DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This office action is in response to the amendment filed 8/11/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-4, 6-7, 9-10 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by McKinley et al (US 5296972).
Regarding Claim 1, McKinley teaches an apparatus for continuously rotating an optical output about axis of rotation of the optical output (abstract; figs. 1-4), comprising:
an input centered on an optical axis of the apparatus for receiving an optical input (fig. 3C, 104, 122, 102; fig. 4, 104, 102);
an output centered on the optical axis of the apparatus for providing the optical output (fig. 3C, 105, 127, 102; fig. 4, 105, 102); and
a group of five separate fixed fold mirrors configured in a W orientation (fig. 3C, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150; fig. 4, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150) to receive the optical input (fig. 3C, 122) and rotate the optical output in a circle around the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 2, 12, 14; col. 3, line 20-26, Light enters and exits the system 10 along optical axis 40. The device 10 operates by rotation about this optical axis 40 . As the system 10 rotates, the image 14 also rotates. The image 14 rotates at twice the rate of the system 10; col. 4, line 33-38, The image rotating device 100 of the present invention operates by rotation about its optical axis 102. As it is rotated, the output image also rotates about the optical axis) responsive to rotation of the five separate fixed fold mirrors in a circle about the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 3C, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150; fig. 4, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150).
Regarding Claim 2, McKinley teaches the apparatus of Claim 1 further comprising a support structure for maintaining the group of five fixed fold mirrors in a fixed orientation with respect to each other (fig. 4, 206, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150).
Regarding Claim 3, McKinley teaches the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the W orientation of the group of five fixed fold mirrors provides an angle of incidence of beams reflected between the five fixed fold mirrors of no greater than 45° (fig. 3C, beam 122 incident on fold mirrors (110, 120, 130, 140, 150) with angles equal to or less than 45°; fig. 2, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151; col. 4, line 22-33, Angles 111, 121, 141, 151 are selected as two pairs of acute angles-angles 111, 121 forming one pair and angles 141, 151 forming a second pair; angle 131 is an acute; --- incidence angles are half of the acute angles).
Regarding Claim 4, McKinley teaches the apparatus of Claim 1 further comprising a support structure for providing a swept volume area in which on the group of five fixed fold mirrors may rotate in order to rotate the optical output about the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 4, 206, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150; col. 3, line 20-26, Light enters and exits the system 10 along optical axis 40. The device 10 operates by rotation about this optical axis 40 . As the system 10 rotates, the image 14 also rotates. The image 14 rotates at twice the rate of the system 10).
Regarding Claim 6, McKinley teaches the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a laser beam (col. 5, line 33-38, device 100; including, without limitation, cameras, lasers).
Regarding Claim 7, McKinley teaches the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises an image (fig. 2, 12, 14; col. 4, line 33-38, The image rotating device 100 of the present invention operates by rotation about its optical axis 102. As it is rotated, the output image also rotates about the optical axis).
Regarding Claim 9, McKinley teaches An apparatus for continuously rotating an optical output about axis of rotation of the optical output (abstract; figs. 5-6), comprising:
an input centered on an optical axis of the apparatus for receiving an optical input (fig. 3C, 104, 122, 102; fig. 4, 104, 102);
an output centered on the optical axis of the apparatus for providing the optical output (fig. 3C, 105, 127, 102; fig. 4, 105, 102);
a group of five separate fixed fold mirrors configured in a W orientation (fig. 3C, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150; fig. 4, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150) to receive the optical input (fig. 3C, 122) and rotate the optical output in a circle around the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 2, 12, 14; col. 3, line 20-26, Light enters and exits the system 10 along optical axis 40. The device 10 operates by rotation about this optical axis 40 . As the system 10 rotates, the image 14 also rotates. The image 14 rotates at twice the rate of the system 10; col. 4, line 33-38, The image rotating device 100 of the present invention operates by rotation about its optical axis 102. As it is rotated, the output image also rotates about the optical axis) responsive to rotation of the five separate fixed fold mirrors in a circle about the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 3C, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150; fig. 4, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150),
wherein the W orientation of the group of five fixed fold mirrors provides an angle of incidence of beams reflected between the five fixed fold mirrors of no greater than 45° (fig. 3C, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150: fig. 4, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150; fig. 2, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151; col. 4, line 22-33, Angles 111, 121, 141, 151 are selected as two pairs of acute angles-angles 111, 121 forming one pair and angles 141, 151 forming a second pair; angle 131 is an acute; --- incidence angles are half of the acute angles); and
a support structure for maintaining the group of five fixed fold mirrors in a fixed orientation with respect to each other (fig. 4, 206, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150).
