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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Information Disclosure Statement
The art submitted by Applicant has been considered by the Examiner in the same manner as other documents in Office search files are considered while conducting a search of the prior art in a proper field of search (see MPEP 609). Some of the art has been imported into SEARCH and filtered using keywords and other criteria in an attempt to determine if it is relevant. The art which cannot be imported into SEARCH has been considered by reviewing summary information, such as the title and abstract, in an attempt to determine if it is relevant.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 - Indefinite
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 22-24 and 36-38 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 22 recites:
22. the method according to claim 21, wherein at least two optical signals with different polarizations are comprised between two adjacent optical signals with a same polarization in the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal.
It is not clear how optical signals can be between two adjacent signals. In other words, if the two signals are adjacent, then there are no signals between them. And if there are signals between them, then they are not adjacent.
For the purposes of this Action, this will be interpreted as if the word adjacent has been deleted. Amendment and/or clarification is required.
Claims 23 and 24 are rejected because they depend from claim 22 and they fail to further limit the scope in a manner to overcome the rejection.
Claim 36 recites language similar to claim 22 and is rejected for the reasons discussed in claim 22, and is interpreted in the same way as claim 22.
Claims 37 and 38 are rejected because they depend from claim 36 and they fail to further limit the scope in a manner to overcome the rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 - Obvious
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 21-28, 30, 32, and 35-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2004/0208614 (Price) in view of US 5,173,794 (Cheung).
Regarding claim 21, Price teaches a method, comprising:
obtaining a wavelength division multiplexing optical signal, wherein the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal comprises N pairs of optical signals, each pair of optical signals comprises a first optical signal and a second optical signal that are of different wavelengths and wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal each have a polarization that are orthogonal to each other, N is an integer greater than 1, and a frequency of at least one of N first optical signals and a frequency of at least one of N second optical signals are within a zero-dispersion frequency (ZDF) region of an optical fiber; and
sending the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal through the optical fiber.
FIG. 17 illustrates a WDM signal with two pair of optical signals, each pair with different wavelengths and orthogonal polarization.
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The signal in FIG. 17 can be produced by the transmitter 20 of FIG. 15. See:
[0099] FIG. 17 illustrates another example of the signals that can be produced by the transmitter 20 of FIG. 15, in which different electrical carrier frequencies are used, and the E/O converter 50 is configured to produce single sideband, orthogonal optical signals. The pairs of orthogonal optical signals are offset from each other by a frequency determined by the difference in the respective electrical carrier frequencies.
The transmitter 20 of FIG. 15 illustrates that the optical signal is sent through optical fiber at the output of the E/O converter 50.
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[0071] Some or all of the E/O converter 50 is made from polarization maintaining components, such as the circulator 60, the splitter/combiner 62, optical fiber or other connectors and paths within the E/O converter 50, etc. Furthermore, the electrodes 66 may be terminated with a resistor to ground, or in another fashion, as appropriate.
See also FIG. 2 which illustrates plural transmitters 20 being multiplexed 34 and the WDM signal sent over optical fiber 12.
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Price also teaches that different types of fiber can be used and provides open-ended examples. See:
[0049] The optical paths 12 can include guided and unguided transmission media, such as one or more optical fibers, ribbon fibers, planar devices, and free space devices, and can interconnect the nodes 14 providing optical communication paths through the system 10. Various types of transmission media can be used, such as dispersion shifted fiber ("DSF"), non-dispersion shifted fiber ("NDSF"), non-zero dispersion shifted fiber ("NDSF"), dispersion compensating fiber ("DCF"), polarization maintaining fiber ("PMF"), single mode fiber ("SMF"), multimode fiber ("MMF"), other types of transmission media, and combinations of transmission media. Furthermore, the transmission media can be doped, such as with erbium, germanium, neodymium, praseodymium, ytterbium, other rare earth elements, other dopants, and mixtures thereof. The paths 12 can carry one or more uni- or bi-directionally propagating optical signal channels or wavelengths. The optical signal channels can be treated individually or as a single group, or they can be organized into two or more wavebands or spectral groups, each containing one or more optical signal channel. One or more paths 12 can be provided between nodes 14 and can be connected to protection switching devices and/or other redundancy systems. The optical path 12 between adjacent nodes 14 is typically referred to as a link 18, and the optical path 12 between adjacent components along a link 18 is typically referred to as a span.
