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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application JP2024-017843, filed on February 8, 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on January 16, 2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Status
Claims 1-6 are pending in this application and are under examination in this Office Action.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He (USPUB 20210273722), hereinafter He'21, in view of Lee (USPAT 6671045).
He'21 teaches a GOSNR measurement device (Paragraph [0006] – "There is herein provided a method for measuring the GOSNR that can be implemented using commercial-grade transceivers and which accounts for linear optical impairments (e.g. PMD, PDL and CD) and transceiver intrinsic impairments. The method may be implemented using an Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA) and either the system transceivers or other commercial-grade transceivers.") comprising:
a calculation processing unit (FIG. 6, processor 802, Paragraph [0162] – "FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computer system 800 which may be used to implement steps of the measurement method described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 3. In terms of hardware architecture, the computer system 800 generally includes a processor 802") that calculates a total noise power, which is a sum of a nonlinear noise power (Pnl) and an ASE noise power (Pase) in an optical fiber transmission line (Paragraph [0073] – "The generalized optical signal to noise ratio (GOSNR) is defined as 1/GOSNR=1/OSNR.sub.ASE+1/OSNR.sub.NL"),
and measures a generalized optical signal to noise ratio (GOSNR) by using the total noise power (Paragraph [0073] – "The generalized optical signal to noise ratio (GOSNR) is defined as 1/GOSNR=1/OSNR.sub.ASE+1/OSNR.sub.NL"; Paragraphs [0061]-[0067] – "The proposed method can be summarized as follows: 1. Record signal quality metric Q.sub.m, signal power Ps and OSNR at operation conditions 2. Record signal quality metric Q.sub.m and OSNR with added ASE 3. Record signal quality metric, signal power Ps and OSNR with varied signal power 4. From 1) & 2), derive constant value R.sub.BW that relates OSNR to signal quality metric Q.sub.m:
R.sub.Bw=GQ/GOSNR=Q.sub.ASE/OSNR.sub.ASE=Q.sub.NL/OSNR.sub.NL 5. From 3), discriminate nonlinear contribution Q.sub.NL to signal quality metric Q.sub.m 6. Derive the GOSNR and/or OSNR.sub.NL").
Although He'21 does not explicitly teach total noise power, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the GOSNR equation may be rewritten as GOSNR=Psig/(PASE+PNL), wherein the denominator denoting the sum of ASE noise power and nonlinear noise power can reasonably be understood as total noise power.
He'21 does not teach using Stokes parameters obtained by causing signal light to propagate through the optical fiber transmission line.
However, in an analogous art, Lee teaches an apparatus and method for measuring optical signal-to-noise ratio in optical communications involving a measuring device for measuring Stokes parameters (FIG. 7, photodetectors 708-711, adders 713, 714, 716, and 718, and multipliers 715 and 717; Col. 6, Lines 37-44 – "The photo detectors (708, 709, 710, 711) measure the power, (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) of the corresponding polarization components. The Stokes parameters S0/4, S1/4, S2/4, S3/4 can be calculated from the measured the power (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) with the adders (713, 714, 716, 718) and the multipliers (715, 717)."; Col. 3, Lines 32-43 – "The apparatus according to the invention comprises… (3) a measuring means of Stokes parameters S0, S1, S2, S3 from the four distributed beams; (4) a calculating means of the optical signal power finding the power of the polarized component of the amplified output beam from the Stokes parameters S1, S2, S3; (5) a calculating means of the noise power finding the power of the noise included in the amplified output beam from Stokes parameter S0 and the optical signal power…"). One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the apparatus taught by Lee inherently involves causing signal light to propagate through an optical fiber transmission line, and would be motivated to utilize Lee's teachings to substitute the steps involving recording various signal powers as taught by He'21.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings of He'21 and Lee in order to determine GOSNR by using total noise power calculated using Stokes parameters as a substitute for recording a differing signal quality metric.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of He'21 (USPUB 20210273722), Lee (USPAT 6671045), Tao (USPAT 10313007), and He (USPUB 20130330071), hereinafter He'13.
As per claim 2, the combination of He'21 and Lee teach the limitations of claim 1.
The combination of He'21 and Lee does not teach the limitations of the claim.
