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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0033921 to Haley et al.
In regards to claim 1, Haley recites an optical connector (Figures 1 & 2) configured to hold a plurality of optical transmission members (101; [0015]), and configured to be engaged with another optical connector (Figures 4A & 4B) with a same fitting shape holding a plurality of other optical transmission members to optically couple the plurality of optical transmission members and the plurality of other optical transmission members, the optical connector comprising: a holding part (105) configured to hold the plurality of optical transmission members disposed in parallel to each other in a first direction; a first optical part (106) disposed to face end surfaces of the plurality of optical transmission members held by the holding part, and configured to allow incidence of light emitted from the plurality of optical transmission members or emit light toward the plurality of optical transmission members; a second optical part (fine alignment mechanism—not shown—[0016]) configured to emit toward the other optical connector light entered from the first optical part, or allow incidence of light from the other optical connector; a protrusion (108) and a recess (110) disposed at positions in a line-symmetric manner with respect to a reference straight line extending in parallel to the first direction as viewed along an optical path between the optical connector and the other optical connector, the protrusion and the recess being configured for engaging with the other optical connector [0017]; at least one pair of first inward regulation surfaces (112a & 114a) that are flat surfaces disposed to face inward in the first direction, and configured to suppress positional displacement with respect to the other optical connector in the first direction; and at least one pair of first outward regulation surfaces (124 & 126) that are flat surfaces disposed to face outward in the first direction, and configured to suppress positional displacement with respect to the other optical connector in the first direction, wherein when the optical connector and the other optical connector are engaged with each other (Figures 4A & 4B), the protrusion and the recess are engaged with a recess and a protrusion, respectively, of the other optical connector, the at least one pair of first inward regulation surfaces makes contact with at least one pair of first outward regulation surfaces of the other optical connector, and the at least one pair of first outward regulation surfaces makes contact with at least one pair of first inward regulation surfaces of the other optical connector. [0016-0024]
In regards to claim 2, Haley recites the at least one pair of first inward regulation surfaces and the at least one pair of first outward regulation surfaces are a part of a latch structure configured to connect the optical connector and the other optical connector.
In regards to claim 3, Haley recites one of the protrusion (108) and the recess (110) includes a second inward regulation surface that is a flat surface disposed to face inward in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction as viewed along the optical path between the optical connector and the other optical connector, and configured to suppress positional displacement (coarse alignment [0017]) with respect to the other optical connector in the second direction, wherein the other of the protrusion and the recess includes a second outward regulation surface that is a flat surface disposed to face outward in the second direction, and configured to suppress positional displacement with respect to the other optical connector in the second direction, and wherein when the optical connector and the other optical connector are engaged with each other, the second inward regulation surface makes contact with a second outward regulation surface of the other optical connector, and the second outward regulation surface makes contact with a second inward regulation surface of the other optical connector.
In regards to claim 5, Haley recites a third inward regulation surface (116a) that is a flat surface disposed to face the reference straight line in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction as viewed along the optical path between the optical connector and the other optical connector, the third inward regulation surface being configured to suppress positional displacement with respect to the other optical connector in the second direction, wherein the third inward regulation surface makes contact with a third inward regulation surface of the other optical connector.
In regards to claim 6, Haley recites the second inward regulation surface and the second outward regulation surface are tilted with respect to the second direction perpendicular to the first direction as viewed along the optical path between the optical connector and the other optical connector.
In regards to claim 7, Haley recites the first inward regulation surface and the first outward regulation surface are tilted with respect to the second direction in a plane including the first direction, and the second direction perpendicular to the first direction as viewed along the optical path between the optical connector and the other optical connector.
In regards to claim 8, Haley recites the holding part (105) includes: a holding recess including a notch part (132; [0020]) at both end portions in the first direction, and configured to dispose the plurality of optical transmission members; and a lid (116) configured be disposed to cover the holding recess where the plurality of optical transmission members is disposed.
In regards to claim 9, Haley recites a contact surface disposed to face the other optical connector and configured to make contact with the other optical connector when the optical connector and the other optical connector are engaged with each other, wherein the protrusion and the recess are disposed at the contact surface, and wherein the contact surface is a tilted surface that is tilted toward the first optical part side in a direction from the protrusion toward the recess as viewed along the first direction.
In regards to claim 10, Haley recites an optical connector module, comprising: a plurality of optical transmission members; and the optical connector according to claim 1.
In regards to claim 11, Haley recites an end surface of the optical transmission member is tilted with respect to a plane orthogonal to an extending direction of the optical transmission member, wherein the second optical part includes a plurality of projecting surfaces disposed in parallel in the first direction and configured to emit toward the other optical connector light entered from the first optical part or allow incidence of light from the other optical connector, and wherein a central axis of one projecting surface of the plurality of projecting surfaces, and a virtual line do not intersect the reference straight line, the virtual line being a line passing through a center of an end surface of one optical transmission member corresponding to the one projecting surface among the plurality of optical transmission members, and extending in a third direction perpendicular the first direction and a second direction.
*Examiner’s Note* The Examiner notes that throughout the currently presented claims, the claims recite a reference straight line, a virtual line, a plane orthogonal, an extending direction, tiled with respect to, parallel to in a first direction, etc. However, the claims do not expressly define an orientation or reference point or relationship to a specific position/side of any component. Therefore, the Examiner can reasonably construe the appropriate orientation of the lines, planes, and direction as applied to the Haley reference.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is 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.
The prior art of record fails to disclose or reasonably suggest an outward regulation part disposed to sandwich the second optical part in the first direction and to face outward in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction as viewed along the optical path between the optical connector and the other optical connector, the outward regulation part being configured to suppress positional displacement with respect to the other optical connector in the second direction; and an inward regulation part disposed to sandwich the second optical part in the first direction and to face away from the outward regulation part as viewed along the optical path between the optical connector and the other optical connector in the second direction, the inward regulation part being configured to suppress positional displacement with respect to the other optical connector in the second direction, wherein the inward regulation part includes a first flat surface perpendicular to the second direction, wherein the outward regulation part includes a second flat surface perpendicular to the second direction, and a second tilted surface tilted with respect to the second surface or a second perpendicular surface perpendicular to the second surface, and wherein when the optical connector and the other optical connector are engaged with each other, a part of the inward regulation part makes contact with an outward regulation part of the other optical connector, and a part of the outward regulation part makes contact with an inward regulation part of the other optical connector in addition to the accompanying features of the independent claim and any intervening claims.
References Cited
The references cited made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. None of the documents cited by the Examiner discloses or reasonably suggests the allowable subject matter discussed above.
The documents submitted by applicant in the Information Disclosure Statements have been considered and made of record. Note attached copy of forms PTO-1449. None of the references submitted by Applicant discloses or reasonably suggest the allowable subject matter discussed above.
Inventorship
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TINA M WONG whose telephone number is (571)272-2352. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at (571) 272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TINA WONG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874