DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
2. A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 05/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
3. This is an office action in response to Applicant's arguments and remarks filed on 04/20/2026. Claims 1-24are pending in the application. Claims 14-24 have been withdrawn and claims 1-13 are being examined herein.
Status of Objections and Rejections
4. All rejections from the previous office action are withdrawn in view of Applicant's amendment.
New grounds of rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 are necessitated by the amendments.
Response to Arguments
5. In the arguments presented on p.9 of the amendment, the Applicant argues that Romo, alone or in combination, fails to teach the amended claim 1 limitation of “wherein the photochromic plastic material is integrally formed as part of the retrofitted protective bumper”.
Specifically, Romo discloses that a photochromic surface “may be applied to an article or surface to be sterilized or disinfected and it may be in various forms, including but not limited to an adhesive strip, a pod structure, a card, a panel, tubing, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, paper, wrapper, or a surface coating” ([0083]). In the adhesive embodiment, Romo further describes that an adhesive strip “would have a top portion containing the indictor element and the bottom portion would contain an adhesive" where "the adhesive could be a strong long lasting substance for a more permanent fixation to the article or surface being exposed to the UV-C energy” ([0085]), and is thus a separate, non-integral component that is attached to surfaces.
In view of Talebpour, Talebpour teaches a rub strip assembly where the rub strip includes a body made of a resilient material, such as a nylon polymer or metal, but has no photochromic functionality ([0071-0072]).
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
As currently rejected based on the relied upon areas of the references of Romo et al. (US 20150343102 A1, cited in prior office action), Sood et al. (US 10987440 B1, cited in prior office action), and Talebpour et al. (US 20180001840 A1), the amendments have overcome this rejection. However, the instant combination does disclose an option that the component is integral with, or made integral with the article/surface to be sterilized: Romo [0029] mentions that “[o]ptionally, the indicator element may be integral with the article so that there is a single assembly”. As such, claim 1 remains rejected by Romo in view of Sood in view of Talebpour, and alternatively Talebpour in view of Romo as set below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
7. Claims 1-2, 4-6, and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Romo et al. (US 20150343102 A1) in view of Sood et al. (US 10987440 B1), and further in view of Talebpour et al. (US 20180001840 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Romo teaches:
PNG
media_image1.png
347
871
media_image1.png
Greyscale
a photochromic plastic material that changes from a first to a second color when exposed to UV light (adhesive photochromic strip of polymer film layers in Fig. 6D, see [0005]), that is visible under ambient lighting conditions (“unchanged color from its natural state (here, optionally clear)”, [0124], implying that there is an option for the natural, first color state to be a color that is not clear, and “Color change may be any number of colors and optionally is from clear to a purple color”, [0122], to which the purple color would be the second color, both colors being visible).
Romo further mentions the reversibility of the photochromic material, to which “the visual or textural activation may dissipate over time, returning the photochromic structure to the textural or visual state it was in prior to exposure to UV-C, once the sterilization or disinfection or UV-C exposure has been completed” in order to “allow reuse” ([0082]). Romo further mentions a timeframe in [0090], where the indicator element photochromic molecule can be selected based on characteristics such as “the time it takes for a photochromic molecule to display a visual change at a desired intensity and/or for a desired duration”.
Romo also mentions wherein the photochromic plastic material (Fig. 6D) comprises an upper layer (508d having blockers 510 for UV-A and UV-B radiation, Fig. 6D and [0180]), a middle layer (502d with photochromic material 506 and polyethylene, Fig. 6D and [0180]), and a bottom layer (514d can act as an adhesive, Fig. 6D and [0180]). The upper and bottom layer do not have photochromic molecules, which allow change the weight percentage of the middle photochromic layer with respect to the rest of the photochromic material ([0179] mentions how “thickness may be adjusted” in regards to the non-photochromic layer 512c in the Fig. 6C embodiment, which can be applied to Fig. 6D, as “any of the photochromic materials, or any of the blockers or film materials may be used in any of the examples”, [0180]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have had a reasonable expectation of success to formulate the claimed range of 5-35% wt of total solids of the photochromic material being the photochromic polymer through routine optimization (see MPEP 2144.05,II) by adjusting the thickness of either the upper blocker layer (in order to attenuate/block more UV-A or UV-B radiation, keeping in mind “the thickness cannot be so large as to prevent exposure of an indicator element such as a photochromic material dispersed in the polymer layer of the indicator element”, [0128]) or the bottom adhesive layer (different types of adhesive, see [0180]).
