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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on July 29, 2024 and June 13, 2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
Sixteen sheets for formal drawings were filed July 29, 2024 and have been accepted by the Examiner.
Specification
Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
The claims are objected to for the following reasons(s):
Regarding claim 5, “one of void” in lines 1-2 should be replaced with “one of a void” for grammatical purposes.
Regarding claim 5, “and the hole” in line 4 should be replaced with “and a hole” if a hole extending through the multimode interference region is a distinct (third) condition from a hole extending into the multimode interference region (second condition). If the hole extending through is merely further describing the hole extending into the multimode interference region, there should be an “or” placed between the void and the hole conditions. For the purposes of examination, the claim will be examined as containing three distinct conditions.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Onishi (US 2014/0126855 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Onishi discloses a method for converting a mode of a light (11a in Fig. 1; paragraph 0041), the method comprising: sending the light through a single mode waveguide (45), wherein the light has a first mode while traveling through single mode waveguide; sending the light from the single mode waveguide into a multimode interference region (region between single mode waveguide 45 and multimode waveguide 18) optically coupled to the single mode waveguide; reflecting the light with a cavity (region between 17a and 17b) within the multimode interference region in a manner that causes the light to propagate away from the single mode waveguide; sending the light from the multimode interference region into a second waveguide (18) optically coupled to the multimode interference region, and outputting the light from multimode interference region, wherein the light has a second mode (see Fig. 2; paragraph 0041).
Regarding claim 2, Onishi discloses sending the light output from the multimode interference region into a multimode waveguide (18) in Fig. 1 and paragraphs 0040-0041.
Regarding claims 3 and 16, Onishi discloses the multimode interference region has a shape that is symmetric about a plane for the multimode interference region in Fig. 1.
Regarding claims 4 and 17, Onishi discloses the cavity is symmetric about an axis extending centrally through the multimode interference region (Fig. 1; region between 17a and 17b is symmetric about axis Ax3).
Regarding claims 5 and 18, Onishi discloses the cavity is one of void enclosed within the multimode interference region, a hole extending into the multimode interference region, and a hole extending through the multimode interference region in Fig. 1 and paragraph 0043.
Regarding claims 6, 7, 19 and 20, Onishi discloses the multimode interference region comprises a cladding and a core region within the cladding, wherein the cavity is located in the core region comprised of a first material in the multimode interference region and is filled with a cladding material, which is a second material different from the first material, for the cladding in Fig. 1 and paragraphs 0039 and 0043.
Regarding claims 8-14, Onishi discloses sending the light through a multimode waveguide, wherein the light has a first mode while traveling through multimode waveguide, sending the light from the multimode waveguide into a multimode interference region optically coupled to the multimode waveguide; reflecting the light with a cavity within the multimode interference region in a manner that causes the light to propagate away from the multimode waveguide; and outputting the light from multimode interference region, wherein the light has a second mode in paragraph 0042.
Concise Description of Relevance
The additional references listed in the Notice of References Cited relate to optical fiber mode conversion devices.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRIS H CHU whose telephone number is (571)272-8655. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached on 571-272-239797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Any inquiry of a general or clerical nature should be directed to the Technology Center 2800 receptionist at telephone number (571) 272-1562.
Chris H. Chu
/CHRIS H CHU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874 August 3, 2026
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