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 .
Status of Claims
The following is a non-final, first office action in response to the communication filed 08/08/2024. Claims 1-4 are currently pending and have been examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/08/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Savage-Leuchs, Matthias P. (US-8089689-A1; hereinafter Savage-Leuchs).
Regarding claim 1, Savage-Leuchs discloses An optical fiber amplifier (see at least [0004]; "The invention relates generally to high-power optical fiber amplifiers and lasers and more particularly to methods and apparatus for forming an amplifier or laser using a plurality of spliced-together fiber segments with different-sized cores.") comprising: an amplification optical fiber doped with a rare earth element, (see at least [0006]; "To suppress these effects in a fiber amplifier/laser, it is desirable to use a rare-earth-doped (RE-doped) fiber with a large core.") wherein a pump light combiner (see at least [0062]; "FIG. 1E is a schematic plan view (not to scale) of an amplifier system 104 with a plurality of amplifying fiber segments 120 having like-sized cores and a high-NA-core connector segment 170 (having one or more pump-injection ports 173 and/or 174) fused between and connecting each pair of amplifying segments 120,”) for injecting multimode (see at least [0045]; "A sequence of spliced active fibers with successively increased core diameters (e.g., 5, 12, and 23 microns) is used to enable improved mode matching into a multimode fiber with a uniform cladding diameter (e.g., 125 microns) over the total amplifier length.") pump light into a cladding region of the amplification optical fiber (see at least [0062]; “In some embodiments, each amplifying fiber segment 120 includes a core 125 doped with a lasing species, an inner cladding 126 for carrying pump light in a counter-propagating direction, and an outer cladding 127 that contains the pump light within the fiber segment 120.”) is connected to an input end or an output end of the amplification optical fiber, and (see at least [0062]; "wherein the connector segment 170 is fused on one end to one of the pair of amplifying segments 120, and on the opposite end to the other of the pair of amplifying segments 120.") a reflective device for reflecting the pump light and transmitting signal light (see at least [0076]; "In some embodiments, the signal and the pump light pass in opposite directions through lens 112, with the signal passing left-to-right before passing through a dichroic mirror (or other wavelength-sensitive reflective device) 113, which is substantially transparent to the signal wavelength and highly reflective to the pump wavelength.") is connected to an end part, (see at least [0076]; "The signal continues through the light-gate subsystem 118, while the pump light is reflected back into the signal-amplifying fiber 120 to amplify the signal.") of the amplification optical fiber, (see at least [0006]; "To suppress these effects in a fiber amplifier/laser, it is desirable to use a rare-earth-doped (RE-doped) fiber with a large core.") to which the pump light combiner is not connected. (see at least Figure 3C and [0062]; "FIG. 1E is a schematic plan view (not to scale) of an amplifier system 104 with a plurality of amplifying fiber segments 120 having like-sized cores and a high-NA-core connector segment 170 (having one or more pump-injection ports 173 and/or 174) fused between and connecting each pair of amplifying segments 120,").
Regarding claim 4, Savage-Leuchs discloses The optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the amplification optical fiber (see at least [0006]; "To suppress these effects in a fiber amplifier/laser, it is desirable to use a rare-earth-doped (RE-doped) fiber with a large core.") is a multicore fiber having two or more cores in an optical fiber cross-section thereof. (see at least [0075]; "In some embodiments, one or more of the amplifying sections have cores that are defined by photonic-crystal structures (e.g., an array of longitudinal holes extending the length of the core). In some embodiments, two or more of the cores of sections 120, 130, or 140 are embedded in a single slab or multi-core fiber.").
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Savage-Leuchs and Naganuma et al. (US-6452720-B1; hereinafter Naganuma).
Regarding claim 3, Savage-Leuchs discloses [Note: what Savage-Leuchs fails to disclose is strike-through] The optical fiber amplifier (see at least [0004]; "The invention relates generally to high-power optical fiber amplifiers and lasers and more particularly to methods and apparatus for forming an amplifier or laser using a plurality of spliced-together fiber segments with different-sized cores.") according to claim 1, wherein the reflective device (see at least [0076]; "FIG. 3C is a schematic plan block diagram (not to scale) of a light gate subsystem 118 for use with a plurality of fiber segments optionally having different core sizes to provide a synchronized light gate 315 between two of the segments.”) includes (see at least [0076]; "In some embodiments, the signal and the pump light pass in opposite directions through lens 112, with the signal passing left-to-right before passing through a dichroic mirror (or other wavelength-sensitive reflective device) 113, which is substantially transparent to the signal wavelength and highly reflective to the pump wavelength.") of the amplification optical fiber, (see at least [0006]; "To suppress these effects in a fiber amplifier/laser, it is desirable to use a rare-earth-doped (RE-doped) fiber with a large core.") and the (see at least [0076]; "In some embodiments, the signal and the pump light pass in opposite directions through lens 112, with the signal passing left-to-right before passing through a dichroic mirror (or other wavelength-sensitive reflective device) 113, which is substantially transparent to the signal wavelength and highly reflective to the pump wavelength.").
