www.uspto.gov
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/722,336
`
`12/20/2019
`
`Kenichi SHINDO
`
`PANDP0278USO1ICON
`
`8829
`
`MARKD. SARALINO (PAN)
`RENNER, OTTO, BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`ISTH FLOOR
`
`CLEVELAND, OH 44115
`
`WU,JERRY
`
`2841
`
`08/18/2020
`
`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
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`ipdocket @rennerotto.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/722,336
`Examiner
`JERRY WU
`
`Applicant(s)
`SHINDO etal.
`Art Unit
`2841
`
`AIA (FITF) Status
`Yes
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom 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) MONTHSfrom 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, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 12/20/19.
`LC} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)(J This action is FINAL. 2b))This action is non-final.
`3) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\(Z 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 Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`CL) Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) O Claim(s)___is/are objected to.
`C) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`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 PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)L The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 12/20/19 is/are: a)#) accepted or b)( 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:
`cc) None ofthe:
`b)LJ Some**
`a)Y) All
`1.4) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.4) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin 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)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20200813
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/722,336
`Art Unit: 2841
`
`Page 2
`
`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthefirst
`
`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`1.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthefirst
`
`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`2.
`
`In the event the determination ofthe status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and
`
`103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103)is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for
`
`the rejection will not be considered a new ground ofrejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale
`
`supporting the rejection, would be the same undereitherstatus.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C.
`
`102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the
`
`statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground ofrejection if the prior art
`
`relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same undereither status.
`
`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the
`
`basis for the rejections under this section madein this Office action:
`
`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in
`public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing
`date of the claimed invention.
`
`(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued undersection 151, or
`in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b),
`in whichthe patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and
`waseffectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/722,336
`Art Unit: 2841
`
`Page 3
`
`3.
`
`Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Lev (US:
`
`20090179435).
`
`
`
`1. With regard claim 1, Lev disclosed An electronic device includingafirst unit and a
`
`second unit openable to the first unit (abstract; fig 1-3; at least 10 and 12 are openable), the
`
`electronic device comprising: a latch mechanism (at least the mechanism shownin fig 2) that
`
`fixes the second unit in a closedstate (at least fig 3A is a closed state) with respectto the first
`
`unit, wherein the latch mechanism includes: a latch rotatable around a rotation shaft (at least fig
`
`3, 84 rotatable around 62) between a housing position and a lock position (compare fig 3C and
`
`fig 3A), the latch fixing the first unit and the second unitin the closed state at the lock position
`
`(fig 3A); and an elastic member(at least 60) biasing the rotation shaft in a predetermined
`
`direction in the closed state (see fig 3).
`
`Conclusion
`
`The prior art made of record and notrelied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
`
`disclosure.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examinershould be directed to JERRY WU whose telephone numberis (571)270-5420. The
`
`examiner can normally be reached on PHP: M-Th: 8:30-12:30; 2:30-8:30pm.
`
`Examinerinterviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using
`
`a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicantis
`
`encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR)at
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/722,336
`Art Unit: 2841
`
`Page 4
`
`If attempts to reach the examinerby telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Jinhee Lee can be reached on (571)272-1977. The fax phone numberfor 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
`
`maybe 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
`
`like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated
`
`information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
`
`MERRY WU/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
`
`