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.
Claim(s) 1-9 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Briant (USPGPub No. 2023/0029294).
Regarding claims 1 and 16-17, Briant teaches an optical transceiver module (200), comprising: a lower housing part (lower shell 214); a first cassette part seated on the lower housing part and including a first optical connector (supply optical connector 270); a divider insert (the cage walls 124 may include divider walls separating the cavity 126 into multiple module channels 128 (for example, a horizontal divider or a vertical divider)) seated on the first cassette part and coupled to a lower housing part; a second cassette part seated on the divider insert and including a second optical connector (multiple supply optical connectors 270); and an upper housing part (upper shell 212) seated on the second cassette part and coupled to the lower housing part, wherein the divider insert is combined with the lower housing part to form a first insertion hole into which a first optical cable module can be inserted (optical cable 378), and the divider insert is combined with the upper housing part to form a second insertion hole into which a second optical cable module can be inserted (multiple slots 270 for supply optical connector show a hole wherein a second optical cable module can be inserted). Further regarding claims 16-17, Briant teaches an active optical cable (optical cable 378 wherein optical fibers 374 extend along the optical cable 378) (see Figures 1-3, paragraphs 24-47).
Regarding claims 2 and 6-7, Briant teaches wherein the first cassette part includes a protrusion (guide feature 250), and the lower housing part includes an insertion groove (guide feature 250 is a rail extending from the pluggable optical generator module 200; guide feature also can include a groove) that can be coupled to the protrusion of the first cassette part; and a cassette seating part on which the first cassette part can be seated (see Figure 2, paragraph 35).
Regarding claim 3, Briant teaches wherein the lower housing part includes a fastening screw groove (other types of guide features may be used in alternative embodiments, such as a pin, a tab, a groove, a slot, and the like) for coupling the divider insert which is inserted into the lower housing part for enabling the second cassette part to be mounted (see Figure 2, paragraph 35).
Regarding claims 4-5 and 8-9, Briant teaches wherein the divider insert includes a latch (alignment features 276), and the lower housing part includes a latch fixing groove in which the latch of divider insert is seated in order to fix the divider insert and further wherein the lower housing part includes latch guiding groove for smooth insertion of the divider insert. Briant discloses that these grooves can be on different portions of the housing in order for latching ease (see Figure 2, paragraph 37).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Briant.
Regarding claim 10, although Briant fails to specifically teach wherein the first optical cable module includes a third optical connector, the second optical cable module includes a fourth optical connector, when the first optical cable module is inserted into the first insertion hole, a surface of the first optical connector and a surface of the third optical connector face each other, so that the first optical cable module is optically coupled, and when the second optical cable module is inserted into the second insertion hole, a surface of the second optical connector and a surface of the fourth optical connector face each other, so that the second optical cable module is optically coupled, Briant teaches that in an exemplary embodiment, the optical receptacle connector 300 includes a contact assembly 330 coupled to the receptacle housing 302. The contact assembly 330 is received in the contact cavity 306. The contact assembly 330 includes a plurality of receptacle contacts 332. In an exemplary embodiment, the contacts 332 extend into the card slot 328 for mating with the optical module circuit board 230. Each contact includes a mating end 334 (FIG. 3) and a terminating end 336 (FIG. 4) opposite the mating end 334. The mating end 334 is configured to be mated with the optical module circuit board 230 (see paragraph 42), hence the use of multiple optical connectors.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include fourth optical connectors as set forth above for additional communication abilities.
Claim(s) 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Briant in view of Han et al. (USPGPub 2018/0113261, from hereinafter “Han”).
Regarding claims 11-15, Briant fails to specifically teach wherein the second optical connector includes: an optical boundary surface on which light emitted from an optical fiber is incident; a reflector changing a direction of traveling of light incident through the optical boundary surface; and a lens emitting light reflected through the reflector outside, and further limitations regarding placement and operation of the lens.
Han teaches a first optical filter 510 may be disposed between the optical transmitter 300 and the receptacle 200, and may pass an optical signal transmitted from the optical transmitter 300 and transmit it to the optical fiber of the receptacle 200. In one implementation, the first optical filter 510 may be designed to pass only an optical signal of a predetermined wavelength. For example, the first optical filter 510 may pass the second optical signal output from the optical transmitter 300 and reflect the first optical signal output through the optical fiber of the receptacle 200 from the external side. In another aspect of the present disclosure, the first optical filter 510 may be configured with a 45-degree filter to reflect the first optical signal in a direction perpendicular to an incident direction. Further, an arrangement and a reflection angle of the first optical filter 510 may vary and not be limited thereto. A second optical filter 530 may be disposed and configured to pass the first optical signal reflected by the first optical filter 510. The first optical signal passing through the second optical filter 530 may be transmitted to the optical receiver 400 and be converted into an electrical signal by the optical receiver 400.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a lens to direct light so that the optical boundaries are maintained for efficient operation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US Patent No. 9,235,018 to McColloch and US Patent No. 9,235,014 to Wang et al.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA M CAPUTO whose telephone number is (571)272-2388. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9-5 EST.
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/LISA M CAPUTO/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2874