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 .
Joint Inventors
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Response to Amendments
Applicant’s amendment filed 07/22/2026 has been considered and entered.
The rejections under 35 USC 112 set forth in the office action mailed 04/21/2026 are withdrawn in view of the applicant’s amendments.
Response to Arguments
The applicant’s arguments filed 07/22/2026 have been fully considered but are not persuasive.
Regarding the rejection of claims 1, 8, and 14 under 35 USC 102, applicant has stated that Lin does not disclose alignment components with different sizes in a second direction. However, examiner respectively disagrees. The relevant limitations are disclosed by at least figs 6b and 7a of Lin (See the 35 USC 102 section of this office action). Furthermore, examiner notes that the amended limitations create confusion regarding the structure of the claimed device (See the 35 USC 112 section of this office action).
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 1-20 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
With regards to claims 1, 8, and 14, the claims each recite “…an attraction position of the two alignment components in the second direction is adjustable based on the first and second sizes…”. Examiner understands the device to be held together by first and second components which attract each other magnetically and that parameters relating to the magnetic attraction can be controlled. However, the structure associated with the control capability is unclear. For example, it is unclear if
the first and second sizes of the first and second alignment components are set values and the set values themselves allow the attraction position to be changed,
the first and second alignment components are structured such that the orientations of the magnets can be changed (thereby changing the component’s sizes in the relevant direction),
the first and second alignment components are structured such that the sizes of the magnets can be changed without a change in orientation or exchanging a given alignment component for a different component (I.E through extension/shortening of the components),
the first and second alignment components can be fully exchanged for different alignment components with alternate sizes,
or a different interpretation not presented above. The claims are indefinite because they create a great deal of confusion regarding the structure of the claimed device.
Claims 2-7, 9-13, and 15-20 inherit the indefiniteness of claims 1, 8, and 14 on which they respectively depend.
Examiner’s note: For the purposes of further examination, examiner will interpret the above limitations as suggesting interpretation I above.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-10, and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin (CN 218675385 U).
With regards to claim 1, Lin discloses an optical fiber connector, comprising:
a body having an interface (Fig3/Body 100; Interface as indicated below);
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a plurality of optical fibers disposed in the body (Fig6a/Optical fibers 120), and the optical fibers are arranged in a first direction of the interface (Fig7a/[Elements 120 arranged in Y direction]); and
an alignment component disposed on the interface (Fig3/Alignment component 140) and located on at least one side of the interface in the first direction, wherein the alignment component is configured for the optical fiber connector to be magnetically attracted to another alignment component ([Element 140 is a “…magnetic structure…”]), wherein the alignment component has a first size in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the another alignment component has a second size in the second direction (Figs6a-7b/X-direction), and the first size is different from the second size, and an attraction position of the two alignment components in the second direction is adjustable based on the first and second sizes (Figs6b-7a).
With regards to claim 2, Lin discloses the optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the two alignment components are magnets (Fig3/[Element 140 is a “…magnetic structure…”]).
With regards to claim 3, Lin discloses the optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises a first optical coupling part (Fig3/Optical coupling part 110 and 150), the optical fibers comprise a first optical fiber disposed in the first optical coupling part (Fig6a/First optical fiber 120-1), the first optical fiber and an edge coupler (Fig3/Edge coupler 212) are coupled to couple a light into the first light coupling part in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig3/Second direction X).
With regards to claim 5, Lin discloses the optical fiber connector according to claim 1, further comprising a first buckling part and a second buckling part, the first buckling part and the second buckling part being located on opposite sides of the body (Fig6a/First and second buckling parts as indicated below [Left and right respectively]), and the body being fastened to another body through the first buckling part and the second buckling part (Fig3).
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With regards to claim 6, Lin discloses the optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the two alignment components respectively have a long side and a short side (Fig3/Long side [Top] and short side [Left] as indicated below), a size of the long side is larger than a size of the short side, the long side extends along the first direction (Fig6a/[Long side comprises a face which includes a dimension in Y]), and the short side extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig3/[Short side comprises a face which includes a dimension in Z]).
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With regards to claim 7, Lin discloses the optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the two alignment components respectively have a long side and a short side (Fig3/Long side [Top side] and short side [Left side] as indicated below), a size of the long side is larger than a size of the short side, and the long sides extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig6a/[Long side comprises a face which includes a dimension in X]), and the short sides extend along the first direction (Fig3/[Short side comprises a face which includes a dimension in Y]).
