Appeal No. 2005-2111 12
Application No. 09/827,454
combine a system for removing the effects of chromatic dispersion and pulse distortion in
a fiber communication system, wherein a “spatial” mode operation is employed
(Watanabe), with a system dealing with “temporal” phase conjugation properties of the
four-wave mixing process (Vasil’ev). It is not at all clear what the artisan would seek to
achieve by such a combination.
Accordingly, since, in our view, the examiner has not made a reasonable case for
combining the applied references, we will not sustain the rejection of claims 24 and 26-33
under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
Turning to the rejections of claims 34-39, which rely, at least in part, on the
combination of Sharp and Vasil’ev, the examiner contends that Sharp discloses, in Figure
2 and 5, a remote laser beacon 23 for transmitting and receiving an interrogating beam
and a communication station 50 operatively coupled to the transmitting and receiving
means, wherein the station includes a means (crystal 20) for returning a phase conjugate
beam to the transmitting and receiving means (column 2, lines 26-42).
The examiner recognized that Sharp’s phase conjugator 20 is a photorefractive
crystal-type phase conjugation element that requires a pump beam from laser 21 and
does not disclose a broad area intra-cavity phase conjugator, as claimed. But, again, the
examiner relies on Vasil’ev for a teaching of a broad area intra-cavity phase conjugator
that does not require an external pump beam source.
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