Furthermore, Cheung teaches that fiber was known to have regions with different dispersion, including zero dispersion, and that optical signals can be transmitted through the zero dispersion region and the non-zero dispersion regions. See the top of col. 7:
(13) Rather than providing all the channels in one region of the optical spectrum, multiple channels may be placed in advantageous but disjunct regions. For instance, in silica optical fibers it is well known that the 1.3 .mu.m region offers zero dispersion while the 1.5 .mu.m band offers the minimum loss. The 0.8 .mu.m band is satisfactory for short-distance local area networks. Depending upon the requirements of the channels, one or more channels may be placed in each of these bands. Nonetheless, an acousto-optic filter can be designed which can filter and separate channels in all these bands. With such a design, up to a hundred WDM channels can be placed on a single fiber.
In other words, it was known that signals can be transmitted in the zero dispersion region of optical fiber. Furthermore, Price also teaches that the effects of low dispersion (e.g., non-linear interactions) can be mitigated by the orthogonal polarization of signals taught in Price. See:
[0010] New fiber designs have been developed that substantially reduce the chromatic dispersion of WDM signals during transmission in the 1550 nm wavelength range, such as dispersion shifted fiber and non-zero dispersion shifted fiber. However, the decreased dispersion of the optical signal allows for increased nonlinear interaction between channels, such as four wave mixing, which increases signal degradation. The effect of lower dispersion on nonlinear signal degradation becomes more pronounced at increased transmission rates due to the higher signal launch power used at higher transmission rates.
[0011] Non-linear interactions can be reduced if adjacent data signals are linearly polarized and oriented orthogonal to each other. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,322, issued on May 5, 1992. Such systems, however, still have certain drawbacks, such as requiring two modulators to produce a pair of orthogonal signals. As a result, the size, cost, and power consumption of such systems will increase significantly as the number of WDM channels increase. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the number of components in optical systems, particularly expensive components such as modulators, while at the same time reducing the effects of phenomena, such as chromatic dispersion and non-linear interactions.
Therefore, it would have been obvious that the signals of Price can be sent through a zero dispersion region of the fiber as taught in Cheung. In particular, both Price and Cheung are in the same technical field (e.g., optical communications) and the results would have been predictable.
Regarding claim 22, Price teaches the method according to claim 21, wherein at least two optical signals with different polarizations are comprised between two adjacent optical signals with a same polarization in the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal.
Price teaches that different variations are possible. In addition to FIG. 17 discussed above, see FIG. 24.
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In particular, signals C and D have different polarizations and are between signals A and E which have the same polarization. Furthermore, Price teaches that other variations are possible. See:
[0083] Many other variations are also possible with the present invention. For example, the optical carrier .lambda..sub.0 can be suppressed, single sideband optical signals can be produced, and more or less optical signals than those illustrated herein can be produced. In addition, the orthogonal pairs do not have to be at the same frequency, but rather they can be offset from each other. Also, the optical signals do not have to be symmetrical about the optical carrier .lambda..sub.0. Furthermore, optical signals do not need to be produced in orthogonal pairs. For example, only one signal in a pair may be produced, such as in a case where the other signal in the orthogonal pair is provided by another transmitter or not provided at all. Alternatively, signal pairs do not need to be orthogonal or in pairs, but may be of other polarization orientations and may be produced in groups other than two, and polarization orientations may be the same or different between signal pairs produced by a transmitter 20.
