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 .
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 9-11,13-17,20-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Su et al.(US 2019/0028206).
Considering claim 9 Su discloses an analog-digital conversion method, the method comprising: performing first processing on an optical analog signal to obtain a processed optical analog signal, the first processing including affine transformation with first reference light or homodyne detection with a detection axis of second reference light signal(See Paragraph 149,154,157, fig. 9,10 i.e. a detection circuit(905 of fig. 5) has optical couplers(2:2 coupler 1 and 2:2 coupler 2) for performing first processing on an optical analog signal to obtain a processed optical analog signal, the first processing including affine transformation with first reference light(lo light and reference light received from the light source and split by 50:50 splitter into first and second reference lights) or homodyne detection with a detection axis of second reference light); converting the processed optical analog signal into an electrical analog signal by photoelectric conversion(See Paragraph 146,156,157, fig. 9,10 i.e. balance receivers( balance receiver1 and balance receiver 2 of fig. 10) for converting the processed optical analog signal into an electrical analog signal by photoelectric conversion(optical detectors)); and performing thresholding on the electrical analog signal to convert the electrical analog signal into an electrical digital signal(See Paragraph 156, fig. 10 i.e. analog to digital conversation module(ADC1 and ADC2 of fig. 10) for performing thresholding on the electrical analog signal to convert the electrical analog signal into an electrical digital signal).
Considering claim 10 Su discloses the analog-digital conversion method according to claim 9, wherein, the first processing includes performing the homodyne detection by varying a phase of the second reference light(See Paragraph 149,151, fig. 10 i.e. the first processing includes performing the homodyne detection by varying a phase(phase modulation) of the second reference light using second controller).
Considering claim 11 Su discloses the analog-digital conversion method according to claim 10, wherein: the first processing includes performing the affine transformation by varying an amplitude of the first reference light(See Paragraph 151, fig. 10 i.e. a the first processing includes performing the affine transformation by varying an amplitude(pulse modulation) of the first reference light using the first controller).
Considering claim 13 Su discloses the analog-digital conversion method according to claim 10, wherein the second reference light is subject to time variation(See Paragraph 39,41,144, fig. 3 i.e. wherein the second reference light is subject to time variation(alternating time sequence of the reference light)).
Considering claim 14 Su discloses the analog-digital conversion method according to claim 9, wherein the first processing includes performing the affine transformation, and the first reference light is subject to time variation(See Paragraph 39,41,144, fig. 3 i.e. the first processing includes performing the affine transformation, and the first reference light is subject to time variation(alternating time sequence of the reference light(301 of fig. 3))).
Considering claim 15 Su discloses the analog-digital conversion method according to claim 9, wherein the first processing includes performing the homodyne detection, and the second reference light is subject to time variation(See Paragraph 39,41,55 fig. 3 i.e. wherein the first processing includes performing the homodyne detection(305), and the second reference light is subject to time variation(301)).
Considering claim 16 Su discloses the analog-digital conversion method according to claim 9, wherein, the first processing includes performing the affine transformation by varying an amplitude of the first reference light(See Paragraph 151, fig. 10 i.e. the first processing includes performing the affine transformation by varying an amplitude(pulse modulation) of the first reference light using the first controller).
Considering claim 17 Su discloses the analog-digital conversion method according to claim 16, wherein the first reference light is subject to time variation(See Paragraph 39,41,144, fig. 3 i.e. wherein the first reference light is subject to time variation(alternating time sequence of the reference light)).
Considering claim 20 Su discloses the analog-digital conversion method according to claim 9, wherein the first reference light or the second reference light is subject to time variation(See Paragraph 39,41,144, fig. 3 i.e. wherein the first reference light or the second reference light is subject to time variation(alternating time sequence of the reference light)).
Considering claim 21 Su discloses an analog-digital converter, comprising: a first reference light generation circuit configured to generate first reference light(See Paragraph 144, fig. 9 i.e. a generation module(903) configured to generate first reference light); a computing circuit configured to perform first processing on an optical analog signal, wherein the first processing comprises affine transformation with the first reference light(See Paragraph 146,156,157, fig. 9,10 i.e. a computing circuit( which is a balance receiver1 and balance receiver 2 of fig. 10 of the detection module(905 of fig. 9)) configured to perform first processing on an optical analog signal, wherein the first processing comprises affine transformation with the first reference light(LO light)); and a conversion circuit configured to perform thresholding on the optical analog signal to convert the optical analog signal into an electrical digital signal(See Paragraph 156, fig. 10 i.e. a conversion circuit which analog to digital conversation module(ADC1 and ADC2 of fig. 10) configured to perform thresholding on the optical analog signal to convert the optical analog signal into an electrical digital signal).
Considering claim 22 Su discloses the analog-digital converter according to claim 21, further comprising: a first reference light generation circuit configured to generate first reference light(See Paragraph 146,156,157, fig. 9,10 i.e. a first reference light generation circuit(generation module(903)) configured to generate first reference light); and a computing circuit configured to perform affine transformation on the optical analog signal with the first reference light(See Paragraph 146,156,157, fig. 9,10 i.e. a computing circuit (which is a balance receiver1 and balance receiver 2 of fig. 10 of the detection module(905 of fig. 9)) configured to perform affine transformation on the optical analog signal with the first reference light).
Considering claim 23 Su discloses an analog-digital converter, comprising: a second reference light generation circuit configured to generate second reference light(See Paragraph 144, fig. 9 i.e. a second reference light generation circuit(903) configured to generate second reference light); a detection circuit configured to perform homodyne detection with the second reference light on an optical analog signal and acquire an electrical analog signal(See Paragraph 146,156,157, fig. 9,10 i.e. a detection circuit(905 of fig. 9) configured to perform homodyne detection with the second reference light on an optical analog signal and acquire an electrical analog signal using balance receivers(balance receiver1 and balance receiver2 of fig.10)); and a conversion circuit configured to perform thresholding on the electrical analog signal and convert the optical analog signal into an electrical digital signal(See Paragraph 156, fig. 10 i.e. a conversion circuit which analog to digital conversation module(ADC1 and ADC2 of fig. 10) configured to perform thresholding on the optical analog signal to convert the optical analog signal into an electrical digital signal).
Considering claim 24 Su discloses the analog-digital converter according to claim 23, wherein the detection circuit performs the homodyne detection with the second reference light on the optical analog signal and acquire the electrical analog signal(See Paragraph 146,156,157, fig. 9,10 i.e. the detection circuit(905 of fig. 5) performs the homodyne detection with the second reference light received from the generation circuit(903 of fig. 9) on the optical analog signal and acquire the electrical analog signal).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12,18,19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HIBRET A WOLDEKIDAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5145. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30.
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/HIBRET A WOLDEKIDAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2635