However, in an analogous art, Tao teaches wherein the calculation processing unit calculates, based on a third-order nonlinear optical term for an optical signal power (Psig) that is input to the optical fiber transmission line (Col. 7, Lines 15-21 – "In the embodiment,… the nonlinear noise component at the first power includes an optical fiber transmission intra-channel nonlinear distortion NintraNL0 and an optical fiber transmission inter-channel nonlinear distortion NinterNL0"; Col. 7, Lines 25-28 – "the nonlinear noise component at the second power includes an optical fiber transmission intra-channel nonlinear distortion NintraNL"; Col. 7, Lines 56-60 – "NintraNL=(P/P0)3xNintraNL0"),
Although Tao does not explicitly teach a third-order nonlinear optical term for an optical signal power (Psig) that is input to the optical fiber transmission line, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that Tao teaches that nonlinear noise or distortion is proportional to P3 (Col. 7, Lines 56-60 – "NintraNL=(P/P0)3xNintraNL0"). A cubic dependence on signal power is functionally equivalent to the claimed third-order term for an optical signal power. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that substituting a third-order nonlinear optical term calculation for the nonlinear noise power calculation taught by He'21 would still predictably result in the same nonlinear noise power.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the teachings of Tao into the combination taught by He'21 and Lee as swapping similar and known features that serve the same purpose, contributing to determining nonlinear noise power, would have yielded predictable results.
Tao does not teach calculating the nonlinear noise power (Pnl) by applying, to the third-order nonlinear optical term, a coefficient (kPL) of polarized components and a coefficient (kNPL) of non-polarized components, the coefficients corresponding to the nonlinear noise power (Pnl) in the optical fiber transmission line.
However, in an analogous art, He'13 teaches a coefficient of polarized components and non-polarized components (Paragraph [0017] – "Yet another aspect of the invention provides a method for determining a noise parameter characterizing an optical SUT having a polarized-signal contribution, a depolarized-signal contribution and an ASE-noise contribution within an optical-signal bandwidth, the depolarized-signal contribution being at least partly imparted from a non-linear effect to be characterized."). One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that nonlinear effects produce a depolarized signal contribution and that polarization analysis can distinguish that contribution from an ASE-noise contribution. Therefore, applying the teachings of He'13 to the teachings of Tao would predictably result in a determination of the nonlinear noise power.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the teachings of He'13 to the teachings of Tao in order to determine coefficients corresponding to the nonlinear noise power in the optical fiber transmission line.
As per claim 3, the combination of He'21, Lee, Tao, and He'13 teach the limitations of claim 2.
Lee teaches calculating a non-polarized noise power by using the Stokes parameters (Equation 4).
The combination of Tao and He'13 teaches calculating a polarized noise power by using the kPL and the Psig, as set forth above in claim 2. Tao teaches Psig (Col. 7, Lines 15-21 – "In the embodiment,… the nonlinear noise component at the first power includes an optical fiber transmission intra-channel nonlinear distortion NintraNL0 and an optical fiber transmission inter-channel nonlinear distortion NinterNL0"; Col. 7, Lines 25-28 – "the nonlinear noise component at the second power includes an optical fiber transmission intra-channel nonlinear distortion NintraNL"; Col. 7, Lines 56-60 – "NintraNL=(P/P0)3xNintraNL0") and He'13 teaches kPL (Paragraph [0017] – "Yet another aspect of the invention provides a method for determining a noise parameter characterizing an optical SUT having a polarized-signal contribution, a depolarized-signal contribution and an ASE-noise contribution within an optical-signal bandwidth, the depolarized-signal contribution being at least partly imparted from a non-linear effect to be characterized.").
Although the art does not explicitly teach obtaining the total noise power by adding the non-polarized noise power and the polarized noise power, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that this can be accomplished with simple addition based on the equation taught by He'21 (Paragraph [0073] – "The generalized optical signal to noise ratio (GOSNR) is defined as 1/GOSNR=1/OSNR.sub.ASE+1/OSNR.sub.NL"), rewritten as GOSNR=Psig/(PASE+PNL), wherein the denominator denoting the sum of ASE noise power and nonlinear noise power can reasonably be understood as total noise power.
As per claim 4, the combination of He'21, Lee, Tao, and He'13 teach the limitations of claim 2.