Romo fails to teach a photochromic material being comprised in a protective assembly comprising a retrofitted protective bumper, comprising an elongated arcuate base, attachable to one or more surfaces in the area such that the retrofitted protective bumper covers at least a portion of the one or more surfaces, and wherein the base is arcuate on an external surface.
Sood teaches a UV disinfection system (100, Fig. 8) within a vehicle (800, Fig. 8) having a photochromic indicator (UV detector 122 is a photochromic indicator that can be placed on any suitable surface within the vehicle, Fig. 8, col. 19, lines 54-57 and 62) to indicate sterilization completion on a surface within the vehicle (col. 19, line 62 to col. 20, line 18).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the adhesive strip-like photochromic plastic material of Romo by applying it to a transportation vehicle interior surface as taught by Sood in order to indicate complete sterilization within the vehicle’s surfaces (Sood, col. 19, line 62 to col. 20, line 18).
Talebpour teaches a retrofitted protective bumper (rub strip assembly, Fig. 10), comprising an elongated arcuate base (body 1050, Fig. 10), attachable to one or more surfaces in the area (wall 102, Fig. 10) within aircraft interior surfaces (“a vehicle includes a passenger compartment that includes a floor. The vehicle includes a monument arranged in the passenger compartment, wherein the monument comprises a first wall”, [0004], where “Monuments are typically included in passenger compartments of vehicles, such as aircraft”, [0037]) such that the retrofitted protective bumper covers at least a portion of the one or more surfaces (body 1050 covers a portion of the wall 102 surface, Fig. 10), and wherein the base is arcuate on an external surface (body 1050 is arcuate and is attached onto the external surface of wall 102, Fig. 10) in order “to protect the monuments from damage and unsightly blemishes” ([0037]). It is important to note the rail of Fig. 10 is made of a plastic material ([0071]) but is silent to the material makeup of the rub strip (1020, Fig. 10).
In an alternative embodiment (Fig. 2A), both the rail (210) and rub strip (220) are also made of plastic ([0048-0049]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to try and modify the rub strip material of Talebpour to be also plastic with a reasonable expectation of success because the functionality of the rub strip with respect to the rail and/or wall in the overall rub strip assembly would not have changed (MPEP 2143, Rationale E) and is thus predictable.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Romo/Sood combination of a photochromic plastic adhered onto a vehicle surface by incorporating the adhesive plastic strip to Talebpour’s plastic rub strip assembly mounted within an aircraft in order to indicate complete sterilization of the vehicle’s surfaces (Sood, col. 19, line 62 to col. 20, line 18) while also “to protect the monuments from damage and unsightly blemishes” (Talebpour, [0037]).
Regarding the limitation of the photochromic plastic material being configured to change back from the second color to the first color after a predetermined period of time, these limitations are directed to the function of the apparatus and/or the manner of operating the apparatus. All the structural limitations of the claim has been disclosed by Romo in view of Sood further in view of Talebpour and the apparatus of Romo is capable of a reversible color change back to the pre-UV exposure color for the photochromic material. As such, it is deemed that the claimed apparatus is not differentiated from the apparatus of Romo (see MPEP §2114).
