What Specific Protections Exist?

The protections you gain from "patent pending" status can be confusing. The term itself has no specific legal effect and serves only to put competitors on notice that you've applied for a patent. However, under the American Inventors Protection Act, you do gain provisional rights and protections, including the right to secure royalties from those who use your invention after it has been published but before a full patent is granted.

Publication number: 20170023733

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is grown by epitaxy on a substrate. The PIC includes at least one active element, at least one passive element, and a dielectric waveguide. The at least one active and passive elements are formed over the substrate and are in optical contact with each other. The dielectric waveguide is formed over the substrate, and is in optical contact with the at least one active and passive elements. The at least one active and passive elements each are formed using a III-V compound semiconductor material.

Type: Application

Filed: July 22, 2016

Publication date: January 26, 2017

Applicant: BB Photonics Inc.

Inventors: Miroslaw FLORJANCZYK, William RING

https://www.upcounsel.com/difference-between-patent-and-patent-pending

Surprisingly the examiner has only come up with 3 citations and they are not in any way similar to BB Photonics dielectric application with passive optical alignment. So that is a little surprising.

PATENT CITATIONS

* Cited by examiner

 Athermal AWG and AWG with low power consumption using groove of changeable width

 US 6738545 B1

ABSTRACT

Optical integrated circuits are disclosed having a gap traversing the lens or the waveguide grating and an actuator that controllably positions the optical integrated circuit on each side of the gap. As a result, the thermal sensitivity of the optical integrated circuits, for example, arrayed waveguide gratings, is mitigated. Also disclosed are methods for fabricating optical integrated circuits employing the gap and actuator.

Arrayed waveguide grating, and method of making same 
US 20030003737 A1

ABSTRACT

An arrayed waveguide grating deposited on a wafer that includes an upper semiconductor layer comprising a first port, a plurality of second ports, a gate oxide layer, a polysilicon layer, and a plurality of arrayed waveguides. The gate oxide layer is deposited above the upper semiconductor layer. The polysilicon layer is deposited above the gate oxide layer. The plurality of arrayed waveguides extend between the first port and each one of the plurality of second ports. Each one of the plurality of arrayed waveguides are at least partially formed by the upper semiconductor layer, the polysilicon layer, and the gate oxide layer. Each one of the arrayed waveguides is associated with a portion of the polysilicon layer. Each portion of the polysilicon layer has a different cross-sectional area, wherein each of the arrayed waveguides has a different effective mode index. The value and position of the effective mode index associated with each of the respective arrayed waveguides remains substantially unchanged over time.

Thermally compensated arrayed waveguide grating assemblies 
US 20130308904 A1

ABSTRACT

Arrayed waveguide grating can have one or both slab waveguides with relatively sharply folded optical paths and a mirror that provides the folding of the path. The folded optical paths through the slab waveguides can result in a more compact geometry of the waveguides through the device as well as smaller slab waveguides such that the device can be formed with a significantly smaller overall footprint. Also, arrayed waveguide gratings that cooperate with pivotable mirrors can adjust light passage through the waveguide in response to temperature changes to provide for thermally compensated operation of the device. Thus, very compact planar lightwave circuits filters are described that provide thermally compensated operation.