See also FIG. 33 which illustrates the combination of many different polarization arrangements, including orthogonal polarization at the same wavelength, and orthogonal polarizations at different wavelengths, and signals with the same polarization that overlap in wavelength, and signals with the same polarization that do not overlap in wavelength.
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[0104] FIG. 24 illustrates an example of optical signals that can be produced with a transmitter such as the one shown in FIG. 23. In that example, four signals (A, B, E, and F) are modulated onto two orthogonal pairs of subcarriers and two signals (C and D) are modulated onto orthogonally-polarized signals at the optical carrier frequency .lambda..sub.o.
Therefore, it would have been obvious that optical signals with different polarizations can be between optical signals with the same polarization.
Regarding claim 23, Price teaches the method according to claim 22, wherein any four optical signals with a same polarization in the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal satisfy conditions of:
B1+B4-B2-B3=B, and B is not equal to 0 (FIG. 33),
wherein the any four optical signals are sequentially sorted based on values of frequencies, the frequencies of the any four optical signals are sequentially B1, B2, B3, and B4, and a value of (B2+B3)/2 is within the ZDF region.
FIG. 33 illustrates an example of uneven spacing between signals with the same polarization.
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For example, see D1, D2, D3, DQ. Also, the ellipsis between D3 and DQ means that large spacing is possible between D3 and DQ. See also:
[0114] FIGS. 32 and 33 illustrate another embodiment of the transmitter 20 and an example of the signals that it can generate. Many variations are possible with that transmitter 20. For example, the number of signals being generated at the transmitter 20 may vary, the signals may be uniform in their spacing and orientation, or the signals may vary, such as with some signals overlapping in the frequency domain, some signal pairs at the same frequency, some signal pairs offset from each other, by using different polarization orientations, etc. Other variations are also possible, such as those described hereinabove.
As a result, to the extent it is not explicit, it would have been obvious that the signal spacing is uneven such that the condition in the first paragraph is satisfied.
Regarding the last paragraph, this would have been obvious as discussed in claim 21. In particular, Cheung teaches that it was known to transmit signals in or out of the ZDF. Therefore, it would have been obvious that the signals can be arranged anywhere in or around the ZDF.
Regarding claim 24, Price teaches the method according to claim 23, wherein B4-B1=Bo, and a value of Bo is less than 4.5 terahertz (THz).
Price at FIG. 33 illustrates that signals can overlap or be spaced apart. See also:
[0114] FIGS. 32 and 33 illustrate another embodiment of the transmitter 20 and an example of the signals that it can generate. Many variations are possible with that transmitter 20. For example, the number of signals being generated at the transmitter 20 may vary, the signals may be uniform in their spacing and orientation, or the signals may vary, such as with some signals overlapping in the frequency domain, some signal pairs at the same frequency, some signal pairs offset from each other, by using different polarization orientations, etc. Other variations are also possible, such as those described hereinabove.
From this, it would have been obvious that a spacing between Bo is less than 4.5 THz.
Regarding claim 25, Price teaches the method according to claim 21, wherein frequency spacings of any three optical signals of optical signals with a same polarization in the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal are different, and frequencies of at least two optical signals of the any three optical signals are within the ZDF region.
Price at FIG. 33 illustrates frequency signals that are different. Price also teaches that the spacings can be uniform or vary. See:
[0114] FIGS. 32 and 33 illustrate another embodiment of the transmitter 20 and an example of the signals that it can generate. Many variations are possible with that transmitter 20. For example, the number of signals being generated at the transmitter 20 may vary, the signals may be uniform in their spacing and orientation, or the signals may vary, such as with some signals overlapping in the frequency domain, some signal pairs at the same frequency, some signal pairs offset from each other, by using different polarization orientations, etc. Other variations are also possible, such as those described hereinabove.
From this, it would have been obvious that the frequency spacings of any three optical signals of optical signals with a same polarization in the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal are different.
Regarding the frequencies being within the ZDF region, this would have been obvious in light of Cheung. See the discussion of claim 21.
