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.
Claim 11 is 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 11 recites the limitation "the reflecting surfaces" in line 5 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. What plural reflecting surfaces are being referred to here? Claim 1, the claim on which claim 11 depends, states that the movement mirror only has a single reflecting surface, not multiple reflecting surfaces provided on both surfaces of the substrate as found in claim 11.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 and 12-17 are allowed in view of the prior art.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, the prior art of record, taken either alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious a mirror movement mechanism, the mechanism comprising, among other essential features, an inner cylinder supporting the movement mirror on an inner surface of the inner cylinder and having, on an outer surface of the inner cylinder, a first screw groove extending around a central axis; and an outer cylinder having, on an inner surface of the outer cylinder, a second screw groove screwed into the first screw groove, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the above claim.
The examiner notes that claim 11 would be considered allowable for the reasons given above regarding claim 1 should the 35 USC 112(b) rejection be properly overcome.
With further regard to the above claim, US 2024/0393180 to Yamada et al. discloses an interferometer featuring a spectroscopic device 100 (see Fig. 1) that includes an analysis optical system 3 featuring a moving mirror 33 and a length measurement optical system 4 that also includes the moving mirror 33. The moving mirror is controlled by a mirror drive unit 8 that controls a stepping motor SPM and a power conversion unit 862 as part of a power transmission unit 86. Yamada fails to disclose the specifics of the mirror movement mechanism as claimed.
Various mirror movement mechanisms for mirrors in an interferometer are also disclosed by the prior art. US Pat. 9,297,639 to Jackson discloses a mechanism for movement of a mirror in an interferometer (Fig. 4) where the mechanism 400 includes two diaphragm flexures 402 mounted to a rigid frame 404 with a connecting rod 406 connected to the flexures. A plane mirror 408 is attached to one end of the connecting rod, and an actuator 410 is attached to the other end of the connecting rod to move the mirror back and forth relative to the frame (see Col. 8, lines 23-38). US Pat. 6,229,614 to Larsen discloses an interferometer featuring cylinders 36 that accommodate corner reflectors (see Fig. 5). Larsen states, “Each of the comer reflectors is arranged inside the cylinder in such a way that the axis of symmetry of the comer reflector is coincident with the centre axis of the cylinder. The cylinder is mounted rotatably. By rotating the cylinder the polarisation axis of the corner reflector can be adjusted” (see Col. 4, line 66 – Col. 5, line 4). US 2024/0004180 to Xia et al. discloses a microscope where featuring a reflection mechanism 4 (see Fig. 5) that includes a reflecting mirror 45 that is attached to a frame using threaded holes 413 and bolts 43 with an adjusting through hole 421. WO 2012/063551 to Nobumoto et al. discloses a mirror adjustment mechanism for an interferometer (Fig. 4) that adjusts the posture of a mirror 115 featuring bolts 21-23 and drive shafts 70, 71 that are cylindrical members.
However, this prior art, taken either alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious the specifics of the mirror movement mechanism and the inner and outer cylinders of that mechanism as set forth above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. “Review of MEMS Based Fourier Transform Spectrometers” by Chai et al. discloses a plurality of interferometers with moving mirrors, US Pat. 4,179,219 to Smith discloses a revolving mirror scanning interferometer (see Figs. 1 and 2), and US 2018/0149465 to Lee et al. discloses a housing system for a Michelson interferometer (see Fig. 2).
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/Michael A Lyons/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877 July 2, 2026
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