NOTE: this is a recitation of functional language, and so long as the prior art structure reads on the instant claimed structure, this limitation would be met because the same structure would be capable of the same function; in this case, the photochromic plastic material has the capability to return to its original color after exposure to UV-C is completed. The feature of “after a predetermined time” is fully achievable as stated by Romo, because, as stated in [0091], a variety of photochromic materials can be used, an example being polyethylene or a polyethylene analog or derivative [0092], to which applicant’s specification [0031] mentions “retrofitted protective bumper 102 is made up of one or more photochromic polymers (e.g., High-density polyethylene (HDPE))”. The polyethylene material being structurally similar between Romo and applicant’s specification implies that the feature of a color change back from the second color to the first color after a predetermined period of time is an inherent feature of the polyethylene. The burden is herein shifted to applicant to provide sufficient evidence to the contrary.
In regards to “wherein the photochromic plastic material is integrally formed as part of the retrofitted protective bumper”, the term “integrally formed as part” of the bumper is understood to the Examiner within Applicant’s Specification [0031-0032] to be exemplified in forms such as “the photochromic plastic material is a photochromic plastic formulation that makes up at least part of the retrofitted protective bumper, such as by adding a photochromic masterbatch to a non-photochromic plastic”, which “can take the form of photochromic plastic pellets that are mixed into a melted composition”. Another option is that “the retrofitted protective bumper includes a coating of the photochromic plastic material”.
Both options are taught by Romo [0029]: “The indicator element may comprise an adhesive strip… or a surface coating that may be painted or otherwise applied to the article being sterilized or disinfected. Optionally, the indicator element may be integral with the article so that there is a single assembly”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the Romo/Sood combination of a photochromic plastic adhered onto a vehicle surface by incorporating the photochromic plastic material to Talebpour’s plastic rub strip assembly in the form of a surface coating, adhesive strip, or being integral with Talebpour’s rub strip into a single assembly as suggested by Romo, because doing so would indicate complete sterilization of the vehicle’s surfaces (Sood, col. 19, line 62 to col. 20, line 18 and Romo, [0029]) while also “to protect the monuments from damage and unsightly blemishes” (Talebpour, [0037]).
Regarding claim 2, modified Romo teaches wherein the second color is visible under the ambient lighting conditions without a visual aid device ([0059]).
Regarding claims 4 and 5, modified Romo teaches a wavelength range between 200-280, more specifically 240-270 nm for the visual changes to the photochromic plastic strip (Fig. 6D) to appear (see [0009]).
Regarding claim 6, Romo in view of Sood in view of Talebpour teaches wherein the retrofitted protective bumper (Talebpour, Fig. 10, for the modification purposes stated in claim 1 rejection above) further comprises a non-photochromic plastic material (Romo, upper layer 508d and bottom layer 514d comprising material free of photochromic molecules, Fig. 6D) to indicate sterilization completion on a surface within the vehicle (Sood, UV detector 122, Fig. 8, col. 19, line 62 to col. 20, line 18).
Regarding claim 8, the Romo/Sood combination in view of Talebpour teaches wherein the retrofitted protective bumper (Talebpour, Fig. 10, for the modification purposes stated in claim 1 rejection above) comprises an insert (rub strip 1020, Fig. 10) configured to be mechanically coupled to a bracket (rail 1000, Fig. 10) that is attached to the one or more surfaces (attached to wall 102, Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 9, the Romo/Sood combination in view of Talebpour teaches wherein the insert (rub strip 1020, Fig. 10, for the modification purposes stated in claim 1 rejection above) comprises an elongated arcuate base (body 1050, Fig. 10) and a first pair of legs protruding from the elongated arcuate base (first and second retention tabs 1038 and 1042, Fig. 10) and defining a first channel therebetween (channel/gap 1018 between the retention tabs 1038 and 1042, Fig. 10), and wherein the bracket (rail 1000, Fig. 10, for the modification purposes stated in claim 1 rejection above) comprises an elongated base (body 1002, Fig. 10) and a second pair of legs protruding from the elongated base (protrusions 1010 and 1014, Fig. 10) and defining a second channel therebetween (channel/gap 1018 between the retention tabs 1010 and 1014, Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 10, the Romo/Sood combination in view of Talebpour teaches wherein the insert (rub strip 1020, Fig. 10, for the modification purposes stated in claim 1 rejection above) is configured for snap-fit insertion into the second channel (channel/gap 1018 formed between protrusions 1010 and 1014, Fig. 10) of the bracket such that the first pair of legs interlock with the second pair of legs (“the inward-facing notches 1012 and 1016 engage outward-facing notches 1040 and 1044, respectively, on the rub strip 1020 to hold the rub strip 1020 in place against the wall 102”, Fig. 10 and [0071]).
