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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 1013, 1019, 1023, there are probably more, please check that the reference numbers from the drawings are in the specification and that reference numbers from the specification are in the drawings. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 8 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the lateral flange". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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)(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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kornrumpf et al (US 6,987,619 B2). Kornrumpf teaches:
1. A microLED and/or photodetector (PD) optical interconnect device (Figs. 1-12) including structure to isolate optical coupling elements (12) from contamination, comprising:
a plurality of microLEDs and/or PDs (58) on a substrate (42, 52);
an optical fiber bundle (part of 38/138) positioned to be optically coupled to the microLEDs and/or PDs (58);
a lens block (10) including a plurality of lenses (12) for coupling light between the plurality of microLEDs and/or PDs (58) and fibers (44) of the optical fiber bundle (part of 38/138), the lens block (10) including a dam (22) circumferentially surrounding the plurality of lenses (12), the dam (22, 24, 26) having a height greater than a height of the lenses (12) (see Fig. 1-6); and
a ferrule (136 with 38/138) for the optical fiber bundle (part of 38/138, the ferrule (136 with 38/138) positioned to rest on the dam (22, 24, 26) (see Fig. 12).
2. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 1, further comprising guide posts (240) extending from the lens block (10), the guide posts (240) extending in a same direction as the dam (22, 24, 26) and past a height of the dam (22, 24, 26) (see Fig. 12).
3. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 2, wherein the ferrule (136 with 38/138) includes a face (at 26 in Fig. 12) with apertures or cavities (32) for receiving the guide posts (240).
4. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 3, wherein the guide posts (240) are within a circumference defined by the dam (within dam section 26, See Fig. 10).
5. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lenses (12) are arranged on a regular grid (an array).
6. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 1, wherein the substrate (42, 52) is a semiconductor integrated circuit chip (C4 L15-20).
7. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 1, wherein the lens block (10) additional includes a lateral flange (part of 16, 18) extending away from a circumference defined by the dam (22, 24, 26) (see Fig. 1-6 showing sections of 16 and 18 extending beyond 24).
8. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 1, wherein the lateral flange (part of 16, 18) rests on the substrate (portion 42 and 58/52, see Fig. 11).
9. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 1, wherein the substrate (42, 52) comprises a silicon integrated circuit chip (52), and further comprising a further substrate (50), the silicon integrated circuit chip (52) being on the further substrate (50) (Fig. 11).
10. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 9, further comprising an outer dam (24, 26) structure extending between the further substrate (50) and the ferrule (136 with 38/138) (Fig. 12).
11. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 10, wherein the outer dam (24, 26) structure is spaced apart from the silicon integrated circuit chip (52) (see Fig. 12).
12. The microLED and/or PD optical interconnect device including structure to isolate optical coupling elements from contamination of claim 10, wherein the outer dam structure (22, 24, 26) circumferentially surrounds the silicon integrated circuit chip (52) (see Fig. 11-12).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references teach interconnections between fibers and sources or detectors with lens blocks having dam structures: US 7449674, US 9482832, US 9612414, US 9823430, US 10342141, US 2024/0272368.
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.
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 at 571-270-1739. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RYAN A LEPISTO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
Prosecution Insights