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With regards to claim 8, Lin discloses a photonic integrated circuit, comprising:
a body having an interface (Fig3/Body 200; Interface as indicated below);
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a plurality of waveguides disposed in the body (Fig7a/Waveguides 220), and the waveguides are arranged in a first direction of the interface (Fig7a/[Elements 220 arranged in Y direction]); and
an alignment component disposed on the interface (Fig3/Alignment component 240) and located on at least one side of the interface in the first direction (Fig7a), wherein the alignment component is configured for the photonic integrated circuit to be magnetically attracted to another alignment component ([Element 240 is a “…magnetic structure…”]), wherein the alignment component has a first size in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Figs6a-7b/X-direction), the another alignment component has a second size in the second direction, and the first size is different from the second size and an attraction position of the two alignment components in the second direction is adjustable based on the first and second sizes (Figs 6b-7a).
With regards to claim 9, Lin discloses the photonic integrated circuit according to claim 8, wherein the two alignment components are magnets (Fig3/[Element 240 is a “…magnetic structure…”]).
With regards to claim 10, Lin discloses the photonic integrated circuit according to claim 8, further comprising at least one matching element disposed on the interface (Fig3/Matching element 100), wherein the photonic integrated circuit and the matching element are fixedly connected through UV glue or in a non-detachable manner (Paragraph 60/“…ultraviolet curing glue…”).
With regards to claim 12, Lin discloses the photonic integrated circuit according to claim 8, wherein the two alignment components respectively have a long side and a short side (Fig3/Long side [Top side] and short side [Left side] as indicated below), a size of the long side is larger than a size of the short side, the long side extends along the first direction (Fig6a/[Long side comprises a face which includes a dimension in Y]), and the short side extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig3/[Short side comprises a face which includes a dimension in Z]).
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With regards to claim 13, Lin discloses the photonic integrated circuit according to claim 8, wherein the two alignment components respectively have a long side and a short side (Fig3/Long side [Top side] and short side [Left side] as indicated below), a size of the long side is larger than a size of the short side, and the long sides extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig6a/[Long side comprises a face which includes a dimension in X]), and the short sides extend along the first direction (Fig3/[Short side comprises a face which includes a dimension in Y]).
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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, 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (CN 218675385 U) in view of Rosenberg (US 20120033914 A1).
With regards to claim 4, Lin discloses the optical fiber connector according to claim 3, but is silent regarding the body further comprising a second optical coupling part, the optical fibers further comprise second optical fibers disposed in the second optical coupling part, and the second optical fiber and a grating coupler being coupled to couple a light into the second light coupling part in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction. However, the practice of configuring an optical fiber connector in the aforementioned fashion exists in the art as exemplified by Rosenberg.
Lin and Rosenberg are considered to be analogous in the field of optical fiber connectors. Lin discloses an optical fiber connector comprising a first optical fiber coupled to couple light into a first coupling part (Lin/Fig3). Rosenberg teaches an optical connector comprising a second optical coupling part (Rosenberg/Fig1/Second optical coupling part 32b), the optical fibers further comprise second optical fibers disposed in the second optical coupling part (Rosenberg/Fig1/Second optical fibers 20b), and the second optical fiber is coupled to couple a light into the second light coupling part in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the optical fiber connector of Lin such that the optical connector comprises a second optical coupling part, the optical fibers further comprise second optical fibers disposed in the second optical coupling part, and the second optical fiber is coupled to couple a light into the second light coupling part in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction since doing so would facilitate communication with optical components located lower in the Z direction of the device of Lin.
Lin and Rosenberg do not disclose a grating coupler as being coupled to the second optical fiber to couple a light into the second light coupling part in the third direction in the embodiments previously relied upon. However, Rosenberg does disclose a redirecting element as being coupled to the second optical fiber to couple a light into the second light coupling part in the third direction (Rosenberg/Fig1/Redirecting element 24), and Lin discloses a grating coupler as a redirecting element coupled to a second fiber in a different embodiment from the previously relied upon (Lin/Fig1/Grating coupler 15). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to couple a grating coupler to the second optical fiber to couple a light into the second light coupling part in the third direction since doing so would facilitate efforts to control or further manipulate the redirected light.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (CN 218675385 U).
With regards to claim 11, Lin discloses the photonic integrated circuit according to claim 10, wherein the matching element comprises a first matching element (Fig3/First matching element 110 and 150) and a second matching element extending along a direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig3/Second matching element 120). Lin is silent regarding the first matching element having a first refractive index and the second matching element having a second refractive index, and by extension is also silent regarding said first refractive being close to a refractive index of the waveguides and the second refractive index being smaller than the first refractive index. However, individual physical elements are necessarily made of material. All materials have a refractive index, and it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select materials for the first and second matching elements of Lin such that the first matching element has a first refractive index, the second matching element has a second refractive index, the first refractive index is close to a refractive index of the waveguides, and the second refractive index is smaller than the first refractive index, since doing so would facilitate low loss optical communication between the waveguides and the matching element.
