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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 22313-1450
`
`17/791,121
`
`07/06/2022
`
`Daisuke TAKANO
`
`083710-3661
`
`1098
`
`Rimon PC - Panasonic Corporation
`8300 Greensboro Dr.
`Suite 500
`McLean, VA 22102
`
`MACFARLANE, EVAN H
`
`3724
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`05/30/2024
`
`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):
`USPTOmail @rimonlaw.com
`
`eofficeaction @appcoll.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-5 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`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.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) 1-5 is/are rejected.
`(] Claim(s)__ is/are objectedto.
`C] Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`* 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)( The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 6 July 2022 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)Y) All
`1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) 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
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`4)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20240521
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/791,121
`TAKANO etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`EVAN H MACFARLANE
`3724
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORYPERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensionsof 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 6 July 2022.
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() 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)(2) 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: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 2
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA orAIA Status
`
`The presentapplication,filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
`
`inventorto file provisions of the AIA.
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Response to Amendment
`
`1.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`The Preliminary Amendmentfiled 6 July 2022 has been entered. Claims 1-5 are pending.
`
`Priority
`
`Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
`
`Drawings
`
`The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show everyfeature of
`
`the invention specified in the claims. Asillustrated in the present figures, the attachment prevents the
`
`blade part from even contacting a user’s skin. See Figs. 10, 11, 13, and 14 showing the attachment
`
`spacing the blade part from the user’s skin and preventing contact between the user’s skinand the
`
`blade part. Therefore, to the extent that the features of “a first use mode in which the attachmentis
`
`used with a first side of the blade part coming into contact witha skin” as recitedin claim 1 at lines 3-4
`
`and “a second use made in which the attachmentis used with a second side facing the first side of the
`
`blade part coming into contact with askin” as recited in claim 1 at lines 4-5 require the blade part to
`
`contact skin, these features must be shown orthe features canceled from the claim(s). No new matter
`
`should be entered.
`
`Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office
`
`action to avoid abandonmentof the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should
`
`include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is
`
`being amended. Thefigure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as
`
`“amended.”If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 3
`
`replacement sheet, and wherenecessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate
`
`changes madeto the brief description of the several views of the drawingsfor consistency. Additional
`
`replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing
`
`sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top marginas either
`
`“Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by
`
`the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective actionin the next
`
`Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
`
`4,
`
`The claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
`
`Claim Objections
`
`e
`
`Claim 1 at the preamble is objected to due to the run-on nature of the preamble. The examiner
`
`suggests the following amendments: — An attachmentfor an electric hair-cutting device, the
`
`attachment being detachably attached tothe electric hair-cutting device, the electric hair-
`
`cutting device having a blade part, and the attachment being selectable betweena first use
`
`modein which the attachmentis used with a first side of the blade part coming into contact
`
`with a skin and a second use mode in which the attachmentis used with a secondside facing the
`
`first side of the blade part coming into contact with a skin, -. The examiner notes, however, that
`
`these suggestions do not overcome all issues raised under 35 USC 112 as discussed below.
`
`
`
`e Claim1at lines 7-8 recites, “a state of being attached to the electric hair-cutting device”. Since
`
`et
`multiple previous structures are described (“the attachment”,
`
`“a comb part”, and “the blade
`
`part”), this recitation should explicitly state that the attachmentis the structure being described
`
`as being attached to the device. The examiner suggests reciting — a state of the attachment
`
`being attached to the electric hair-cutting device -.
`
`e Claim1 atthe final paragraph recites, “the comb part comprises at least one first comb that has
`
`a first skin contact surface ..., a second skin contact surface..., a first hair raising groove ...,anda
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 4
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`second hair raising groove”. This recitation should be amended to moreclearly state that the ‘at
`
`least one first comb’, rather thanthe comb part,is the structure that is described as including
`
`the second skin contact surface and the first and second hair raising grooves. Note that as the
`
`claim currently reads, there is no punctuation to indicate that “the comb part comprises”is not
`
`modified by “a second skin contact surface ..., a first hair raising groove ..., and a second hair
`
`raising groove”. The examiner suggests reciting —the comb part comprisesat least onefirst
`
`comb, the atleast one first comb having thathas.a first skin contact surface ..., a second skin
`
`contact surface..., a first hair raising groove..., and a second hair raising groove -.
`
`e==Claim 2 at the fourth line recites, “, and raises hair’. This recitation should read --, and theat
`
`least one second comb raises hair—to moreclearly indicate that the clause is describing the at
`
`least one second comb rather than the comb part.
