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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species 1, subspecies 1b in the reply filed on 08/05/2026 is acknowledged. Because Applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 8-11,14,15 and 19 are noted as withdrawn.
Examiner notes claim 14 includes limitations requiring a transparent medium to be arranged between the laminated semiconductor layer [2] and the laser medium [3]. Figures 3 and 7 of the claimed application do not disclose a transparent medium that is between the laminated semiconductor layer [2] and the laser medium [3]. Therefore, claim 14 includes limitations reading on a non-elected species and will be treated as withdrawn.
Examiner notes claim 15 includes limitations requiring a transparent medium to be arranged between the laser medium and the saturable absorber. Figures 3 and 7 of the claimed application do not show a transparent medium arranged between the laser medium [3] and the saturable absorber [4]. Therefore, claim 15 includes limitations reading on a non-elected species and will be treated as withdrawn.
Examiner notes claim 19 limits the optical element to be arranged between the laser medium and the saturable absorber. Figures 3 and 7 do not show the optical element arranged between the laser medium [3] and the saturable absorber [4]. Figures 3 and 7 only show the optical element to be arranged on the right side of the saturable absorber on the opposite side of the saturable absorber in relation to the laser medium. Therefore, claim 19 includes limitations reading on a non-elected species and will be treated as withdrawn.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/21/2025 was filed after the filing date of the claimed application on 10/24/2023. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 17 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.
Regarding claim 17, Claim 17 reads “wherein the optical element is provided on a surface or inside of the laser medium and the saturable absorber.” Examiner notes the limitation of “… provided on a surface or inside of” followed by “the laser medium and the saturable absorber” is unclear on if the limitation is limiting the optical element to be included on/in both the laser medium and the saturable absorber or if the optical element is being limited to being on a surface or inside of either of the laser medium and saturable absorber separately. Since the first line of claim 17 reads a singular “the optical element” as opposed to a plurality of optical elements, it further causes confusion of the amount of optical elements and location of the optical element as claimed.
For the purposes of examination of the instant application, the limitations of claim 17 will be understood to be limiting the optical element to be on a surface or inside of either one of the laser medium and saturable absorber.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
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.
Claims 1-6,12,13,16-18 and 20-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirano et al. (hereinafter Hirano) (WO 2020166420 A1) in view of Taira et al. (hereinafter Taira) (WO 2020054869 A1)
Examiner notes the US 20220006263 A1 publication will be used for the claim mapping of Hirano and the US 20220059982 A1 publication will be used for the claim mapping of Taira for the remainder of the instant application.
Regarding claim 1, Hirano discloses in Fig. 14,
A laser element [604] (Para. [0274]) comprising:
a laminated semiconductor layer [10] (Para. [0093]) (see Fig. 2) including a first
reflection layer [17 Fig. 2] (Para. [0110]) with respect to a first wavelength (Para. [0110]) and an active layer [14 Fig. 2] (Para. [0107]) that performs surface emission at the first wavelength (Para. [0107]);
a laser medium [21] (Paras. [0122,0276]) arranged on a rear side of an optical axis of the laminated semiconductor layer [10 Fig. 14] (Para. [0275]) and
including a second reflection layer [23a] (Para. [0276]) with respect to a second wavelength (Para. [0137]) on a first surface [top surface of 21 Fig. 14] (Paras. [0135,0276]) facing the laminated semiconductor layer [10] (Paras. [0135,0276]) and a third reflection layer [24] (para. [0277]) with respect to the first wavelength (Para. [0277]) on a second surface [bottom surface of 21 Fig. 14] (Para. [0276]) on a side opposite to the first surface;
a fourth reflection layer [23b] (Para. [0276]) with respect to the second wavelength (Paras. [0138,0276]) arranged on the second surface or arranged on a rear side of the optical axis with respect to the second surface (Para. [0276]);
a first resonator [between 17 in 10 (see Fig. 2) and 24 Fig. 14] that causes light having the first wavelength to resonate between the first reflection layer [17 Fig. 2] and the third reflection layer [24 Fig. 14] (Paras. [0277,0279]);
a second resonator [between 23a and 23b Fig. 14] that causes light having the second wavelength to resonate between the second reflection layer [23a] and the fourth reflection layer [23b] (Paras. [0136,0276]);
Hirano fails to disclose,
an optical element arranged between the second reflection layer and the fourth reflection layer, the optical element that increases a beam diameter of the light having the second wavelength, wherein
the optical axis of the laminated semiconductor
layer, an optical axis of the laser medium, and an optical axis of the optical element are coaxially arranged.
