Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 1-4, 7, 8, 10, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi US PG PUB 2022/0236500 and Korenaga et al (herein Korenaga) US PG PUB 2003/0118294.
Re claim 1, Choi discloses an optical transmission module comprising:
a mold body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface (the optical device 101 does not use a substrate, but integrates various components, for example, the optical IC 140 and the link, in the form of a flip chip, for example and is molded using an epoxy mold compute EMC to form a mold body 111. As a result, the mold body 111 serves to safely protect the optical engine 110, which is packaged after being integrated from impact ¶ [0098] such that the mold body 120 would have two surfaces as seen in Fig. 2a);
a plurality of edge-type light emitting elements (an optical device module 101 having an optical IC 140 of driving an optical device 130 therein the optical device light emission provided on one surface of the optical device 101 ¶ [0089]), each of which is molded inside the mold body by fitting same to the first surface so as to match with the first surface and generates an optical signal in an edge direction of a chip (When the optical device 130 includes four channels using four edge light emitting lasers, the optical component 500, that is, an AWG, is formed in four channels having four cores 510a to 510d corresponding thereto, and the four optical signals passing through the AWG are multiplexed to be transmitted through one optical fiber 300 ¶ [0112], wherein the optical signals are output through the optical fiber 300, it is being sent outwards towards the edge of the chip); and
an optical component disposed on one side of the plurality of edge-type light emitting elements (the optical component 500 is installed in an optical component alignment guide groove 600 formed one surface of the optical device module 101 to process the optical signal generated from the optical device 130 and may be implemented as an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) which performs an optical multiplexer function ¶ [0107]. Furthermore, the optical device 130 includes four channels using for edge light emitting lasers, the optical component 500 that is , an AWG, is formed in four channels and the four optical signals passing through the AWG are multiplexed to be transmitted through one optical fiber 300 ¶ [0112]).
Choi discloses the optical component 500 is installed in an optical component alignment guide groove 600 formed on one surface of the optical device module 101 to process an optical signal generated from the optical device 130 or to change an optical path, and may be implemented as an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) which performs an optical multiplexer (MUX) or demultiplexer (DEMUX) function ¶ [0107], such that one should understand that element 120 would also have components or grooves molded into it. Choi does not disclose each of the transmitters of which is molded inside the mold body by fitting same to the first surface so as to match with the first surface and generates an optical signal in the edge direction of a chip (the optical device 130 is integrated on one surface of the optical device 101 in a mount manner, and an optical IC 140 is partially molded inside the optical device module 101 ¶ [0092], wherein the integration on a surface);
However, Korenaga discloses a present invention that relates to an optical package substrate, an optical device, an optical module and a method for molding an optical package substrate. More particularity, the present invention relates to a package substrate having surface configuration that is suitable for mounting optical components and/or optical elements thereon, and a method for molding the same, and relates also to an optical device and an optical module constructed by employing the package substrate ¶ [0002].
