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 .
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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A (claims 1-4) in the reply filed on 22 December, 2025 is acknowledged. Claims 5-40 are withdrawn from consideration.
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.
Claim 4 is 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
It is unclear what is meant by “first desired frequency”, “second desired frequency” and “within a range of possible frequencies” means or requires. For the purpose of examination, examiner is interpreting any first and second frequency as being first and second desired frequencies, respectively, and considers that they inherently fall within a range of possible frequencies.
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okawachi et al. (US 2021/0373362; hereinafter Okawachi).
Regarding claim 1: Okawachi disclosesA device (Fig. 1A, device 100), comprising: a wavelength generator (Fig. 1A device 1A is a frequency comb generator, considered to be a wavelength generator as it is configured to receive a pump optical signal at a pump frequency at an input port and emit output optical signals from an output port at the pump frequency and at a first frequency both different from the pump frequency; see paragraphs 0004, 0032, 0040; 0049 and Fig. 2B, the pump frequency, as shown in Fig. 2B, corresponding to a 1300 nm wavelength and the first and second frequency corresponding to any other two lines of the frequency comb) configured to receive a pump optical signal at a pump frequency at an input port and emit output optical signals from an output port at the pump frequency and at a first frequency and a second frequency both different from the pump frequency, the wavelength generator comprising: a planar bus waveguide (Fig. 1A, waveguide 102) having an input optically coupled to the input port (see paragraph 0032) and an output optically coupled to the output port (see paragraph 0043), the planar bus waveguide being configured to guide optical signals at the pump frequency and at the first and second frequencies different from the pump frequency (see paragraphs 0032 and 0043); a main ring resonator (Fig. 1A, first optical resonator 104) comprising a first non-linear optical material (see paragraph 0034), the main ring resonator being optically coupled to the planar waveguide (via first coupling 108; see paragraph 0034) and having a main ring resonance frequency (the main ring resonator inherently has a main ring resonance frequency); a first heating element (Fig. 1A, first heater 112) thermally coupled to the main ring resonator (see paragraph 0036); an auxiliary ring resonator (Fig. 1A, second optical resonator) comprising a second non-linear optical material (see paragraph 0034), the auxiliary ring resonator being optically coupled to the main ring resonator (via second coupling 110; see paragraph 0035) and having an auxiliary ring resonance frequency (the auxiliary ring resonator inherently has an auxiliary ring resonance frequency); and a second heating element (Fig. 1A, second heater 114) thermally coupled to the auxiliary ring resonator (see paragraph 0036), the first and second heating elements being independently variable (see paragraph 0041); and an electronic control module (see paragraph 0051, computing device; see paragraphs 0036, 0041) in communication with the first heating element and the second heating element, the electronic control module being programmed to control a detuning of the main resonance frequency from the pump signal frequency via the first heating element (see paragraphs 0039-0042; the control module generates the frequency comb by controlling the first and second heating elements; the first and second heating elements inherently control the main and auxiliary resonance frequencies, which inherently controls the detuning of the main resonance frequency from the pump signal frequency and controls a spectral position of the auxiliary ring resonance frequency to produce optical signals at the first and second frequencies from the optical signal at the pump frequency), and to control a spectral position of the auxiliary ring resonance frequency to produce optical signals at the first and second frequencies from the optical signal at the pump frequency (see paragraphs 0039-0042).
Regarding claim 2: Okawachi disclosesThe device of claim 1 (as applied above), wherein the planar bus waveguide, the main ring resonator, the auxiliary ring resonator, and the first and second heating elements are integrated into a common photonic integrated circuit (see Fig. 1A, these elements are shown to be part of one device, which inherently forms a photonic integrated circuit).
Regarding claim 3: Okawachi disclosesThe device of claim 1 (as applied above), wherein the first frequency is higher than the pump frequency and the second frequency is lower than the pump frequency (see Fig. 2B, the frequency comb is centered on the pump frequency and includes multiple frequencies that are above and below the pump frequency, including a first frequency higher than the pump frequency and a second frequency lower than the pump frequency).
Regarding claim 4: Okawachi disclosesThe device of claim 1 (as applied above), wherein the electronic control module is programmed to vary the first and second heating elements to modify phase matching conditions between the main ring and the auxiliary ring so that the first and second frequencies correspond to a first desired frequency and a second desired frequency, respectively, within a range of possible frequencies (see paragraphs 0041-0044; the electronic control module varies the first and second heating elements to control phase matching conditions between the main ring and the auxiliary ring to tune the properties of the frequency comb, which results in the first and second frequencies to correspond to first and second desired frequencies, respectively, within a range of possible frequencies).
Conclusion
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/KIRSTEN D. ENDRESEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2874
/THOMAS A HOLLWEG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2874