Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
Claims 1-10 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 1 is indefinite because there is insufficient antecedent basis for "the other ends" in lines 9-10. Deletion of "the" from line 9 is suggested.
Claim 1 is also indefinite because line 11 recites "less than at least one-half", which appears to recite multiple ranges within a single claim (note MPEP 2173.05(c)). In particular "at least one-half" covers 0.5 to infinity, while "less than at least one-half" covers something less than 0.5 to infinity. It is noted that "less than ... at least" in general covers all possible values. Thus it is not clear what relation between the entire length of the second exit area and the entire length of the first exit area applicant intends to cover. For the purpose of comparison with prior art in this action, it will be assumed that "at least" is deleted from line 11 of claim 1.
Claims 2-10 are indefinite by dependence from claim 1.
Claim 17 is indefinite because there is insufficient antecedent basis for "the other ends" in line 17. Deletion of "the" from line 17 is suggested.
Claim 17 is also indefinite because lines 18-19 recite "less than at least one-half". See the discussion above with regard to claim 1. For the purpose of comparison with prior art in this action, it will be assumed that "at least" is deleted from lines 18-19 of claim 17.
Claims 18-19 are indefinite by dependence from claim 17.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 7, and 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 12353031 B1.
Claim 1: '031 discloses an optical coupling structure, adapted for a photonic integrated circuit, the optical coupling structure comprising (see mainly figs. 4-6):
a waveguide device 314 comprising a waveguide substrate 315 comprising a first guide surface (right edge surface in figs. 4 and 5) and a second guide surface 318 located opposite to the first guide surface, and
a plurality of optical waveguide paths 320 arranged on the waveguide substrate and extending between the first guide surface and the second guide surface, wherein
the first guide surface defines a first light exit area at which ends of the optical waveguide paths are exposed (at facets 323),
the second guide surface defines a second light exit area at which 321), and
the second light exit area has an entire length less than
an optical fiber assembly 322 connected to the first guide surface of the waveguide substrate.
Claim 2: The waveguide substrate further comprises a first corner portion, a second corner portion, and an intermediate portion located between the first corner portion and the second corner portion and arranged on the second guide surface, wherein the second light exit area is located at the first corner portion, the second corner portion, or the intermediate portion (in particular, at the intermediate portion as illustrated).
Claim 3: The waveguide substrate is defined into a first region, a second region, and a third region located between the first region and the second region, wherein the optical waveguide paths in the first region are arranged at a first pitch P2, and the optical waveguide paths in the second region are arranged at a second pitch P1 less than the first pitch (fig. 5).
Claim 4: A pitch between adjacent ones of the optical waveguide paths in the third region is changed from the first pitch to the second pitch such that the optical waveguide paths in the third region are configured in a fan-out and a fan-in arrangement.
Claim 5: The optical fiber assembly 322 comprises a plurality 324 of optical fibers, the optical waveguide paths are equal to the optical fibers in number, and the optical waveguide paths arranged in the first region are in alignment with the optical fibers (note in fig. 6 the grooves 326 which receive the fibers).
Claim 7: A thickness of the waveguide substrate 315 is greater than a thickness t2 of the photonic integrated circuit (fig. 4).
Claim 9: The waveguide device is made of a material comprising silica, lithium niobate (LiNbO3), or polymers (silica as mentioned in col. 8 lns. 33-34).
Claim 10: The optical waveguide paths 320 are arranged in an array, the entire length of the first light exit area is measured between two outermost optical waveguide paths with respect to the first guide surface, and the entire length of the second light exit area is measured between two outermost optical waveguide paths with respect to the second guide surface (fig. 5).
Claim 11: '031 disclose a waveguide device, adapted for a photonic integrated circuit, the waveguide device comprising:
a waveguide substrate comprising a first guide surface and a second guide surface located opposite to the first guide surface;
a first corner portion arranged on the second guide surface;
a second corner portion arranged on the second guide surface;
an intermediate portion located between the first corner portion and the second corner portion and arranged on the second guide surface; and
a plurality of optical waveguide paths arranged on the waveguide substrate and extending between the first guide surface and the second guide surface; wherein
an end of each of the optical waveguide paths is exposed at the first corner portion, the second corner portion, or the intermediate portion, and
another end of each of the optical waveguide paths is exposed at the first guide surface. See above with regard to claims 1 and 2.
