DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This office action is in response to the amendment filed 12/4/2025.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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 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.
Election/Restrictions
In the response from applicant on the restriction requirement on 10/9/2025, applicant agrees to withdraw inventions of group 2 (claims 13-20) and elects group 1 (claims 1-12). Hence Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention and species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/4/2025.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4-6 and 8-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 4, cited terms of “a first direction” and “a second direction” (line 5-7) are vague and renders the claims indefinite. Claim cites two terms of “a first direction”. It is unclear that the two “a first direction” are same or not. If they are same, the second term of “a first direction” should be specified as “the first direction”. Same issue to terms of “a second direction”.
Claims 5-6 are rejected as containing the deficiencies of claim 4 through their dependency from claim 4.
Regarding claim 8, cited terms of “the one or more bearings being configured to prevent movement of the rotary mounting plate as the one or more fasteners are moved from the first position to the second position.” (line 3-5) are vague and renders the claims indefinite. It is unclear that whether the rotary mounting plate is prevented from movements by the bearings during a process that the one or more fasteners are moving from the first position to the second position, or the rotary mounting plate is prevented from movements by the bearings at any positions between the first position to the second position.
Claims 9-12 are rejected as containing the deficiencies of claim 8 through their dependency from claim 8.
Therefore proper amendments are required in order to clarify the scopes of the claims and overcome the rejections.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bykanov et al (US 20180328868).
Regarding Claim 1, Bykanov teaches a goniometer mount system for use with a quantum information processing (QIP) system, the goniometer mount system (abstract; figs. 5 and 6; ¶[0171], line 1-5, goniometer stages), comprising:
a mounting bracket comprising a base plate (fig. 5, 141, 142) and a back plate (fig. 5, 143, 144) having a plurality of slots radially disposed about a center of the back plate (fig. 5, slots between 158 and 144; separated by 157A-C in three portions; also see fig. 6, slots between 158 and 144; and fig. 11, slots between 158 and 144); and
a rotary mounting plate that is rotatably coupled to the mounting bracket (fig. 5, 158 –rotary stage, 149; ¶[0171], line 1-17, A rotary stage 158 mounted to tip-tilt-Z stage 156 orients wafer 101 over a range of azimuth angles, Ф, with respect to illumination beam 116) and configured to rotate about an axis extending through the center of the back plate that is circumscribed by the plurality of slots (fig. 5, 158, 149, slots between 158 and 144).
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 of this title, 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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bykanov et al (US 20180328868) in a view of Megumi et al (JP 2002341732, English translation attached).
Regarding Claim 2, Bykanov discloses as set forth above but does not specifically disclose that the goniometer mount system of claim 1, further comprising an acousto-optical deflector including a crystal configured to deflect an incoming beam, wherein a center of the crystal is aligned with the axis.
However, Megumi teaches a goniometer device (abstract; fig. 5, 51- goniostage, 52); wherein comprising an acousto-optical deflector including a crystal configured to deflect an incoming beam, wherein a center of the crystal is aligned with the axis (fig. 5, 51/52, 42 -acousto-optic modulator (AOM); ¶[0058], line 1-8, The AOM 42 is composed of an acousto-optic medium 44 and a piezoelectric element 45, The acoustooptic medium 44 is a crystal with a large refractive index; ¶[0087], line 1-7, an acousto-optic deflector (hereinafter referred to as AOD) may be used instead of the AOM 42).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the goniometer mount system of Bykanov by the goniometer device of Megumi for a purpose to perform intensity modulation of the first-order diffracted light and the zeroth-order light (¶[0087], line 1-7).
Claims 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bykanov et al (US 20180328868) in a view of Michael et al (US 7688528).
Regarding Claim 3, Bykanov discloses as set forth above but does not specifically disclose that goniometer mount system of claim 1, further comprising a bearing positioned between the rotary mounting plate and the back plate.
However, Michael teaches a mount for an optical component (abstract; fig. 1), wherein further comprising a bearing positioned between the rotary mounting plate and the back plate (fig. 1, 500, 600; col. 3, line 45-50, The roll adjustment assembly 600 is pivotally coupled to the pitch adjustment assembly 500 to provide rotational adjustment of the optical component about the z-axis; col. 8, line 1-2, ball bearings 622 to form a resilient fit of the cylindrical guide 612 into the countersunk hole of the pivoting member 502).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the goniometer mount system of Bykanov by the mount for an optical component of Michael for a purpose of providing of an optical component mount that provides the flexibility of independently adjusting the position and orientation of the optical component along and about one or more axes (col. 1, line 35-40).
Regarding Claim 4, Bykanov -Michael combination teaches that the goniometer mount system of claim 1,
wherein the axis extending through the center of the back plate is a first axis (fig. 1, Z axis, as disclosed in Michael), and
wherein the system further comprises an actuator rotatably coupled to the back plate and seated against a surface of the rotary mounting plate (fig. 1, 604, 606, 608, as disclosed in Michael), wherein the actuator is rotatable about a second axis in a first direction to rotate the mounting plate about the first axis in a first direction and the actuator is rotatable about the second axis in a second direction to rotate the mounting plate about the first axis in a second direction (col. 5, line 5-32, The roll adjustment assembly 600 further comprises a roll adjustment device 604 for adjusting the roll orientation of the rolling member 602. when the knob 606 is turned in a clockwise direction, the screw 608 moves in the positive x-direction, and consequently forces the rolling member 602 to roll in a clockwise direction. When the knob 606 is turned in the counterclockwise direction, the screw 608 moves in the negative x-direction, and the biasing force of the spring forces the rolling member 602 to pivot in a counter clockwise direction. The adjustment device 604 may be removable and replaced with an actuator arm for electronically adjusting the roll orientation of the rolling member 602, as disclosed in Michael).
Regarding Claim 5, Bykanov -Michael combination teaches that the goniometer mount system of claim 4, wherein the second axis and the first axis are orthogonal (fig. 1, Z -- first axis; 604/606/608 –X direction-- second axis, as disclosed in Michael).
Regarding Claim 6, Bykanov -Michael combination teaches that the goniometer mount system of claim 4, further comprising a spring that includes a first end coupled to the back plate and a second end coupled to the rotary mounting plate, and wherein the spring is configured to maintain engagement between the actuator and the surface of the rotary mounting plate (col. 5, line 5-32, The pivot adjustment assembly 600 further includes a spring (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) that biases the post of the rolling member 602 against the end of the screw 608; and the biasing force of the spring forces the rolling member 602 to pivot in a counter clockwise direction, as disclosed in Michael).
Regarding Claim 7, Bykanov -Michael combination teaches that the goniometer mount system of claim 1, further comprising one or more fasteners movable from a first position in which the rotary mounting plate is configured to rotate relative to the back plate and a second position in which the rotary mounting plate is prevented from rotating relative to the back plate (col. 1, line 60-67, The adjustment elements may include locks for fixing the position and orientation of the support element in selected positions and orientations. The adjustment elements may be controlled manually or by an actuator; fig. 2, 216, 218, 220; col. 4, line 1-9, The fine coarse adjustment 216 comprises an adjustment knob 218 and a lock 220 for selectively locking the adjustment knob 218; and effectively locking the rotation of the rotatable upper portion 250 with respect to the middle portion 210, as disclosed in Michael).
Examiner’s Note
Regarding the references, the Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Jie Lei whose telephone number is (571) 272 7231. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by the telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on (571) 272 3689.The Fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is (571) 273 8300.
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/JIE LEI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872