Regarding claim 11, the Romo/Sood combination in view of Talebpour teaches wherein the retrofitted protective bumper (rub strip assembly, Fig. 10) comprises an insert (rub strip 1020, Fig. 10) mechanically coupled to a bracket (attached to rail 1000, Fig. 10), wherein the bracket is attachable to the one or more surfaces via one or more fasteners to retain the bracket against the one or more surfaces (“The body 1002 includes a plurality of fastener holes 1004 (only one is shown in the cross-sectional view) to receive fasteners that attach the retaining rail 1000 to the wall 102 (or other surface)”, Fig. 10 and [0071]).
Regarding claim 12, modified Romo teaches wherein the first color is selected to substantially match a color of an interior of an aircraft (“Color change may be any number of colors and optionally is from clear to a purple color”, see [0122], and 84a, Fig. 3A).
Regarding the limitation of “to substantially match a color of an interior of an aircraft”, apparatus claims cover what a device is, not what a device does. A claim containing a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. See MPEP 2114,II.
The first color as taught by Romo is structurally identical, and therefore fully has the capability to achieve the intended use of the first color being substantially similar to the aircraft interior color with regards to the applicant’s invention.
Regarding claim 13, the Romo/Sood combination in view of Talebpour teaches wherein the one or more surfaces (wall 102, Fig. 10) to which the retrofitted protective bumper is attachable (rub strip assembly, Fig. 10, for the modification purposes stated in claim 1 rejection above) comprises one or more surfaces in an aisleway or corner within an aircraft (“Monuments are typically included in passenger compartments of vehicles, such as aircraft… a monument may include rub strips at floor level to protect against kicks, rub strips several feet above the floor to protect against impacts from carts and luggage, and vertical rub strips arranged at corners”, [0037]).
8. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Romo et al. (US 20150343102 A1, cited in prior office action) in view of Sood et al. (US 10987440 B1), further in view of Talebpour et al. (US 20180001840 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Muller (US 20070003733 A1, cited in prior office action).
Regarding claim 3, the Romo/Sood/Talebpour combination teaches a retrofitted protective bumper (Talebpour, rub strip assembly, Fig. 10), but fails to teach wherein the retrofitted protective bumper is non-flammable.
Muller teaches a fireproof foil material 11 (Fig. 8) to provide preventative fire protection in the aircraft cabin 21 (Fig. 1, see [0039] for further context).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Romo/Sood/Talebpour combination of a photochromic indicator element attached to a rub strip assembly for indication of complete sterilization on airplane surfaces by incorporating a non-flammable material composition as taught by Muller, to prevent the spread of potential fire in aircraft (Muller, [0039]).
9. Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Romo et al. (US 20150343102 A1, cited in prior office action) in view of Sood et al. (US 10987440 B1, cited in prior office action), further in view of Talebpour et al. (US 20180001840 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Kadowaki (US 20040109133 A1, cited in prior office action).
Regarding claim 7, the Romo/Sood/Talebpour combination teaches a photochromic polymer layer (Romo, middle layer 502d having photochromic molecules and polyethylene, Fig. 6D and [0180]) of a photochromic material (Fig. 6D) attached/adhered to a retrofitted protective bumper (Talebpour, rub strip assembly, Fig. 10), but fails to teach wherein the retrofitted protective bumper further comprises a colloidal metal.
