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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The prior art documents submitted by applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 08/20/25, have all been considered and made of record (note the attached copy of form PTO/SB/08a).
Specification
3. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
6. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) 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.
7. Claims 1, 6-9, 11 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Sone et al. (US-20090269077-A1) in view of Huang et al. (US-9419717-B2).
With respect to claim 1, Sone et al. (figures 1-2 and 16) disclose a digital image transmitter comprising a wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer (an optical module 18); a printed circuit board (PCB) unit (20) connected to the wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer (18); a first housing (16) accommodating the wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer (18) and the PCB unit (20); and a second housing (28) covering the first housing (16) ([0040]), wherein a contact body (26) is arranged between the wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer (18) and the first housing (16), and each of the wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer (18) and the first housing (16) contacts the contact body (26).
Sone et al. do not explicitly disclose a wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer.
However, Huang et al. teach an optical device including a wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer (column 1, lines 57-65). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sone et al. to include the wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer (accordance with the teaching of Huang) for the purpose of providing the data transmission speed exceed grade of Tb/s effectively (column 1, lines 66-67).
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With respect to claim 6, Sone et al. disclose the digital image transmitter, wherein the contact body comprises a heat conducting material ([0033]).
With respect to claim 7, Sone et al. disclose the digital image transmitter, wherein the contact body comprises elastic ([0084]), high-viscosity, room-temperature-curable thermal grease.
With respect to claim 8, Sone et al. (figures 1-2 and 16) substantially disclose all the limitations of the claimed invention except the first housing and the second housing each comprise an aluminum material.
However, the first housing and the second housing each comprise an aluminum material are considered to be obvious to provide high performance of optical signal transmission. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sone et al. to include the above feature for the purpose of providing high performance of optical signal transmission. It is also noted that it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
With respect to claim 9, Sone et al. (figures 1-2 and 16) disclose the digital image transmitter, wherein the first housing (16) and the second housing (28) each comprise a plurality of recess portions in a surface portion thereof (figures 2, 14 and 16).
With respect to claim 11, Sone et al. (figures 1-2 and 16) disclose the digital image transmitter, wherein the wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer (18) is fitted into a mounting portion of the first housing (16).
With respect to claim 16, Sone et al. (figures 1-2 and 16) disclose the digital image transmitter, wherein the first and second housings (16, 28) comprise a coupling portion therein, and a screw is inserted into the coupling portion such that the first and second housings are coupled to each other ([0040]).
With respect to claim 17, Sone et al. (figures 2 and 16) disclose the digital image transmitter, wherein first and second opening portions are respectively arranged in both longitudinal side portions of the first and second housings (16, 28), and an external space and an internal surface of the first and second housings (16, 28) are connected to each other through the first and second opening portions (figures 2 and 16).
With respect to claim 18, Sone et al. (figures 1-2 and 16) substantially disclose all the limitations of the claimed invention except the first and second opening portions each have an "S" shape.
However, the first and second opening portions each having an "S" shape are considered to be obvious to provide higher efficiency of optical signal transmission. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sone et al. with the above features for the purpose of obtaining higher efficiency of optical signal transmission. It is noted that such a modification would have involved a mere change in the figure of a component. A change in form or shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976).
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claims 2-5, 10, 12-15 and 19-20 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 prior art of record fails to disclose the digital image transmitter, wherein the wavelength division multiplexer and demultiplexer comprises: a main body portion; a connection portion extending in a bent manner from the may body portion and connected to the PCB unit; and a fourth connector connected to the may body portion as recited in claim 2; wherein the plurality of recess portions have a honeycomb structure as recited in claim 10; wherein first and second connectors are arranged in parallel on one side of the PCB unit, and a third connector is arranged on another side of the PCB unit as recited in claim 12 and wherein first and second space portions partitioned by the PCB unit are arranged inside the first and second housings, the first space portion is arranged between the PCB unit and the second housing, the second space portion is arranged between the PCB unit and the first housing, and the first and second space portions are each connected to an external space as recited in claim 19.
Claims 3-5 depend from claim 2.
Claims 13-15 depend from claim 12.
Claim 20 depends from claim 19.
Conclusion
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Welch (US-9577780-B2) discloses a wavelength division multiplexing demultiplexer. Pommer et al. (US-6910812-B2) disclose an integrated circuit/optoelectronic packaging system.
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jennifer Doan whose telephone number is (571) 272-2346. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 7:00am to 3:30pm.
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, Thomas Hollweg can be reached on 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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/JENNIFER DOAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874