or timed with resonators tunning functions, hence having the voa closer to ring resonators will reduce the delay time to sync or timed both components relative to each other). It has been held that a mere rearrangement of element without modification of the operation of the device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japiske, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). The rearrangement in this case does not modify the operation of the resonator or the VOA because both structure core functions are still being performed. Further the act of relocation only optimizes the time delay between resonator VOA to allow the device to sync together as desired.
In regards to Claim 17, Bhargava teaches further comprising: an optical branch coupler (Figure 12: 1037) that is disposed on an optical path between the multiplexer (Figure 12: 1211) and the at least one attenuation element (Figure 1b: voa is located right after PSR as shown in Figure 1b and 12), and causes a part of the multiplexed light to be branched in a direction different from a path to the at least one attenuation element (See after 1211a-1 light is branched and multiplexed by 1211); and a light receiving element (1215) that receives a part of the multiplexed light branched by the optical branch coupler (1037), to adjust in real time an amount of attenuation of the optical power by the at least one attenuation element such that the optical power (functionality performed by 163 and 1015) of the multiplexed light which is output from the optical circuit has a predetermined magnitude ([0077-0078]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent Application Publication to Su 2020/0319409US teaches beam splitter in WDM circuits having phase modulation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOANG Q TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5049. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 am - 5:30pm Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at 5712722397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOANG Q TRAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2874
/SUNG H PAK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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