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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12-11-23, 4-22-24, 9-20-24, 10-14-24, 11-8-24, 1-15-25, 4-10-25, 6-18-25, 12-18-25, and 1-26-26 are is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 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.
Claims 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being fully anticipated by Gao et al. (US20200280173).
Re claim 15, Gao et al. teaches for example in fig. 2 and 5, a device for tuning optical components of a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) (abstract), comprising: a first thermally controlled resonant optical component (TCROC) (122) configured to receive light (para. 0054) from a light source (104) and generate a first optical output (para, 0062), the first TCROC having a first peak resonance wavelength (para. 0003, 0052, 0080, 0119) that varies with a first temperature of the first TCROC (para. 0067); a second TCROC configured to receive light (para. 0054) from the light source and generate a second optical output (para, 0062), the second TCROC having a second peak resonance wavelength (para. 0003, 0052, 0080, 0119) that varies with a second temperature of the second TCROC (para. 0067); at least one detector operatively coupled to the first and second TCROCs for detecting the first and second optical outputs (para. 0041, 0043, 0047); a control module (192) configured to determine, based on the first and second optical outputs detected by the at least one detector (para. 0081-0084): a first pulse signal designed to change the first temperature (para. 0081-0084) and cause the first peak resonance wavelength to substantially match a wavelength of the light source (para. 0081); and a second pulse signal designed to change the second temperature (para. 0081-0084) and cause the second peak resonance wavelength to substantially match the wavelength of the light source (para. 0081); and a thermal tuner driver configured to apply the first pulse signal to the first TCROC (para. 0081-0084) and apply the second pulse signal to the second TCROC (para. 0081-0084).
Re claim 16, Gao et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2 and 5, the thermal tuner driver is configured to apply the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal during each of a recurring time cycle (para. 0084).
Re claim 17, Gao et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2 and 5, the control module is configured to determine updated first and second pulse signals for each time cycle (para. 0084).
Re claim 18, Gao et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2 and 5, the first and second TCROCs are included in the PIC and are each thermally insulated from a silicon substrate of the PIC by an air pocket between the first and second TCROCs and the silicon substrate (fig. 11-15; para. 0052, 0101-0110).
Re claim 19, Gao et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2 and 5, the control module and the thermal tuner driver are included in an electronic integrated circuit separate from the PIC (para. 0082-0083).
Re claim 20, Gao et al. further teaches for example in fig. 2 and 5, the first and second TCROCs include one or more of a multiplexer, a demultiplexer, a ring switch (abstract), and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer-based switch.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art taken alone or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the claims, in such a manner that a rejection would be proper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in independent claims 1 and 9.
Specifically regarding claim 1, Gao et al. (US20200280173) teaches the state of the art of a method of tuning temperature controlled resonant optical components.
But, Gao et al. fails to explicitly teach a combination of all the claimed features including each of the pulse signals is applied during a non-overlapping segment of the time cycle, as claimed.
Specifically regarding claim 9, Gao et al. (US20200280173) teaches the state of the art of a method of tuning temperature controlled resonant optical components.
But, Gao et al. fails to explicitly teach a combination of all the claimed features including while allowing the first TCROC to cool below the first target temperature, applying the second pulse signal to the second TCROC to heat the second TCROC to a second target temperature associated with the second TCROC operating at the target wavelength; and while allowing the second TCROC to cool below the second target temperature, reapplying the first pulse signal to the first TCROC to heat the first TCROC back to the first target temperature, wherein the first pulse signal is reapplied to the first TCROC within a minimum repetition period that is derived from a thermal time constant of the first TCROC, as claimed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH P MARTINEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-2335. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am to 7pm PACIFIC.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at (571) 272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Joseph P Martinez/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 3-7-26