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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s Amendment filed April 14, 2026 has been fully considered and entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the pending claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 1-16 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (CN 114415289 B), hereafter Wang.
Regarding claims 1-14; Wang discloses a 2x2 coupler (see Figures 1-3; the 2x2 coupler is illustrated in Figure 1), comprising:
a first stage (II; the first stage is illustrated in Figure 2 and is included in the 2x2 coupler of Figure 1) configured as a mode multiplexer comprising:
a first input waveguide (7) configured to transmit optical signals having a first mode (C + L band TE base mode; see the written description of Figures 1 and 2 in the corresponding machine translation); and
a second input waveguide (6) configured to transmit optical signals having a second mode (O band TM base mode; see the written description of Figures 1 and 3 in the corresponding machine translation),
wherein the first mode (C + L band TE base mode) is different than the second mode (O band TM base mode); and
a second stage (III; the second stage is illustrated in Figure 3 and is included in the 2x2 coupler of Figure 1) configured as a multimode splitter (see the written description of Figures 1 and 2);
wherein the first stage (II) transitions to the second stage (III) at a transition plane (I; the transition plane is located at the junction between the first and second stages, wherein the transition plane is considered to be oriented in a direction perpendicular to the propagation direction of light and comprises a width encompassing the region where the multiplexer structure is coupled to the splitter structure; see Figure 1), and wherein at the transition plane, substantially all optical power of an optical signal traversing through the 2x2 coupler is contained within a single multimode waveguide (see Figure 1; waveguides sections 2, 3, and 4 function as a multimode waveguide);
wherein the first stage transitions to the second stage at a transition plane, and wherein the mode multiplexer has a first input waveguide (7) and a second input waveguide (6) that each traverse from an input to the transition plane, and wherein the first and second input waveguides are arranged asymmetrically along a propagation axis of the 2x2 coupler (see Figure 1);
wherein the first stage transitions to the second stage at a transition plane (see Figure 1), and wherein the first input waveguide (7) and the second input waveguide (6) are single mode waveguides at an input of the 2x2 coupler and the first and second input waveguides transition along the first stage so as to render a single multimode waveguide (1; see Figure 1) at least at the transition plane;
wherein the first input waveguide (7) becomes the single multimode waveguide (1) at the transition plane while the second input waveguide (6) tapers (5) as the second input waveguide (6/5) approaches the transition plane so that substantially all optical power of an optical signal input into the second input waveguide (6) is contained in the single multimode waveguide (1) at the transition plane;
wherein the mode multiplexer is arranged as a two-mode multiplexer (see Figures 1 and 2; TE base mode and TM base mode are multiplexed);
wherein the multimode splitter is arranged symmetrically along a propagation axis of the 2x2 coupler (see Figures 1 and 3);
wherein the multimode splitter is arranged as a multimode y-splitter (see Figures 1 and 3);
wherein the multimode y-splitter has a multimode waveguide (1) that tapers (3) and two output waveguides (2, 4) that inverse taper (see Figures 1 and 3);
wherein the first stage transitions to the second stage at a transition plane (see Figure 1), and wherein, at the transition plane, the multimode waveguide (1) is in communication with a single multimode waveguide of the mode multiplexer (7, 6/5);
wherein the multimode waveguide (1) is arranged between the two output waveguides (2, 4);
wherein the multimode waveguide (1) terminates before an output of the 2x2 coupler (see Figures 1 and 3);
wherein the two output waveguides (2, 4) diverge from one another as they approach an output of the 2x2 coupler (see Figures 1 and 3);
wherein the 2x2 coupler is made entirely of silicon (see the corresponding machine translation, the entire device is based on a silicon nitride platform, wherein the entire device is comprises of silicon).
Regarding claims 15, 16 and 19; Wang discloses a 2x2 coupler (see Figure 1), comprising:
a first stage (II; see Figures 1 and 2) having two input waveguides (6, 7) that transition taper (input waveguide 6 transition tapers in waveguide section 5 and input waveguide 7 transition tapers in sections 1 and 3, wherein the two waveguides taper asymmetrically WRT each other) asymmetrically along a propagation axis of the 2x2 coupler so that an optical signal input into one of the two input waveguides traverses into, or remains in, a first input waveguide (7) of the two input waveguides (6, 7), wherein the first input waveguide transitions (7) from a single mode waveguide to a multimode waveguide (1); and
a second stage (III; see Figures 1 and 3) having two single mode output waveguides (2, 4) and a multimode waveguide (1; the examiner notes that waveguide sections 2, 3, and 4 function as a multimode waveguide section and that single mode waveguides 2 and 4 extend therefrom and branch apart; see Figure 1) arranged in communication with the multimode waveguide (1) of the first stage, the two single mode output waveguides (2, 4) and the multimode waveguide (1) transition symmetrically along the propagation axis so that the optical signal traversing in the multimode waveguide of the first stage is received by the multimode waveguide of the second stage and split into the two single mode output waveguides (see Figure 1);
wherein the 2x2 coupler is an adiabatic 2x2 coupler (see Figure 1; the illustrated tapered sections provide for adiabatic coupling and minimize optical loss);
wherein the multimode waveguide (1) of the second stage is arranged between the two single mode output waveguides (2, 4) and tapers over at least a portion of the second stage as the multimode waveguide extends away from the first stage while the two single mode output waveguides both inverse taper over at least a portion of the second stage as the two single mode output waveguides extend away from the first stage (see Figure 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17 and 18 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.
Claim 20 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record, which is the most relevant prior art known, does not disclose or render obvious:
The 2x2 coupler defined by claim 17, wherein the first input waveguide inverse tapers along at least a portion of the first stage and a second input waveguide of the two input waveguides tapers along at least a portion of the first stage in combination with all of the other limitations of base claim 15; or
A Mach Zehnder device, as defined by claim 20 comprising:
a first stage having two input waveguides that transition asymmetrically along a propagation axis of the 2x2 coupler so that an optical signal input into a first input waveguide or a second input waveguide of the two input waveguides traverses into, or remains in, the first input waveguide, wherein the first input waveguide transitions from a single mode waveguide to a multimode waveguide, and wherein the first input waveguide inverse tapers while the second input waveguide tapers over at least a portion of the first stage as the first and second waveguides extend away from an inlet of the 2x2 coupler; and
a second stage having two single mode output waveguides and a multimode waveguide arranged in communication with the multimode waveguide of the first stage, the two single mode output waveguides and the multimode waveguide transition symmetrically along the propagation axis so that the optical signal traversing in the multimode waveguide of the first stage is received by the multimode waveguide of the second stage and split into the two single mode output waveguides.
Claim 18 depends from claim 17.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHELLE R CONNELLY whose telephone number is (571)272-2345. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at 571-272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHELLE R CONNELLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
Prosecution Insights