Furthermore, Choi discloses the optical component includes, on one side thereof, a plurality of input waveguides corresponding to the plurality of edge-type light emitting elements (Choi discloses Fig. 2B discloses an optical device module 101 may include an active optical engine 110 configured to actively generate and/or receive and process optical signals. The optical engine 110 may include an optical device 130 for generating an optical signal or receiving an optical signal ¶ [0091]) Additionally, Choi discloses four channels having fore cores 510a to 510d corresponding thereto, and the four optical signals passing through the AWG are multiplexed to be transmitted through optical fiber 300 ¶ [0112]. The system also discloses the use of optical fiber alignment guide members and an optical component alignment guide groove which are formed on one surface of an optical device module, thereby easily to perform passive alignment ¶ [0001], while it is disclosed that signals from one core and transmitted to another fiber 300. It is not explicitly disclose optical processes or transmits the plurality of optical signals incident through the plurality of input waveguides, and an optical axis of each of the light emitting elements and an optical axis of each of the input waveguides of the optical component is optically aligned. However, Korenaga discloses the first guide section being formed as a groove extending on a surface of the optical package substrate from a predetermined side surface thereof to a predetermined location thereon; and a lens-positioning second guide section for fixing an optical axis of a lens mounted on the optical package substrate so that the optical axis of the lens is aligned with that of the optical fiber, the second guide section being formed as a depression on the surface of the optical package substrate. ¶ [0028], wherein in FIG. 7, a first guide groove 72 for positioning an optical fiber 74, a second guide groove 73 for positioning a flat microlens 75, and a stage 77 for positioning a laser 76 are formed on the surface of the optical package substrate 71. The first guide groove 72 is shaped so that the optical fiber 74 can be placed thereon and abutted against one end thereof that is closer to the flat microlens 75 with a core portion of the optical fiber 74 being above the surface of the optical package substrate 71. The length and the width of the second guide groove 73 are determined according to the shape of the flat microlens 75 so that the flat microlens 75 can be positioned with a micron-order precision simply by fitting the flat microlens 75 in the second guide groove 73. The guide grooves 72 and 73 and the stage 77 are formed at predetermined positions with predetermined depths so that the optical axes of the flat microlens 75, the optical fiber 74 and the laser 76, when they are mounted on the optical package substrate 71, are aligned together. ¶ [0138] enabling the optical signals to be aligned with the fibers.
Choi and Korenaga are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, a combination of optical components. At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Choi and Korenaga before him or her, to modify the components of the place within the molded element of Choi to be placed within a substrate between the guide grooves and component spaces of Korenaga because it combines prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results, in this case, enabling for space for optical components within the substrate while also providing alignment.
Re claim 2, Choi and Korenaga disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 2 is dependent. Furthermore, Choi discloses wherein the optical component is a modulator having an input waveguide (Choi discloses that when the optical device 130 includes four channels using four edge light emitting lasers, the optical component 500, that is, an AWG, is formed in four channels having four cores 510a to 510d corresponding thereto, and the four optical signals passing through the AWG are multiplexed to be transmitted through one optical fiber 300 ¶ [0112], wherein that the optical component 500 may be implemented as a modulator ¶ [0109], such that the modulator components have an input waveguide) .
Re claim 3, Choi and Korenaga disclose all the elements of claim 2, which claim 3 is dependent. Furthermore, Choi discloses wherein the modulator is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) or a ring modulator (the optical component 500 may be implemented as a modulator including Mach Zehnder, Ring, Thermal, etc. ¶ [0109]).
Re claim 4, Choi and Korenaga disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 4 is dependent. Furthermore, Choi and Korenaga disclose wherein the optical component is an element in which functions of a modulator and a multiplexer (MUX) are simultaneously implemented in one element ( Choi discloses the optical component 500, that is, an AWG, is formed in four channels having four cores 510a to 510d corresponding thereto, and the four optical signals passing through the AWG are multiplexed to be transmitted through one optical fiber 300 ¶ [0112] and the optical component 500 may be implemented as a modulator including Mach Zehnder, Ring, Thermal, etc. ¶ [0109], such that the component performs both modulation and multiplexing).
Re claim 7, Choi and Korenaga disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 7 is dependent. Furthermore, Choi and Korenaga disclose wherein the height of the light emitting spot of the light emitting element is set to the same height as the core of the input waveguide (Korenaga discloses that while forming the guide groove 274 for the optical fiber 277, as illustrated in Fig. 27, it is necessary to ensure a predetermined positional precision with the optical waveguide with respect to both the horizontal direction and the height direction ¶ [0019], such that the system teaches the the alignment grooves would consider height and horizontal positioning to the light path)and the light emitting element is a distributed feedback laser (DFB laser) (Choi discloses an example of a light emitting device is a distributed feedback laser ¶ [0057]).
Re claim 8, Choi and Korenaga disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 8 is dependent. Furthermore, Choi and Korenaga discloses wherein a three-dimensional (3D) optical alignment between the light emitting element and the optical component is achieved by a passive alignment (Thus, an optical fiber, an optical waveguide, a lens, an isolator, an optical filter and a light receiving/emitting element can be mounted by passive alignment, whereby optical devices and optical modules with multiple functions can be mass-produced at low cost. Abstract, such that it is understood that the groves within the structure, which is 3D in Fig. 7, to support passive alignment).
