DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 9,10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites the limitation " the photodetectors of claim 8" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim since claim 8 has a single photodetector.
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 1,2,7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Omi et al.(US 2010/0253616).
Considering claim 1 Omi discloses a photoreceiver circuit for a photodetector(See fig. 12a i.e. a photoreceiver circuit(77) for a photodetector(1)), the photoreceiver circuit being for providing an output signal: the photoreceiver circuit comprising: a photodiode configured to receive an optical signal during a charge period and generate a charge corresponding to an intensity of the optical signal(See Paragraph 62,239,240, fig. 12a i.e. photodiode(1) configured to receive an optical signal during a charge period and generate a charge corresponding to an intensity of the optical signal); at least one integrating transistor configured to accumulate the charge generated by the photodiode(See Paragraph 96,97,241, fig. 12a i.e. at least one integrating transistor which is amplifier(13) configured to accumulate the charge generated by the photodiode(1)); a first comparator configured to compare an output of the integrating transistor caused by said accumulated charge to a threshold value and in response, provide said output signal of the photoreceiver circuit(See Paragraph 239,240, fig. 12a i.e. a first comparator(21) configured to compare an output of the integrating transistor(13) caused by said accumulated charge to a threshold value(comparison voltage) and in response, provide said output signal of the photoreceiver circuit(77)); and a reset circuit element configured to reset the photodiode after the charge period(See Paragraph 240,241, fig. 12a i.e. a reset circuit element(16) configured to reset the photodiode(1) after the charge period).
Considering claim 2 Omi discloses the photoreceiver circuit of claim 1, wherein the reset circuit element is configured to receive a reset signal, and in response to the reset signal, reset a voltage of the photodiode and leave the photodiode floating(See Paragraph 99,118,240, fig. 12a i.e. wherein the reset circuit element(16) is configured to receive a reset signal(monitoring signal from the comparator(21)), and in response to the reset signal, reset a voltage of the photodiode(1) by turning off the switch element(17) and leave the photodiode(1) floating).
Considering claim 7 Omi discloses the photoreceiver circuit of claim 1, wherein the photodiode, reset circuit element, integrating transistor and comparator are disposed on a single die.
Claim 8 is rejected for the same reason as in claim 1.
Claim 9 Omi discloses a photodetector array, comprising a plurality of the photodetectors of claim 8(See Paragraph 239, fig. 5,8a i.e. a photodetector array(1,2), comprising a plurality of the photodetectors(1,2) of claim 8).
Claim 10 Omi discloses a chiplet comprising the photodetector array of claim 9(See Paragraph 76,187,193, fig. 5,12a i.e. chiplet(6a of fig.8a) comprising the photodetector array(1,2) of claim 9).
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 of this title, 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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Omi et al.(US 2010/0253616) in view of Machashi(US 2017/0318248)
Considering claim 3 Omi does not explicitly disclose the photoreceiver circuit of claim 1, comprising a second comparator, the first comparator and second comparator constituting a pair of comparators, the pair of comparators being configured to be operated alternately.
Machashi teaches the photoreceiver circuit of claim 1, comprising a second comparator, the first comparator and second comparator constituting a pair of comparators, the pair of comparators being configured to be operated alternately(See Paragraph 76, fig 2 i.e. a second comparator(220), the first comparator(211) and second comparator(220) constituting a pair of comparators, the pair of comparators being configured to be operated alternately(switching between operating and non-operating status)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Omi, and have a second comparator, the first comparator and second comparator to constitute a pair of comparators, the pair of comparators to be configured to be operated alternately, as taught by Machashi, thus providing an efficient transmission system by increasing lifecycle of the first comparator and also reduce power consumption by performing alternate operation with another comparator, as discussed by Machashi (Paragraph 75).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Omi et al.(US 2010/0253616) in view of Sato et al.(US 4,825,113).
Considering claim 11 Omi does not explicitly disclose an optical receiver unit for connection to an optical transmitter unit via a multicore fibre optic cable, the optical receiver unit comprising: the photoreceiver circuit of claim 1; a controller configured to: receive the output signal of the photoreceiver circuit: decode data from the received output signal of the photoreceiver circuit, and provide the decoded data to a receiving computer system.
Sato teaches an optical receiver unit for connection to an optical transmitter unit via a multicore fibre optic cable, the optical receiver unit comprising: the photoreceiver circuit of claim 1(See Col. 3 lines 43-50, fig. 1 i.e. the optical receiver unit(30) comprising: the photoreceiver circuit(31)); a controller configured to: receive the output signal of the photoreceiver circuit: decode data from the received output signal of the photoreceiver circuit, and provide the decoded data to a receiving computer system(See Col. 4 lines 23-30, fig. 1 i.e. a controller(34) configured to: receive the output signal of the photoreceiver circuit(31): decode data from the received output signal of the photoreceiver circuit(31), and provide the decoded data to a receiving computer system(50,60)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Omi, and have an optical receiver unit to comprise the photoreceiver circuit of claim 1; a controller to be configured to: receive the output signal of the photoreceiver circuit: decode data from the received output signal of the photoreceiver circuit, and provide the decoded data to a receiving computer system, as taught by Sato, thus improving transmission signal quality by reducing signal loss/crosstalk due to a failure by determining a frequency offset between sending and receiving signals by decoding the received signal using a decoder and forwarding the decoded signal into a line diagnose circuit, as discussed by Sato (Abstract, Col. 9 lines 13-20).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6, 12-15 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HIBRET A WOLDEKIDAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5145. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DAVID C PAYNE can be reached at (571)272-3024. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HIBRET A WOLDEKIDAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2635
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