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.
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) 1, 2, 4, 5, and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 9,726,822 (Ogawa) in view of US 2023/0283394 (Kelly).
Regarding claim 1, Ogawa teaches an optical-mode modulation device (FIG. 5), comprising:
a mode separation element, comprising an optical signal input end, a first output end, and a second output end, wherein the optical signal input end is configured to receive an input optical signal, the first output end is configured to output a TE-mode optical signal, and the second output end is configured to output a TM-mode optical signal (FIG. 1: mode converter 2; FIG. 2: input on left side with TE and TM modes which are separated for conversion of the TM mode to the TE mode);
a first branch optical path and a second branch optical path, wherein the first branch optical path is connected to the first output end, the second branch optical path is connected to the second output end, and the first branch optical path is provided with an optical-mode converter for converting the TE-mode optical signal into the TM-mode optical signal, or the second branch optical path is provided with an optical-mode converter for converting the TM-mode optical signal into the TE-mode optical signal (FIG. 1: mode converter 2; see also FIG. 2);
a phase modulation module configured to modulate a phase difference between the first branch optical path and the second branch optical path based on a set optical-power allocation proportion (FIG. 1: phase modulators 3A, 3B and control circuit 12); and
a Mach-Zehnder modulator, comprising a first input end, a second input end, and a modulated optical signal output end, wherein the first input end is connected to the first branch optical path, and the second input end is connected to the second branch optical path, to respectively receive, from the first branch optical path and the second branch optical path, two branch optical signals which are both in a TE mode or a TM mode (FIG. 1: phase modulators 5A, 5B are arranged as a Mach-Zehnder modulator).
FIG. 1 illustrates the mode converter 2, phase modulators 3A, 3B, MZM 4, 5A, 5B, 6, and feedback/control circuit 12.
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Mode Separation.
Ogawa teaches to separate the TM mode to TE mode. See the middle of col. 6:
(32) The input end of the optical waveguide 201 forms the input port of the mode conversion and branching section 2. An output end of the optical waveguide 201 is connected to an input end of a mode conversion section 2A. The mode conversion section 2A converts only guided light in the TM.sub.0 mode into guided light in a high-order TE mode, for example, a TE.sub.1 mode and the converted guided light is launched from an output end of the mode conversion section 2A to an optical waveguide 202. In contrast, guided light in the TE.sub.0 mode is not converted and is launched from the output end of the mode conversion section 2A to the optical waveguide 202.
In other words, mode conversion element 2A (see FIG. 2) operates only on the TM mode. The Examiner is of the opinion that it would have been obvious from these teachings that the TM mode is separated from the TE mode so that the conversion can be performed. However, in the interests of compact prosecution, Kelly is also cited to teach that it was known to separate TM and TE modes for mode conversion. See Kelly:
[0116] FIG. 1 shows that a first optical fiber 22a is optically connected with the PIC 1 at the second fiber-to-chip coupling location 3 in accordance with the above-described first exemplary use case that provides a fully on-chip polarization handling solution. In accordance with the first exemplary use case, the first optical fiber 22a guides optical radiation comprising both TM and TE modes that are launched into the second semiconductor-based optical waveguide 19b that is optically connected with the third optical input port 14a of the combined InP-based polarization splitter and rotator device 13. The combined InP-based polarization splitter and rotator device 13 is configured to first separate the TM and TE modes of the received optical radiation, and then rotate the separated TM mode to obtain a converted TE mode. Subsequently, the converted TE mode is guided to the first optical receiver 5 via the fourth semiconductor-based optical waveguide 19d, the first optical splitter-combiner 9 and the sixth semiconductor-based optical waveguide 19f. The separated TE mode is guided to the second optical receiver 7 via the fifth semiconductor-based optical waveguide 19e, the second optical splitter-combiner 11 and the seventh semiconductor-based optical waveguide 19g.
It would have been obvious that the mode conversion taught in Ogawa is implemented in a known manner, such as to separate the TE and TM modes for mode conversion as taught in Kelly. In particular, both Ogawa and Kelly are in the same technical field (e.g., optical communication) and the results would have been predictable.
Mode Conversion.
Ogawa teaches TM to TE mode conversion for element 2A. See FIG. 2.
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See also the middle of col. 6:
(32) The input end of the optical waveguide 201 forms the input port of the mode conversion and branching section 2. An output end of the optical waveguide 201 is connected to an input end of a mode conversion section 2A. The mode conversion section 2A converts only guided light in the TM.sub.0 mode into guided light in a high-order TE mode, for example, a TE.sub.1 mode and the converted guided light is launched from an output end of the mode conversion section 2A to an optical waveguide 202. In contrast, guided light in the TE.sub.0 mode is not converted and is launched from the output end of the mode conversion section 2A to the optical waveguide 202.
