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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
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`14/909,394
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`02/01/2016
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`MASAYOSHI KOIZUMI
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`PIPMB-56127
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`1042
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`759°
`52°“
`PEARNE & GORDON LLP
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`01/25/2019
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`1801 EAST 9TH STREET
`SUITE 1200
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`CLEVELAND, OH 44114-3108
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`VU~ TOAN T
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`2836
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`01/25/2019
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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
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`following e—mail address(es):
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`patdoeket@pearne.eom
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`
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`Off/09 A0170” Summary
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`Application No.
`14/909,394
`Examiner
`TOAN T VU
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`Applicant(s)
`KOIZUMI et al.
`Art Unit
`2836
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`AIA Status
`Yes
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`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 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). 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).
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`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 11/20/2018.
`[: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.
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`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.
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`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)
`Claim(s)
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`1—10 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s) 2 and 7-8 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`E] Claim(s)
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`is/are allowed.
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`Claim(s) 1,3—6 and 9—10 is/are rejected.
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`C] Claim(s) _
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`is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`6 7
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`8
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`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[:1 Claim(s)
`9
`* 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
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`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.'sp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
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`Application Papers
`10):] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11). The drawing(s) filed on 2/01/2016 is/are: a). accepted or b)l:] objected to by the Examiner.
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`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).
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`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). All
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`b)|:] Some”
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`c)C] None of the:
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`1.. Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`21:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3D 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)).
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`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1)
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`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`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
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`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20190115
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 14/909,394
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Applicant’s response filed on 11/20/2018 has been entered and considered.
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`Upon entering claims 1, 8 have been amended and claim 10 has been added.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`1.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed
`invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the
`claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have
`been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having
`ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be
`negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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`The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148
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`USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining
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`obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
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`1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
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`2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
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`3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
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`4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating
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`obviousness or nonobviousness.
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`2.
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`Claims 1, 2 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
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`over lchikawa (2013/0313893, previously cited), in view of in view of Maikawa et al
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`(WO2014/087889, IDS).
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 14/909,394
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 3
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`Regarding claim 1, Ichikawa discloses a wireless power receiving device [200,
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`fig. 1] for receiving power wirelessly [par 0032], comprising: a resonant circuit [210]
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`including a power receiving coil [230, fig. 1] and a resonant capacitor [220] for receiving
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`power from a power feeding coil [140, fig. 1]; and a phase adjustment circuit [250] that is
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`provided at a rear stage of the resonant circuit [see fig. 1].
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`Ichikawa does not explicitly disclose the phase adjustment circuit adjusts a phase
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`difference between a power feeding coil current and a power receiving coil current at a
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`specific frequency so as to reinforce magnetic flux in a direction perpendicular to the
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`surface where the power feeding coil is placed and to cancel the magnetic flux in a
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`direction parallel to the surface where the power feeding coil is placed.
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`However, Maikawa discloses the phase adjustment circuit adjusts a phase
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`difference between a power feeding coil current and a power receiving coil current at a
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`specific frequency so as to reinforce magnetic flux in a direction perpendicular to the
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`surface where the power feeding coil is placed and to cancel the magnetic flux in a
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`direction parallel to the surface where the power feeding coil is placed [see fig. 3, par
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`0036-0040]. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
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`effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Maikawa into
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`the receiver device of Ichikawa in order to provide with maximum power transfer and
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`more efficient when the coupling coefficient between transmitter and receiver is not
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`efficient.
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`Regarding claim 3, further Ichikawa discloses wherein the phase adjustment
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`circuit [250A, fig. 11] is an inductor [126] connected in series with the power receiving
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`coil [230, see fig.
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`1 (power coil 230 coupled series with matching device 250)].
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 14/909,394
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 4
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`Regarding claim 4, Ichikawa discloses wherein the phase adjustment circuit
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`includes a relay for switching operation of the phase adjustment circuit [see fig. 11, par
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`0109j
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`Regarding claim 5, Ichikawa further discloses wherein the relay is switched to
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`operate the phase adjustment circuit when the specific frequency is used as a drive
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`frequency [par 0100-0101].
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`Regarding claim 6, the combination of Ichikawa and Maikawa further discloses
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`wherein the relay is switched [par 0109: Ichikawa], based on a phase difference
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`between the power feeding coil current and the power receiving coil current, to operate
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`the phase adjustment circuit [abstract, par 0010; Maikawa].
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`Regarding claim 9, further Ichikawa and Maikawa discloses wherein the power
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`feeding coil and the power receiving coil can be a solenoid coil [see fig. 3, Maikawa] or
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`a spiral coil [figs. 1, 3, Ichikawa].
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`Regarding claim 10, further Maikawa discloses wherein the surface where the
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`power feeding coil is placed is a ground surface [par 0013].
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`Conclusion
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`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
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`applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892.
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`The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of
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`record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the
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`specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the
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`specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
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`Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 14/909,394
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 5
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`potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the
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`passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
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`In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully
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`requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure
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`relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds
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`of the claimed invention
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`Therefore, in order to expedite the prosecution of this application, the examiner
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`recommends the applicant to amend the claims by including structural components that
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`are different from the prior art applied in order to distinguish the claim invention from the
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`prior art of record.
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`Note to Applicant Regarding Claim Interpretation: the words "configured to," "for,"
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`and " adapted to" in an apparatus claim, as recited in his case, is often indicative of
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`intended use/functional language and does not require that reference explicitly teach
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`the intended use of the element. A recitation of intended use must result in a structural
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`difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably
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`distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of
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`performing the intended use, hence it meets the claim.
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`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in
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`this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP
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`§ 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37
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`CFR1.136(a).
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`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.
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`In the event a first reply is filed within
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 14/909,394
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 6
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`TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not
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`mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the
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`shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any
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`extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of
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`the advisory action.
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`In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later
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`than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to TOAN T VU whose telephone number is (571 )270-1 723.
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`The examiner can normally be reached on M-T: 7-5.30.
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`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
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`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
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`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
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`(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached on 571 -272—7492. The fax phone number
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`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 14/909,394
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 7
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
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`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
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`system, call 800-786—9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571 -272-1000.
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`/TOAN VU/
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`Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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`/REXFORD N BARNIE/
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`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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`