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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, Line 12, “the structure” should be rewritten as – the dielectric waveguide structure --;
Claim 1, Line 18, “the structure” should be rewritten as –the metal waveguide structure --.
These modifications would be beneficial to maintain consistent claim terminology.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-13 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. Claims 2-6, 8, 10 and 12 depend upon rejected claim 1 and inherit the deficiency thereby.
Claim 1, Line 4, “high-speed semiconductor substrate” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art what causes the semiconductor substrate to be “high-speed” and what values or parameters would define the speed, therefore leaving the boundaries of the claim unclear.
Claim 1, Line 20, “preferably” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art as to whether the tapered coupler is or is not intended to positively include a tapered slot antenna, therefore leaving the boundaries of the claim unclear and uncertain.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the high-speed photodiode" in Line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the high-speed photodiode" in Line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the optical fiber" in Lines 3 and 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11, Line 3 and Claim 13, Line 3, “such as” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art as to whether these materials are or are not the ones as listed and if they are intended to positively include these limitations, therefore leaving the boundaries of the claim unclear and uncertain.
Appropriate correction is required.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
disclosure.
The most pertinent prior art is Bae (US 10777865), a reference as cited by the applicant, which teaches a structure for transmitting or receiving high-frequency signals with a substrate, a dielectric waveguide structure, and the first access port.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABIGAIL YALDO whose telephone number is (703)756-1784. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7 AM - 4 PM.
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/ABIGAIL AMIR YALDO/ Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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