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.
Claims 1, 6 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuroda et al (US 8,818,147 B2). Kuroda teaches:
1. A passive alignment system (Fig. 3) comprises:
a base substrate (35);
a lower cladding layer (33) disposed over the base substrate (35);
a core layer (32( disposed over the lower cladding layer (33);
an upper cladding layer (31) disposed over the core layer (32);
one or more planar waveguides (31-33) comprising one or more cores (part of 32) formed in a first portion of the core layer (32) disposed over a first portion of the lower cladding layer (33), the one or more cores (part of 32) extending from a transmitting end to a receiving end in an X-Y plane (the device is bi-directional, so either end can be transmitting and/or receiving, C6 L10-17);
at least one alignment feature (36, 37) formed in a second portion of the core layer (32) disposed over a second portion of the lower cladding layer (33) and configured to align with an optical receiving or transmitting device (40) (see Fig. 3), wherein the at least one alignment feature (36, 37) aligns the optical receiving or transmitting device (40) with the one or more planar waveguides (31-33) (C6 L10-30).
6. The passive alignment system of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the upper cladding layer (31) is disposed over the one or more planar waveguides (31-33) and a second portion of the upper cladding layer (31) is disposed over the at least one alignment feature (36) and the lower cladding layer (33) (the upper clad is “over” the through-hole 36 in the area around the through-hole).
12. The passive alignment system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting end is coupled to one or more transmitters (41), wherein the receiving end is coupled to one or more receivers (not shown, C6 L10-36).
Claims 1, 2 and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yanagisawa (US 2015/0355409 A1). Yanagisawa teaches:
1. A passive alignment system (1, Figs. 9A-B, 10A-B) comprises:
a base substrate (10);
a lower cladding layer (22) disposed over the base substrate (10);
a core layer (24) disposed over the lower cladding layer (22);
an upper cladding layer (26) disposed over the core layer (24);
one or more planar waveguides (20) comprising one or more cores (part of 24) formed in a first portion of the core layer (24) disposed over a first portion of the lower cladding layer (22) (see Fig. 9A), the one or more cores (part of 24) extending from a transmitting end to a receiving end in an X-Y plane (the device can be bi-directional so either end can be transmitting with the other being receiving, P0124);
at least one alignment feature (H) formed in a second portion of the core layer (24) disposed over a second portion of the lower cladding layer (22) and configured to align with an optical receiving or transmitting device (30), wherein the at least one alignment feature (H) aligns the optical receiving or transmitting device (30) with the one or more planar waveguides (part of 34) (P0097-0099).
2. The passive alignment system of claim 1, wherein the optical receiving or transmitting device (30) comprises an optical connector (30a with P) configured to connect to the one or more planar waveguides (34), wherein the optical connector (30a with P) comprises at least one corresponding alignment feature (34) configured to mate to the at least one alignment feature (H) in the core layer (24).
11. The passive alignment system of claim 1, wherein the base substrate (10) comprises a printed circuit board (wiring board, P0052).
12. The passive alignment system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting end is coupled to one or more transmitters (not shown), wherein the receiving end is coupled to one or more receivers (not shown) (P0123-0124).
13. A method for passive alignment of the optical connector to one of the one or more planar waveguides of claim 2, the method comprising:
adjusting position of the optical connector (30, P) relative to one of the one or more planar waveguides (34) (P092-0095); and
aligning the at least one corresponding alignment feature (34) of the optical connector (30, P) with the at least one alignment feature (H) of the one or more planar waveguides (34) to reduce separation between the optical connector (30) and the one or more planar waveguides (34) in a Z axis perpendicular to the X-Y plane (P0095-0099).
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one corresponding alignment feature (34) of the optical connector (30) is configured to align with the at least one alignment feature (H) of the one or more planar waveguides (34) within +/- 1 µm (P0104).
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one alignment feature (H) in the core layer comprises a guiding hole (H), wherein the at least one corresponding alignment feature of the optical connector comprises a guiding insert (34) having a shape configured to match to the shape of the guiding hole (H).
Claims 1-5, 7, 11-13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakagawa et al (US 9,429,711 B2). Nakagawa teaches:
1. A passive alignment system (Fig. 5) comprises:
a base substrate (102/200);
a lower cladding layer (160/202) disposed over the base substrate (102/200);
a core layer (164, 170/204) disposed over the lower cladding layer (160/202);
an upper cladding layer (166/206) disposed over the core layer (164, 170/204);
one or more planar waveguides (168) comprising one or more cores (164) formed in a first portion of the core layer (204) disposed over a first portion of the lower cladding layer (160/202) (see Fig. 7A), the one or more cores (164) extending from a transmitting end (at 118) to a receiving end (at 126) in an X-Y plane (C5 L25-37);
at least one alignment feature (170L, R) formed in a second portion of the core layer (164, 170/204) disposed over a second portion of the lower cladding layer (160) (see Fig. 5) and configured to align with an optical receiving or transmitting device (140, 150), wherein the at least one alignment feature (170L, R) aligns the optical receiving or transmitting device (140, 150) with the one or more planar waveguides (168) (C9 L2-38).