Phase Modulator.
Ogawa at FIG. 1 illustrates phase modulators 3A, 3B connected to the first and second output branches 102, 103 of the mode converter 2.
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See also the top of col. 5:
(15) The phase adjustment sections 3A and 3B are supplied with, for example, a DC voltage or a DC current and adjust the phase of two light components in the TE.sub.0 mode which are incident on the optical multiplexing and branching section 4.
(16) In this embodiment, the phase adjustment sections are provided in two arm waveguides 21 and 22. However, the invention is not limited thereto. The phase adjustment section may be provided in only one of the two arm waveguides 21 and 22. In addition, for example, the phase adjustment section may not be provided as long as an appropriate optical path difference can be given to the two arm waveguides 21 and 22 to remove the phase difference between two light components in the TE.sub.0 mode.
To accomplish this, Ogawa teaches a feedback circuit 12 to control the phase modulators 3A, 3B and adjust the intensity/power of the optical signals. See the top of col. 8:
(49) In this embodiment, the feedback mechanism 12 illustrated in FIG. 1 may adjust the phase of light in at least one of the phase adjustment sections 3A and 3B to control the phase of light in the Mach-Zehnder interferometer in the front stage. In this case, it is possible to adjust the intensity of light input to the arm waveguides 23 and 24 of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer in the rear stage.
(50) The feedback mechanism 12 includes control sections 7A and 7B, electric signal sources 8A and 8B, bias tees 9A and 9B, monitoring sections 10A and 10B, and bias power supplies 11A and 11B.
(51) The control sections 7A and 7B apply a DC voltage or a DC current to the phase adjustment sections 3A and 3B to adjust the phase of light propagated through the phase adjustment sections 3A and 3B, respectively.
More specifically, the intensity of the light signals input to the MZM (i.e., the intensity of light output from the phase modulators 3A, 3B) are adjusted to be equal to each other. See col. 9:
(66) In a case in which the intensities of guided light components that are input to the arm waveguides 23 and 24 of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer in the rear stage are equal to each other, the following Expression (3) is satisfied.
|E.sub.5|=|E.sub.6| (3)
(67) The condition represented by the following Expression (4) is obtained from the phases generated by the phase adjustment sections 3A and 3B.
φ.sub.1−φ.sub.2=2Nπ (4)
(68) Here, N is an integer. Since a periodicity of 2π is negligible, N is 0. When the overall intensity of light is standardized to 1, E.sub.5 and E.sub.6 are represented by the following Expression (5).
(69)
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(70) When appropriate control electric signals are output to the control sections 7A and 7B such that Expression (5) is satisfied, it is possible to make the intensities of the guided light components input to the arm waveguides 23 and 24 of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer in the rear stage equal to each other.
In other words, Ogawa teaches that the phase modulation is controlled so that (based on) the optical power is each in the optical signals output from the phase modulators 3A, 3B is equal (i.e., equal power allocation proportion). This is within the scope of “based on a set optical-power allocation proportion”.
Mach-Zehnder Modulator.
Ogawa at FIG. 1 illustrates phase modulators 5A, 5B in parallel arms and arranged as a Mach-Zehnder modulator. IN particular, there are first and second inputs connected to the mux/branching section 4, and there is a mux 6 combining the outputs. See also the bottom of col. 5:
(20) An output end of the optical waveguide 106 is connected to an input end of the phase modulation section 5A. An output end of the phase modulation section 5A is connected to an input end of the optical waveguide 108. The optical multiplexing section 6 includes two input ports. An output end of the optical waveguide 108 is connected to one input end of the optical multiplexing section 6. A path from the input end of the optical waveguide 106 to the output end of the optical waveguide 108 forms one arm waveguide (fourth optical waveguide) 23 of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer in a second stage, that is, in a rear stage.
(21) An output end of the optical waveguide 107 is connected to an input end of the phase modulation section 5B. An output end of the phase modulation section 5B is connected to an input end of the optical waveguide 109. An output end of the optical waveguide 109 is connected to the other input end of the optical multiplexing section 6. A path from the input end of the optical waveguide 107 to the output end of the optical waveguide 109 forms the other arm waveguide (fifth optical waveguide) 24 of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer in the rear stage.