`
`e
`
`Claim5S at the final line should recite — each of the protection members — between “and” and
`
`“has a thickness greater”.
`
`Appropriate correction is required.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
`(b} CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out
`and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a jointinventor regards as the
`invention.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), second paragraph:
`The specification shall conclude with one or moreclaims particularly pointing out and distinctly
`claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
`
`5.
`
`Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), second
`
`paragraph, as being indefinitefor failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject
`
`matter which the inventor ora joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AlA35 U.S.C. 112, the
`
`applicant), regards as the invention.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page5S
`
`Claim 1 at lines 3-4 recites, “a first use mode in which the attachmentis used with a first side of
`
`the blade part coming into contact with askin”, and claim1at lines 4-5 recites, “asecond use mode in
`
`which the attachmentis used with a second side facing the first side of the blade part coming into
`
`contact with a skin”. These recitations are indefinite because it is unclear how to interpret the recitation
`
`in view of the present specification. A plain reading of the recitations suggests that the blade part must
`
`comeinto contact with the skin. Indeed, the recitations state “a first side of the blade part coming into
`
`contact with a skin” and “asecond side facing the first side of the blade part coming into contact with a
`
`skin” appear to require that sides of the blade part contact the skin. However, even though this
`
`interpretation appears intended by the plain reading of the recitations, this interpretation is potentially
`
`not intended because it is inconsistent with the present disclosure. For example, as can be seenin Figs.
`
`10 and 11 of the present drawings, the disclosed attachment prevents the blade part (including blades
`
`45 and 46) from contacting the skin. In view of the present disclosure, perhaps “coming into contact
`
`with a skin” is intended to modify “the attachment”. However, interpreted claim 1 as requiring that the
`
`attachmentcontacts the skin requires re-writing the claim, so that the plain language of the claim
`
`suggests that interpreting the attachment as coming intocontact with the skin arguably is not intended.
`
`As such, the intended meaning of the above quoted recitations is unclear. Another possibility is that the
`
`recitation includes one or more typographical errors. Does the Applicant intend to recite that the blade
`
`part comesinto contact with a user’s hair? Does the Applicant intend to recite that the attachment,
`
`rather than the blade part, is what comesinto contact with a user’s skin? For examination purposes, the
`
`examiner considers these recitations satisfied by the blade part contacting hair, even if the blade part
`
`does not contact skin, or alternatively by the attachment, rather than the blade part, contacting skin.
`
`Claim 3 at lines 4-6 recites, “andthere are one or more combinations in which the at least one
`
`first comb are arranged between the two second combs”. This recitation is indefinite because the
`
`structure referred to by “there are” is unclear. Does the attachmenthave to definite one or more
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 6
`
`combinations of the first comb and the second combs? Does the device have to be designable in
`
`different ways, suchthat hypothetically there are different arrangements of comb teeth that can be
`
`provided, even if each attachmentitself has some particular arrangement of comb teeth? The examiner
`
`suggests avoiding the phrase “there are”, and instead referring to a structure by name. For examination
`
`purposes, the examiner interprets the above quoted limitations as reading — the attachment comprises
`
`a combination of the at least one first comb and the twosecond combs, where the combination includes
`
`the at least one first comb being arranged between the two second combs-.
`
`Claim 4 at line 4 recites, “there is a portion”. This recitation is indefinite because it is unclear
`
`which structure must include the recited ‘portion’. Is the portion some new structure? Can the portion
`
`be a subsetof a previously introduced structure? Ifthe portion can be a subset of a previously
`
`introduced structure, must the structure be some particular structure? A problem with the recitation
`
`“there is” is that the recitation does not refer to any structure by name. For examination purposes, the
`
`examiner interprets “there is a portion” as requiring that the comb part includes a portion.
`
`Claim 4 recites, “the two combs”. This recitation is indefinite because it is unclear what two
`
`combs are referred to. Claim 1 introduces “at least one first comb”. Claim 3 requires “twosecond
`
`combs”. The two combscould arguably refer to any two combs, two of the first combs, the twosecond
`
`combs, or one ofthe first combs and one of the second combs. Since it is unclear which two combsare
`
`referred to by “the two combs”, the claim is indefinite. For examination purposes, the examiner
`
`interprets the recitation as referring to any two combs.
