Appeal 2007-0953 Application 10/607,466 ISSUE Have Appellants established that the Examiner erred in finding that McGreer discloses a wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer where (1) the input waveguide for inputting a multiplexed optical signal to the grating is respectively disposed on both sides of the substrate centering on the AWG, and (2) the output waveguides for outputting single-channel demultiplexed optical signals are respectively disposed on both sides of the substrate centering on the AWG as claimed? FINDINGS OF FACT McGreer discloses an optical wavelength division multiplexing and demultiplexing system that utilizes a planar lightwave circuit known as an AWG router. An exemplary AWG router is shown in Fig. 3A and comprises one or more input channel waveguides 160, an input slab waveguide 170, an AWG 180, and output slab waveguide 190, and one or more output channel waveguides 200. A transition segment 215 provides optical coupling between the slab waveguide and the waveguides on the structure’s “input side” and/or “output side” (McGreer, col. 8, ll. 51-67; col. 9, ll. 3-10; col. 3, ll. 4-7; Figs. 3A-3C). The transition segment can comprise a tapered portion and an extension (McGreer, col. 5, ll. 10-21; col. 9, l. 52 - col. 10, l. 16; Figs. 3B and 3C). In the embodiment of Fig. 8, the taper extension 250 has gradually changing width so that the optical power in the first and third modes is relatively constant as light travels through the extension (McGreer, col. 15, ll. 14-33; Fig. 8). Moreover, the taper extension prevents the first and third modes from coupling together (McGreer, col. 8, ll. 47-50). 5Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013