Claims 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (CN 218675385 U) in view of Mo (US 20250004203 A1).
With regards to claim 14, Lin discloses a photonic packaging structure, comprising:
a photonic integrated circuit (Fig3/Photonic integrated circuit 200);
an optical fiber connector (Fig3/Optical fiber connector 100) disposed on the photonic integrated circuit (Fig3); and
two alignment components (Fig7a/Alignment components 140 and 240) disposed between the photonic integrated circuit and the optical fiber connector, wherein the two alignment components are configured for the optical fiber connector to be magnetically attracted to the photonic integrated circuit (Fig3; Elements 240 are each a “…magnetic structure…”),
wherein the two alignment components respectively have a first size and a second size in a same direction (Figs6a-7b/X-direction), and the first size is different from the second size and an attraction position of the first alignment component and the second alignment component is adjustable based on the first and second sizes (Figs6b-7a).
Lin is silent regarding the photonic packaging structure comprising a substrate and an electronic circuit. However, the practice of incorporating a substrate and an electronic circuit component into a photonic packaging structure exists in the art as exemplified by Mo.
Lin and Mo are considered to be analogous in the field of photonic packages. Lin discloses a photonic packaging structure with a connector-coupled photonic integrated circuit. Mo teaches a photonic packaging structure with an electronic circuit component disposed on a substrate and a connector-coupled photonic integrated circuit disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the electronic circuit component (Mo/Fig3/photonic integrated circuit 110, substrate 114, and electronic circuit component 112). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the photonic integrated circuit of Lin on a substrate and to electrically connect the photonic integrated circuit of Lin to an electronic circuit component as suggested by Mo since doing so would respectively provide a structurally stable foundation for the package structure of Lin and would allow the package structure of Lin to perform functions unique to electrical circuits.
With regards to claim 15, Lin and Mo together disclose the photonic packaging structure according to claim 14, wherein the electronic circuit component is integrated on the photonic integrated circuit (Mo/Fig3).
With regards to claim 16, Lin and Mo together disclose The photonic packaging structure according to claim 14, wherein the photonic integrated circuit comprises a first body (Lin/Fig3/First body as indicated below [Left]), a plurality of waveguides and a first alignment component of the two alignment components (Lin/Fig7a/Plurality of waveguides 220 and first alignment component 240-1), the first body has a first interface (Lin/Fig3/Interface as indicated below [Right]), the waveguides are disposed in the first body (Lin/Fig3 [See the 35 USC 112 section of this office action]), the waveguides are arranged in a first direction of the first interface (Lin/Fig7a), the first alignment component is disposed on the first interface and is located on at least one side of the first interface in the first direction (Lin/Figs3&7a).
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With regards to claim 17, Lin and Mo together disclose the photonic packaging structure according to claim 16, wherein the optical fiber connector comprises a second body (Lin/Fig3/Second body 110 and 150), a plurality of optical fibers and a second alignment component of the two alignment components, the second body has a second interface (Lin/Fig3/Second interface as indicated below), the optical fibers are arranged in the second body (Lin/Fig3 [See the 35 USC 112 section of this office action]), and the optical fibers are arranged in the first direction of the second interface (Lin/Figs3&6a), the second alignment component is arranged on the second interface and is located on at least one side of the second interface in the first direction (Lin/Figs3&6a).
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With regards to claim 18, Lin and Mo together disclose the photonic packaging structure according to claim 17, wherein the first alignment component and the second alignment component are magnets (Lin/Fig3/[Elements 140 and 240 are each a “…magnetic structure…”]), and the first alignment component and the second alignment component attract to each other in the first direction or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Lin/Fig3/Second direction Z).
With regards to claim 19, Lin and Mo together disclose the photonic packaging structure according to claim 18, wherein the optical fibers and the waveguides are aligned in the first direction or the second direction through the first alignment component and the second alignment component (Lin/Figures 3, 6a, and 7a).
With regards to claim 20, Lin and Mo together disclose the photonic packaging structure according to claim 18, wherein the first and second alignment components respectively have the first size and the second size in the first or second direction, and the first size is greater than the second size (Figs6b-7a).
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Marc E Manheim whose telephone number is (703)756-1873. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30am - 5pm E.T., Monday - Tuesday and Thursday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas A Hollweg can be reached at (571) 270-1739. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARC E MANHEIM/Examiner, Art Unit 2874
/THOMAS A HOLLWEG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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