However, Savage-Leuchs does not explicitly teach pump light reflection filter. Instead, Savage-Leuchs teaches reflective device and cladding region.
Savage-Leuchs discloses a method to have a signal go through a light gate and Naganuma is directed at a reflection filter. Naganuma teaches:
Reflection filter (see at least Figure 5 and [0053]; "A fiber grating FG as the band-reflection filter 4 is formed intermediately or at an end of the optical fiber 6… Part of the light beam OB supplied to the optical fiber 6 is Bragg reflected by the fiber grating FG and outputted as a reflection beam RB from the end surface of the core 6a.").
Reflective filter also reflects pump light (see at least Figure 6 and [0055]; "The filter 16 includes a transparent substrate 18 made of glass or the like, and a dielectric multi-layer film 20 formed on the transparent substrate 18… The dielectric multi-layer film 20 is disposed perpendicularly to a collimate beam between the lenses 12 and 14 in order to secure a necessary coupling efficiency of the reflection beam RB to the light emitting element 2.").
Pump light reflection filter reflecting back to cladding region of amplification optical fiber (see at least Figure 7 and [0056]; "The transmission beam TB is converged by the lens 14 and enters the optical fiber 10 through an end surface of the core 10a of the optical fiber 10. The reflection beam RB is converged by the lens 12 and enters the light emitting element 2.").
Both Savage-Leuchs and Naganuma can reflect pump light. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method used in Savage-Leuchs to include hardware as taught by Naganuma. One of ordinary skill would be motivated to include hardware that would allow the light gate of Savage-Leuchs to include a reflection filter as taught by Naganuma as the dichroic mirror taught by Savage-Leuchs may not be enough to be considered a suitable reflection filter because is reflects pump light but not transmitted signals. Therefore, the claimed invention is reproduced by adding hardware from Naganuma into the light gate of Savage-Leuchs.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 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 equation utilized is considered novel for no current subject matter before the date of the claimed invention has specified using residual pump light output with pump light input as a residual coefficient for the reflection efficiency. The following describes what the prior arts teach and fail to disclose:
Reference by Savage-Leuchs discloses Reflection and Reflective device, but fails to disclose “R > 0.5 + 0.30126s - 0.065695s2 + 0.26456s3 with respect to residual coefficient s = Ppi/Ppo.”
Reflection (see at least Figure 2 and [0046]; "In some embodiments, each of the pump-light sources injects its light in a co-propagating direction. In some embodiments, an end facet 150 is cleaved or polished onto the end of segment 140, wherein facet 150 is angled and/or coated to reduce internal reflection of output beam 199.").
Reflective Device (see at least figure 3C and [0076]; "In some embodiments, the signal and the pump light pass in opposite directions through lens 112, with the signal passing left-to-right before passing through a dichroic mirror (or other wavelength-sensitive reflective device) 113, which is substantially transparent to the signal wavelength and highly reflective to the pump wavelength.").
Reference by Muendel et al. (US-20210265801-A1; hereinafter Muendel) discloses Reflection efficiency, Residual pump power, and Reflective device, but fails to disclose “R > 0.5 + 0.30126s - 0.065695s2 + 0.26456s3 with respect to residual coefficient s = Ppi/Ppo.”
Reflection efficiency (see at least [0023]; "Nonetheless, as shown in FIG. 2, reflection efficiency is relatively high even up to divergence angles as high as 0.25 radians (e.g., over ˜65% for a reflector structure 110 with a 100 micron diameter pass-through, or over ˜70% for a reflector structure 110 with no output port).").
Residual pump power (see at least [0015]; "In this way, the in-fiber retroreflector may serve to mitigate the potential deleterious effects of cladding-guided light that may contain residual unabsorbed pump light and/or laser light that has escaped from the core into the cladding by blocking the cladding-guided light from accompanying amplified signal light and/or reaching a signal source. Furthermore, in contrast to clad-light strippers that typically remove unabsorbed pump light after one pass through one or more active fibers, the in-fiber retroreflector described herein does not remove the unabsorbed pump light but rather retroreflects the unabsorbed pump light. In this way, the (unabsorbed) retroreflected pump light has another chance to be absorbed in the fiber core, thereby improving performance.").
Reflective device (see at least [0018]; "Accordingly, in designs where the reflector structure 110 has two facets 112, four facets 112, or more than four facets 112, a thin-film reflective coating may be applied to the facets 112 to improve reflectivity of the facets 112.").
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mark A Flores whose telephone number is (571)272-9693. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 8am - 6pm.
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, Vladimir Magloire can be reached at (571) 270-5144. 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.
/MARK ANTHONY FLORES/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/VLADIMIR MAGLOIRE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3648
Prosecution Insights