Taira discloses in Fig. 1,
an optical element [12] (Para. [0052]) that increases a beam diameter of light (Para. [0059])
the optical element [12] arranged between a light reflection layer [10] (Para. [0052]) of a secondary resonator [10,14,16,12] (Paras. [0052,0054]) and a second light reflection layer [12] (Para. [0052]) an optical axis of a pump laser [18], laser medium [14] and optical element are coaxially arranged (Para. [0059]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the convex optical element shown in Taira in the device of Hirano for the purpose of having a large amount of stimulated emission to occur with the reflected light. (Taira Para. [0082])
Examiner notes the interpretation of an integrated convex mirror shape serving as both the optical element and the fourth reflection layer as disclosed in paragraphs [0080-0087] of the specification of the claimed application and shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the claimed application.
Regarding claim 2, Hirano in view of Taira discloses the device outlined in the rejection of claim 1 above and further discloses in Hirano Fig. 14,
wherein an end face on a side of the laser medium of the
laminated semiconductor layer is joined to an end face on a side of the laminated semiconductor layer of the laser medium.
Regarding claim 3, Hirano in view of Taira discloses the device outlined in the rejection of claim 1 above and further discloses,
wherein the optical element [Taira 12 Fig. 1] reflects (Taira Para. [0058]) or refracts at least a part of the light having the second wavelength so that the light having the second wavelength is not condensed (Taira Para. [0058]).
Regarding claim 4, Hirano in view of Taira discloses the device outlined in the rejection of claim 1 above and further discloses in Taira Fig. 1,
wherein the optical element [12] includes a dielectric multilayer film (Para. [0058]).
Regarding claim 5, Hirano in view of Taira discloses the device outlined in the rejection of claim 1 above and further discloses in Taira Fig. 1,
wherein the optical element [12] includes a convex mirror (Para. [0059]) that
reflects at least a part of incident light (Paras. [0058,0059]), or a light refracting member that refracts at least a part of the incident light so that the incident light is not condensed.
Examiner notes the interpretation of claim 5 is understood to be “wherein the optical element includes a convex mirror that reflects at least a part of incident light”
Regarding claim 6, Hirano in view of Taira discloses the device outlined in the rejection of claim 5 above and further discloses in Taira Fig. 1,
wherein in a case where the optical element [Taira 12 Fig. 1,]includes the fourth reflection layer, the fourth reflection layer is the convex mirror [Taira 12 Fig. 1], and in a case where the optical element is provided on a side closer to the second reflection layer than the fourth reflection layer, the optical element includes the light refracting member.
Examiner notes the interpretation of claim 6 is understood to be “wherein in a case where the optical element includes the fourth reflection layer, the fourth reflection layer is the convex mirror” as shown in Fig. 3 of the claimed application.
Regarding claim 12, Hirano in view of Taira discloses the device outlined in the rejection of claim 1 above and further discloses,
further comprising: a saturable absorber [Hirano 22 Fig. 14] (Hirano Para. [0273]) including the fourth reflection layer [Hirano 23b Fig. 14] on a third surface on a side opposite to the laser medium [Hirano 21 Fig. 14] (Hirano Para. [0276]), wherein the optical axis of the laminated semiconductor layer [Hirano 10 Fig. 14], the optical axis of the laser medium [Hirano 21 Fig. 14], the optical axis of the saturable absorber [Hirano 22 Fig. 14], and the optical axis of the optical element [Taira 12 Fig. 1] are coaxially arranged (see Hirano Fig. 14 and Taira Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 13, Hirano in view of Taira as applied to claim 12 above further discloses in Hirano Fig. 14,
wherein the laminated semiconductor layer [10], the laser medium [21], and the saturable absorber [22] are integrally joined (see Fig. 140 (Para. [0274]).
Regarding claim 16, Hirano in view of Taira as applied to claim 12 above further discloses in Tiara,
wherein the optical element [12 Fig. 1] is provided on at least one of the laser medium or the saturable absorber [16 Fig. 1] (Taira Para. [0052]).
Examiner notes the interpretation of claim 16 is understood to be “wherein the optical element is provided on the saturable absorber”
Regarding claim 17, Hirano in view of Taira as applied to claim 16 above further discloses in Tiara,
wherein the optical element [12 Fig. 1] is provided on a surface [outside right surface of 16 Fig. 1] or inside of the laser medium and the saturable absorber [16 Fig. 1] (Para. [0058]).
Regarding claim 18, Hirano in view of Taira as applied to claim 17 above further discloses in Tiara Fig. 1,
wherein the optical element [12] is provided along the third surface [right outside surface [16b] of the saturable absorber [16] (Para. [0058]).
Regarding claim 20, Hirano in view of Taira as applied to claim 1 above further discloses in Hirano Fig. 14,
wherein the fourth reflection layer [23b] is an output coupling mirror in the second resonator (Para. [0138]).