(22) In the phase modulation sections 5A and 5B, for example, the phase of two light components in the TE.sub.0 mode to be input to the optical multiplexing section 6 is adjusted by an input AC modulation electric signal or an applied DC reverse bias.
Although the claim has been discussed with reference to FIG. 1, see also the embodiment of FIG. 2. In particular, an analogous rejection of the claim can be made with FIG. 5.
Regarding claim 2, Ogawa teaches the optical-mode modulation device according to claim 1, wherein
both of the two branch optical signals output respectively from the first branch optical path and the second branch optical path are the TE-mode optical signals (FIG. 2: TE mode signals output on both branches), and
the second branch optical path is provided with the optical-mode converter for converting the TM-mode optical signals into the TE-mode optical signals.
Ogawa teaches TM to TE mode conversion as discussed in claim 1. See FIG. 2 and the middle of col. 6:
(32) The input end of the optical waveguide 201 forms the input port of the mode conversion and branching section 2. An output end of the optical waveguide 201 is connected to an input end of a mode conversion section 2A. The mode conversion section 2A converts only guided light in the TM.sub.0 mode into guided light in a high-order TE mode, for example, a TE.sub.1 mode and the converted guided light is launched from an output end of the mode conversion section 2A to an optical waveguide 202. In contrast, guided light in the TE.sub.0 mode is not converted and is launched from the output end of the mode conversion section 2A to the optical waveguide 202.
It would have been obvious that the TM to TE mode converter is located in the branch with the TM mode signal.
Regarding claim 4, Ogawa teaches the optical-mode modulation device according to claim 1, wherein the phase modulation module comprises a first phase modulator provided on the first branch optical path and/or a second phase modulator provided on the second branch optical path (FIG. 1: phase modulators 3A, 3B).
Ogawa at FIG. 1 illustrates phase modulators 3A, 3B on the first and second branch optical paths.
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See also the more detailed discussion in claim 1.
Regarding claim 5, Ogawa teaches the optical-mode modulation device according to claim 4, wherein the phase modulation module is an electro-optic phase modulation module or a thermo-optic phase modulation module (FIG. 3: electro-optic phase modulators driven by electrodes).
Regarding claim 8, Ogawa teaches an optical-mode modulation device, comprising:
a mode separation element configured to receive an input optical signal and separate the optical signal into a first optical signal in a first mode and a second optical signal in a second mode (FIG. 1: mode converter 2; FIG. 2: input on left side with TE and TM modes which are separated for conversion of the TM mode to the TE mode);
a first branch optical path and a second branch optical path configured to respectively receive the first optical signal and the second optical signal which are output by the mode separation element, wherein the first branch optical path is provided with an optical-mode converter for converting the first optical signal from the first mode to the second mode (FIG. 1: mode converter 2; see also FIG. 2);
a phase modulation module configured to modulate a phase difference between the first branch optical path and the second branch optical path based on a set optical-power allocation proportion (FIG. 1: phase modulators 3A, 3B); and
a Mach-Zehnder modulator configured to receive, from the first branch optical path and the second branch optical path, the first optical signal and the second optical signal which are both in the second mode, and modulate the first optical signal and the second optical signal to output a modulated optical signal mode (FIG. 1: phase modulators 5A, 5B are arranged as a Mach-Zehnder modulator).
Claim 8 is similar to claim 1 and is rejected for the reasons discussed in claim 1. See claim 1 for a more detailed discussion of the art.
Regarding claim 9, Ogawa teaches the optical-mode modulation device according to claim 8, wherein the phase modulation module comprises a first phase modulator provided on the first branch optical path and/or a second phase modulator provided on the second branch optical path (FIG. 1: phase modulator 3A on a first branch optical path, and phase modulator 3B on a second branch optical path).
See a more detailed discussion in claim 1.
Regarding claim 10, Ogawa teaches a photonic chip, comprising an optical-mode modulation device, wherein the optical-mode modulation device comprises:
a mode separation element, comprising an optical signal input end, a first output end, and a second output end, wherein the optical signal input end is configured to receive an input optical signal, the first output end is configured to output a TE-mode optical signal, and the second output end is configured to output a TM-mode optical signal (FIG. 1: mode converter 2; FIG. 2: input on left side with TE and TM modes which are separated for conversion of the TM mode to the TE mode);
a first branch optical path and a second branch optical path, wherein the first branch optical path is connected to the first output end, the second branch optical path is connected to the second output end, and the first branch optical path is provided with an optical-mode converter for converting the TE-mode optical signal into the TM-mode optical signal, or the second branch optical path is provided with an optical-mode converter for converting the TM-mode optical signal into the TE-mode optical signal (FIG. 1: mode converter 2; see also FIG. 2);
a phase modulation module configured to modulate a phase difference between the first branch optical path and the second branch optical path based on a set optical-power allocation proportion (FIG. 1: phase modulators 3A, 3B); and
a Mach-Zehnder modulator, comprising a first input end, a second input end, and a modulated optical signal output end, wherein the first input end is connected to the first branch optical path, and the second input end is connected to the second branch optical path, to respectively receive, from the first branch optical path and the second branch optical path, two branch optical signals which are both in a TE mode or a TM mode(FIG. 1: phase modulators 5A, 5B are arranged as a Mach-Zehnder modulator), and
wherein the mode separation element of the optical-mode modulation device is configured to be optically coupled to an optical fiber.