`
`Claim5at lines 3-4 is indefinite due to the run-on nature of the recitation. For example,it is
`
`unclear what is being described by “and reinforce the comb part”. This recitation can be interpreted as
`
`describing either of the protection members and the skin contact surfaces. As another example,it is
`
`unclear whether the protection membersor the skin contact surfaces are the structures required to
`
`define the cutting range. Claim Sis also indefinite due to a lack of antecedent basis for “both ends”. It is
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 7
`
`unclear if the Applicant intends to implicitly limit the shape of the comb part so that the comb part only
`
`has two ends. If not, it is unclear which ends are referred to by “both ends”. Considera shape such asa
`
`capital T. A capital T has more than twoends, such that “both ends” could refer to different groups of
`
`ends. Thus, claim 5 is indefinite because it is unclear whether the Applicant is implicitly limiting the
`
`comb part to a shape having exactly two ends, and if not claim 5 is further indefinite because it is
`
`unclear which ends are referred to by “both ends”. For examination purposes, the examiner interprets
`
`the protection membersas defining the cutting range and as reinforcing the comb part, and interprets
`
`“both ends” as being any two opposite ends.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections
`
`set forth in this Office action:
`
`A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is
`not identically disclosed as set forthin 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.
`
`Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pat. No. Des.
`
`429,378 to Wuin view of US Pub. No 2008/0168662 A1 to Mikula etal.
`
`6.
`
`Regarding claim 1, Wu discloses an attachmentfor an electric hair-cutting device (see the
`
`annotated Fig. below; note that the hair-cutting device is not positively recited in the claim, so Wu need
`
`not disclose the hair-cutting device being ‘electric’), the attachment being attached tothe electric hair-
`
`cutting device having a blade part (see the annotated Fig. 1 below; the ‘blade part’ is the part of the
`
`hair-cutting device that performs the trimming function disclosed in the Title of Wu; note also that the
`
`hair-cutting device is not positively recited, so Wu need not disclose that blade part, since the blade part
`
`is not a componentof the claimed structure) and being selectable between a first use mode in which the
`
`attachmentis used with a first side of the blade part coming into contact with a skin (see the annotated
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 8
`
`Fig. below, where the ‘first use made’is whenafirst side of the attachmentis facing the user’s skin; in
`
`regards tothe limitation that the ‘first side of the blade part coming into contact with a skin’, this
`
`recitation is considered satisfied when a first side of the attachment comes into contact with the skin as
`
`explained above) and a second use modein which the attachmentis used witha second side facing the
`
`first side of the blade part coming into contact with a skin (see the annotated Fig. below, where the
`
`‘second use mode’ is when a secondside of the attachmentis facing the user’s skin),
`
`wherein
`
`the attachment comprises a comb part (the comb part being a part of the attachment defining
`
`the various combsin the annotated Fig. below) that is disposed around the blade part in a state of being
`
`attached to the electric hair-cutting device (see Fig. 1; the blade part is positioned within the attachment
`
`in order toreceive and cut hair), and
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`the comb part comprises at least one first comb that has a first skin contact surface coming into
`
`contact with the skin when thefirst use mode is selected (see the annotated Fig. below), a second skin
`
`contact surface coming into contact with the skin when the second use modeis selected (the second
`
`skin contact surface being on an opposite side of the first comb from thefirst skin contact surface), a
`
`first hair raising groove formed on thefirst skin contact surface (see the annotated Fig. below, where
`
`the grooveis able to raise hair when the second use mode is in use, in the same manner in which the
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`inventive ‘first hair raising groove’ is able to raise hair, noting that no particular configuration of a
`
`groove is expressly required by the presentspecification in order for a groove to raise hair — in Wu, the
`
`groove raises hair by defining a ramp surface opposite a distal end of the comb, such that the ramp
`
`surface has a tendencytolift hair), and a second hair raising groove formed on the second skin contact
`
`surface (the second hair raising groove correspondingto the first hair raising groove on an opposing side
`
`of the first comb from thefirst hair raising groove — see Figs. 4 and 6 showing the secondhair raising
`
`groove).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 9
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`first hair
`
`‘second use mode’
`when this side faces skin
`
`raising groove
`
`protection member
`
`
`
`
`
`First skin
`contact surface
`
`
`
`
`first comb
`
`second comb
`
`‘first use mode’
`when this side Faces skin
`
`attachment
`
`
`hair cutting device
`
`
`protection member
`
`Regarding claim 2, Wu discloses that the comb partfurther includes at least one second comb
`
`(see the annotated Fig. above) that has athird skin contact surface coming into contact with the skin
`
`when the first use mode is selected (the third skin contact surface being a surface of the second comb
`
`correspondingto thefirst skin contact surface of the first comb) and a fourth skin contact surface
`
`coming into contact with the skin when the second use mode is selected (the fourth skin contact surface
`
`being a surface of the second comb corresponding to the second skin contact surface of the first comb,
`
`such that the fourth skin contact surface is a surface of the second comb opposite the third skin contact
`
`surface), and raises hair with the fourth skin contact surface when thefirst use modeis selected (due to
`
`the fourth skin contact surface defining a groove; see Figs. 4 and 6, where the groove of the fourth skin
`
`contact surface corresponds to the‘first hair raising groove’ in the annotated Fig., except on the second
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 10
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`comb onthe side opposite the first hair raising groove) and raises hair with the third skin contact surface
`
`when the second use modeis selected (since the third skin contact surface defines a hair raising groove
`
`below the first hair raising groove).