Kadowaki teaches a method of manufacturing plastic photochromic lenses, comprising: “one or more photochromic dyes… and a colloidal metal oxide” (see claim 1), in order “to significantly improve the basic performance of the hard surface film, such as resistance to abrasion and photoresistance” (see [0005]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Romo/Sood/Talebpour combination of the photochromic indicator element having a photochromic polymer layer attached to a rub strip assembly for indication of complete sterilization on airplane surfaces by incorporating a colloidal metal oxide to the photochromic film/layer such as a colloidal metal oxide as taught by Kadowaki in order to significantly improve the basic performance of the hard surface film, such as resistance to abrasion and photoresistance (Kadowaki, [0005]).
10. Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Talebpour et al. (US 20180001840 A1), in view of Romo et al. (US 20150343102 A1, cited in prior office action).
Talebpour teaches a protective assembly (Fig. 10) comprising: a retrofitted protective bumper (rub strip assembly, Fig. 10), comprising an elongated arcuate base (body 1050, Fig. 10), attachable to one or more surfaces in the area (wall 102, Fig. 10) within aircraft interior surfaces (“a vehicle includes a passenger compartment that includes a floor. The vehicle includes a monument arranged in the passenger compartment, wherein the monument comprises a first wall”, [0004], where “Monuments are typically included in passenger compartments of vehicles, such as aircraft”, [0037]) such that the retrofitted protective bumper covers at least a portion of the one or more surfaces (body 1050 covers a portion of the wall 102 surface, Fig. 10), and wherein the base is arcuate on an external surface (body 1050 is arcuate and is attached onto the external surface of wall 102, Fig. 10) in order “to protect the monuments from damage and unsightly blemishes” ([0037]). It is important to note the rail of Fig. 10 is made of a plastic material ([0071]) but is silent to the material makeup of the rub strip (1020, Fig. 10).
In an alternative embodiment (Fig. 2A), both the rail (210) and rub strip (220) are also made of plastic ([0048-0049]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to try and modify the rub strip material to be also plastic with a reasonable expectation of success because the functionality of the rub strip with respect to the rail and/or wall in the overall rub strip assembly would not have changed (MPEP 2143, Rationale E) and is thus predictable.
Modified Talebpour fails to teach a protective assembly for visually indicating ultraviolet (UV) sanitization of an area, wherein the retrofitted protective bumper comprises a photochromic plastic material that, when exposed to UV light, changes from a first color to a second color that is different from the first color and the second color is visible under ambient lighting conditions and the second color visually indicates UV sanitization of the area, wherein the photochromic plastic material is configured to change back from the second color to the first color after a predetermined period of time, wherein the photochromic plastic material includes a photochromic polymer in an amount of from about 5 to about 35 percent by weight of total solids of the photochromic plastic material.
Romo teaches:
PNG
media_image1.png
347
871
media_image1.png
Greyscale
a photochromic plastic material that changes from a first to a second color when exposed to UV light (adhesive photochromic strip of polymer film layers in Fig. 6C, see [0005]), that is visible under ambient lighting conditions (“unchanged color from its natural state (here, optionally clear)”, [0124], implying that there is an option for the natural, first color state to be a color that is not clear, and “Color change may be any number of colors and optionally is from clear to a purple color”, [0122], to which the purple color would be the second color, both colors being visible), and the application of the photochromic plastic to an aircraft (see “Aeronautics”, [0109], where “Indicator elements in… strip configurations can be utilized to measure the exposure to UV-C energy”).
Romo further mentions the reversibility of the photochromic material, to which “the visual or textural activation may dissipate over time, returning the photochromic structure to the textural or visual state it was in prior to exposure to UV-C, once the sterilization or disinfection or UV-C exposure has been completed” in order to “allow reuse” ([0082]). Romo further mentions a timeframe in [0090], where the indicator element photochromic molecule can be selected based on characteristics such as “the time it takes for a photochromic molecule to display a visual change at a desired intensity and/or for a desired duration”.