Claim 12: See above with regard to claim 3.
Claim 13: See above with regard to claim 4.
Claim 14: See above with regard to claims 1 and 5.
Claim 15: See above with regard to claim 9.
Claim 16: See above with regard to claim 7.
Claims 1-6 and 9-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2002-277675 A. Any paragraph numbers mentioned are those of the appended EPO machine translation.
Claim 1: '675 discloses an optical coupling structure, adapted for a photonic integrated circuit, the optical coupling structure comprising (see mainly figs. 1-3):
a waveguide device 2 comprising a waveguide substrate comprising a first guide surface (right edge surface as oriented figs. 1-2) and a second guide surface (left edge surface) located opposite to the first guide surface, and
a plurality of optical waveguide paths (waveguides in waveguide group 21, which are split into waveguides in waveguide groups 22 and 23, [0027]-[0028]) arranged on the waveguide substrate and extending between the first guide surface and the second guide surface, wherein
the first guide surface defines a first light exit area at which ends (the right ends) of the optical waveguide paths are exposed,
the second guide surface defines a second light exit area at which
the second light exit area has an entire length less than 22 or group 23 is 127 µm and the pitch of group 21 is 25 µm, so the ratio of the entire length of the second light exit area to the entire length of the first light exit area is less than 25:127 1, which is less than 1:5 and hence also less than one-half); and
an optical fiber assembly (including optical fibers 3 or 4) connected to the first guide surface of the waveguide substrate.
Claim 2: The waveguide substrate further comprises a first corner portion, a second corner portion, and an intermediate portion located between the first corner portion and the second corner portion and arranged on the second guide surface, wherein the second light exit area is located at the first corner portion, the second corner portion, or the intermediate portion (at the intermediate portion as illustrated).
Claim 3: The waveguide substrate is defined into a first region, a second region, and a third region located between the first region and the second region, wherein the optical waveguide paths in the first region are arranged at a first pitch (127 µm), and the optical waveguide paths in the second region are arranged at a second pitch (25 µm) less than the first pitch.
Claim 4: A pitch between adjacent ones of the optical waveguide paths in the third region is changed from the first pitch to the second pitch such that the optical waveguide paths in the third region are configured in a fan-out and a fan-in arrangement.
Claim 5: The optical fiber assembly comprises a plurality of optical fibers, the optical waveguide paths are equal to the optical fibers in number (256 of each in the illustrated example), and the optical waveguide paths arranged in the first region are in alignment with the optical fibers.
Claim 6: The waveguide substrate has a length being parallel with the first guide surface and greater than 20 millimeters. Since there are 256 waveguides and the pitch of the waveguides at the first light exit area is 127 µm, the length of the substrate parallel to the first guide surface is at least 256 x 0.127 mm = 32.512 mm, which exceeds 20 mm as recited. The total length is actually longer than 32.512 mm because of the space between the lowermost waveguide of group 22 and the uppermost waveguide of group 23 as shown in fig. 2.
Claim 9: The waveguide device is made of a material comprising silica, lithium niobate (LiNbO3), or polymers (silica as mentioned in [0025]).
Claim 10: The optical waveguide paths are arranged in an array, the entire length of the first light exit area is measured between two outermost optical waveguide paths with respect to the first guide surface, and the entire length of the second light exit area is measured between two outermost optical waveguide paths with respect to the second guide surface.
Claim 11: '675 discloses a waveguide device, adapted for a photonic integrated circuit, the waveguide device comprising:
a waveguide substrate comprising a first guide surface and a second guide surface located opposite to the first guide surface;
a first corner portion arranged on the second guide surface;
a second corner portion arranged on the second guide surface;
an intermediate portion located between the first corner portion and the second corner portion and arranged on the second guide surface; and
a plurality of optical waveguide paths arranged on the waveguide substrate and extending between the first guide surface and the second guide surface; wherein
an end of each of the optical waveguide paths is exposed at the first corner portion, the second corner portion, or the intermediate portion, and
another end of each of the optical waveguide paths is exposed at the first guide surface. See above with regard to claims 1 and 2.