Regarding claim 26, Price teaches the method according to claim 21, the method further comprising:
performing beam combination on the N pairs of optical signals by using N polarization-division multiplexers (PDMs), to obtain N beam-combined optical signals, wherein the N pairs of optical signals are in one-to-one correspondence with the N PDMs (FIG. 4: polarization splitter/combiner 62); and
performing beam combination on the N beam-combined optical signals by using a wavelength division multiplexer, to obtain the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal (FIG. 2: WDM 34).
FIG. 4 illustrates an E/O converter 50 including a polarization splitter/combiner 62.
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[0072] The splitter/combiner 62 splits and combines the optical carrier and modulated signals. The splitter/combiner 62 can be, for example, a polarization beam splitter/combiner. In one embodiment, polarized light from the optical carrier is incident at a 45 degree angle at the input of the polarization beam splitter/combiner so that the light is equally split into optical carrier components. In other embodiments, the splitter/combiner 62 can be a polarization maintaining splitter/combiner which can be used, for example, to split and combine polarized light. Other embodiments of splitters and combiners can also be used. Typically, splitters can be operated as combiners and vice versa. Some embodiments of the present invention utilize such dual functionality, while other embodiments operate with devices and components which perform only as splitters and devices and components which perform only as combiners. Typically, the optical carrier is split into equal components so that the resultant signals will be of equal strength. However, it is also possible to split the optical carrier into unequal components.
A polarization beam splitter/combiner is within the scope of a PDM. Furthermore, the E/O converter of FIG. 4 generates one pair of orthogonally polarized signals (one signal corresponding to each of inputs 54). FIG. 2 illustrates a WDM combining the outputs of plural transmitters 20 (the transmitters 20 include the E/O converter 50; see FIG. 3).
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Therefore, each Tx 20 produces one pair of orthogonally polarized signals, and each E/O converter 50 in a Tx 20 has one PBS/C. Therefore, this combination has N beam-combined optical signals, wherein the N pairs of optical signals are in one-to-one correspondence with the N PDMs.
Regarding claim 27, Price teaches the method according to claim 26, wherein frequencies of each of the N pairs of optical signals are adjacent.
Price teaches that the frequencies of the pairs of optical signals can be adjacent. See, for example, FIGS. 17, 24, and 33, which are reproduced above.
Regarding claim 28, Price teaches the method according to claim 21,
wherein N is 2, a polarization arrangement of the N pairs of optical signals is XYYX or YXXY (FIG. 17), and
a spacing between any two adjacent optical signals of the N pairs of optical signals is the same ([0114]).
FIG. 17 illustrates an XYYX or YXXY polarization arrangement.
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Furthermore, Price teaches that the spacing between adjacent optical signals can be the same. :
[0114] FIGS. 32 and 33 illustrate another embodiment of the transmitter 20 and an example of the signals that it can generate. Many variations are possible with that transmitter 20. For example, the number of signals being generated at the transmitter 20 may vary, the signals may be uniform in their spacing and orientation, or the signals may vary, such as with some signals overlapping in the frequency domain, some signal pairs at the same frequency, some signal pairs offset from each other, by using different polarization orientations, etc. Other variations are also possible, such as those described hereinabove.
Therefore, the limitations in this claim would have been obvious.
Regarding claim 30, Price teaches the method according to claim 21, wherein N is 4, and a polarization arrangement of the N pairs of optical signals is XYYXYXXY, YXXYXYYX, XYYXXYYX, or YXXYYXXY.
As discussed above, Price teaches that different polarization arrangements are possible. See:
[0114] FIGS. 32 and 33 illustrate another embodiment of the transmitter 20 and an example of the signals that it can generate. Many variations are possible with that transmitter 20. For example, the number of signals being generated at the transmitter 20 may vary, the signals may be uniform in their spacing and orientation, or the signals may vary, such as with some signals overlapping in the frequency domain, some signal pairs at the same frequency, some signal pairs offset from each other, by using different polarization orientations, etc. Other variations are also possible, such as those described hereinabove.
