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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 1/15/2025 and 7/17/2026 are being considered by the examiner.
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 1-20 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.
1). Claim 1, and thus depending claims 2-18 and 20, recite the limitations “when a product of a scattering loss of the optical signal and a length is 6 dB or less and a Gaussian beam emitted from a single-mode optical fiber is input by center excitation, the first optical transmission line performs output while enlarging a beam diameter by three times or more, and in the connection portion, the first optical transmission line and the second optical transmission line are optically connected via a gap”. It is not clear which component’s length the “a length” in the phrase “a product of a scattering loss of the optical signal and a length” refer to. Does the “a length” refer to a length of the first optical transmission line, or does the “a length” refer to a length of the second optical transmission line? Does the “a length” refer to a length of the single-mode optical fiber? Does the “a length” refer to a length of the gap? Does the “a length” refer to a length of the connection portion? Does the “a length” refer to a partial length of one of the first optical transmission line, the second optical transmission line, or single-mode fiber?
Regarding the limitation “the first optical transmission line performs output while enlarging a beam diameter by three times or more”, it is not clear whether the “a beam diameter” refers to the beam diameter of the Gaussian beam, or one of any other beam diameters of beams transmitted in the first optical transmission line, the second optical transmission line, or the connection portion.
2). Claim 19 recites the limitations “when a product of a scattering loss of the optical signal and a length is 6 dB or less and a Gaussian beam emitted from a single-mode optical fiber is input by center excitation, performing output while enlarging a beam diameter by three times or more; and optically connecting the first optical transmission line with the second optical transmission line via a gap”. It is not clear which component’s length the “a length” in the phrase “a product of a scattering loss of the optical signal and a length” refer to. Does the “a length” refer to a length of the first optical transmission line, or does the “a length” refer to a length of the second optical transmission line? Does the “a length” refer to a length of the single-mode optical fiber? Does the “a length” refer to a length of the gap? Does the “a length” refer to a length of the connection portion? Does the “a length” refer to a partial length of one of the first optical transmission line, the second optical transmission line, or single-mode fiber?
Regarding the limitation “performing output while enlarging a beam diameter by three times or more”, it is not clear whether the “a beam diameter” refers to the beam diameter of the Gaussian beam, or one of any other beam diameters of beams transmitted in the first optical transmission line, the second optical transmission line, or the connection portion.
(Note: MPEP § 2173.02(I) indicates “if the language of a claim, given its broadest reasonable interpretation, is such that a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art would read it with more than one reasonable interpretation, then a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph is appropriate. … . ..., a genus claim that could be interpreted in such a way that it is not clear which species are covered would be indefinite (e.g., because there is more than one reasonable interpretation of what species are included in the claim)”).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20240195503 A1
US 20230003950 A1
US 20230098573 A1
US 20200264365 A1
US 20190041586 A1
US 20180335573 A1
JP 2001228353
JP H0429104 A
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/LI LIU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634
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