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 .
Summary of the Claims
The present application (18/605,129) was filed on March 14, 2024 and claims priority to provisional application 63/499,298 filed on May 1, 2023. Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 14, and 20 are the independent claims.
References and Documents Cited in this Action
Maker (US 2020/0295525 A1)
Summary of Rejections and Objections in this Action
Claims 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite.
Claims 1-3, 12-15, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maker.
Claims 4-11, 16, and 17 may contain allowable subject matter.
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 14-19 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.
Claim 14 recites “a first beam splitter configured to split the first beam…” and “a second beam splitter configured to split the second beam….” The claim is indefinite because there is insufficient antecedent basis for “the first beam” and “the second beam.” The claim previously recites a first beam splitter and a second beam splitter but not a first beam and a second beam. Claims 15-19 depend on claim 14 and are also indefinite for at least the same reason.
Claim 16 also recites “fourth,” “fifth,” and “sixth” signal generators and signal generator outputs, and “fourth,” “fifth,” “sixth,” and “seventh” mixers and mixer output signals. The claim is indefinite because parent claim 14 does not previously recite first through third signal generators or first through third mixers. It is unclear how many signal generators and mixers are included in the scope of claim 16.
Claim 17 also recites “fifth” and “sixth” signal generators and signal generator outputs, and “fourth,” “fifth,” “sixth,” and “seventh” mixers and mixer output signals. The claim is indefinite because parent claim 14 does not previously recite first through fourth signal generators or first through third mixers. It is unclear how many signal generators and mixers are included in the scope of claim 17.
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 1-3, 12-15, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maker.
Regarding independent claim 1, Maker discloses a laser system (Figures 2, 5, and 11), comprising:
a first beam splitter 37 configured to split a first beam 6 (from first laser SolisTIS 2) into a high-power portion of the first beam and a low power portion of the first beam (paragraphs [0194]-[0198]);
a second beam splitter 18 configured to split a second beam 7 (from second laser SolisTIS 3) into a high-power portion of the second beam and a low power portion of the second beam (paragraph [0204]), wherein a frequency of the first beam 6 is shifted with respect to a frequency of the second beam 7 (paragraphs [0018] and [0206]-[0215]); and
an electro-optical modulator 39 configured to generate a sideband of the low power portion of the first beam 6 at an offset frequency from the frequency of the low power portion of the second beam (paragraphs [0204]-[0209]),
wherein a phase noise between the sideband of the low power portion of the first beam 6 and the low power portion of the second beam 7 is used to reduce a phase error between the high-power portion of the first beam 6 and the high-power portion of the second beam 7 (paragraph [0225]).
Regarding claim 2, Maker discloses that the offset frequency between the sideband of the low power portion of the first beam 6 and the low power portion of the second beam 7 is less than a frequency difference between the first beam 6 and the second beam 7 (paragraphs [0206]-[0209]).
Regarding claim 3, Maker discloses an oscillator (i.e., oscillator outputting a signal to EOM 39 as shown in Figure 2) configured to generate an oscillation signal having an oscillation frequency equal to a frequency difference between the frequency of the low power portion of the first beam and the sideband of the low power portion of the first beam, wherein the electro-optical modulator is configured to use the oscillation signal to generate the sideband of the low power portion of the first beam (paragraph [0209]).
Regarding claim 12, Maker discloses that the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam do at least one of (a) entangle qubits in a quantum computer or (b) provide a first and second laser sources in a coherent heterodyne optical system (Abstract; paragraphs [0061] and [0327]-[0328]).
Regarding claim 13, Maker discloses that the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam provide first and second laser sources in a coherent heterodyne optical system, the coherent heterodyne optical system comprises at least one of (a) an optical communications system or (b) a light detection and ranging (lidar) system (Abstract; paragraphs [0061] and [0327]-[0328]).
Regarding independent claim 14, as well as the claim may be understood with respect to 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as discussed above, Maker discloses a laser system (Figures 2, 5, and 11) comprising:
a first beam splitter 37 configured to split a first beam 6 (from first laser SolisTIS 2) into a high-power portion of the first beam and a low power portion of the first beam;
a second beam splitter 18 configured to split a second beam 7 (from second laser SolisTIS 3) into a high-power portion of the second beam and a low power portion of the second beam, wherein a frequency of the first beam 6 is shifted with respect to a frequency of the second beam 7 (paragraphs [0018] and [0206]-[0215]); and
a combiner 23 configured to combine the low power portion of the first beam and the low power portion of the second beam to generate a heterodyne beam (i.e., optical beat signal 44),
wherein a heterodyne frequency of the heterodyne beam is indicative of a phase noise between the low power portion of the first beam 6 and the low power portion of the second beam 7, and the phase noise between the low power portion of the first beam 6 and the low power portion of the second beam 7 is used to reduce a phase error between the high-power portion of the first beam 6 and the high-power portion of the second beam 7 (paragraphs [0200] and [0213]-[0225]).
