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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/546, 153
`
`12/09/2021
`
`TASUKU NAKAMURA
`
`083710-3577
`
`5338
`
`Rimon PC - Panasonic Corporation
`8300 Greensboro Dr.
`Suite 500
`McLean, VA 22102
`
`CARTER, MICHAEL W
`
`2828
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`06/28/2024
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOmail @rimonlaw.com
`
`eofficeaction @appcoll.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-13 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C) Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1 and 12-13 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s) 2-11 is/are objectedto.
`C) Claim(s
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)2) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)M The drawing(s) filed on 12/9/2021 is/are: a)¥) accepted or b)C) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121(d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)(¥) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)() None ofthe:
`b)( Some**
`a) All
`1.@) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.1.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`*“ See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 12/9/2021.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`4)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20240622
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/546,153
`NAKAMURAetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`Michael W Carter
`2828
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORYPERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensionsof time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
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`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 12/9/2021.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
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`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)(2) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/546,153
`Art Unit: 2828
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
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`underthe first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35
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`U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103)is incorrect, any
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`correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AlA) for the rejection will
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`not be considered a new ground ofrejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale
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`supporting the rejection, would be the same undereither status.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that
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`form the basis for the rejections under this section madein this Office action:
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`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use,
`on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effectivefiling date of the claimed
`invention.
`
`Claims 1 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated
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`by “Dual-comb Spectroscopy using On-chip Mode-locked Frequency Combs,” (Dutt).
`
`For claim 1, Dutt teaches a dual optical frequency comb light-emitting device
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`comprising (fig. 1):
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`a first optical-frequency-comb laser sourcethat includesa first laser resonator
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`having a first optical path length (fig. 1(a), R1);
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/546,153
`Art Unit: 2828
`
`Page 3
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`a second optical-frequency-comb laser source that includes a second laser
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`resonator having a second optical path length different from the first optical path length
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`(fig. 1(a), r2); and
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`an optical coupler that causesa first portion of first optical-frequency-comb laser
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`light emitted from the first laser resonator to enter the second laser resonator (fig. 1(a),
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`coupling betweenstraight waveguide and ring resonator R2),
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`wherein the first optical-frequency-comb laser source outputs a second portion of
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`the first optical-frequency-comb laserlight to an outside(fig.1(a), R1 comb in Dual comb
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`past the coupling between straight waveguide and ring resonator R2), and
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`wherein the second optical-frequency-comb laser source outputs second optical-
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`frequency-comb laserlight emitted from the second laser resonator to the outside (R2
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`comb in Dual comb).
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`For claim 12, Dutt teaches the second laser resonator includes a ring resonator
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`composedof a nonlinear optical material(fig. 1(a), ring R2, 3"? paragraph, SisNa is a
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`nonlinear material and FWM is a nonlinear process).
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`For claim 13, Dutt teaches a substrate, wherein thefirst optical-frequency-comb
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`laser source, the second optical-frequency-comb laser source, and the optical coupler
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`are integrated in a surface of the substrate (fig. 1(a) and final paragraph).
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`Claims 2-11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected baseclaim, but
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`would be allowableif rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the
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`base claim and any intervening claims.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/546,153
`Art Unit: 2828
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`Page 4
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`The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject
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`matter: Dutt represents the closestprior art but does not teach or suggestthefilter of
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`claims 2-3, the first resonator includes a pair of mirrors of claims 4-9, or the second
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`mirrors of claim 10-11. While the claimed elements are generally knownin the prior art,
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`there is no suggestion or motivation to modify Dutt to include the claimed limitations.
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`Conclusion
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`The prior art madeof record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
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`applicant's disclosure. US 202080064708, US 2018/0351319, and US 2014/0253915 all
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`teach dual optical frequency combs and represent the state of the art. However, none
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`teach the particular configuration claimed in the instant application.
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`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to Michael W Carter whose telephone numberis (571)270-
`
`1872. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9:00-5:30.
`
`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 contact the examiner at the above number.
`
`If attempts to reach the examinerby telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, MinSun Harvey can be reached on 571-272-1835. The fax phone number
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`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be
`
`obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Centeris
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`available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center,
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`visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/546,153
`Art Unit: 2828
`
`center for more information about Patent Center and
`
`Page 5
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`Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
`
`/Michael Carter/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2828
`
`