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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 11 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 § 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)(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.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Poe et al (US 2024/0219670 A1). Poe teaches:
1. An apparatus (Figs. 1-8) comprising:
a trunk connector array (160A-F) comprising a plurality of trunk cable connectors (160); and
a cross-connect module (130, 142A-F) housing a plurality of patch connectors (170A), wherein each of the plurality of patch connectors (170A) terminates a corresponding one of the plurality of trunk cable connectors (160) in a fixed one-to-one optical correspondence (Fig. 5, P0056).
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect module (130, 142A-F) further comprises:
a cavity (part of 132) supporting a plurality of optical fibers (172) between the plurality of trunk cable connectors (160) and the plurality of patch connectors (170A).
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross-connect module (130, 142A-F) comprises a plurality of ports (158) configured to receive optical fiber connectors (P0047).
4. (Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the trunk connector array (160A-F) comprises ganged MPO connectors (P0046, 0053) pre-terminated to the cross-connect module (130, 142A-F).
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a rack (110) structured to house telecommunication components (P0039).
6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the apparatus is secured to the rack (110) in a side-by-side configuration (see Fig. 2, showing side-by-side connectors).
7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the apparatus is secured to the rack (110) in a back-to-back configuration (see Fig. 1A then 1B showing the apparatus being secured to the rack wherein the trays can be moved forward and back so each row can be back to back).
8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:
a spacer (the front portion of each tray 130 in front of the connectors) positioned on the rack (110) to facilitate airflow (see the six holes in the trays in front of the connectors, Fig. 2) and cable routing (again, see the six holes at the front of each tray) between the cross-connect module (130, 142A-F).
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
cable management features (see Fig. 9H, two anchors are shown by 2130) integrated within a rack (110) to organize optical fibers connected to the cross-connect module (130, 142A-F).
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cable management features include integrated cable routing channels (part of 232, P0083) and tie points (two anchors shown in Fig. 9H).
11. A method for managing optical fibers in a data center (Figs. 1-8), the method comprising:
providing a rack (110) structured to house telecommunication components (120):
mounting an apparatus (one 120) to the rack (110), wherein the apparatus (120) comprises:
a trunk connector array (160A-F) comprising a plurality of trunk cable connectors (160); and
a cross-connect module (130, 142A-F) housing a plurality of patch connectors (170A), wherein each of the plurality of patch connectors (170A) terminates a corresponding one of the plurality of trunk cable connectors (160) in a fixed one-to-one optical correspondence (Fig. 5, P0056); and
organizing optical fibers (172) using the rack (110).
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
supporting, in a cavity (part of 132) of the cross-connect module (130, 142A-F), a plurality of optical fibers (170) between the plurality of trunk cable connectors (160) and the plurality of patch connectors (170A).
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the cross-connect module (130, 142A-F) comprises a plurality of ports (158) configured to receive optical fiber connectors (P0047).
14.The method of claim 11, wherein the trunk connector array (160A-F) comprises ganged MPO connectors (P0046, 0053) pre-terminated to the cross-connect module (130, 142A-F).
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
mounting a plurality of apparatuses to the rack (110) in a side-by-side configuration (see Fig. 2).
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
mounting a plurality of apparatuses to the rack (110) in a back-to-back configuration (see Fig. 1A then 1B showing the apparatus being secured to the rack wherein the trays can be moved forward and back so each row can be back to back).
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
positioning a spacer (the front portion of each tray 130 in front of the connectors) on the rack (110) to facilitate airflow (see the six holes in the trays in front of the connectors, Fig. 2) and cable routing (again, see the six holes at the front of each tray) between the cross-connect module (130, 142A-F).
18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
organize optical fibers connected to the cross-connect module with cable management features (see Fig. 9H, two anchors are shown by 2130) integrated within the rack (110).
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the cable management features include integrated cable routing channels (part of 232, P0083) and tie points (two anchors shown in Fig. 9H).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN A LEPISTO whose telephone number is (571)272-1946. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hollweg can be reached at 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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/RYAN A LEPISTO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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