From these teachings, the particular arrangement in this claim would have been obvious that any sequence of polarization orientations would have been obvious.
Regarding claim 32, Price teaches the method according to claim 21, wherein a frequency spacing between adjacent frequencies of the N pairs of optical signals is 400 gigahertz (GHz) or 800 GHz.
As discussed above, Price teaches that the spacing of the signals can vary. See, for example:
[0114] FIGS. 32 and 33 illustrate another embodiment of the transmitter 20 and an example of the signals that it can generate. Many variations are possible with that transmitter 20. For example, the number of signals being generated at the transmitter 20 may vary, the signals may be uniform in their spacing and orientation, or the signals may vary, such as with some signals overlapping in the frequency domain, some signal pairs at the same frequency, some signal pairs offset from each other, by using different polarization orientations, etc. Other variations are also possible, such as those described hereinabove.
See also FIG. 33 which illustrates signals with different spacing, including gaps between the signals (e.g., , no gaps between the signals, and overlapping signals). In other words, Price teaches that the spacing between the signals may be varied. As a result, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill that the spacing between signals can be varied as needed, and 400 gigahertz (GHz) or 800 GHz spacing (and other spacing) would have been obvious.
Regarding claim 35, Price teaches an apparatus, comprising:
N polarization-division multiplexers (PDMs) (FIG. 4: polarization beam splitter/combiner 64) and a wavelength division multiplexer (FIG. 2: WDM 34),
wherein the N PDMs are configured to: perform beam combination on N pairs of optical signals, to obtain N beam-combined optical signals, wherein N is an integer greater than 1, the N pairs of optical signals are in one-to-one correspondence with the N PDMs, each of the N beam-combined optical signals comprises a first optical signal and a second optical signal that are of different wavelengths and wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal each have a polarization that are orthogonal to each other, and a frequency of at least one of N first optical signals and a frequency of at least one of N second optical signals are within a zero-dispersion frequency (ZDF) region of an optical fiber (FIGS. 17 and 24); and
wherein the wavelength division multiplexer is configured to: perform beam combination on the N beam-combined optical signals, to obtain a wavelength division multiplexing optical signal, and transmit the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal through the optical fiber (FIG. 2: WDM 34 combines and transmits WDM signals over fiber 12).
FIG. 4 illustrates an E/O converter 50 including a polarization splitter/combiner 62.
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[0072] The splitter/combiner 62 splits and combines the optical carrier and modulated signals. The splitter/combiner 62 can be, for example, a polarization beam splitter/combiner. In one embodiment, polarized light from the optical carrier is incident at a 45 degree angle at the input of the polarization beam splitter/combiner so that the light is equally split into optical carrier components. In other embodiments, the splitter/combiner 62 can be a polarization maintaining splitter/combiner which can be used, for example, to split and combine polarized light. Other embodiments of splitters and combiners can also be used. Typically, splitters can be operated as combiners and vice versa. Some embodiments of the present invention utilize such dual functionality, while other embodiments operate with devices and components which perform only as splitters and devices and components which perform only as combiners. Typically, the optical carrier is split into equal components so that the resultant signals will be of equal strength. However, it is also possible to split the optical carrier into unequal components.
FIG. 2 illustrates plural transmitters 20 being multiplexed 34 and the WDM signal sent over optical fiber 12.
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This is discussed in more detail in claim 26.
FIG. 17 illustrates two pair of orthogonally polarized signals at different wavelengths and the signals within each pair are offset from each other.
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FIG. 24 illustrates another embodiment in which the signals in each orthogonal pair are at the same wavelength.
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See claim 26 for a more detailed discussion of the N PDMs and the WDM. Regarding operating in the ZDF, this would have been obvious as discussed in claim 21.
