DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
Withdrawn Rejections
The 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claims 13, 35 is withdrawn due to Applicant’s cancellation of said claims in the response filed on May 6, 2026.
The 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claims 1-14, 33, 35 over Hietaniemi in view of Francis and Vrbanac, is withdrawn due to Applicant’s cancellation of said claims in the response filed on May 6, 2026.
New Rejections
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 36-50 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 36, it is unclear what the final structure of the gypsum wallboard panel is, to distinguish it from the intermediate structure comprising the gypsum core layer formed over the paper cover sheet.
It is unclear whether the uncooked starch of lines 4-5, remains uncooked in the final structure of the gypsum wallboard panel.
It is unclear what structure and composition distinguish the uncooked starch from a cooked starch. Is a cooked starch a gelatinized starch? What is the difference between a pregelatinized starch and a gelatinized starch? Can an uncooked starch be a pregelatinized starch?
In addition, claim 50 recites the limitation "the stucco" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim itself, as well as the preceding claim 48 and the parent claim 36.
Furthermore, gypsum and stucco are made of different materials.
Accordingly, it is also unclear where the stucco might fit in the gypsum wallboard panel.
Claims 37-50 depend on and include all the subject matter of claim 36, but fail to provide any solutions to the indefinite issues described above.
Clarification and/or amendment accompanied by relevant citation(s) from the specification and/or teaching references are required.
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Sow-Fun Hon whose telephone number is (571)272-1492. The examiner is on a flexible schedule but can usually be reached during a regular work week between the hours of 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Aaron Austin, can be reached at (571)272-8935. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)273-8300.
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/Sophie Hon/
Sow-Fun Hon
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1782
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