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 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.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8 ln. 3-4: “at least one receiving grating coupler” appears instead of “the at least one receiving grating coupler”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6-7, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanemura US 20200088876 A1 in view of Na US 20210381960 A1 and Schaffner US 20180356528 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Tanemura teaches a method, comprising:
generating an optical signal (light source including SOA 35 and resonator 36, Fig. 12, [0102-105]);
routing the optical signal to a plurality of tunable optical filters, wherein the optical signal is routed to each of the plurality of tunable optical filters at a different time period (“micro heaters 38 change temperatures of the optical waveguides 12c and change frequency bands of the optical signals passing through the optical waveguides 12c” in combination with switches 37 in Fig. 12, [0108-112]; 37’s are shown sequentially along 12a such that the light signal will reach each at a different time);
transmitting the optical signal from each of the plurality of tunable optical filters to a region of interest such that the optical signal is emitted into the region of interest at different times (Fig. 12, [0108-112]; 37’s are shown sequentially along 12a such that the light signal will reach each at a different time and reach 12c’s at different times to be emitted at different times);
receiving a backscattered signal based on the transmitted optical signal (light receiver 6, Fig. 12, [0036]);
Tanemura does not explicitly teach filtering the backscattered signal into a plurality of filtered signal portions based on a frequency or wavelength decomposition of the backscattered signal;detecting the plurality of filtered signal portions; and determining at least one air data parameter based on the detected filtered signal portions.
Na teaches using a plurality of wavelength filters and sensors to detect wavelength decomposed backscattered signals (Figs. 30-33, [0046, 62, 103, 160-163])
Schaffner teaches determining air data parameters based on lidar ([0034]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tanemura such that the backscattered signal into a plurality of filtered signal portions based on a frequency or wavelength decomposition of the backscattered signal; detecting the plurality of filtered signal portions; and determining at least one air data parameter based on the detected filtered signal portions similar to Na and Schaffner with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of helping gain more information on the environment and informing safety and control of devices operating in the environment.
Regarding claim 2, Tanemura as modified above teaches the method of claim 1, comprising heating the plurality of tunable optical filters by a plurality of microheaters such that a resonance frequency of a respective tunable optical filter matches a resonance frequency of a laser source that generated the optical signal (“micro heaters 38 change temperatures of the optical waveguides 12c and change frequency bands of the optical signals passing through the optical waveguides 12c”, Fig. 12, [0108-112]; if frequency bands (resonance frequency) did not match the resonance frequency of the laser, no light would be emitted, and Tanemura emits light).
Regarding claim 3, Tanemura as modified above teaches the method of claim 2,
Tanemura does not explicitly teach comprising selectively activating or disactivating each microheater such that only one microheater is activated at a time period.
However, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that control of Tanemura’s microheaters helps control the direction (and timing) of emitted light (light beams emitted at different angles from the individual waveguides 12c in Fig. 12, [0109-112]). Based on Tanemura Fig. 12, there are a finite number of combinations of microheaters which could be active to tune the frequency bands at a time. Therefore, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tanemura to include selectively activating or disactivating each microheater such that only one microheater is activated at a time with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of controlling the emission direction which helps improve safety (e.g. more scanning in desired regions or less scanning in regions when eye-safety is a concern).
Regarding claim 4, Tanemura as modified above teaches the method of claim 1,
Tanemura does not explicitly teach wherein the at least one air data parameter comprises air speed, pressure, temperature, and/or air density.
Schaffner teaches determining air data parameters such as wind speed based on lidar ([0034]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tanemura such that the at least one air data parameter comprises air speed, pressure, temperature, and/or air density similar to Schaffner with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of informing safety and control of devices operating in the environment.
Regarding claim 6, Tanemura as modified above teaches the method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the optical signal from each of the plurality of tunable optical filters comprises transmitting the optical signal by a plurality of emitting grating couplers each respectively coupled to an output of one of the tunable output filters (44 in Figs. 15-16, [0125, 132]).
Regarding claim 7, Tanemura as modified above teaches the method of claim 1, wherein receiving the backscattered signal comprises receiving the backscattered signal by at least one receiving grating coupler (receiving antennas are gratings, Fig. 6, [0058]).