Modified Talebpour and Romo are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of plastic material strips applied/attached to aircraft.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the plastic material composition of the entire rub strip assembly of Talebpour with a photochromic plastic material composition having a color reversibility feature as taught by Romo in order to indicate sufficient UV-C sterilization (Romo, abstract) in aircraft (Romo, [0109]) and to “allow reuse” (Romo, [0082]).
With this modification, modified Talebpour in view of Romo teaches a protective assembly (Talebpour, Fig. 10) for visually indicating ultraviolet sanitization of an area (Romo, photochromic plastic material indicator strip, Fig. 6D and [0005]), wherein the photochromic plastic material is integrally formed as part of the retrofitted protective bumper (Talebpour’s rub strip assembly is made up of Romo’s photochromic plastic material and is thus “integrally formed” as part of the bumper), for the modification purposes as stated in the paragraph above.
Romo also mentions wherein the photochromic plastic material (Fig. 6D) comprises an upper layer (508d having blockers 510 for UV-A and UV-B radiation, Fig. 6D and [0180]), a middle layer (502d with photochromic material 506 and polyethylene, Fig. 6D and [0180]), and a bottom layer (514d can act as an adhesive, Fig. 6D and [0180]). The upper and bottom layer do not have photochromic molecules, which allow change the weight percentage of the middle photochromic layer with respect to the rest of the photochromic material ([0179] mentions how “thickness may be adjusted” in regards to the non-photochromic layer 512c in the Fig. 6C embodiment, which can be applied to Fig. 6D, as “any of the photochromic materials, or any of the blockers or film materials may be used in any of the examples”, [0180]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have had a reasonable expectation of success to formulate the claimed range of 5-35% wt of total solids of the photochromic material being the photochromic polymer through routine optimization (see MPEP 2144.05,II) by adjusting the thickness of either the upper blocker layer (in order to attenuate/block more UV-A or UV-B radiation, keeping in mind “the thickness cannot be so large as to prevent exposure of an indicator element such as a photochromic material dispersed in the polymer layer of the indicator element”, [0128]) or the bottom adhesive layer (different types of adhesive, see [0180]).
Regarding the limitation of “the photochromic plastic material being configured to change back from the second color to the first color after a predetermined period of time”, these limitations are directed to the function of the apparatus and/or the manner of operating the apparatus. All the structural limitations of the claim has been disclosed by Talebpour in view of Romo and the apparatus of the modified Talebpour/Romo combination is capable of a reversible color change back to the pre-UV exposure color for the photochromic material. As such, it is deemed that the claimed apparatus is not differentiated from the apparatus of Romo (see MPEP §2114).
NOTE: this is a recitation of functional language, and so long as the prior art structure reads on the instant claimed structure, this limitation would be met because the same structure would be capable of the same function; in this case, the photochromic plastic material has the capability to return to its original color after exposure to UV-C is completed. The feature of “after a predetermined time” is fully achievable as stated by Romo, because, as stated in [0091], a variety of photochromic materials can be used, an example being polyethylene or a polyethylene analog or derivative [0092], to which applicant’s specification [0031] mentions “retrofitted protective bumper 102 is made up of one or more photochromic polymers (e.g., High-density polyethylene (HDPE))”. The polyethylene material being structurally similar between Romo and applicant’s specification implies that the feature of a color change back from the second color to the first color after a predetermined period of time is an inherent feature of the polyethylene. The burden is herein shifted to applicant to provide sufficient evidence to the contrary.
Conclusion
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Aham Lee whose telephone number is (703)756-5622. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday, 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM EST.
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, Maris R. Kessel can be reached at (571) 270-7698. The fax phone number for the organization where 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 Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.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 about filing 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.
/Aham Lee/Examiner, Art Unit 1758
/MARIS R KESSEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1758
Prosecution Insights