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 1-12 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 1 and 11 both recite “a lens surface” twice. It is unclear if the second “a lens surface” is the same lens surface and should read “the lens surface” or if the second “a lens surface” is a different surface.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0219784 to Morioka.
In regards to claim 1, Morioka recites an optical element (Figure 1A) for optically connecting a light source (122) and a light receiving element (160), the optical element comprising a lens surface (141) for receiving light designed to face the light source, a lens surface (141) for delivering light designed to face the light receiving element and a light separation part (142) that is incident on the lens surface for receiving light and reaches the lens surface for delivering light, wherein the optical element further comprises an additional lens surface (144) and a surface for positioning another light source [0030] for the additional lens surface and wherein the additional lens surface is configured such that a conjugate point of an intersection of an optical axis of the additional lens surface with a plane containing the surface for positioning lies on a path of the light beam. Although Morioka does not expressly recite an attenuating area for attenuating a light beam, Morioka does teach the light separation part to divide the incoming light beam, therefore reducing its strength and attenuating the light beam. Therefore, although not expressly recited, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to a person having ordinary skill in the art for the light separation part of Morioka to be an attenuating area for attenuating a light beam.
In regards to claim 2, modified Morioka recites the attenuating area is an area in which optical properties of material have changed, where the change is due to reflective properties and inclinations.
In regards to claims 3 and 4, modified Morioka recites a surface of the optical element, on which the lens surface for receiving light is provided and a surface of the optical element, on which the lens surface for delivering light is provided, are perpendicular to each other and the additional lens surface is provided on the surface of the optical element, on which the lens surface for delivering and receiving light is provided.
In regards to claims 5-7, modified Morioka recites a surface of the optical element, on which the lens surface for receiving light is provided and a surface of the optical element, on which the lens surface for delivering light is provided, are perpendicular or parallel to each other and the additional lens surface is provided on the surface of the optical element, on which the lens surface for receiving light is provided.
In regards to claim 8, modified Morioka recites the surface for positioning is parallel to a surface of the optical element, on which the additional lens surface is provided.
In regards to claim 9, modified Morioka recites configured to substantially collimate the light beam that is incident on the lens surface for receiving light and reaches the lens surface for delivering light.
In regards to claim 10, modified Morioka recites the optical element is configured for a multicore optical fiber and includes lens surfaces for receiving light arranged in a line, lens surfaces for delivering light arranged in a line, additional lens surfaces arranged in a line, the lines being parallel to one other, and a single surface for positioning plural light sources for the additional lens surfaces, wherein one of the lens surfaces for receiving light, one of the lens surfaces for delivering light and one of the additional lens surfaces make a set and the lens surfaces are configured such that coordinates in the direction of the lines of positions of the lens surfaces in each set are identical with one another, wherein for each set an attenuating area for attenuating a light beam that is incident on the lens surface for receiving light and reaches the lens surface for delivering light is provided and wherein for each set the additional lens surface is configured such that the conjugate point of the intersection of the optical axis of the additional lens surface with a plane containing the surface for positioning lies on a path of the light beam that is incident on the lens surface for receiving light and reaches the lens surface for delivering light.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11 and 12 are allowed. The prior art of record fails to disclose or reasonably suggest method of producing an optical element for optically connecting a light source and a light receiving element, the optical element including an attenuating area therein, the method including: producing an optical element provided with a lens surface for receiving light designed to face the light source, a lens surface for delivering light designed to face the light receiving element and an additional lens surface; and forming the attenuating area inside the optical element by making a laser beam enter the optical element through the additional lens surface based on observation of intensity of a light beam that is incident on the lens surface for receiving light and delivered by the lens surface for delivering light such that a desired value of transmittance of the optical element for the light beam is realized by the attenuating area in addition to the accompanying features of the independent claim.
References Cited
The references cited made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. None of the documents cited by the Examiner discloses or reasonably suggests the allowable subject matter discussed above.
The documents submitted by applicant in the Information Disclosure Statement have been considered and made of record. Note attached copy of form PTO-1449. None of the references submitted by Applicant discloses or reasonably suggest the allowable subject matter discussed above.
Inventorship
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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TINA M WONG whose telephone number is (571)272-2352. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:30.
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, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at (571) 272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TINA WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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