Regarding claim 15, as well as the claim may be understood with respect to 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as discussed above, Maker discloses a photodetector 45 configured to: detect the heterodyne beam (i.e., optical beat signal 44) having the heterodyne frequency; and generate a detected heterodyne signal (i.e., electrical beat signal 47) by detecting the heterodyne beam, wherein the detected heterodyne signal 47 comprises: the phase noise between the low power portion of the first beam and the low power portion of the second beam; and a detection phase noise generated by the photodetector in detecting the heterodyne beam (paragraphs [0215]-[0217]);
a detection phase noise reduction circuitry configured to reduce the detection phase noise in the detected heterodyne signal (i.e., circuitry including analog phase shifter 50; paragraph [0217]); and
a modulator (i.e., electro-optic modulator EOM 70 in laser 3) configured to correct the phase error between the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam using the detected heterodyne signal and the reduction of the detection phase noise (paragraphs [0225]-[0234]).
Regarding claim 18, as well as the claim may be understood with respect to 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as discussed above, Maker discloses that the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam are configured to perform at least one of (a) entangling qubits in a quantum computer or (b) providing first and second laser sources in a coherent heterodyne optical system (Abstract; paragraphs [0061] and [0327]-[0328]).
Regarding claim 19, as well as the claim may be understood with respect to 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as discussed above, Maker discloses that the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam are configured to provide first and second laser sources in a coherent heterodyne optical system and the coherent heterodyne optical system comprises an optical communications system or a light detection and ranging (lidar) system (Abstract; paragraphs [0061] and [0327]-[0328]).
Regarding independent claim 20, Maker discloses a method for reducing phase noise between optical beams (Figures 2, 5, and 11), the method comprising:
splitting (using beam splitter 37) a first beam 6 (from first laser SolisTIS 2) into a high-power portion of the first beam and a low power portion of the first beam (paragraphs [0194]-[0198]);
splitting (using beam splitter 18) a second beam 7 (from second laser SolisTIS 3) into a high-power portion of the second beam and a low power portion of the second beam (paragraph [0204]), wherein a frequency of the first beam is shifted with respect to a frequency of the second beam (paragraphs [0018] and [0206]-[0215]);
generating a sideband of the low power portion of the first beam at an offset frequency from the frequency of the low power portion of the second beam (using electro-optical modulator 39; paragraphs [0204]-[0209]); and
reducing the phase error between the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam using a phase noise between the sideband of the low power portion of the first beam and the low power portion of the second beam (paragraph [0225]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-11 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. Claims 16 and 17 may contain allowable subject matter if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art does not specifically disclose or fairly suggest a laser system including the combination of all of the elements, steps, and limitations recited in claims 4-11, 16, and 17 (including all of the limitations of any respective parent claims and as well as claims 16 and 17 may be understood with respect to 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as discussed above), particularly including
the oscillator comprising a first signal generator configured to generate a first signal generator output wherein a frequency of the first signal generator output is equal to the offset frequency; a high-frequency oscillator configured to generate a high-frequency signal output having a high frequency related to half of the shift between the frequency of the first beam with respect to the frequency of the second beam; and a first mixer configured to mix the first signal generator output with the high-frequency signal output to generate the oscillation signal (e.g., claims 4-11).
a fourth signal generator configured to generate a fourth signal generator output, wherein the fourth signal generator is a voltage-controlled signal generator; a fourth mixer configured to mix the fourth signal generator output with a high frequency oscillator output to generate a fourth mixer output signal; a fifth mixer configured to mix the fourth mixer output signal with the detected heterodyne signal to generate a fifth mixer output signal; a fifth signal generator configured to generate a fifth signal generator output; a sixth mixer configured to mix the fifth signal generator output with the fifth mixer output signal to generate a sixth mixer output signal; a servo loop filter configured to receive the sixth mixer output signal and generate a control signal using the sixth mixer output signal, wherein the control signal frequency modulates the fourth signal generator to generate a modulated fourth signal generator output; a sixth signal generator configured to generate a sixth signal generator output; a seventh mixer configured to mix the modulated fourth signal generator output with the sixth signal generator output to generate a seventh mixer output signal; a first acoustic optical modulator configured to correct the phase error between the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam by modulating the high-power portion of the first beam using the seventh mixer output signal or a second acoustic optical modulator configured to correct the phase error between the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam by modulating the high-power portion of the second beam using the seventh mixer output signal; and a radio frequency switch electronically coupled to the seventh mixer and the acoustic optical modulator, the radio frequency switch configured to switch on or off the modulation by the acoustic optical modulator using the seventh mixer output signal (e.g., claim 16); or
a fifth signal generator configured to generate a fifth signal generator output; a fourth mixer configured to mix the fifth signal generator output with an output of a high-frequency oscillator to generate a fourth mixer output signal; a fifth mixer configured to mix the fourth mixer output signal with the detected heterodyne signal to generate a fifth mixer output signal; a sixth signal generator configured to generate a sixth signal generator output; a seventh mixer configured to mix the fifth mixer output signal with the sixth signal generator output to generate a seventh mixer output signal; a first acoustic optical modulator configured to correct the phase error between the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam by modulating the high-power portion of the first beam using the seventh mixer output signal or a second acoustic optical modulator configured to correct the phase error between the high-power portion of the first beam and the high-power portion of the second beam by modulating the high-power portion of the second beam using the seventh mixer output signal; and a radio frequency switch electronically coupled to the seventh mixer and the acoustic optical modulator, the radio frequency switch configured to switch on or off the modulation by the acoustic optical modulator using the seventh mixer output signal (e.g., claim 17).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christina Leung at telephone number (571) 272-3023. If attempts to reach the examiner are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Patricia Engle can be reached at (571) 272-6660.
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/CHRISTINA Y. LEUNG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3991
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