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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recites the limitation “uses the stored energy to drive…”, however it appears that this limitation was written by accident instead of “uses the stored some of communication optical signals photoelectrically converted to drive…” i.e. similar to what is previously disclosed. Appropriate correction is required for clarification and consistency.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 1 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsiao (US Pub 20080166133) in view of Skertic et al (US Pub 20180375590).
Regarding Claim 1. Hsiao discloses an optical line switching node device, comprising:
an optical switch part which performs optical path switching between communication input/output optical fibers (Fig 3, where a device (50) comprises an optical switch part (e.g. 51) which performs optical path switching between communication input/output optical fibers (e.g. at 31, 22));
an optical signal extraction part (Fig 3, where the device (50) comprises an optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 220)); and
an optical signal storage part which uses the stored energy to drive the optical switch part (Fig 3, where the device (50) comprises an optical signal storage part (230) which uses stored energy to drive the optical switch part (e.g. 51)).
Hsiao fails to explicitly disclose the optical signal extraction part comprises a communication optical signal extraction part which extracts some of communication optical signals from one or both of the communication input/output optical fibers and photoelectrically converts the extracted some of the communication optical signals, and the optical signal storage part comprises a communication optical signal storage part which stores some of communication optical signals photoelectrically converted in the communication optical signal extraction part.
However, Skertic discloses
an optical signal extraction part comprises a communication optical signal extraction part which extracts some of communication optical signals from one or both of communication input/output optical fibers and photoelectrically converts the extracted some of the communication optical signals (Fig 3, where a device (200) has an optical signal extraction part (e.g. 202, 204) that comprises a communication optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 212, 204) which extracts some of communication optical signals from one communication optical fiber (e.g. at 240) and photoelectrically converts the extracted some of the communication optical signals), and
an optical signal storage part comprises a communication optical signal storage part which stores some of communication optical signals photoelectrically converted in the communication optical signal extraction part (Fig 3, where the device (200) has an optical signal storage part (e.g. 206) that comprises a communication optical signal storage part which stores some of communication optical signals photoelectrically converted in the communication optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 212, 204)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the device (50) as described in Hsiao, with the teachings of the device (200) as described in Skertic. The motivation being is that as shown a device (200) can have an optical signal extraction part (e.g. 202, 204) with a communication optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 212, 204) which extracts and photoelectrically converts some of communication optical signals from one communication optical fiber (e.g. at 240) and can have an optical signal storage part (e.g. 206) which stores some of communication optical signals photoelectrically converted in the communication optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 212, 204) and one of ordinary skill in the art can implement this concept into the device (50) as described in Hsiao and have the device (50) with an optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 220) that has a communication optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 212, 204) which extracts and photoelectrically converts some of communication optical signals from one communication output optical fiber (e.g. at 22) and with an optical signal storage part (e.g. 206) which stores some of communication optical signals photoelectrically converted in the communication optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 212, 204) i.e. as an alternative so as to have the device (50) with a known technique of a known device (200) for the purpose of optimally extracting electrical energy from a communication optical signal in addition to extracting electrical energy from a power supply optical signal and which technique optimally provides reliability and protection because there are two different sources of electrical energy and which technique further improves the storing and supplying of electrical energy to the optical switch part (e.g. 51) and which modification is being made because the systems are similar and have overlapping components (e.g. optical signal extraction parts and optical signal storage parts) and which modification is a simple implementation of a known concept of a known device (200) into another similar device (50), namely, for its improvement and for optimization and which modification yields predictable results.
Claim 2 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsiao (US Pub 20080166133) in view of Skertic et al (US Pub 20180375590) in further view of Feinberg et a (US Pat 6556319).
Regarding Claim 2. Hsiao as modified by Skertic fails to explicitly disclose the optical line switching node device, further comprising: an optical path switching monitoring part which extracts some of communication optical signals from the communication input/output optical fibers, photoelectrically converts some of the extracted communication optical signals, and monitors optical path switching between the communication input/output optical fibers using some of the photoelectrically converted communication optical signals, wherein the communication optical signal extraction part extracts some of the communication optical signals from one or both of the communication input/output optical fibers in parallel with the optical path switching monitoring part.
