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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMIVHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
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`
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`14/3 80,950
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`08/26/2014
`
`Takashi Umehara
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`MAT—10629US
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`3689
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`RATNERPRESTIA
`PO. BOX 980
`VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482-0980
`
`BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
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`ART UNIT
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`2852
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`PAPER NUIVIBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`08/13/2015
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e—mail address(es):
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`ptocorrespondence @ratnerprestia.c0m
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`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 14/380,950 UMEHARA, TAKASHI
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`2852ROCHELLE-ANN J. BLACKMAN first“
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`after SIX (6) MONTHS from 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) MONTHS from 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, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
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`-
`-
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`Status
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`1)IXI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 8/26/2014.
`[I A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)lX| This action is non-final.
`2a)I:| This action is FINAL.
`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)|:I 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 EX parte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`3) I] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`.
`.
`2) E Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date 8/26/14.
`4) D Other: —-
`
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20150804
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`Disposition of Claims*
`5)|XI Claim(s) Bis/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`6 III Claim s) _ is/are allowed.
`s E? is/are rejected.
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`is/are objected to.
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`) )
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`_
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)|:l Claim(s
`)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`htt
`://www.usoto. ov/ atentS/init events"
`h/index.‘s
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`
`
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`, or send an inquiry to PF"I-Ifeedback{<‘buspto.qov.
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`Application Papers
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`10)I:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)|Z| The drawing(s) filed on 8/26/14 is/are: a)lZl accepted or b)I:I 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).
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`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)IZI Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`b)I:I Some” c)I:I None of the:
`a)le All
`1.IZI Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.|:| Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.I:I Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
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`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.
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`Attach ment(s)
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`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2852
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Claim Objections
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`Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 9 recites “a
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`first distance measuring section ,
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`first distance information , a distance , a subject”, “a
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`second distance measuring section”, “a light emitting section”, “second distance
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`information”, and “a bounce surface”. These limitations have already been cited in
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`claim 1, from which claim 9 indirectly depends from. If these limitations in claim 9 are
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`different from the limitations recited in claim 1, then a distinction needs to be made
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`between them, if these limitations are the same, then the limitations need to be
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`amended, removing the "a" in front of the applicable limitations and inserted - -the- -.
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`Appropriate correction is required.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C.
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`102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country
`or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application
`for patent in the United States.
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`Claims 1-9 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by
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`Khuntia (US 2009/0208198).
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`Regarding claim 1, Khuntia discloses a strobe device (FIGS. 1-17) for performing
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`bounce photography by radiating a strobe light (26a, 26b, 26e, 26d, 26f, 26h) to a
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`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2852
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`bounce surface (27) and radiating a reflected light from the bounce surface to a subject
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`(30, 30a, 30b), the strobe device comprising:
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`a strobe main body (5, 39);
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`a light emitting section (20a, 21 a, 22a) coupled to the strobe main body vertically
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`rotatably;
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`a variable mechanism (38) capable of varying an angle in a vertical direction of
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`the light emitting section;
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`a driving section (M) for driving the variable mechanism;
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`a first distance measuring section (20a, 31) for acquiring, as first distance
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`information, information of a distance between the strobe device and the subject;
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`a second distance measuring section (21 a, 32) for acquiring, as second distance
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`information, information of a distance between the strobe device and the bounce
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`surface (27);
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`a distance measurement computing section (35, paragraphs 0055) for computing
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`a bounce irradiation angle (theta 1) in the vertical direction of the light emitting section
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`on the basis of the first distance information and the second distance information;
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`a vertical angle detecting section (60) for acquiring angle information in the
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`vertical direction of the light emitting section; and
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`a control device (also 35) for controlling the driving section so that the angle in
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`the vertical direction of the light emitting section becomes equal to the bounce
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`irradiation angle on the basis of the bounce irradiation angle and the angle information
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`in the vertical direction of the light emitting section (see theta 1
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`in Figs. 4 and 5).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2852
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`Regarding claim 2, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`first distance measuring section and the second distance measuring section are
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`disposed in the light emitting section (see location of 20a, 31 and 21a, 32).
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`Regarding claim 3, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 2, wherein the
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`first distance measuring section acquires the first distance information in a state where
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`the light emitting section points to the subject, and the second distance measuring
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`section acquires the second distance information in a state where the light emitting
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`section points to the bounce surface (see Fig. 3).
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`Regarding claim 4, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`first distance measuring section is disposed in the strobe main body, and the second
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`distance measuring section is disposed in the light emitting section (see location of 20a,
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`31 and 21a, 32).
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`Regarding claim 5, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`control device comprising: an A/D converting section (not shown but considered internal
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`to 35) for A/D-converting a detection signal of the vertical angle detecting section; an
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`angle computing section (not shown but considered internal to 35) for calculating a tilt
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`angle of the light emitting section with respect to the bounce irradiation angle on the
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`basis of the bounce irradiation angle and a converted value obtained by the A/D
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`converting section; and a control section (not shown but considered internal to 35) for
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`controlling the driving section so that the tilt angle of the light emitting section is
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`eliminated (see paragraphs 0034-0036 — 35 is considered to have the above-mentioned
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`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2852
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`limitations to process the signal from the position sensor 60 and output the orientation of
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`camera 5 and/or compartment 39).
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`Regarding claim 6, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`vertical angle detecting section is formed of a triaxial acceleration sensor (60, paragraph
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`0035, 0036).
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`Regarding claim 7, Khuntia discloses the strobe device of claim 1, wherein the
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`vertical angle detecting section is disposed in one of the strobe main body and the light
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`emitting section (see location of 60).
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`Regarding claim 8, Khuntia discloses an imaging device (5) comprising the
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`strobe device of claim 1.
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`Regarding claim 9, Khuntia discloses the imaging device of claim 8, wherein a
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`first distance measuring section is disposed in the imaging device, and acquires, as first
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`distance information, information of a distance between the imaging device and a
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`subject, and a second distance measuring section is disposed in a light emitting section,
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`and acquires, as second distance information, information of a distance between the
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`light emitting section and a bounce surface (see Figs. 3-5).
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to ROCHELLE-ANN J. BLACKMAN whose telephone
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`number is (571 )272—21 1 3. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-4:30.
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`Application/Control Number: 14/380,950
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2852
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Clayton E. LaBalle can be reached on (571) 272-1594. The fax phone
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`number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -
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`273-8300.
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`/ROCHELLE-ANN J. BLACKMAN/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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`RB
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