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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/646,715
`
`03/12/2020
`
`Yuuki OKAMOTO
`
`070469-0966
`
`2135
`
`McDermott Will and Emery LLP
`The McDermott Building
`500 North Capitol Street, N.W.
`Washington, DC 20001
`
`SANDERS, JUSTIN B
`
`2422
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`05/28/2021
`
`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):
`
`mweipdocket@mwe.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-9 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)____is/are objected to.
`Cj) 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.
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`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)() The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 03/12/2020 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:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)¥) 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.
`3.2.) 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 03/12/20,02/23/21,
`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 20210522
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/646,715
`OKAMOTO, Yuuki
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`JUSTIN B SANDERS
`2422
`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 03/12/2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 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\0) 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.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2422
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`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013,
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`is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Status of Claims
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`2.
`
`Claims 1-9 are pending the Application. Claims 5-8 were amendedin a
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`preliminary amendment.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`3.
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`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:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, orin 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 patentissued under section 151, orinan
`application for patent published or deemed published under s ection 122(b), in which the
`patentor application, as the case maybe, names anotherinventor and waseffectively filed
`before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
`
`4.
`
`Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (2) as being anticipated
`
`by Kato (US 2017/0220309 A\1).
`
`For claim 1, Kato discloses all the claimed subject matter. Kato discloses a
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`renderer device to be controlled by a controller device connected to a predetermined
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`communication network (see Fig. 1, Information processing apparatus 100a1, and
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`internal display 119a1, external display 200a, and network Na, see also Fig. 14,
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`transmission terminal 10aa and transmission management system 50), the renderer
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2422
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`Page 3
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`device comprising: a memory unit that stores network connection information used by
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`the controller device to establish a connection (see Fig. 14, management session
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`information S67-21 to S67-22, relaying terminal IP address, and connected storage unit,
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`see also [0188] describing S67-21 and [0191], describing IP addresses and display
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`data, which includes EDID described below); a detector that detects whether each of
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`monitor devices is connected to the renderer device via the predetermined
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`communication network (see [0083], detecting when external and internal monitor
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`devices are connected, and which process to follow if active or not, see also Figs. 8A
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`8B describing this); an information update unit that updates the network connection
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`information stored in the memory unit into monitor information used to connectto one of
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`the monitor devices, when the detector has detected that the monitor device is
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`connected via the predetermined communication network (see Fig. 14, S77 acquire
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`address information from storage unit, relating to S76 display data and Fig. 7, after
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`determine if a display is internal or external S12, set display to external $17, and
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`acquire EDID S18, see also [0055], the EDID is stored in a predetermined storage
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`area); and a communication unit that sends the network connection information stored
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`in the memoryunit to the controller device, when receiving a request from the controller
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`device (see [0191, receiving IP addresses and display data from storage, and Fig. 11,
`
`in
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`which the transmission system 50 provides a connection between internal and external
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`networks area A and B).
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`For claim 2, Kato disclosesall the claimed subject matter, as set forth in claim 1.
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`Kato discloses the detector performs communication that follows a specified procedure
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`with each of the monitor devices to detect that the monitor device has been connected
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2422
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`Page 4
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`to the renderer device (see [0083], detecting when external and internal monitor devices
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`are connected, and which process to follow if active or not, see also Figs. 8A-8B
`
`describing this).
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`For claim 3, Kato disclosesall the claimed subject matter, as set forth in claim 2.
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`Kato discloses the detector detects whether each of the monitor devices connected
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`through the communication that follows the specified procedureis in a playback
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`available state, and when receiving the request from the controller device, the
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`communication unit: (1) sends the network connection information on one of the monitor
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`devices stored in the memoryunit to the controller device when the detector has
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`detected that the monitor device is in the playback available state; and (2) does not
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`send the network connection information on any of the monitor devices stored in the
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`memory unit to the controller device when the detector has detected that none of the
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`monitor devicesis in the playback available state (see [0083], detecting when external
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`and internal monitor devices are connected, and which process to follow if active or not,
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`see also Figs. 8A-8B describing this).
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`For claim 4, Kato disclosesall the claimed subject matter, as set forth in claim 1.
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`Kato discloses the detector detects a power state of each of the monitor devices
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`detected as being connected to the renderer device, and when receiving the request
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`from the controller device, the communication unit sends to the controller device the
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`network connection information on one of the monitor devices, the power state of which
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`detected by the detector is a power-onstate, out of items of the network connection
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`information on the monitor devices (see [0083], detecting when external and internal
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2422
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`Page 5
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`monitor devices are connected, and which process to follow if active or not, see also
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`Figs. 8A-8B describing this).
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`For claim 5, Kato disclosesall the claimed subject matter, as set forth in claim 1.
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`Kato discloses an output unit that outputs at least one of a video signal or an audio
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`signal to a predetermined device by communication that is different from communication
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`that uses the predetermined communication network, wherein the communication unit
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`determines, as network connection information to send to the controller device, one of
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`the network connection information on the monitor device and the network connection
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`information on the renderer device, based on a detection result obtained by the detector
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`and a state of the output unit, and sends the network connection information determined
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`to the controller device (see Fig. 14, management session information S67-21 to S67-
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`22, relaying terminal IP address, and connected storage unit, see also [0188] describing
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`$67-21 and [0191], describing IP addresses and display data, which includes EDID).
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`For claim 6, Kato discloses all the claimed subject matter, as set forth in claim 1.
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`Kato discloses the controller device; and a monitor device that is connected to the
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`predetermined communication network and is unresponsive to a search request that
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`specifies a renderer, when receiving the search request from the controller device (see
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`[0083], detecting when external and internal monitor devices are connected, and which
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`process to follow if active or not, see also Figs. 8A-8B describing this).
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`For claim 7, Kato disclosesall the claimed subject matter, as set forth in claim 1.
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`Kato discloses a monitor device connected to the predetermined communication
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`network; and a controller device that sends a search request specifying a renderer to
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`determine a device to be controlled based on the network connection information
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2422
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`Page 6
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`received from the renderer device, out of the network connection information received
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`from the renderer device and the network connection information received from the
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`monitor device (see Fig. 14, management session information S67-21 to S67-22,
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`relaying terminal IP address, and connected storage unit, see also [0188] describing
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`$67-21 and [0191], describing IP addresses and display data, which includes EDID).
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`For claim 8, Kato discloses all the claimed subject matter, as set forth in claim 3.
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`Kato discloses and a monitor device that is connected to the predetermined
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`communication network, and sendsstate information to the renderer device via the
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`predetermined communication network, the state information indicating that the monitor
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`device is ina playback available state (see [0083], detecting when external and internal
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`monitor devices are connected, and which process to follow if active or not, see also
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`Figs. 8A-8B describing this).
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`For claim 9, Kato disclosesall the claimed subject matter. Claim 9 is metfor the
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`same reasons as claim 1.
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`Conclusion
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`5.
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`The prior art made of record and notrelied upon is considered pertinent to
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`applicant's disclosure. Wong et al. (US 9544620 B2), e.g., Fig. 2 steps 63-72,
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`exchanging and storing IP addresses of displays, and Fig. 8, memory 175, controller
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`176, and network 168).
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`6.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to JUSTIN B SANDERS whosetelephone numberis
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`(571)272-3894. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 12-8 EST.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2422
`
`Page 7
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`
`lf attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, John Miller can be reached on (571) 272-7353. The fax phone number for
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`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
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`
`/JUSTIN B SANDERS/
`Examiner, Art Unit 2422
`
`/JOHN W MILLER/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2422
`
`