Lee teaches wherein the calculation processing unit calculates a first measurement power Ptotal (L1) and a first non-polarized noise power PNPLnoise (L1) by using Stokes parameters obtained by causing first signal light to propagate through the optical fiber transmission line (FIG. 7, photodetectors 708-711, adders 713, 714, 716, and 718, and multipliers 715 and 717; Col. 6, Lines 37-44 – "The photo detectors (708, 709, 710, 711) measure the power, (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) of the corresponding polarization components. The Stokes parameters S0/4, S1/4, S2/4, S3/4 can be calculated from the measured the power (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) with the adders (713, 714, 716, 718) and the multipliers (715, 717)."; Col. 3, Lines 32-43 – "The apparatus according to the invention comprises… (3) a measuring means of Stokes parameters S0, S1, S2, S3 from the four distributed beams; (4) a calculating means of the optical signal power finding the power of the polarized component of the amplified output beam from the Stokes parameters S1, S2, S3; (5) a calculating means of the noise power finding the power of the noise included in the amplified output beam from Stokes parameter S0 and the optical signal power…"),
and calculates a second measurement power Ptotal (L2) and a second non-polarized noise power PNPLnoise (L2) by using Stokes parameters obtained by causing second signal light (FIG. 7, photodetectors 708-711, adders 713, 714, 716, and 718, and multipliers 715 and 717; Col. 6, Lines 37-44 – "The photo detectors (708, 709, 710, 711) measure the power, (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) of the corresponding polarization components. The Stokes parameters S0/4, S1/4, S2/4, S3/4 can be calculated from the measured the power (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) with the adders (713, 714, 716, 718) and the multipliers (715, 717)."; Col. 3, Lines 32-43 – "The apparatus according to the invention comprises… (3) a measuring means of Stokes parameters S0, S1, S2, S3 from the four distributed beams; (4) a calculating means of the optical signal power finding the power of the polarized component of the amplified output beam from the Stokes parameters S1, S2, S3; (5) a calculating means of the noise power finding the power of the noise included in the amplified output beam from Stokes parameter S0 and the optical signal power…"), which has an optical signal power different from an optical signal power of the first signal light, to propagate through the optical fiber transmission line,
and calculates an optical signal power Psig (L1) of the first signal light or an optical signal power Psig (L2) of the second signal light by using the first measurement power Ptotal (L1), the first non-polarized noise power PNPLnoise (L1), the second measurement power Ptotal (L2), and the second non-polarized noise power PNPLnoise (L2) (FIG. 7, photodetectors 708-711, adders 713, 714, 716, and 718, and multipliers 715 and 717; Col. 6, Lines 37-44 – "The photo detectors (708, 709, 710, 711) measure the power, (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) of the corresponding polarization components. The Stokes parameters S0/4, S1/4, S2/4, S3/4 can be calculated from the measured the power (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) with the adders (713, 714, 716, 718) and the multipliers (715, 717)."; Col. 3, Lines 32-43 – "The apparatus according to the invention comprises… (3) a measuring means of Stokes parameters S0, S1, S2, S3 from the four distributed beams; (4) a calculating means of the optical signal power finding the power of the polarized component of the amplified output beam from the Stokes parameters S1, S2, S3; (5) a calculating means of the noise power finding the power of the noise included in the amplified output beam from Stokes parameter S0 and the optical signal power…").
Lee does not explicitly mention that the second signal light has an optical signal power different from an optical signal power of the first signal light.
However, He'21 teaches a second signal light which has an optical signal power different from an optical signal power of the first signal light as well as calculating an optical signal power of the first signal light and the second signal light (Paragraphs [0007]-[0013] – "In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for measuring at least one of the generalized signal quality metric GQ.sub.m, the GOSNR characterizing linear and nonlinear noise over an optical communication link under test and the OSNR.sub.NL characterizing the nonlinear noise over the optical communication link under test. The method comprising: at link operation conditions for which the GQ.sub.m, the GOSNR and/or the OSNR.sub.NL is to be measured: while using a pair of transmitter and receiver connected to opposite ends of the optical communication link under test, recording values of signal quality metric Q.sub.m-tot-1, and recording values of signal power Ps-1 and ASE-noise Optical Signal to Noise Ratio OSNR.sub.ASE-1; for at least two levels of signal power Ps-2 and Ps-3 that are different from the signal power Ps-1 of the link operation conditions: while using said pair of transmitter and receiver connected to opposite ends of the optical communication link under test, recording values of signal quality metric Q.sub.m-tot-2, Q.sub.m-tot-3; from values of signal quality metric recorded at varied signal power Ps-1, Ps-2 and Ps-3, deriving a value of a nonlinear contribution Q.sub.NL-1 to the signal quality metric Q.sub.m-tot-1, which result from non-linear noise in transmission over the optical transmission link; and derive the GQ.sub.m, the GOSNR and/or the OSNR.sub.NL from a constant value R.sub.BW, said signal quality metric contribution Q.sub.NL-1 and said ASE-noise OSNR OSNR.sub.ASE-1.").
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (USPAT 6671045) in view of He’21 (USPUB 20210273722).
