IMPROVING CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM FREE-SPACE COMMUNICATION BY ADAPTIVE OPTICS AND BY SEPARATING THE REFERENCE AND SIGNAL BEAMS WITH TIME DELAY FOR SOURCE(S) MOVING RELATIVE TO THE DETECTOR(S)

Application No. 18/563,361

• Filed: Nov 21, 2023
• Priority: May 26, 2021 — CN PCT/CN2021/096100
  • May 26, 2021 — CIP of PCTCN2021096100
  • May 25, 2022 — nonprovisional of PCTCN2022094917
• Examiner: PHAN, HANH
• Art Unit: 2634
• Tech Center: 2600 — Communications
• Assignee: The University of Hong Kong
• OA Round: 2 (Non-Final)

Office Action

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 .

This Office Action is responsive to the Amendment filed on 01/13/2026.

Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In Claim 10, lines 3-5, the phrase “one or more pair of a wavefront sensing
module and a signal detection module each directly or indirectly detects and corrects atmospheric distortions of the corresponding reference beam” should be changed to -- one or more pair of a wavefront sensing module and a signal detection module each wavefront sensing module directly or indirectly detects and corrects atmospheric distortions of a reference beam --.
In Claim 10, line 7, the phrase “the corresponding reference beam” should be changed to – the reference beam --.
Appropriate correction is required.

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.

Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
Graves (US Patent No. 7,616,897).
Regarding claim 10, as it is understood in view of the above objection
problem, referring to Figures 2-4, Graves teaches a system (i.e., system, Fig. 2) that improves an information transmission rate, comprising:
one or more pair of a wavefront sensing module (i.e., wavefront sensor 220, Fig. 2) and a signal detection module (i.e., optical receiver 230, Fig. 2) that
each wavefront sensing module (i.e., wavefront sensor 220, Fig. 2) directly or indirectly detects and corrects atmospheric distortions of a reference beam (i.e., reference transmitter 278 generates a reference beam, Fig. 2), wherein each signal detection module (i.e., optical receivers 230, Fig. 2) that detects an actual optical communication signal is positioned near the reference beam in a receiving end in an information transmission system, and wherein each pair of wavefront sensing module (i.e., wavefront sensor 220, Fig. 2) and signal detection module (i.e., optical receiver 230, Fig. 2) are positioned near each other so that a center of the corresponding image of the reference beam is at least overlapped with a center of the corresponding optically sensitive surface of the wavefront sensing module (i.e., wavefront sensor 220, Fig. 2)(Figures 2-4, col. 7, lines 45-67, col. 8, lines 1-22, and col. 13, lines 10-20).

Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9, 11-14 and 16-22 are allowed.

The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claims 1-9 are allowable because Tegge, Jr. (US Patent No. 7,593,641),
Graves (US Patent No. 7,616,897), and Graves (US patent No. 7,289,736), takes alone or in combination, fails to teach reducing atmospheric distortions by emitting with at least nearly the same wavelength as a reference source beam for adaptive optics correction and a signal source beam for optical communication, the reference source beam being brighter than the signal source beam, the
reference and signal source beams move relative to a detection module, the reference source beam is emitted earlier than the signal source beam, adjusting a time delay between the reference source beam and the signal source beam,
wherein the time delay is based on: the delay time (internal lag) in adaptive optics control, the apparent angular speed of the sources relative to the detecting module, and the physical separation between the reference source beam and the signal source beam, wherein optical paths of the reference source beam and the signal source beam have about same wavefront distortion; detecting the reference source beam and detecting the signal source beam in a side by side
manner; and using adaptive optics for wave distortion correction on the reference source beam to simultaneously correct distortion of the signal source beam.
Claims 11-14 and 16-22 are allowable because Tegge, Jr. (US Patent No.
7,593,641), Graves (US Patent No. 7,616,897), and Graves (US patent No. 7,289,736), takes alone or in combination, fails to teach one or more pair of emitters wherein a first emitter in each pair generates a signal source beam for optical communication; a second emitter in each pair generates a reference source beam at the same or at least nearly the same wavelength as the signal source beam, wherein the reference source beam is brighter than the signal source beam, the reference source beam is emitted earlier than the signal
source beam to form an advanced reference source beam and a delayed signal source beam, and the optical paths of the reference source beam and the signal source beam have about same wavefront distortion; one or more pairs of detectors wherein a first detector of each pair detects the signal source beam;
a second detector of each pair detects the reference source beam, the first detector and the second detector being positioned in a side by side manner;
an adjustable time delay between the reference source beam and the signal source beam made dynamically and/or adaptively; and adaptive optics for wave distortion correction on the reference source beam by comparing the
reference source beam to an ideal source to create an error signal used to simultaneously correct distortion of the signal source beam, and whereby the time delay is adjusted to minimize the error signal and whereby when the signal source beam is moving relative to the detector, the distance or angle
between the optical paths of the advanced reference source beam and the delayed signal source beam of the moving source relative to the detector module is less than the corresponding distance or angle between the optical paths of the two beams when the source is stationary relative to the detector module.
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.”

Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-14 and 16-22 have been
considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.

Conclusion
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications
from the examiner should be directed to Hanh Phan whose telephone number is [phone]. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful the examiner's supervisor, Kenneth Vanderpuye, can be reached on [phone]. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is [phone]. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is [phone].
/HANH PHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634

Prosecution Timeline

• Nov 21, 2023: Application Filed
• Nov 05, 2025: Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102
• Jan 13, 2026: Response Filed
• May 04, 2026: Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)