CTNF 18/499,768 CTNF 78164 NON-FINAL REJECTION Acknowledgements 1. Claims 1-27 were presented for examination on November 11, 2023. These claims are grouped as follows: claims 1-7 ; claims 8-18 ; and claims 19-27 . 2. Applicant claims priority under 35 USC §119(e) to Provisional App. No. 63/381,890 filed on November 1, 2022. 3. The presumed effective filing date of the instant application is November 1, 2022 , which is the filing date of the provisional application. Drawings 4. The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because figures 2A-2E do not have reference numbers. Specifically, these figures show the alternative species of the tunable laser, which is identified as #102 in figure 1. More specifically, the semiconductor laser (figure 2A), SBS laser (figure 2B), the PZT-controlled SBS laser (figure 2C), the PZT-controlled external cavity laser (figure 2D), the distributed Bragg reflector laser (figure 2E) should be identified with reference numbers. 06-22 Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 5. Claims 1-27 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. First, as to claims 9 and 20 , the term “ appreciably effect ” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “ appreciably affect ” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. See MPEP §2173.05(b). Second, base claims 1, 8, and 19 are indefinite because they are a single claim that claims both an apparatus (“ a laser stabilization circuit ” or “ circuit ”) and the method steps of using the apparatus (“ applies a feedback signal… ” and “ applies a high-frequency signal ”) in the same claim. See MPEP §2173.05. Third, claims 14 and 14 are indefinite because they are a single claim that claims both an apparatus (“ a laser stabilization circuit ” or “ circuit ”) and the method steps of using the apparatus (“ wherein the circuit is compatible with the CMOS foundry fabrication process” ) in the same claim. See MPEP §2173.05. The remaining claims are rejected because of their dependency upon base claims 1, 8, and 19 . Allowable Subject Matter 6. As best understood, i.e., where the process language is interpreted as functional language, claims 1-27 contain allowable subject matter. Specifically, the closest prior art is US Publication 2019/0229494 to Idjadi et al. published Jul. 25, 2019 (“Idjadi”). As to claim 1-7 , the prior art does not disclose or make obvious “ wherein the 2 nd feedback loop connects with the reference cavity, the modulator, and the VCO ” in combination with the other limitations of the claims. As to claims 8-18 and 19-27 , the prior art does not disclose or make obvious “ wherein the 2 nd PID loop connects with the reference cavity, the stress-optical modulator, and the VCO ” in combination with the other limitations of the claims. Conclusion 7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEANDRA M HUGHES whose telephone number is (571)272-6982. The examiner can normally be reached Generally M-Th 8AM-6PM. 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, Hetul Patel can be reached at 571-272-4184. 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. Signed: /DEANDRA M HUGHES/Reexamination Specialist, Art Unit 3992 Application/Control Number: 18/499,768 Page 2 Art Unit: 3992 Application/Control Number: 18/499,768 Page 3 Art Unit: 3992 Application/Control Number: 18/499,768 Page 4 Art Unit: 3992
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