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 .
Status of Claims
2. Claim 18 is pending.
3. Claims 1-17 and 19 have been canceled and claim 18 has been amended.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 18 has been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Objections
5. Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 20 has been removed without giving any status of claim 20 (i.e., canceled).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
6. 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 joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
7. Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 18 recites “MME” without defining the abbreviated term (MME).
Claim 18 recites to receive measurement information from “the UE”. Claim further recites one or more particular UEs communicating via a private network. It is not clear whether the UE from which measurement information is received and the one or more particular UEs are same or different UE. Are the one or more particular UEs providing the measurement information? Is another UE (different than the one or more particular UEs) providing the measurement information? Moreover, “the UE” also lacks sufficient antecedent basis in the claim.
A method claim describes a series of relevant steps/actions to achieve a useful result (MPEP 2106.03 (I) The four categories). Claim 18 recites a series of steps including receiving, mapping, determining, and directing steps. However, it is not clear how the receiving and mapping steps are relevant with the determining and directing steps to achieve the claimed useful result (such as directing an emergency message). As the receiving and mapping steps have not established functional relationship with the determining and directing steps to achieve claimed result, no patentable weight is given to the receiving and mapping steps (MPEP 2111.05 Functional and Nonfunctional Descriptive Material). Therefore, receiving and mapping steps in claim 18 must establish functional relationship with the determining and directing steps to get patentable weight.
Examiner’s comment
It has been discussed above that the claim limitation are not clear. As a result, examiner cannot perform a proper search and identify the available prior arts relevant to the claimed subject matter. Therefore, rejection/allowability of the claim 18 cannot be made on the basis of available prior arts.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/HARUN CHOWDHURY/Examiner, Art Unit 2473