Regarding Claim 10, McKinley teaches the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the support structure provides a swept volume area in which on the group of five fixed fold mirrors may rotate in order to rotate the optical output about the optical axis of the apparatus (fig. 2, 12, 14; col. 3, line 20-26, Light enters and exits the system 10 along optical axis 40. The device 10 operates by rotation about this optical axis 40 . As the system 10 rotates, the image 14 also rotates. The image 14 rotates at twice the rate of the system 10; col. 4, line 33-38, The image rotating device 100 of the present invention operates by rotation about its optical axis 102. As it is rotated, the output image also rotates about the optical axis).
Regarding Claim 12, McKinley teaches the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a laser beam (col. 5, line 33-38, device 100; including, without limitation, cameras, lasers).
Regarding Claim 13, McKinley teaches the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises an image (fig. 2, 12, 14; col. 4, line 33-38, The image rotating device 100 of the present invention operates by rotation about its optical axis 102. As it is rotated, the output image also rotates about the optical axis).
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 of this title, 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 8 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McKinley et al (US 5296972) in a view of Kuo et al (US 20110013913).
Regarding Claim 8, McKinley discloses as set forth above but does not specifically disclose that the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a linearly polarized laser beam.
However, Kuo teaches an apparatus (abstract; figs. 5-6), wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a linearly polarized laser beam (¶[0042], line 1-5, light sources; such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers ("VCSELs"); --- VCSELs typically produce linearly polarized laser light).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparats of McKinley by the apparatus of Kuo for a purpose of an optical systems that can be used for board-to-board communications and employ the image-rotation prisms to compensate for arbitrary axial rotations and misalignment of optical signals (abstract; line 1-12).
Regarding Claim 14, McKinley discloses as set forth above but does not specifically disclose that the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a linearly polarize laser beam.
However, Kuo teaches an apparatus (abstract; figs. 5-6), wherein the optical input and the optical output comprises a linearly polarized laser beam (¶[0042], line 1-5, light sources; such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers ("VCSELs"); --- VCSELs typically produce linearly polarized laser light).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparats of McKinley by the apparatus of Kuo for a purpose of an optical systems that can be used for board-to-board communications and employ the image-rotation prisms to compensate for arbitrary axial rotations and misalignment of optical signals (abstract; line 1-12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15-20 are allowed . Claims 5 and 11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for the allowable subject matter: The prior art taken singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the claims, in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be proper.
In regard to claims 5, 11 and 15, the prior art taken either singly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest an apparatus further comprising:
wherein the first mirror and the second mirror are located on the optical axis to enable a first associated angle of incidence of beams reflected from the first mirror and the second mirror to be 45°;
wherein the third mirror and the fifth mirror are located a first predetermined distance from the optical axis to enable a second associated angle of incidence of beams reflected from the third mirror and the fifth mirror to be 20°; and
wherein the fourth mirror is located a second predetermined distance from the optical axis to enable a third associated angle of incidence reflected from the fourth mirror to be 40°.
Claims 16-20 are also allowed as they depend on claim 15.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current new rejections.
Examiner’s Note
Regarding the references, the Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Applicants’ 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 extension fee 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 communication from the examiner should be directed to Jie Lei whose telephone number is (571) 272 7231. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by the telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on (571) 272 3689.The Fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is (571) 273 8300.
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/JIE LEI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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