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
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 and 12-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 12,339,498 to Witzens et al.
Witzens discloses in the abstract and figures, a photonic arrangement comprising:
A photonic interposer (300); and
A photonic integrated circuit (100) comprising a plurality of couplers including a first coupler (112) and a second coupler (113) which are arranged with respect to first and second lenses (320A, 320B) of the interposer and respectively receive first and second light beams (400A, 400B), and the PIC is adapted to modulate a same data stream of the first and second light beams (151), wherein the interposer is arranged at the PIC to provide a photonic interface between a first optical fiber (201) and the PIC as well as between the PIC and a second fiber (figure 1a has multiple fibers 200, 201),
Wherein the photonic interposer comprises:
A polarization selective beam splitter/combiner configured to;
Split an input light beam with first and second polarizations (310), from the first optical fiber, into a first light beam and a second light beam and to redirect one of the first and second light beams, wherein the first light beam has a first polarization and the second light beam has a second polarization which is different from the first (column 15, lines 1-46 describe this function); and
Combine modulated first and second beams modulated by a same data stream by the PIC (column 17, line 57-column 18, line 37 describes this function).
As to claim 2, a plurality of reflectors (310) are disclosed.
As to claim 3, the angles are the same (figure 6).
As to claim 4, a plurality of lenses (320) are disclosed.
As to claim 5, the lenses function as claimed (column 17, lines 4-27).
As to claim 6, a 3rd and 4th lens (320C and 320D) function as claimed.
As to claim 7, lenses are opposite one another (figure 14).
As to claim 8, the lenses can be in different layers (figure 6).
As to claim 9, there is a second, different optical axis shown in figure 21.
As to claim 10, a Faraday rotator is disclosed (500).
As to claim 12, modulated light is transmitted via ports 141A and 141B.
As to claim 13, transmission of opposite polarizations is disclosed (column 23, line 5).
As to claim 14, the Faraday rotators are positioned as claimed (column 22, line 52-column 23, line 13).
Claim 15 is a method claim that recites the providing of the above disclosed structure.
Claims 16-19 disclose the arrangement of layers and location of the Faraday rotators. These are shown in figures 6, 14 and 16.
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Eric K Wong whose telephone number is (571)272-2363. The examiner can normally be reached M-Tu, Th-F 8A-6P.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas 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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ERIC K. WONG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2874
/Eric Wong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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