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 .
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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed June 3, 2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 1-5 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. If Applicant intends for independent claim 1 to require a reduction of point-to-point interconnections that is proportional to a factor of 1/N, Applicant is invited to amend the claim accordingly. However, as presently worded, Examiner maintains independent claim 1 is ambiguous, as it is not entirely apparent how a reduction of 1/N point-to-point interconnections could be achieved in a physically meaningful manner.
Applicant’s arguments filed June 3, 2026, with respect to the prior art rejections of claims 1-5 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The prior art rejections of claims 1-10 have been withdrawn.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
From the description in the present Specification, it appears that the number N is strictly an integer greater than 1, such that the claimed “1/N” is a rational value less than 1. However, it also appears that the claimed number of “point to point interconnections” would necessarily also be an integer greater than 1. As such, it is not entirely clear as to meaning of reducing the point to point interconnections by a value of 1/N, since this reduced number would no longer have an integer value. Since Examiner cannot ascertain a physically meaningful understanding of this claim limitation, Examiner is not affording patentable weight to the limitation, “wherein complex arbitrary network topologies can be implemented with at least 1/N less point to point interconnections, and where N is a number of duplex channels per connector adapters.”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 are allowed.
Claims 1-5 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 1-5, the prior art of record, whether taken individually or in combination, when considered in light of the claimed subject matter as a whole as interpreted in light of the Specification as originally filed, fails to disclose or render obvious that the internal mesh is designed to enable at least a two-fiber connection from an arbitrary group of two adjacent parallel ports from one side of the mesh to any group of two adjacent parallel ports at the opposite side of the mesh.
Regarding claims 6-9, the prior art of record, whether taken individually or in combination, when considered in light of the claimed subject matter as a whole as interpreted in light of the Specification as originally filed, fails to disclose or render obvious that each module incorporates an internal mesh, wherein the internal mesh is designed to enable at least one duplex connection from any two adjacent parallel ports from one side of the mesh to any group of two adjacent parallel ports at the opposite side of the mesh.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record, whether taken individually or in combination, when considered in light of the claimed subject matter as a whole as interpreted in light of the Specification as originally filed, fails to disclose or render obvious that the interconnection map produces a mesh configuration wherein the internal mesh is designed to enable full connection from at least two fibers from two adjacent ports from one side of the mesh to at least two fibers of two adjacent ports from the opposite side of the mesh.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JERRY M BLEVINS whose telephone number is (571)272-8581. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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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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/JERRY M BLEVINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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