Re claim 10, Choi and Korenaga disclose all the of elements of claim 1, which claim 10 is dependent. Furthermore, Choi and Korenaga disclose wherein the optical component performs a wavelength multiplexer (WDMMUX) function for collecting signals of a plurality of channels having different wavelengths and transmitting the collected signals to one optical fiber (Choi discloses when the optical device 130 includes four channels using four edge light emitting lasers, the optical component 500, that is, an AWG, is formed in four channels having four cores 510a to 510d corresponding thereto, and the four optical signals passing through the AWG are multiplexed to be transmitted through one optical fiber 300. ¶ [0112], such that the signals are multiplexed together).
Re claim 11, Choi and Korenaga disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 11 is dependent. Furthermore, Choi discloses further comprising:
an optical fiber block coupled to one end of the optical transmission module in correspondence to the output waveguide and accommodating the optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber block aligns the optical fibers by using a wiring layer to correspond to the output waveguide (the optical fiber alignment guide member 400 and the optical component alignment guide groove 600 which are integrally formed to align and mount the optical fiber 300 and the optical component 500, respectively, on one surface of the optical device module 101. ¶ [0090]).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi and Korenaga as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Jiang US PG PUB 2016/0209593.
Re claim 6, Choi and Korenaga disclose all the element of claim 1, which claim 6 is dependent. Furthermore, Choi and Korenaga do not explicitly disclose wherein the optical component is a splitter for splitting light having the same wavelength. However, Jiang discloses that within wavelength filter system could comprise wavelength splitting for the same wavelength ¶ [0035].
Choi and Jiang are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, a combination of optical components. At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Choi and Jiang before him or her, to modify the components of WDM system of Choi, which discloses the ability to operate with a WDM system and additionally can performed multiplexing and demultiplexing with Jiang to also be able to separate the polarizations of Jiang because it combines prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results, in this case, enabling for processing of signals with different polarizations.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi and Korenaga as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee US Patent 8,120,017.
Re claim 9, Choi and Korenaga disclose all the elements of claim 1, which claim 9 is dependent. Furthermore, Lee discloses further comprising:
a wiring layer formed of an insulating material on the first surface of the mold body (a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display including a display unit positioned on a substrate, wherein the method includes forming a pad unit, where forming the pad using includes a interlayer insulating layer, Col 3 , lines 1-14);
a wiring metal which is formed inside the wiring layer and connects the light emitting elements encapsulated in the mold body to outside of the wiring layer (the display further includes a pad unit configured to transmit electrical signal to a display unit and wherein the forming of the pad unit includes forming a metal terminal, covering the metal terminal with an interlayer insulating layer, Col 3, lines 1-14, such that the system is disclosed to have a metal layer connect to the light emitting display or element alongside the insulating layer); and
an external connection terminal exposed on a surface of the wiring layer and connected to the light emitting elements encapsulated inside the mold body through the wiring metal (Additionally it is disclosed that a pad electrode is exposed so that it may be bonded to an external module, Col 2, lines 20-21).
Choi and Lee are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, light emitting elements on a chip or circuit. At the time filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Choi and Lee before him or her, to modify the circuitry or chip of Choi to include the wiring and insulation of Lee because it combines prior art elements, according to known methods, to yield predictable results, in this case, enabling for an outer element to communicate with the light emitting element.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 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:
Re claim 5, the claim is dependent upon claim 1, and additionally recites “wherein the optical component is used as a component for a vehicle Lidar for optical beam formation”. However, the while limitations of claims 1, which claim 5 is dependent, is disclosed by the prior art. The examiner was unable to find, alone or in combination, the teaching of a Lidar beam forming system to be used alongside the edge elements, such that when the claim scope is considered as a whole, the claim is considered allowable.
Conclusion
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TANYA MOTSINGER
Examiner
Art Unit 2637
/TANYA T MOTSINGER/Examiner, Art Unit 2635
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