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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 04/02/2024 has beenconsidered by the examiner and made of record in the application file.
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, 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 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(s) 1-3, 6-10, 13-17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mahony (US 7809262) and further in view of Urban (US 20140226970).
Consider Claim 1, Mahony discloses an optical fiber sensing system comprising: an optical fiber having one end connected to an optical network unit (ONU) (Figure 7, fiber element 318a is connected to ONT element 100a); at least one memory (Figure 2, element 202) storing instructions, and at least one processor (Figure 2, element 204) configured to execute the instructions to; output pulsed light to the one end of the optical fiber (Figure 7 and Column 11 Lines 23-24, where test pulse light 604 is transmitted on fiber 318a); receive backscattered light for the pulsed light from the one end of the optical fiber (Figure 7 and Column 12, Lines 48-49, fiber element 318 receives backscattered light) but does not disclose transmit state information indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light.
However, Urban discloses transmitting state information indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light (Paragraph 55, information such as fault in the fiber is received in backscattered light and forwarded to OTDR element 180 for analysis).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 2, Mahony discloses the optical fiber sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to transmit (Figure 2, element 204) but does not disclose to transmit the state information via a passive optical network (PON) line.
However, Urban discloses transmit the state information via a passive optical network (PON) line (Paragraph 055 where backscatter containing fault information is transported through fiber links between a remote node and an ONU and Paragraph 0041 where ONU and remote node are part of a PON).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 3, Mahony discloses the optical fiber sensing system according to claim 2, wherein the optical fiber is the PON line (Figure 7, element 318a is within a PON).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 6, Mahony discloses the optical fiber sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions (Figure 2, element 204) but does not disclose acquiring sensing data indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light, and transmits the sensing data as the state information.
However, Urban discloses acquiring sensing data indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light (Figure 1b and Paragraph 055, where backscatter light is received), and transmits the sensing data as the state information (Figure 1b and Paragraph 0055, where element 180 forwards backscattered light containing fault information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 7, Mahony discloses The optical fiber sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions (Figure 2, element 204) but does not disclose to acquire the detection unit sensing data indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light, the optical fiber sensing system further includes specify an event having occurred in a residential area or around a residential area of a building in which the ONU is provided based on the sensing data, and transmit a specification result of the event by the specifying unit as the state information.
However, Urban discloses specify an event having occurred in a in which the ONU is provided based on the sensing data (Paragraph 0058, where an alarm is issued based on fault detection event), acquiring sensing data indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light (Figure 1b and Paragraph 055, where backscatter light is received), and transmitting a specification result of the event as the state information (Paragraph 0058, where an OTDR measurement is triggered as result of alarm to measure severity of fault and is determined which group of ONTs alarm belongs to). Although, Urban does not disclose in a residential area or around a residential area of a building, it would be obvious/known to one of skill in the ordinary art that ONUs are commonly implemented in residential areas and the PON of Urban could be implemented in a residential area to achieve the results of the claim.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 8, Mahony discloses an optical fiber sensing device comprising: at least one memory (Figure 2, element 204) storing instructions, and at least one processor (Figure 2, element 202) configured to execute the instructions to; output pulsed light to one end of an optical fiber having one end connected to an optical network unit (ONU) (Figure 7 and Column 11 Lines 23-24, where test pulse light 604 is transmitted on fiber 318a); receive backscattered light for the pulsed light from the one end of the optical fiber (Figure 7 and Column 12, Lines 48-49, fiber element 318 receives backscattered light); but does not disclose transmit state information indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light.
However, Urban discloses state information indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light.
However, Urban discloses transmitting state information indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light (Paragraph 55, information such as fault in the fiber is received in backscattered light and forwarded to OTDR element 180 for analysis).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 9, Mahony discloses the optical fiber sensing device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to transmit (Figure 2, element 204) but does not disclose to transmit the state information via a passive optical network (PON) line.
However, Urban discloses transmit the state information via a passive optical network (PON) line (Paragraph 055 where backscatter containing fault information is transported through fiber links between a remote node and an ONU and Paragraph 0041 where ONU and remote node are part of a PON).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 10, Mahony discloses the optical fiber sensing device according to claim 9, wherein the optical fiber is the PON line (Figure 7, element 318a is within a PON).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 13, Mahony discloses the optical fiber sensing device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions (Figure 2, element 204) but does not disclose acquiring sensing data indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light, and transmits the sensing data as the state information.
However, Urban discloses acquiring sensing data indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light (Figure 1b and Paragraph 055, where backscatter light is received), and transmits the sensing data as the state information (Figure 1b and Paragraph 0055, where element 180 forwards backscattered light containing fault information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 14, Mahony discloses The optical fiber sensing device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions (Figure 2, element 204) but does not disclose to acquire the detection unit sensing data indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light, specify an event having occurred in a residential area or around a residential area of a building in which the ONU is provided based on the sensing data, and transmit a specification result of the event by the specifying unit as the state information.