Regarding claim 36, Price teaches the apparatus according to claim 35, wherein at least two optical signals with different polarizations are comprised between two adjacent optical signals with a same polarization in the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal.
This is obvious for the reasons discussed in claim 22.
Regarding claim 37, Price teaches the apparatus according to claim 36, wherein any four optical signals with a same polarization in the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal satisfy conditions of:
B1+B4-B2-B3=B, and B is not equal to o, wherein the any four optical signals are sequentially sorted based on values of frequencies, the frequencies of the any four optical signals are sequentially B1, B2, B3, and B4, and a value of (B2+B3)/2 is within the ZDF region.
This is obvious for the reasons discussed in claim 23.
Regarding claim 38, Price teaches the apparatus according to claim 37, wherein B4-B1=B0, and a value of Bo is less than 4.5 terahertz (THz).
This is obvious for the reasons discussed in claim 24.
Regarding claim 39, Price teaches the apparatus according to claim 35, wherein frequency spacings of any three optical signals of optical signals with a same polarization in the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal are different, and frequencies of at least two optical signals of the any three optical signals are within the ZDF region.
This is obvious for the reasons discussed in claim 25.
Regarding claim 40, Price teaches a system, comprising a transmit end and a receive end, wherein the transmit end is connected to the receive end through an optical fiber (FIG. 2: transmit end (node 14 on left with Txs 20) connected to receive end (node 14 on right with Rxs 22) through optical fiber 12); and
the transmit end is configured to: transmit a wavelength division multiplexing optical signal to the receive end through the optical fiber, wherein the wavelength division multiplexing optical signal comprises N pairs of optical signals, each pair of optical signals comprises a first optical signal and a second optical signal that are of different wavelengths and wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal each have a polarization that are orthogonal to each other, N is an integer greater than 1, and a frequency of at least one of N first optical signals and a frequency of at least one of N second optical signals are within a zero-dispersion frequency (ZDF) region of the optical fiber.
The functionality of the transmit end corresponds to method claim 21 and is obvious in light of the discussion of method claim 1.
Claim(s) 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the art as applied to claim 28 above, and further in view of US 2015/0215048 (Zhang).
Regarding claim 29, Zhang teaches the method according to claim 28, wherein a total transmission rate of the N pairs of optical signals is 400 gigabits per second (Gb/s) or 800 Gb/s.
Zhang teaches that it was known for optical communications to operate over a large range of bit rates, and provides examples from 10Gb/s to 400Gb/s per channel. See:
[0003] Optical communication plays a key role in the current backbone networks for supporting high-speed/bandwidth transport between cities and continents. As the data rates increasing from 10 Gb/s up to 100 Gb/s with analog transmitter or even 400 Gb/s per channel via digital transmitter, of importance is the optical modulator capable of generating either analog or digital signals depending on the system application. To keep the modulator working in its optimal state, a bias control circuit is necessary for adjusting the modulator bias which could drift away from original settings due to the temperature, ageing, and heating from RF signal driving. In particular, as the driving signal of optical modulators becomes arbitrary waveform because of the pre-shaped digital signals generated by the high-speed digital-to-analog converters (DAC), a universal automatic bias control (ABC) process is very critical for designing optical transmitters for cost-saving and better flexibility.
This range covers the limitations recited in the claim (e.g., 100 Gb/s per channel or 200 Gb/s per channel). It would have been obvious that the method of claim 28 can be implemented in a known manner, such as by using the known data rates set forth in Zhang. In particular, the art is in the same technological field (e.g., optical communications) and the results would have been predictable.
Claim(s) 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the art as applied to claim 30 above, and further in view of US 2015/0215048 (Zhang).
Regarding claim 31, Price teaches the method according to claim 30, wherein a total transmission rate of the N pairs of optical signals is 0.8 terabits per second (Tb/s) or 1.6 Tb/s.