`
`Regarding claim 3, Wu discloses that the at least one second comb comprises two second combs
`
`(any of the ‘combs’ of Wu can be consideredas either of a ‘first comb’ and a ‘second comb’ — e.g., the
`
`combs canbe considered as being arrangedin a repeating pattern of first comb -- first-comb --second
`
`comb, or a repeating pattern of second comb -- second comb -- first comb, or a pattern of second comb
`
`— first comb — second comb), and the at least onefirst comb and the two second combsare provided
`
`side by side (in the first repeating pattern configuration described above,this limitation is met), and
`
`there are one or more combinations in which the at least one first comb are arranged between the two
`
`second combs(in thefirst repeating pattern configuration described above,this limitation is met).
`
`Regarding claim 4, Wu discloses that the one or more combinations comprisesa plurality of
`
`combinations (depending on which combsare selected for the combination; see also the discussion
`
`above in regards toclaim 3 that any comb of Wu canbe considered as either of a first comb anda
`
`second comb), and thereis a portion in which the plurality of the combinations are continuously
`
`installed side by side in the comb part (this feature is met for the entirety of the comb part as can be
`
`seenin Fig. 1), and in the plurality of the combinations continuously installed side by side, the two
`
`combsare provided side by side not to be adjacent to each other (see Fig. 1 —e.g., the two‘first combs’
`
`are not side by side when the patternis a repeating alternating pattern offirst comb — second comb).
`
`Regarding claim 5, Wu discloses that protection members that have skin contact surfacesfor
`
`defining a cutting range of hair during use and reinforce the comb part are formed at both ends of the
`
`comb part (see the annotated Fig. above), and eachof the protection members has acontour shape
`
`identical to a contour shape of the at least one second comb (see the contour shape along the
`
`respective surface corresponding tothe‘first skin contact surface’ for each of the combs and protection
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 11
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`membersin Fig. 1), and has a thickness greater thana thickness of the at least one second comb (see
`
`Fig. 2 showing the protection members having a thickness that is greater thana thickness of the second
`
`comb).
`
`Wufails to explicitly disclose that the attachment is detachably attached to the hair-cutting
`
`device as required by claim 1.
`
`7.
`
`Mikula, though, teaches an attachment 6 that is detachably attached to a hair-cutting device 1
`
`(see paragraphs 19 and 34). Mikula teaches that an advantage of making the attachment detachable is
`
`that the attachment canbe replaced with another attachment that includes a differently sized comb so
`
`that the user can choose the most appropriate attachment for the user’s particular needs (see
`
`paragraph 19).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the attachment
`
`of Wu detachable in view of the teachings of Mikula. This modification allows a user to replace the
`
`attachmentwitha different attachment (e.g., acomb for cutting a different length of hair) depending on
`
`the user’s needs, suchas the portion of hair being cut and the user’s desired hair style. This modification
`
`is further advantageous because it permits replacing the attachmentif the attachment becomes
`
`damaged.
`
`Conclusion
`
`8.
`
`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
`
`should be directed to EVAN H MACFARLANE whose telephone number is (303)297-4242. The examiner
`
`can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7:30AM to 4:00PM MT.
`
`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.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/791,121
`Art Unit: 3724
`
`Page 12
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`If attempts to reachthe examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
`
`Adam Eisemancan be reached on (571) 270-3818. The fax phone number for the organization where
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`this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from
`
`Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Centeris available to registered users. To
`
`file and managepatent submissions in Patent Center,visit: https://patentcenter.us pto. gov.Visit
`
`https ://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and
`
`https ://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information aboutfiling in DOCX format. For additional
`
`questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197(toll-free). If you would like
`
`assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or
`
`571-272-1000.
`
`/EVAN H MACFARLANE/
`Examiner, Art Unit 3724
`
`

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