However, Urban discloses specifying an event having occurred in a in which the ONU is provided based on the sensing data (Paragraph 0058, where an alarm is issued based on fault detection event), acquiring sensing data indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light (Figure 1b and Paragraph 055, where backscatter light is received), and transmitting a specification result of the event as the state information (Paragraph 0058, where an OTDR measurement is triggered as result of alarm to measure severity of fault and is determined which group of ONTs alarm belongs to). Although, Urban does not disclose in a residential area or around a residential area of a building, it would be obvious/known to one of skill in the ordinary art that ONUs are commonly implemented in residential areas and the PON of Urban could be implemented in a residential area to achieve the results of the claim.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 15, Marony discloses an optical fiber sensing method by an optical fiber sensing device, the optical fiber sensing method comprising: an output step of outputting pulsed light to one end of an optical fiber having one end connected to an optical network unit (ONU) (Figure 7 and Column 11 Lines 23-24, where test pulse light 604 is transmitted on fiber 318a); a receiving step of receiving backscattered light for the pulsed light from the one end of the optical fiber (Figure 7 and Column 12, Lines 48-49, fiber element 318 receives backscattered light) but does not disclose a transmission step of transmitting state information indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light.
However, Urban discloses a transmission step of transmitting state information indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered (Paragraph 55, information such as fault in the fiber is received in backscattered light and forwarded to OTDR element 180 for analysis).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 16, Mahony does not disclose the limitations of this claim
However, Urban discloses the optical fiber sensing method according to claim 15, wherein in the transmission step, the state information is transmitted via a passive optical network (PON) line. (Paragraph 055 where backscatter containing fault information is transported through fiber links between a remote node and an ONU and Paragraph 0041 where ONU and remote node are part of a PON).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 17, Mahony The optical fiber sensing method according to claim 16, wherein the optical fiber is the PON line. (Figure 7, element 318a is within a PON).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Consider Claim 20, Mahony does not disclose limitations of this claim.
However, Urban discloses the optical fiber sensing method according to claims 15, further comprising a step of acquiring sensing data indicating a state around the optical fiber based on the backscattered light (Figure 1b and Paragraph 055, where backscatter light is received), wherein in the transmission step, the sensing data is transmitted as the state information. (Figure 1b and Paragraph 0055, where element 180 forwards backscattered light containing fault information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Urban into Mahony to better identify and improve the conditions of the fiber within a PON.
Claims 4, 11, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mahony in view of Urban and further in view of Huang (US 20200200592).
Consider Claim 4, Mahony and Urban do not disclose the limitations of this claim.
However, Huang discloses the optical fiber sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is an optical fiber dedicated to sensing (Figure 1 and paragraph 0030, where element 402 is a fiber employed for sensing).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Huang into Mahony and Urban so that there is less interference between transmitted signals and sensed signals.
Consider Claim 11, Mahony does not disclose the limitations of this claim.
However, Huang discloses the optical fiber sensing device according to claim 8, wherein the optical fiber is an optical fiber dedicated to sensing (Figure 1 and paragraph 0030, where element 402 is a fiber employed for sensing).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Huang into Mahony and Urban so that there is less interference between transmitted signals and sensed signals.
Consider Claim 18, Mahony and Urban do not disclose the limitations of this claim.
However, Huang the optical fiber sensing method according to claim 15, wherein the optical fiber is an optical fiber dedicated to sensing. (Figure 1 and paragraph 0030, where element 402 is a fiber employed for sensing).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof Huang into Mahony and Urban so that there is less interference between transmitted signals and sensed signals.
Claim 5, 12, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mahony in view of Urban and further in view of McCaul (US 8160457)
Consider Claim 5, Mahony and Urban do not disclose the limitations of this claim.
However, McCaul discloses the optical fiber sensing system according to claim 1, building in which the ONU is provided (Figure 1, ONU element 106 corresponds to housing element 108). While McCaul does not explicitly disclose wherein the optical fiber is laid so as to surround a periphery of a residential area, it would be obvious to one of skill in the ordinary art that it in order for the ONU to communicate with the house, there would be fiber around the house to support that function.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof McCaul into Mahony and Urban to provide better fiber quality to multiple residences.
Consider Claim 12, Mahony and Urban do not disclose the limitations of this claim.
However, McCaul discloses the optical fiber sensing system according to claim 8, building in which the ONU is provided (Figure 1, ONU element 106 corresponds to housing element 108). While McCaul does not explicitly disclose wherein the optical fiber is laid so as to surround a periphery of a residential area, it would be obvious to one of skill in the ordinary art that it in order for the ONU to communicate with the house, there would be fiber around the house to support that function.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof McCaul into Mahony and Urban to provide better fiber quality to multiple residences.
Consider Claim 19, Mahony and Urban do not disclose the limitations of this claim.
However, McCaul discloses the optical fiber sensing method according to claim 15, wherein the optical fiber is laid so as to surround a periphery of a residential area of a building in which the ONU is provided. (Figure 1, ONU element 106 corresponds to housing element 108). While McCaul does not explicitly disclose wherein the optical fiber is laid so as to surround a periphery of a residential area, it would be obvious to one of skill in the ordinary art that it in order for the ONU to communicate with the house, there would be fiber around the house to support that function.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before theeffective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachingsof McCaul into Mahony and Urban to provide better fiber quality to multiple residences.
Conclusion
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/ASIF SHAMEEM/Examiner, Art Unit 2634
/KENNETH N VANDERPUYE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2634