Claim 10 is similar to claim 1 and is rejected for the reasons discussed in claim 1. See claim 1 for a more detailed discussion of the art.
Regarding the device being a photonic chip, see Ogawa at FIG. 1 and see the bottom of col. 3:
(6) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of an optical integrated circuit 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention.
Regarding the mode separation element of the optical-mode modulation device being configured to be optically coupled to an optical fiber, Ogawa at FIG. 1 illustrates an optical waveguide at the input of the mode separator/converter 2. See also the top of col. 4:
(7) The optical integrated circuit 1 includes optical waveguides 101 to 110, a mode conversion and branching section 2, an optical multiplexing and branching section (first optical multiplexing and branching section) 4, phase modulation sections 5A and 5B, and an optical multiplexing section 6.
It was well-known that optical waveguides can be coupled to optical fibers, and the Examiner takes Official Notice thereof. It would have been obvious that the device of Ogawa can be implemented in a known manner, such as being coupled to an optical fiber (e.g., at the waveguide 101).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the art as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 5,513,196 (Bischel).
Regarding claim 3, Ogawa teaches the optical-mode modulation device according to claim 1, wherein both of the two branch optical signals output respectively from the first branch optical path and the second branch optical path are the TM-mode optical signals, and the first branch optical path is provided with the optical-mode converter for converting the TE-mode optical signals into the TM-mode optical signals.
Ogawa teaches a TM to TE mode converter. Furthermore, Bischel teaches that it was known that TE-TM mode conversion was also known. See the paragraph spanning cols. 7-8:
(8) Located somewhere along the waveguide 132 is a wavelength selective polarization converter 130. The polarization converter 130 causes the conversion of a TE (or TM) polarized beam entering the first port into a TM (or TE) polarized beam at the second port. Thus a low-loss longitudinally-twisted polarization mode is made to resonate in the laser cavity formed by mirrors 112 and 124. The design and fabrication of wavelength selective polarization mode converters, also known as an electro-optically tunable TE-TM converter, are well known in the art. (Examples of several different designs for this polarization converter have been disclosed by Alferness in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,384,760, 4,390,236, and 4,533,207, and in "Tunable electro-optic waveguide TE-TM converter/wavelength filter" Appl. Phys. Lett. 40 861-862 (1982). The Alferness et al. designs require electronic excitation and permit electronic tuning. Tang et al., in "Electro-optically tunable wavelength selective polarization convertor in Zn:LiTaO.sub.3," Electron. Lett. 28, 2248 (1992), disclose a stress-actuated design of a tunable TE-TM polarization converter. Nishihara et al. in Optical Integrated Circuits, [McGraw-Hill, New York, 1985], describes several alternative designs which include acousto-optic excitation.) Conventionally, an electro-optic switch or an acousto-optic switch that causes switching between two different, but not necessary orthogonal, polarization states in a wavelength selective manner can be used for this application.
In other words, both TE-TM mode conversion and TM-TE mode conversion were well-known in the art.
It would have been obvious that the TM-TE mode conversion taught in Ogawa can be implemented in other known ways (e.g., TE-TM mode conversion) as taught in Bischel. In particular, both are in the same technical field (e.g., optical communications) and the results would have been predictable.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the art as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of US 2011/0013907 (Sugihara).
Regarding claim 6, Ogawa teaches the optical-mode modulation device according to claim 4, further comprising:
a light-splitting element, comprising a light-splitting element input end, a third output end, and a fourth output end,
wherein the light-splitting element input end is connected to the modulated optical signal output end, the third output end is configured to output an operating signal, and the fourth output end is configured to output a monitoring signal; and
a monitoring sensor configured to detect a signal strength of the monitoring signal.