However, Feinberg discloses
an optical path switching monitoring part which extracts some of communication optical signals from communication input/output optical fibers, photoelectrically converts some of the extracted communication optical signals, and monitors optical path switching between the communication input/output optical fibers using some of the photoelectrically converted communication optical signals (Fig 5, where a unit (500) comprises an optical path switching monitoring part (e.g. 2% light tap, photodiode 515) which extracts some of communication optical signals from communication input/ output optical fibers, photoelectrically converts some of the extracted communication optical signals, and monitors optical path switching (i.e. due to switch 510) between the communication input/output optical fibers using some of the photoelectrically converted communication optical signals).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the device (50) as described in Hsiao as modified by Skertic, with the teachings of the unit (500) as described in Feinberg. The motivation being is that as shown a unit (500) can comprise an optical path switching monitoring part (e.g. 2% light tap, photodiode 515) which extracts some of communication optical signals from communication input/output optical fibers, photoelectrically converts some of the extracted communication optical signals, and monitors optical path switching (i.e. due to switch 510) between the communication input/output optical fibers and one of ordinary skill in the art can implement this concept into the device (50) as described in Hsiao as modified by Skertic and have the device (50) with an optical path switching monitoring part (e.g. 2% light tap, photodiode 515) which extracts some of the communication optical signals from the communication input/output optical fibers (e.g. at 31, 22), photoelectrically converts some of the extracted communication optical signals, and monitors optical path switching (i.e. due to optical switch part 51) between the communication input/output optical fibers (e.g. at 31, 22) i.e. as an alternative so as to have the device (50) with a known technique of a known unit (500) for the purpose of optimally monitoring the state of primary/secondary paths (e.g. at 31, 32) (i.e. via the 2% light tap, photodiode 515) in order to perform protection switching and which technique optimally allows the optical switch part (e.g. 51) to select the best path in response to the monitoring of the state of the primary/secondary paths (e.g. at 31, 32) and which modification is being made because the systems are similar and have overlapping components (e.g. optical switches) and which modification is a simple implementation of a known concept of a known unit (500) into another similar device (50), namely, for its improvement and for optimization and which modification yields predictable results. Furthermore, since the combination of Hsiao and Skertic teaches that the communication optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 212, 204) extracts some of the communication optical signals from one communication output optical fiber (e.g. at 22) for the optical switch part (e.g. 51) and since Feinberg teaches that an optical path switching monitoring part (e.g. 2% light tap, photodiode 515) performs monitoring for protection switching (i.e. via switch 510), it is obvious to a person skilled in the art to have a system with both the communication optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 212, 204) and the optical path switching monitoring part (e.g. 2% light tap, photodiode 515) working side by side in parallel. This is because both systems can operate at the same time in a complementary manner. More specifically, primary/secondary paths (e.g. at 31, 32) are being monitored via the optical path switching monitoring part (e.g. 2% light tap, photodiode 515) for performing protection switching (i.e. via optical switch part 51) and electrical energy is being extracted (i.e. from the communication optical signal extraction part (e.g. 210, 212, 204)) for the optical switch part (e.g. 51).
Claim 6 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsiao (US Pub 20080166133) in view of Skertic et al (US Pub 20180375590) in further view of Sugawara et al (US Pub 20140241712).
Regarding Claim 6. Hsiao as modified by Skertic fails to explicitly disclose the optical line switching node device, wherein one or both of the communication input/output optical fibers are a multi-core optical fiber which includes a communication single-core optical fiber which transmits a communication optical signal and a control single-core optical fiber which transmits a control optical signal of the optical switch part.
However, Sugawara discloses
a communication input/output optical fiber being a multi-core optical fiber which includes a communication single-core optical fiber which transmits a communication optical signal and a control single-core optical fiber which transmits a control optical signal of an optical switch part (Fig 5, where a communication input optical fiber (100) is a multi-core optical fiber which includes a communication single-core optical fiber (e.g. 120) which transmits a communication optical signal and a control single-core optical fiber (e.g. 110) which transmits a control optical signal of an optical switch part (e.g. 31)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify one communication input optical fiber (e.g. at 31) as described in Hsiao as modified by Skertic, with the teachings of the communication input optical fiber (100) as described in Sugawara. The motivation being is that as shown a communication input optical fiber (100) can be a multi-core optical fiber which includes a communication single-core optical fiber (e.g. 120) for transmitting a communication optical signal and a control single-core optical fiber (e.g. 110) for transmitting a control optical signal of an optical switch part (e.g. 31) and one of ordinary skill in the art can implement this concept into the one communication input optical fiber (e.g. at 31) as described in Hsiao as modified by Skertic and have the one communication input optical fiber (e.g. at 31) be a multi-core optical fiber which includes a communication single-core optical fiber (e.g. 120) for transmitting a communication optical signal and a control single-core optical fiber (e.g. 110) for transmitting a control optical signal of the optical switch part (e.g. 51) i.e. as an alternative so as to have the one communication input optical fiber (e.g. at 31) with a known technique of a known communication input optical fiber (100) for the purpose of optimally communicating both data and control information via a multicore optical fiber and which technique implements the benefits of using a multicore optical fiber into the system which includes increased communication capacity and which modification is being made because the systems are similar and have overlapping components (e.g. optical fibers) and which modification is a simple implementation of a known concept of a known communication input optical fiber (100) into another similar one communication input optical fiber (e.g. at 31), namely, for its improvement and for optimization and which modification yields predictable results.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 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 and if the claim objections as described above are overcome.
Conclusion
The prior art considered pertinent to the Applicant’s disclosure and not relied upon is the following:
Faria et al (US Pub US Pat 7359647) and more specifically Fig 4.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to DIBSON J SANCHEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0868. The Examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 10:00-6:00.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s Supervisor, Kenneth Vanderpuye can be reached on 5712723078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DIBSON J SANCHEZ/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634