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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11 February 2026 by the applicant has been considered and is included in the file.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description:
“430”, in reference to Figure 5
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph [0043] mentions the LED driver is "222", which appears to be a minor typographical error, as Paragraph [0045] and Fig. 5 have the LED driver as “322”.
Paragraph [0046], last line says “moto 346”, which should read “motor 346”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 6-8, and 14-16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 6 (14), line 1 includes "the front-end electronics", which should read "the at least one front-end electronics" for consistency with claim 1 (9).
Claims 7 (15), line 2 includes "and wherein a position of the actuator…", which should read " and wherein the position of the actuator…".
Claims 8 (16), line 1 includes "the actuator", which should read "the actuator assembly" for consistency with claim 1 (9).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 7 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 7 and 15 include the limitation “is determined based on a signal from the photodiode…”, however claim 1 (9) includes two signals pertaining to the photodiode: the output signal and the low-impedance analog electrical signal based on the output signal. Claim 7 (15) does not clarify if “a signal from the photodiode” is one of the aforementioned signals or a different signal related to the photodiode entirely. For examination purposes, claim 7 (15) will be interpreted as the position of the actuator is dependent upon the feedback from the motor driver, and the low-impedance analog electrical signal which is produced after signal processing of the output signal from the photodiode.
Claims 7 and 15 further recite the limitation "the motor driver provides" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim, as a motor driver is introduced in claim 5 and not claim 1 (9) which claim 7 (15) depends upon. For examination purposes, this portion of the claim will be interpreted as “wherein a motor driver provides”
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-11, 13-18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Trethewey (US 4466088 A).
Regarding claims 1, 9 and 17, Trethewey anticipates a system, an actuator position tracking circuitry, and a method of operation (respectively) comprising:
an actuator assembly (Col. 3 lines 46 - 68; Figs. 2, 3 which show galvanometer and galvo mirror (gm));
actuator position tracking circuitry, comprising:
a light emitting diode (LED) to emit a first signal toward an actuator (Col. 4, lines 25 -68, Col. 6 lines 20-31; Figs. 2, 8, where emitter (41) in IR-position monitor is ideally an LED source);
a photodiode to receive a second signal based on a position of the actuator and generate an output signal (Col. 4, lines 25 -68; Figs. 2, 8, where detector (31) in IR-position monitor detects rotation angle of galvo (gm) based on detector readings);
and at least one front-end electronics to produce a low-impedance analog electrical signal based on the output signal (Col. 4, lines 25 -68, Col. 7 lines 14-49; Figs. 2, 8, where detector (41) outputs to electrical signal processing system and where two transimpedance amplifiers (
A
t
,
A
t
'
) output low impedance voltages based on detected signals).
Regarding claim 2, Tretheway anticipates the system of claim 1, wherein the at least one front-end electronics comprises:
an analog signal amplifier coupled to the photodiode to amplify the output signal received from the photodiode (Col. 4, lines 25 -68, Col. 7 lines 14-49; Figs. 2, 8, where detector (41) outputs to electrical signal processing system and where two transimpedance amplifiers (
A
t
,
A
t
'
) output low impedance voltages based on detected signals).;
and an LED driver coupled to the light emitting diode (Col. 18, lines 1-10; where the control system may change the brightness of the IR LED for testing, modulation or to affect signal-to-noise within the system).
Regarding claim 3, Tretheway anticipates the system of claim 2, wherein
the analog signal amplifier comprises a trans-impedance amplifier (Col. 4, lines 25 -68, Col. 7 lines 14-49; Figs. 2, 8, where detector (41) outputs to electrical signal processing system and where two transimpedance amplifiers (
A
t
,
A
t
'
) output low impedance voltages based on detected signals).
Regarding claim 5, Tretheway anticipates the system of claim 1, wherein
the actuator assembly further comprises: a motor driver coupled to a motor of the actuator (Col. 3 lines 46 - 68, Col. 10 lines 37 - 51; where the galvo is rotated/pivoted by conventional means such as a pair of coils where current is directed to flow and controlled by a control system of the entire system, which detects and changes parameters such as angular position of the galvo).
Regarding claim 6, Tretheway anticipates the system of claim 1, wherein
the front-end electronics are incorporated on an integrated circuit chip directly coupled to the actuator assembly (Col. 7 lines. 14-49; where the electrical signal processing system is mounted on a circuit board which is attached to the translator via flexible shielded cables).
Regarding claim 7, Tretheway anticipates the system of claim 1, wherein
the motor driver provides a feedback associated with a position of the actuator, and wherein a position of the actuator is determined based on a signal from the photodiode and the feedback of the motor driver (Col. 7, lines 14-49, Col. 8 lines 56-68; where outputs from the detector produce mirror-feedback control signals to indicate galvo position/angle as a correction to the expected "current angle" measurement, and translator location).
Regarding claim 8, Tretheway anticipates the system of claim 1, wherein
the actuator comprises a galvanometer of a galvo mirror (Col. 1, line 64 - Col. 2, line 11; Figs. 2, 3 where the galvanometer, or "galvo", is a scanning mirror which has the position sensor to assist in improved mirror angle detection).
As Trethewey anticipates claims 1, 9, and 17, claims 10 and 18 are similarly rejected to claim 2.
As Trethewey anticipates claims 1 and 9, claim 11 is similarly rejected to claim 3.
As Trethewey anticipates claims 1, 9, and 17, claims 13 and 20 are similarly rejected to claim 5.
As Trethewey anticipates claims 1 and 9, claim 14 is similarly rejected to claim 6.
As Trethewey anticipates claims 1 and 9, claim 15 is similarly rejected to claim 7.
As Trethewey anticipates claims 1 and 9, claim 16 is similarly rejected to claim 8.
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(s) 4, 12 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Trethewey (US 4466088 A) in view of Gottesman et al. (hereinafter Gottesman, US 20060086891 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Trethewey teaches the system of claim 3, but does not teach that the analog signal amplifier comprises common mode amplification.
Gottesman teaches a light photometer circuit, where a signal from a photodetector is amplified via a transimpedance amplifier, the analog signal amplifier further comprises a common mode amplifier circuit ([0008], [0023] - [0024]; where photodetector outputs may be enhances by amplification via a transimpedance amplifier combined a common mode amplification to, for example, increase gain).
Therefore, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious prima facie to modify Trethewey to incorporate the teachings of Gottesman to utilize a common mode amplification circuit with a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) with a reasonable expectation of success. As Gottesman notes, the sensitivity of a photodiode device is related to the gain of the amplifier circuit and inclusion of a common mode amplification circuit with a TIA leads to improved gain and sensitivity while keeping a photodiode-based detector low cost ([0008]).
As Trethewey teaches both claims 3 and 11, claim 12 is similarly rejected to claim 4.
As Trethewey teaches both claims 3 and 18, claim 19 is similarly rejected to claim 4.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Benner, Jr. (US 7688432 B1) teaches an optical rotary position detector for determining the angular position of a rotating element, such as in a galvanometer-based optical system, and further which includes electronics which output a low-impedance analog signal.
Kimura et al. (US 20210239840 A1) teaches a LIDAR device which includes a rotatable mirror in the scanning optics, where the rotatable mirror is monitored by an angle sensor to detect a rotation angle of the mirror, where a detection signal indicative of the rotation angle of the mirror during rotation cycles are output.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kara Richter whose telephone number is (571)272-2763. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 8A-5P EST, Fridays are variable.
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, Helal Algahaim can be reached at (571) 270-5227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/K.M.R./Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/HELAL A ALGAHAIM/SPE , Art Unit 3645
Prosecution Insights