DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the following communications: the Application filed on December 20, 2024 and the Information Disclosure Statements filed on March 25, 2025 and April 23, 2026.
Claims 1-18 are pending. Claims 1 and 17 are independent.
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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s Information Disclosure Statements (IDSs) filed on March 25, 2025 and April 23, 2026. These IDSs have been considered.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because in Figure 11, reference character “BLB” has been used to designate both optical bit lines on top and bottom of the Figure. The optical bit line on the bottom of Figure 11 should be “BL”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraph [0004], line 6, “they quickly and consistently optical modulators to turn off the optical” should be --they quickly and consistently drive optical modulators to turn off the optical--.
In paragraph [0009], line 2, “status power dissipation” should be –static power dissipation--.
In paragraph [0054], line 1, “micro ring resonator 35” should be --micro ring resonator 34--.
In paragraph [0060], line 5, “P1 is off” should be –P2 is off--.
In paragraph [0062], line 7, “both photosensors P4 and P4” should be --both photosensors P1 and P4--.
In paragraph [0068], line 6, “second state with QB low (and Q high)” should be --second state with QB high (and Q low)--.
In paragraph [0074], line 2, “WB lines” should be –WL lines--.
In paragraph [0076], line 9, “here using the pBL line” should be --here using the BL line--.
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 12-13 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.
With respect to claim 12, the claim recites “a second product output optical conduit”. This phrase lacks proper antecedent basis. Claim 12 does not previously recite “a first product output optical conduit” or otherwise introduce a product output optical conduit from which the recited “second” product output optical conduit can be distinguished. As a result, it is unclear whether “second” refers to a second optical conduit, a second output, a second product output, or merely an intended “product output optical conduit”.
The specification describes an operation line 70 and a product line 74 [para. 76]. However, the specification appears to describe a product line 74, not a clearly identified “second product output optical conduit”. Therefore, the metes and bounds of the claim are unclear. Claim 13 is rejected as indefinite for depending from and incorporating the indefinite limitation of claim 12.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
With respect to independent claim 17, the claim recites “a set of electrical write lines communicating with the memory cells along a logical column”. The specification does not appear to reasonably convey possession of a memory system having electrical write lines communicating with the memory cells along a logical column, as presently claimed. Rather, the specification describes column write lines WLB and WL as optical conduits that continue through memory cells of each column. The specification further explains the signals on the column write lines WLB and WL are developed by the laser source 20 [para. 71]. The specification then describes a photoelectric converter 60 that converts the column write line signals into a node W, which communicates electrically with additional electrical switches M3 and M4 [para. 72]. Thus, the disclosure supports optical column write lines with a photoelectric converter producing an electrical control node, but does not clearly support the claimed limitation requiring “a set of electrical write lines communicating with the memory cells along a logical column”. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art would not reasonably conclude from the specification as filed that the inventor was in possession of the claimed “a set of electrical write lines communicating with the memory cells along a logical column”. Claim 18 is rejected as failing to comply with the written description requirement for depending from and incorporating the unsupported limitation of claim 17.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-11 and 14-16 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
With respect to independent claim 1, the closest prior art, Jacob et al. (US 20240170055), which shows in Figure 10A an optical SRAM cell in which ring resonators R1-R2 and feedback photodiodes D1-D2 form an internal optical latch, while additional photodiodes D3-D4 are part of a read/write access circuit [para. 77-82]. However, Jacob et al. do not teach or suggest that D1-D2 form a first series connected photosensor pair defining a first electrical node nor that D3-D4 form a second series connected photosensor pair defining a second electrical node. Rather, D1-D2 are used as feedback photodiodes controlling respective resonators and D3-D4 are used for read/write access. Accordingly, Jacob et al. fail to disclose a first photosensor conducting current to a first node according to illumination of the first photosensor and a second photosensor conducting current away from the first node according to the illumination of the second photosensor; and a third photosensor conducting current to a second node according to the illumination of the third photosensor and a fourth photosensor conducting current away from the second node according to illumination of the fourth photosensor.
Thus, there is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art of record to provide the recited a first photosensor conducting current to a first node according to illumination of the first photosensor and a second photosensor conducting current away from the first node according to the illumination of the second photosensor; and a third photosensor conducting current to a second node according to the illumination of the third photosensor and a fourth photosensor conducting current away from the second node according to illumination of the fourth photosensor, in combination with other limitations.
Claims 12-13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUY H LUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-5088. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 9am-6pm.
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/DUY H LUONG/Examiner, Art Unit 2825
/ANTHAN TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2825
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