Regarding claim 21, Hirano in view of Kaira discloses the device outlined in the rejection of claim 1 above and further discloses in Hirano,
wherein the laminated semiconductor layer [10 Fig. 14] includes a fifth reflection layer [12 Fig. 2] (Para. [0114]) with respect to the first wavelength (Para. [0114]),
the fifth reflection layer [12 Fig. 2] arranged on a side closer to the laser medium [21 Fig. 14] than the first reflection layer [17 Fig. 2] (Para. [0105]) (See Hirano Fig. 2), and the fifth reflection layer [12 Fig. 2] transmits a part of the light having the first wavelength (Para. [0115]).
Regarding claim 22, Hirano discloses in Fig. 14,
An electronic device [Fig. 14] (Para. [0274]) comprising:
A laser element [604] (Para. [0274]); and
a control unit [3] (Para. 0274]) that performs control to emit light from the laser element [604] (Paras. [0149,0274]), wherein the laser element [604] includes:
a laminated semiconductor layer [10] (Para. [0093]) (see Fig. 2) including a first
reflection layer [17 Fig. 2] (Para. [0110]) with respect to a first wavelength (Para. [0110]) and an active layer [14 Fig. 2] (Para. [0107]) that performs surface emission at the first wavelength (Para. [0107]);
a laser medium [21] (Paras. [0122,0276]) arranged on a rear side of an optical axis of the laminated semiconductor layer [10 Fig. 14] (Para. [0275]) and
including a second reflection layer [23a] (Para. [0276]) with respect to a second wavelength (Para. [0137]) on a first surface [top surface of 21 Fig. 14] (Paras. [0135,0276]) facing the laminated semiconductor layer [10] (Paras. [0135,0276]) and a third reflection layer [24] (para. [0277]) with respect to the first wavelength (Para. [0277]) on a second surface [bottom surface of 21 Fig. 14] (Para. [0276]) on a side opposite to the first surface;
a fourth reflection layer [23b] (Para. [0276]) with respect to the second wavelength (Paras. [0138,0276]) arranged on the second surface or arranged on a rear side of the optical axis with respect to the second surface (Para. [0276]);
a first resonator [between 17 in 10 (see Fig. 2) and 24 Fig. 14] that causes light having the first wavelength to resonate between the first reflection layer [17 Fig. 2] and the third reflection layer [24 Fig. 14] (Paras. [0277,0279]);
a second resonator [between 23a and 23b Fig. 14] that causes light having the second wavelength to resonate between the second reflection layer [23a] and the fourth reflection layer [23b] (Paras. [0136,0276]);
Hirano fails to disclose,
an optical element arranged between the second reflection layer and the fourth reflection layer, the optical element that increases a beam diameter of the light having the second wavelength, wherein
the optical axis of the laminated semiconductor
layer, an optical axis of the laser medium, and an optical axis of the optical element are coaxially arranged.
Taira discloses in Fig. 1,
an optical element [12] (Para. [0052]) that increases a beam diameter of light (Para. [0059])
the optical element [12] arranged between a light reflection layer [10] (Para. [0052]) of a secondary resonator [10,14,16,12] (Paras. [0052,0054]) and a second light reflection layer [12] (Para. [0052]) an optical axis of a pump laser [18], laser medium [14] and optical element are coaxially arranged (Para. [0059]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the convex optical element shown in Taira in the device of Hirano for the purpose of having a large amount of stimulated emission to occur with the reflected light. (Taira Para. [0082])
Examiner notes the interpretation of an integrated convex mirror shape serving as both the optical element and the fourth reflection layer as disclosed in paragraphs [0080-0087] of the specification of the claimed application and shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the claimed application.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirano in view of Taira as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Safyurtlu et al. (hereinafter Safyurtlu) (CA 1164990 A).
Regarding claim 7, Hirano in view of Taira discloses the device outlined in the rejection of claim 5 above but fails to disclose,
wherein the optical element includes a transparent member that flattens a side of a surface opposite to a reflection surface of the convex mirror or a refraction surface of the light refracting member and transmits the light having the second wavelength.
Safyurtlu discloses in Fig. 1,
a convex mirror [18] (Page 5, lines 4) with a transparent member [24] (Page 5, line 13) flattening a side of a surface opposite to a reflection surface of the convex mirror [18] (see Fig. 1) (Page 5, line 13)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the bonding member flattening a surface opposite to a convex reflective surface as shown in Safyurtlu in the modified device of Hirano for the purpose of providing improved bonding stability and strength. (Safyurtlu Page 5, lines 13-18)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Examiner notes (US 20160099544 A1) which discloses a laminated semiconductor layer directly attaches to a laser medium. See PTO-892 form
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNTER J NELSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5318. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8:30am-5:00 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MinSun Harvey can be reached at (571) 272-1835. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/H.J.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2828 /TOD T VAN ROY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2828
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