Zhang teaches that it was known for optical communications to operate over a large range of bit rates, and provides examples ranging from 10Gb/s to 400Gb/s per channel. See:
[0003] Optical communication plays a key role in the current backbone networks for supporting high-speed/bandwidth transport between cities and continents. As the data rates increasing from 10 Gb/s up to 100 Gb/s with analog transmitter or even 400 Gb/s per channel via digital transmitter, of importance is the optical modulator capable of generating either analog or digital signals depending on the system application. To keep the modulator working in its optimal state, a bias control circuit is necessary for adjusting the modulator bias which could drift away from original settings due to the temperature, ageing, and heating from RF signal driving. In particular, as the driving signal of optical modulators becomes arbitrary waveform because of the pre-shaped digital signals generated by the high-speed digital-to-analog converters (DAC), a universal automatic bias control (ABC) process is very critical for designing optical transmitters for cost-saving and better flexibility.
This range covers the limitations recited in the claim (e.g., 100 Gb/s per channel or 200 Gb/s per channel). It would have been obvious that the method of claim 28 can be implemented in a known manner, such as by using the known data rates set forth in Zhang. In particular, the art is in the same technological field (e.g., optical communications) and the results would have been predictable.
Claim(s) 33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the art as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of US 6,999,648 (Oikawa).
Regarding claim 33, Price teaches the method according to claim 21, wherein
frequencies of the N pairs of optical signals comprise two frequencies in a local area network wavelength division multiplexing (LAN WDM) system, and
the two frequencies are respectively 229.8 terahertz (THz) and 229 THz.
It was well-known that WDM optical communications can be implemented in a LAN, and the Examiner takes Official Notice thereof. Therefore, it would have been obvious that the optical communication method of claim 21 can be implemented in a known manner, such as with a LAN.
Furthermore, Oikawa teaches different known bands for optical communication. See Oikawa at FIG. 6.
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In particular, the O-band includes the frequencies recited in the claim. It would have been obvious that the method of claim 21 can be implemented in a known manner, such as those taught in Oikawa. In particular, Oikawa is in the same technical field as the other art (e.g., optical communications) and the results would have been predictable.
Claim(s) 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the art as applied to claim 33 above, and further in view of US 6,999,648 (Oikawa).
Regarding claim 34, Price teaches the method according to claim 33, wherein the frequencies of the N pairs of optical signals further comprise 231.4 THz and 230.6 THz.
Price teaches the method of claim 33 and Oikawa teaches that it was known to operate optical communications in the O-Band, which includes the frequencies recited in the claim. See Oikawa at FIG. 6.
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In particular, the O-band includes the frequencies recited in the claim. It would have been obvious that the method of claim 21 can be implemented in a known manner, such as those taught in Oikawa. In particular, Oikawa is in the same technical field as the other art (e.g., optical communications) and the results would have been predictable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 7,565,083 (Akasaka) teaches that different fibers have different zero dispersion regions. See the bottom of col. 1:
(8) As an example, a Single Mode Fiber (SMF) has a zero dispersion wavelength at about 1310 nm. A Dispersion Shifted Fiber (DSF) has a zero dispersion wavelength at about 1550 nm and a small dispersion region between 1540 nm to 1560 nm. A Non-Zero Dispersion Shifted Fiber (NZ-DSF) has a zero dispersion region from 1550 nm to 1525 nm or from 1550 nm to 1575 nm (depending on the kind of NZ-DSF). Assume an optical network route includes multiple spans of single mode fiber and one span of dispersion shifted fiber. The single mode fiber spans have strong nonlinearity effects on wavelengths at about 1310 nm. Consequently, network administrators avoid using wavelengths around 1310 nm for optical signals traveling over single mode fiber spans. The dispersion shifted fiber span has strong nonlinearity effects on wavelengths between 1540 nm and 1560 nm. Thus, network administrators avoid using wavelengths between 1540 nm and 1560 nm for optical signals traveling over the dispersion shifted fiber span.
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/DARREN E WOLF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634
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