2. The passive alignment system of claim 1, wherein the optical receiving or transmitting device (140, 150) comprises an optical connector (bodies of 140, 150) configured to connect to the one or more planar waveguides (168), wherein the optical connector (bodies of 140, 150) comprises at least one corresponding alignment feature (148L, R) configured to mate to the at least one alignment feature (170L, R) in the core layer (164, 170/204).
3. The passive alignment system of claim 2, wherein the at least one corresponding alignment feature (148L, R) extends along a Z axis perpendicular to the X-Y plane such that a bottom surface of the optical connector (140, 150) contacts a top surface of the core layer (164, 170/204) (see Fig. 11).
4. The passive alignment system of claim 2, wherein a top surface of the core layer (164, 170/204) is used as a reference along a Z-axis for alignment of the optical connector (140, 150) to the one or more planar waveguides (168), the Z-axis being perpendicular to the X-Y plane (C9 L27-38).
5. The passive alignment system of claim 4, wherein the at least one alignment feature (170L, R) of the core layer (164, 170/204) comprises one of a guiding slot (part of 170L, R) wherein the at least one corresponding alignment feature (148L, R) of the optical connector (140, 150) comprises a guiding rail (part of 148L, R) having a shape configured to match to the shape of the guiding slot (part of 170L, R), wherein the guiding slot or the guiding hole has a cross-section comprising a rectangle (Fig. 5) (C8 L56-67).
7. The passive alignment system of claim 1, wherein the optical receiving or transmitting device (140, 150) comprises one or more optical fibers (part of 150) (C9 L39-51) and at least one fiber alignment channel configured to receive the one or more optical fibers (part of 150) (C9 L39-51), the at least one alignment feature (148L, R) aligning the one or more optical fibers (part of 150) with the one or more planar waveguides (168) to connect one or more cores of the one or more optical fibers (part of 150) with one or more cores (164) of the one or more planar waveguides (168).
11. The passive alignment system of claim 1, wherein the base substrate (102) comprises a printed circuit board (C4 L65 – C5 L17).
12. The passive alignment system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting end is coupled to one or more transmitters (part of 140, 150), wherein the receiving end is coupled to one or more receivers (126).
13. A method for passive alignment of the optical connector to one of the one or more planar waveguides of claim 2, the method comprising:
adjusting position of the optical connector (140, 150) relative to one of the one or more planar waveguides (168) (C9 L14-26); and
aligning the at least one corresponding alignment feature (148L, R) of the optical connector (140, 150) with the at least one alignment feature (170L, R) of the one or more planar waveguides (168) to reduce separation between the optical connector (140, 150) and the one or more planar waveguides (168) in a Z axis perpendicular to the X-Y plane (C9 L14-51).
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one alignment feature (148L, R) in the core layer (164, 170/204) comprises a guiding slot (172L, R), wherein the at least one corresponding alignment feature (148L, R) of the optical connector (140, 150) comprises a guiding rail (148L, R) having a shape configured to match to the shape of the guiding slot (172L, R).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10 and 16-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
These claims would be allowable over the prior art of record if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims because the latter, either alone or in combination, does not disclose nor render obvious a passive alignment system with the claimed substrate, upper and lower cladding layers, core layers, planar waveguides and alignment features, in combination with either:
the claimed device, fibers and fiber alignment channel wherein the at least one fiber alignment channel extends from a top surface of the upper cladding layer through the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer to a top surface of the base substrate along a Z-axis perpendicular to the X-Y plane, and extends in the X-Y plane to be parallel to the one or more cores, or
the claimed device, fibers and fiber alignment channel wherein the at least one alignment feature comprises a first alignment feature positioned to a first side of the at least one fiber alignment channel and a second alignment feature positioned to a second side of the at least one fiber alignment channel opposite to the first side, the first alignment feature and the second alignment feature are embedded between the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer, or
a method for passive alignment of the connector by adjusting position of the optical connector relative to one of the one or more planar waveguides; and aligning the at least one corresponding alignment feature of the optical connector with the at least one alignment feature of the one or more planar waveguides to reduce separation between the optical connector and the one or more planar waveguides in a Z axis perpendicular to the X-Y plane, aligning two or more coarse alignment structures of the optical connector with two or more holes on the base substrate near the one or more planar waveguides in a X-Y plane prior to aligning the at least one corresponding alignment feature; and securing the two or more coarse alignment structures, or
a method for passive alignment of the claimed devices and fibers by placing the one or more optical fibers into the at least one fiber alignment channel; and aligning one or more cores of the one or more optical fibers with one or more cores of the one or more planar waveguides by using the at least one alignment feature,
in combination with the rest of the claimed limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references teach systems for aligning planar waveguides to perpendicular optical devices: US 9442251, US 10754070, US 10816740.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN A LEPISTO whose telephone number is (571)272-1946. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-5PM EST M-F.
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/RYAN A LEPISTO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874