Ogawa teaches the device of claim 4. Furthermore, Sughara at FIG. 1 teaches that it was known to use a light splitting element 15 in an optical communication system to send a portion of modulated light as a monitoring signal to a sensor 16.
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In particular, the sensor 16 is a power monitor, so to the extent it is not explicit it would have been obvious that the sensor detects signal strength.
It would have been obvious that the device taught in Ogawa can be implemented in a known manner, such as with a light splitting element and monitoring sensor as taught in Sughara. In particular, both are in the same technical field (e.g., optical communications) and the results would have been predictable.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the art as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 2014/0010533 (Yan).
Regarding claim 7, Sughara teaches the optical-mode modulation device according to claim 6, further comprising:
a feedback module separately connected to the monitoring sensor and the phase modulation module, and configured to output a first feedback signal to the phase modulation module and output a second feedback signal to a modulation electrode of the Mach-Zehnder modulator based on the signal strength of the monitoring signal (FIG. 1: control section 18 connected to monitor 16 and providing feedback to modulator 14).
Sughara teaches the use of a feedback module to control the transmitter/modulator. Furthermore, feedback was well-known to be used to control various parts of an optical communication system and the Examiner is of the opinion that sending feedback to the phase modulation and MZM electrodes would have been obvious. However, in the interests of compact prosecution, the Examiner also cites Yan which teaches feedback to phase control and an MZM. See FIG. 15.
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See also, for example:
[0095] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an optical transmitter. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transmitter. As shown in FIG. 15, the optical transmitter comprises an I/Q modulator 151 and an automatic bias control apparatus 152; wherein the automatic bias control (ABC) apparatus 152 may be realized by the automatic bias control apparatus of Embodiment 1, the contents of which being incorporated herein, which shall not be described herein any further.
As a result, it would have been obvious to use feedback to control the phase control and an MZM. In particular, Yan and Sughara and Ogwaw are in the same technical field (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 4,384,760 (Alferness) at FIG. 1 teaches mode conversion.
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(2) Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows, in block diagram, a polarization transformer 10 in accordance with the present invention comprising a variable input phase shifter 11 for varying the relative phase between orthogonally polarized components of the incident wave, a variable mode converter 12 for varying the relative magnitudes of the orthogonally polarized wave components, and a variable output phase shifter 13 for varying the relative phase between the orthogonally polarized components derived from converter 13. For reasons which will become apparent hereinbelow, the orthogonally polarized wave components have been designated the TE and TM modes, and will be referred to as such in the description that follows.
US 2015/0171971 (Enoki) at FIG. 1 illustrates an optical transmitter including a modulator with first and second MZMs 101, 102, and a phase regulator 103.
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It also includes a controller 200 that receives a feedback signal from an intensity detector 104. See also:
[0025] In FIG. 1, the controller 200 includes a synchronization detector 201, bias applying units 202a, 202b and 202c, and the monitor 204. The synchronization detector 201 obtains an initial value of a bias voltage to be applied to each of the first and second optical modulators 101 and 102 as an initial value search state, based on the voltage signal input to the monitor 204. The operation of the synchronization detector 201 will be described later.
[0026] The bias applying units 202a, 202b and 202c apply bias voltages to the first optical modulator 101, the second optical modulator 102, and the optical phase regulator 103, respectively.
not be described herein any further.
US 6,091,535 (Satoh) at FIG. 1 illustrates an optical transmitter including a MZM 2, optical splitter 2, and control circuit for controlling the MZM.
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See the top of col 3:
(3) Illustrating a first embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 shows an optical transmitter 20 comprising a laser light source 1, a Mach-Zehnder modulator 2, an optical coupler 3, a first photodetector 4 that monitors an power of the optical signal Po output from the Mach-Zehnder modulator 2, a second photodetector 5 that monitors the power of an optical signal Pi input to the Mach-Zehnder modulator 2, a driver circuit 6 that drives the Mach-Zehnder modulator 2, a divider 7 that outputs a feedback signal S.sub.7, an operational amplifier 8 that receives the feedback signal S.sub.7 and a reference voltage Vref and generates a bias voltage signal S.sub.8, a ganged pair of switches 9a and 9b that switch the inputs to the operational amplifier 8, and a reference voltage generator 10 that generates the reference voltage Vref. The Mach-Zehnder modulator 2 receives the summed output of the driver circuit 6 and the operational amplifier 8 as a modulating voltage Vm.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DARREN WOLF whose telephone number is (571)270-3378. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
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, KENNETH N. VANDERPUYE can be reached at 571-272-3078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DARREN E WOLF/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634
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