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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 2231371450
`
`15/453,481
`
`03/08/2017
`
`TAKENORI SAKAMOTO
`
`731156.593
`
`1344
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasome
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WASHINGTON 98104
`UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
`
`CHAUDRY' MUJTABAM
`
`2112
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`08/03/2018
`
`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
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`following e—mail address(es):
`US PTOeACtion @ SeedIP .Com
`
`pairlinkdktg @ seedip .Com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Off/09 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/453,481
`Examiner
`MUJTABA M CHAUDRY
`
`Applicant(s)
`SAKAMOTO, TAKENORI
`Art Unit
`AIA Status
`2112
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
`
`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). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`|f 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).
`
`Status
`
`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 6/12/18.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a). This action is FINAL.
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`2b) C] This action is non-final.
`
`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`
`4)[:] 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 Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
`
`5)
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`Claim(s) fl is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s)
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`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`E] Claim(s)
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`is/are allowed.
`
`Claim(s) fl is/are rejected.
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`[:1 Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`6 7
`
`8
`
`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[j Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabte. 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
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
`
`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11)[:] The drawing(s) filed on
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`is/are: a)D accepted or b)l:] 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:
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`a)D All
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`b)I:J Some”
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`c)C] None of the:
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`1.[:]
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`Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.[:]
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`Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3.[:] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in 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)
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`1) C] Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`2) E] Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20180731
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/453,481
`Art Unit: 2112
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Applicant’s response filed 6/12/2018 has been considered.
`
`—
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`— Claims 1—6 are pending.
`
`— Rejections under 35 USC 112 are withdrawn in view of amendments and remarks.
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`— Rejections under 35 USC 102 are maintained in view of amendments and remarks.
`
`Application is pending.
`
`Applicant's arguments filed 6/12/18 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
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`Response to Arguments
`
`It is the noted that the amendments made to the claims do not significantly alter the scope
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`of the claimed limitations. Consequentially the prior art rejections are maintained in view of
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`remarks made herein.
`
`Applicant essential contends the prior art—Richardson—does not disclose or suggest at
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`least, “. . .equalization circuitry, which in operation, performs equalization process on the input
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`signal and a decoding signal; control circuitry, which in operation, updates an iteration number N
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`of the decoding process for each time the turbo equalization process is performed. . .; and
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`decoding circuitry, which in operation, repeats the decoding process on the equalized signal by
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`the iteration number N or less and outputs the decoded signal to the equalization circuitry...” as
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/453,481
`Art Unit: 2112
`
`Page 3
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`recited in claim 1. The Examiner respectfully disagrees and will clearly map these limitations for
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`Applicant’s review.
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`Richardson teaches:
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`“. . equalization circuitry, which in operation, performs equalization process on
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`the input signal and a decoding signal (i.e., Figure 4, below 181 detector and paragraph
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`0053; The Examiner would like to point out that Richardson teaches the ISI detector is
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`functionally equivalent to the equalization circuitry and it receives two inputs—namely
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`the external input signal 412 and the decoding signal 420);
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`control circuitry, which in operation, updates an iteration number N of the
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`decoding process for each time the turbo equalization process is performed. .
`
`. (i.e., Figure
`
`4, counter 406 and paragraphs 0054—0056; The Examiner would like to point out that
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`counter 406 updates each time the turbo equalization process is performed and in the
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`event the decoding iteration is successful, the data is output at 430.); and
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`decoding circuitry, which in operation, repeats the decoding process on the
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`equalized signal by the iteration number N or less and outputs the decoded signal to the
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`equalization circuitry (i.e., Figure 4, decoder 404 and paragraph 0055; The Examiner
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`would like to point out that there are two loops in the iterative decoding process
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`described by Richardson—namely the inner decoding loop and the outer decoding
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`communication loop. The inner decoding loop is related to the decoding circuitry which
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`repeats the decoding process on the equalized signal that is received by the ISI detector
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`and then recirculates the signal back to the ISI detector/equalization circuitry as
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`needed.). .
`
`. ”
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/453,481
`Art Unit: 2112
`
`Figure 4 of Richardson:
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`Page 4
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`It is the Examiner’s conclusion that the claims of the present application, as presented, are not
`
`patentably distinct over Richardson—applied prior art. Applicants are encouraged to formulate
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`claim language that clearly defines the novelty of the application. If Applicants believe an
`
`interview might advance prosecution, then they are invited to contact the Examiner with
`
`proposed amendments for a discussion. Prior art rejections are maintained in view of remarks
`
`made herein. See prior office action for details.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/453,481
`Art Unit: 2112
`
`Page 5
`
`Conclusion
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`THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time
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`policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`
`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
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`MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO
`
`MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after
`
`the end of the THREE—MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period
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`will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37
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`CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event,
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`however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing
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`date of this final action.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to MUJTABA M CHAUDRY whose telephone number is
`
`(571)272—3817. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday—Friday 9am—5:30pm.
`
`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 use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Albert DeCady can be reached on 571—272—3819. The fax phone number for the
`
`organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571—273—8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent
`
`Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/453,481
`Art Unit: 2112
`
`Page 6
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`may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished
`
`applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR
`
`system, see http://pair—direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR
`
`system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866—217—9197 (toll—free). If you would
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`information system, call 800—786—9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571—272—1000.
`
`MUJTABA M. CHAUDRY
`
`Primary Examiner
`Art Unit 2112
`
`/MUJTABA M CHAUDRY/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2112
`
`