Regarding claim 18, Tanemura teaches a method, comprising:
transmitting a light beam by a light source (light source including SOA 35 and resonator 36, Fig. 12, [0102-105]) to a plurality of tunable optical filters (37-38 in Fig. 12, [0108-112]);
tuning each of the plurality of tunable optical filters to emit a respective portion of the light beam at different time periods (“micro heaters 38 change temperatures of the optical waveguides 12c and change frequency bands of the optical signals passing through the optical waveguides 12c” in combination with switches 37 in Fig. 12, [0108-112]; 37’s are shown sequentially along 12a such that the light signal will reach each at a different time);
emitting a respective output of the plurality of tunable optical filters into a region of interest in different directions (Fig. 12, [0108-112]; 37’s are shown sequentially along 12a such that the light signal will reach each at a different time and reach 12c’s at different times to be emitted at different times; 12cs are inclined in different angular directions for emission) by a plurality of emitting grating couplers each respectively coupled to an output of one of the tunable optical filters (44 in Figs. 15-16, [0125, 132]);
receiving backscattered light from the region of interest by at least one receiving grating coupler (receiving antennas are gratings, Fig. 6, [0036, 58]);
Tanemura does not explicitly teach filtering the backscattered light into a plurality of filtered signal portions based on a frequency or wavelength decomposition of the backscattered signal; detecting the plurality of filtered signal portions; and determining at least one air data parameter based on the detected filtered signal portions.
Na teaches using a plurality of wavelength filters and sensors to detect wavelength decomposed backscattered signals (Figs. 30-33, [0046, 62, 103, 160-163])
Schaffner teaches determining air data parameters based on lidar ([0034]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tanemura such that the backscattered signal into a plurality of filtered signal portions based on a frequency or wavelength decomposition of the backscattered signal; detecting the plurality of filtered signal portions; and determining at least one air data parameter based on the detected filtered signal portions similar to Na and Schaffner with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of helping gain more information on the environment and informing safety and control of devices operating in the environment.
Regarding claim 19, Tanemura as modified above teaches the method of claim 18,
Tanemura does not explicitly teach comprising tuning each of the plurality of tunable optical filters so that only one of the tunable optical filters emits the respective portion of the light beam for a given time period.
However, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that control of Tanemura’s microheaters helps control the direction (and timing) of emitted light (light beams emitted at different angles from the individual waveguides 12c in Fig. 12, [0109-112]). Based on Tanemura Fig. 12, there are a finite number of combinations of microheaters which could be active to tune the frequency bands at a time. Therefore, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tanemura to include tuning each of the plurality of tunable optical filters so that only one of the tunable optical filters emits the respective portion of the light beam for a given time period with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of controlling the emission direction which helps improve safety (e.g. more scanning in desired regions or less scanning in regions when eye-safety is a concern).
Regarding claim 20, Tanemura as modified above teaches the method of claim 18, comprising heating the plurality of tunable optical filters such that a resonance frequency of a respective tunable optical filter matches a resonance frequency of the light source (“micro heaters 38 change temperatures of the optical waveguides 12c and change frequency bands of the optical signals passing through the optical waveguides 12c”, Fig. 12, [0108-112]; if frequency bands (resonance frequency) did not match the resonance frequency of the laser, no light would be emitted, and Tanemura emits light).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanemura US 20200088876 A1 in view of Na US 20210381960 A1 and Schaffner US 20180356528 A1, and further in view of Hansson US 20190146064 A1.
Regarding claim 5, Tanemura as modified above teaches the method of claim 1,
Tanemura does not explicitly teach wherein generating the optical signal comprises generating a continuous wave signal that is time-multiplexed.
Hansson teaches time-multiplexing beams from laser diodes ([0045, 76])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tanemura such that generating the optical signal comprises generating a continuous wave signal that is time-multiplexed similar to Hansson with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of helping ensure desired light is emitted into desired regions.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 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 10-17 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not explicitly teach nor render obvious:
The method of claim 8, specifically including: filtering the backscattered signal portions by a plurality of optical notch filters coupled to at least one receiving grating coupler
The method of claim 10, specifically including: passing the backscattered light to a passive optical filter array comprising a plurality of optical notch filters; filtering the backscattered light into a plurality of signals by the plurality of optical notch filters based on a frequency or wavelength decomposition of the backscattered light
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Jin US 20230027271 A1 teaches grating couplers (Fig. 1)
Michaels US 20210389470 A1 teaches grating couplers (Figs. 1-2)
Miller US 10534189 B2 teaches cascade of Mach-Zehnder devices (which commonly use microheaters for tuning) and each coupled to gratings (Fig. 3)
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/J.C.F./Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/ISAM A ALSOMIRI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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