CTNF 18/746,490 CTNF 80914 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by US 2022/0065743 (“SIMARD”). Regarding claim 1 , SIMARD teaches an optical device (220; FIGs. 2A, 2B) that is formed on a wafer (pars. [0041], [0042]), the optical device comprising: an optical circuit (226; par. [0070]); a grating coupler (224); and an optical switch (element 204 of element 222; FIGs. 2A, 2B) that includes a first port (at the input of 204) that is connected to the grating coupler, a second port (at the lower output of 204) that is connected to the optical circuit (at 206 in FIG. 2A), and a third port (at upper output of 204) that is connected to a loop mirror (208) by way of a phase shifter (210). Regarding claim 9 , SIMARD teaches a wafer (pars. [0041], [0042]) comprising: a plurality of optical chips (222), wherein each of the optical chips includes an optical circuit (226; par. [0070]), a grating coupler (224), and an optical switch (204) that includes a first port (at input of 204) that is connected to the grating coupler, a second port (at lower output of 204) that is connected to the optical circuit, and a third port (at upper output of 204) that is connected to a loop mirror (208) by way of a phase shifter (210). Regarding claim 10 , SIMARD teaches an optical transceiver (FIGs. 1) comprising: an optical device that is formed on a wafer (pars. [0041], [0042]) and that includes an optical transmitter (106, 126) that transmits transmission light in accordance with an electrical signal; and a signal processing unit that generates the electrical signal (pars. [0071]-[0076]), wherein the optical device includes an optical circuit (102; par. [0070]) that includes the optical transmitter, a grating coupler (224), and an optical switch (204) that includes a first port (at input) that is connected to the grating coupler, a second port (at lower output) that is connected to the optical circuit, and a third port (at upper output) that is connected to a loop mirror (208) by way of a phase shifter (210). Regarding claim 11 , SIMARD teaches that the optical device includes an optical receiver (108, 128) that converts reception light to the electrical signal . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 2-8 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. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record, whether taken individually or in combination, when considered in light of the claimed subject matter as a whole as interpreted in light of the Specification as originally filed fails to disclose or render obvious that the optical switch inputs input light from the first port, and in the optical switch, when the optical switch branches and outputs the input light that has been input from the first port to the second port and the third port, a branching ratio between the second port and the third port being set such that return light at the same level as reflected light with respect to the input light received from the grating coupler is able to be obtained from the third port, and in the phase shifter, an amount of phase shift of the return light transmitting to the third port is set in a direction in which the reflected light received from the grating coupler is canceled out . Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERRY M BLEVINS whose telephone number is (571)272-8581. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday. 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. /JERRY M BLEVINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874 Application/Control Number: 18/746,490 Page 2 Art Unit: 2874 Application/Control Number: 18/746,490 Page 3 Art Unit: 2874 Application/Control Number: 18/746,490 Page 4 Art Unit: 2874 Application/Control Number: 18/746,490 Page 5 Art Unit: 2874
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