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.
Claims 1-12 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.
Regarding claim 1, in both lines 1 and 5 of claim 1 recite “a rogue transmitter”. It is unclear whether a rouge transmitter in line 5 is part of the fiber optic network. The recitation of these elements creates ambiguity to claim 1. Such duplication, for example, creates further ambiguity in claim 2, wherein claim 2 recites the upstream rogue transmission.
Claims 2-12 are rejected because of their dependency upon rejected claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 is allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, prior art of record does not teach A system for identifying a rogue transmitter, causing an upstream rogue transmission, in a fibre optic network, said system comprising a:Mechanically Induced Filter, MIF, comprising a grating configured to be forced upon a fibre optic cable of the fibre optic network, wherein said MIF is configured to cause a filtering effect upon the upstream rogue transmission; detector, provided as part of a receiver of the fibre optic network, for detecting an upstream rogue transmission from a rogue transmitter and for monitoring; and a processor configured to, in response to detecting by said detector, the upstream rogue transmission with the filtering effect, determine that the rogue transmitter is connected and transmitting via the fibre optic cable..
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. US Patents 5067815 and 4463254 are in related field of invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TONY KO whose telephone number is (571)272-1926. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9-5pm.
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/TONY KO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2878
TK