Claim 12: See above with regard to claim 3.
Claim 13: See above with regard to claim 4.
Claim 14: See above with regard to claims 1 and 5.
Claim 15: See above with regard to claim 9.
Claims 1-5, 8, and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2016/0327749 A1.
Claim 1: '749 discloses an optical coupling structure, adapted for a photonic integrated circuit, the optical coupling structure comprising (see mainly fig. 5):
a waveguide device 550 comprising a waveguide substrate comprising a first guide surface 561 and a second guide surface 562 located opposite to the first guide surface, and
a plurality of optical waveguide paths 551 arranged on the waveguide substrate and extending between the first guide surface and the second guide surface, wherein
the first guide surface defines a first light exit area at which ends of the optical waveguide paths are exposed,
the second guide surface defines a second light exit area at which
the second light exit area has an entire length less than 523 is about 20 µm and pitch 513 is about 125 µm, so the ratio of the entire lengths is about 20:125 or about 0.16, which is less than one-half); and
an optical fiber assembly 510 connected to the first guide surface of the waveguide substrate.
Claim 2: The waveguide substrate further comprises a first corner portion, a second corner portion, and an intermediate portion located between the first corner portion and the second corner portion and arranged on the second guide surface, wherein the second light exit area is located at the first corner portion, the second corner portion, or the intermediate portion (at the intermediate portion as illustrated).
Claim 3: The waveguide substrate is defined into a first region, a second region, and a third region located between the first region and the second region, wherein the optical waveguide paths in the first region are arranged at a first pitch (about 125 µm), and the optical waveguide paths in the second region are arranged at a second pitch (about 20 µm) less than the first pitch.
Claim 4: A pitch between adjacent ones of the optical waveguide paths in the third region is changed from the first pitch to the second pitch such that the optical waveguide paths in the third region are configured in a fan-out and a fan-in arrangement.
Claim 5: The optical fiber assembly 510 comprises a plurality of optical fibers 511, the optical waveguide paths are equal to the optical fibers in number, and the optical waveguide paths arranged in the first region are in alignment with the optical fibers (fig. 5).
Claim 8: The optical waveguide paths 551 are arranged in an array on an upper surface of the waveguide device ([0043], note waveguide regions 1110 in fig. 11).
Claim 10: The optical waveguide paths are arranged in an array, the entire length of the first light exit area is measured between two outermost optical waveguide paths with respect to the first guide surface, and the entire length of the second light exit area is measured between two outermost optical waveguide paths with respect to the second guide surface.
Claim 11: '749 discloses a waveguide device, adapted for a photonic integrated circuit, the waveguide device comprising:
a waveguide substrate comprising a first guide surface and a second guide surface located opposite to the first guide surface;
a first corner portion arranged on the second guide surface;
a second corner portion arranged on the second guide surface;
an intermediate portion located between the first corner portion and the second corner portion and arranged on the second guide surface; and
a plurality of optical waveguide paths arranged on the waveguide substrate and extending between the first guide surface and the second guide surface; wherein
an end of each of the optical waveguide paths is exposed at the first corner portion, the second corner portion, or the intermediate portion, and
another end of each of the optical waveguide paths is exposed at the first guide surface. See above with regard to claims 1 and 2.
Claim 12: See above with regard to claim 3.
Claim 13: See above with regard to claim 4.
Claim 14: See above with regard to claims 1 and 5.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-19 would be allowable if claim 17 is suitably amended to resolve the indefiniteness issues mentioned above. The applied references do not disclose or suggest an optoelectronic system which, in addition to the elements in common with claim 1, further includes a main board, a load board, and an electronic integrated circuit arranged in the recited manner.
Conclusion
The additional references listed on the attached 892 form are considered generally relevant to the subject matter of this application. Several of them disclose other examples of fan-out structures.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mike Stahl at 571-272-2360. 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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/Michael Stahl/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
1 because of the distance between the waveguide coupled to O128 and the waveguide coupled to O129 in fig. 2
Prosecution Insights