Lee teaches a first measurement procedure of measuring first Stokes parameters by causing first signal light to propagate through an optical fiber transmission line (FIG. 7, photodetectors 708-711, adders 713, 714, 716, and 718, and multipliers 715 and 717; Col. 6, Lines 37-44 – "The photo detectors (708, 709, 710, 711) measure the power, (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) of the corresponding polarization components. The Stokes parameters S0/4, S1/4, S2/4, S3/4 can be calculated from the measured the power (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) with the adders (713, 714, 716, 718) and the multipliers (715, 717)."; Col. 3, Lines 32-43 – "The apparatus according to the invention comprises… (3) a measuring means of Stokes parameters S0, S1, S2, S3 from the four distributed beams; (4) a calculating means of the optical signal power finding the power of the polarized component of the amplified output beam from the Stokes parameters S1, S2, S3; (5) a calculating means of the noise power finding the power of the noise included in the amplified output beam from Stokes parameter S0 and the optical signal power…"); and
a second measurement procedure of measuring second Stokes parameters by causing second signal light, which has an optical signal power different from an optical signal power of the first signal light, to propagate through the optical fiber transmission line (FIG. 7, photodetectors 708-711, adders 713, 714, 716, and 718, and multipliers 715 and 717; Col. 6, Lines 37-44 – "The photo detectors (708, 709, 710, 711) measure the power, (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) of the corresponding polarization components. The Stokes parameters S0/4, S1/4, S2/4, S3/4 can be calculated from the measured the power (PX/4, PY/4, P45/4, PRCP/4) with the adders (713, 714, 716, 718) and the multipliers (715, 717)."; Col. 3, Lines 32-43 – "The apparatus according to the invention comprises… (3) a measuring means of Stokes parameters S0, S1, S2, S3 from the four distributed beams; (4) a calculating means of the optical signal power finding the power of the polarized component of the amplified output beam from the Stokes parameters S1, S2, S3; (5) a calculating means of the noise power finding the power of the noise included in the amplified output beam from Stokes parameter S0 and the optical signal power…"),
Although Lee teaches the use of first Stokes parameters and second Stokes parameters, Lee does not explicitly teach the remaining limitations.
However, in an analogous art, He'21 teaches wherein a calculation processing unit (FIG. 6, processor 802, Paragraph [0162] – "FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computer system 800 which may be used to implement steps of the measurement method described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 3. In terms of hardware architecture, the computer system 800 generally includes a processor 802") calculates a total noise power (Ptotal-noise), which is a sum of a nonlinear noise power (Pnl) and an ASE noise power (Pase) in the optical fiber transmission line (Paragraph [0073] – "The generalized optical signal to noise ratio (GOSNR) is defined as 1/GOSNR=1/OSNR.sub.ASE+1/OSNR.sub.NL"), by using the first Stokes parameters and the second Stokes parameters, and calculates a generalized optical signal to noise ratio (GOSNR) by using the total noise power (Paragraph [0073] – "The generalized optical signal to noise ratio (GOSNR) is defined as 1/GOSNR=1/OSNR.sub.ASE+1/OSNR.sub.NL"; Paragraphs [0061]-[0067] – "The proposed method can be summarized as follows: 1. Record signal quality metric Q.sub.m, signal power Ps and OSNR at operation conditions 2. Record signal quality metric Q.sub.m and OSNR with added ASE 3. Record signal quality metric, signal power Ps and OSNR with varied signal power 4. From 1) & 2), derive constant value R.sub.BW that relates OSNR to signal quality metric Q.sub.m:
R.sub.Bw=GQ/GOSNR=Q.sub.ASE/OSNR.sub.ASE=Q.sub.NL/OSNR.sub.NL 5. From 3), discriminate nonlinear contribution Q.sub.NL to signal quality metric Q.sub.m 6. Derive the GOSNR and/or OSNR.sub.NL").
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to utilize Lee's teachings to substitute the steps involving recording various signal powers as taught by He'21, as they perform similar functions.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the teachings of Lee with the teachings oh He'21 in order to determine GOSNR by using total noise power calculated using Stokes parameters as a substitute for recording a differing signal quality metric.
It is noted that any citations to specific pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP §2123.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As to claim 5, prior art of record does not teach or suggest the limitation mentioned within claim 5: “the calculation processing unit calculates the optical signal power Psig (L1) of the first signal light by using the following equation:
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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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Binh (WO 2012051668)
Zhou (WO 2015161473)
Koyama (JP 2016143959)
Yamazaki (JP 2017166937)
Xiang, Qian, et al. "Joint, accurate and robust optical signal-to-noise ratio and modulation format monitoring scheme using a single Stokes-parameter-based artificial neural network.”
Cho, Hyung Joon. "Generalized optical signal-to-noise ratio monitoring using a convolutional neural network for digital coherent receivers."
Hahn, Choloong, Junho Chang, and Zhiping Jiang. "Longitudinal gOSNR Monitoring by Receiver-side Digital Signal Processing in Multi-Span Optical Transmission System."
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB ETHAN DELA ROSA-FRIO whose telephone number is (571)270-5776. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:00 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David C Payne can be reached at (571) 272-3024. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JACOB ETHAN DELA ROSA-FRIO/Examiner, Art Unit 2635
/DAVID C PAYNE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2635
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