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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11-6-24, 7-24-25, 7-24-25, and 12-23-25 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-6, 9 and 10are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being fully anticipated by Sugiyama et al. (US20150117867).
Re claim 1, Sugiyama et al. teaches for example in fig. 5, 6 and 8-10, an electro-optic modulator (abstract), comprising a light-splitting element (P1), a light-combining element (P2), two waveguide arms (22, 23, 25, 26), and a modulation electrode (para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073), wherein the two waveguide arms are connected between the light-splitting element and the light-combining element (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073), each waveguide arm comprising a first single-mode waveguide portion , a first coupling portion, a multi-mode waveguide portion, a second coupling portion, and a second single-mode waveguide portion (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073), wherein the width of either of the first single-mode waveguide portion and the second single-mode waveguide portion is smaller than the width of the multi-mode waveguide portion (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073); the first coupling portion is configured to enable light to be coupled into the multi-mode waveguide portion from the first single-mode waveguide portion, and the second coupling portion is configured to enable light to be coupled into the second single-mode waveguide portion from the multi-mode waveguide portion (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073); and the modulation electrode is configured to apply a modulation voltage to the multi-mode waveguide portion of the two waveguide arms (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073).
Re claim 2, Sugiyama et al. further teaches for example in fig. 5, 6 and 8-10, the first coupling portion comprises a first portion connected to the first single-mode waveguide portion and a second portion connected to the multi-mode waveguide portion, the first portion being opposite to the second portion, and the width of the first portion gradually decreases in the direction away from the first single-mode waveguide portion (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073).
Re claim 3, Sugiyama et al. further teaches for example in fig. 5, 6 and 8-10, the second coupling portion comprises a third portion connected to the second single-mode waveguide portion and a fourth portion connected to the multi-mode waveguide portion, the third portion being opposite to the fourth portion, and the width of the third portion gradually increases in the direction close to the second single-mode waveguide portion (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073).
Re claim 4, Sugiyama et al. further teaches for example in fig. 5, 6 and 8-10, the first coupling portion comprises a first portion connected to the first single-mode waveguide portion and a second portion connected to the multi-mode waveguide portion, the second portion being opposite to the first portion, and the width of the second portion gradually increases in the direction away from the first single-mode waveguide portion (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073).
Re claim 5, Sugiyama et al. further teaches for example in fig. 5, 6 and 8-10, the second coupling portion comprises a third portion connected to the second single-mode waveguide portion and a fourth portion connected to the multi-mode waveguide portion, the fourth portion being opposite to the third portion, and the width of the fourth portion gradually decreases in the direction close to the second single-mode waveguide portion (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073).
Re claim 6, Sugiyama et al. further teaches for example in fig. 5, 6 and 8-10, the first coupling portion is a first multi-mode interference coupling element, and the second coupling portion is a second multi-mode interference coupling element (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073).
Re claim 9, Sugiyama et al. further teaches for example in fig. 5, 6 and 8-10, each waveguide arm comprises a first single-mode waveguide portion, a first coupling portion, a multi-mode waveguide portion, a second coupling portion and a second single-mode waveguide portion arranged in sequence, wherein the first single-mode waveguide portions of the two waveguide arms are respectively connected to the light-splitting element, and the second single-mode waveguide portions of the two waveguide arms are respectively connected to the light-combining element (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073).
Re claim 10, Sugiyama et al. further teaches for example in fig. 5, 6 and 8-10, the first single-mode waveguide portions of the two waveguide arms are curved and symmetrically arranged; and the second single-mode waveguide portions of the two waveguide arms are curved and symmetrically arranged (fig. 5, 6, 8-10; para. 0053-0056; 0059-0063; 0064-0068; 0071-0073).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 8, and 11-13 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art taken alone or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the claims, in such a manner that a rejection would be proper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the claimed features as presented in dependent claims 7, 8, and 11.
Specifically regarding claim 7, Sugiyama et al. (US20150117867) teaches the state of the art of an electro-optic modulator.
But, Sugiyama et al. fails to explicitly teach a combination of all the claimed features including the first multi-mode interference coupling element comprises a first rectangular interference portion, a first width increasing portion, and/or a first width decreasing portion, wherein the first width increasing portion is connected between the first single-mode waveguide portion and the first rectangular interference portion, and the width of the first width increasing portion gradually increases in the direction close to the first rectangular interference portion; and the first width decreasing portion is connected between the first rectangular interference portion and the multi-mode waveguide portion, and the width of the first width decreasing portion gradually decreases in the direction away from the first rectangular interference portion, as claimed.
Specifically regarding claim 8, Sugiyama et al. (US20150117867) teaches the state of the art of an electro-optic modulator.
But, Sugiyama et al. fails to explicitly teach a combination of all the claimed features including the second multi-mode interference coupling element comprises a second rectangular interference portion, a second width increasing portion, and/or a second width decreasing portion, wherein the second width increasing portion is connected between the multi-mode waveguide portion and the second rectangular interference portion, and the width of the second width increasing portion gradually increases in the direction close to the second rectangular interference portion; and the second width decreasing portion is connected between the second rectangular interference portion and the second single-mode waveguide portion, and the width of the second width decreasing portion gradually decreases in the direction away from the second rectangular interference portion, as claimed.
Specifically regarding claim 11, Sugiyama et al. (US20150117867) teaches the state of the art of an electro-optic modulator.
But, Sugiyama et al. fails to explicitly teach a combination of all the claimed features including the electro-optic modulator has a folded structure and includes at least one bending region; and each waveguide arm includes a plurality of unit segments, each unit segment including a first single-mode waveguide portion, a first coupling portion, a multi-mode waveguide portion, a second coupling portion and a second single-mode waveguide portion arranged in sequence, and in any two adjacent unit segments, a second single-mode waveguide portion of one unit segment is integrally connected to a first single-mode waveguide portion of the other unit segment in the bending region, as claimed.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Jeong (US20110129236).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH P MARTINEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-2335. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am to 7pm PACIFIC.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at (571) 272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Joseph P Martinez/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 9-29-26
