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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
This is in response to applicant’s amendment/response filed on 07/28/2025, which has been entered and made of record. Claims 1, 12 and 20 have been amended. No claim has been cancelled. No claim has been added. Claims 1-2, 4-13, 15-22 are pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments on 07/28/2025 have been fully considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current rejection.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1-2, 12-13, 20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-28 of U.S. Patent No. US 11385761 B2
Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the Patent US 11385761 contain substantially all the limitations of the instant application claims.
Application No. 17/825763
Patent No. US 11385761 B2
1. (Currently Amended) A method comprising: at a device including a display, a non-transitory memory and one or more processors: determining to present a computer-generated reality (CGR) scene including a plurality of CGR objects, wherein the plurality of CGR objects includes a CGR object that is associated with a first anchor and a second anchor; determining, based on an image of a physical environment, whether the physical environment includes a portion corresponding to the first anchor; and in response to determining that the physical environment lacks a portion that corresponds to the first anchor: determining, based on the image that is associated with the FOV of the physical environment, whether the physical environment includes a portion corresponding to an image of the second anchor; and in response to determining that the physical environment includes the portion that corresponds to the image of the second anchor, displaying, on the display, the CGR object at a location of the display corresponding to the second anchor.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, via one or more input devices, a user input generating a computer-generated scene;
receiving, via the one or more input devices, a user input associating an anchor with the computer-generated scene, wherein the anchor is associated with a visual characteristic;
receiving, via the one or more input devices, a user input associating one or more objects with the computer-generated scene;
displaying, on a display, a graphical user interface for associating a behavior with the computer-generated scene, wherein a first state of the graphical user interface displays a set of triggers and a second state of the graphical user interface displays a set of actions;
receiving, via the one or more input devices, a user input that defines respective relationships between one or more triggers and one or more actions by selecting the one or more triggers from the set of triggers displayed in the first state of the graphical user interface and by selecting the one or more actions from the set of actions displayed in the second state of the graphical user interface; and
while displaying, on the display, the computer-generated scene including the one or more objects in association with the visual characteristic associated with the anchor:
receiving, via the one or more input devices, a user input satisfying the one or more triggers; and
in response to receiving the user input satisfying the one or more triggers, performing the one or more actions, including modifying the computer-generated scene on the display.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the anchor includes a first anchor and a second anchor, and wherein displaying the one or more objects includes displaying the one or more objects in association with the second anchor in response to determining that an image of a physical environment lacks a portion corresponding to the first anchor.
12
20
Dependent claims 2, 13 recites similar matter as claim 1-28 of Patent US 11385761 B2 and are rejected for the same reason.
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 forth in section 102 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-2, 4-6, 9, 12-13, 15-17, 20-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brodsky et al. (US Pub 2022/0101607 A1) in view of Paulovich et al. (US Pub 2018/0321894 A1).
As to claim 1, Brodsky discloses a method comprising:
at a device including a display, a non-transitory memory and one or more processors (¶0233-0236):
determining to present a computer-generated reality (CGR) scene including a plurality of CGR objects, wherein the plurality of CGR objects includes a CGR object that is associated with a first anchor and a second anchor (Abstract, “multiple items of virtual content in a three-dimensional (3D) environment of a user” “Location information, expressed as a saved scene anchor and position relative to the saved scene anchor for each item of virtual content, may also be saved. Upon opening the scene, the saved scene anchor node may be correlated to a location within the mixed reality environment of the user for whom the scene is opened. The virtual items of the scene may be positioned with the same relationship to that location as they have to the saved scene anchor node. That location may be selected automatically and/or by user input.” ¶0040, “the saved scene anchor node may correspond to a fixed location in the physical world, and the saved scene may be re-opened with the virtual content of the scene having the same position relative to that location that it had upon saving of the scene. In that case a user may experience the scene if that fixed location in the physical world is within the user's environment when the scene is opened.” The original saved scene anchor node is the first anchor. ¶0041, “if the user needs to open the saved scene at a different location, the user is able to do so by utilizing an adjustable visual anchor node or nodes as appropriate.” The adjusted visual anchor node at a different location is a second anchor.);
determining, based on an image of a physical environment, whether the physical environment includes a portion corresponding to the first anchor (¶0040, “the saved scene anchor node may comprise a persistent coordinate frame (PCF), which may be a point with a coordinate frame that is derived from objects that exist in the real world that do not change, much, at all, or infrequently, over time. This location associated with the saved scene anchor node may be represented by a saved PCF. The saved PCF may be utilized to re-open the saved scene such that the saved scene is rendered at the exact same location in space where the saved scene was rendered when it was saved.” determine the original anchor node based on the real world image.); and
in response to determining that the physical environment lacks a portion that corresponds to the first anchor (¶0041, “if the user needs to open the saved scene at a different location, the user is able to do so by utilizing an adjustable visual anchor node or nodes as appropriate.” Different location lacks a portion that corresponds to the original anchor node. ¶0042, “if the saved scene is re-opened for a user while that fixed location is within their environment or within their field of view. If not, the system may provide a user interface through which the user may provide input indicating the location in which the virtual content of the saved scene is to be located. The system may accomplish this by identifying the PCF closest to the user (current PCF). If the current PCF matches the saved PCF, the system may re-open the saved scene with the virtual content of the saved scene at the exact same location as when the saved scene was saved by placing the virtual objects of the saved scene at a fixed spatial configuration relative to the PCF. If the current PCF does not match the saved PCF, the system may preview place the saved scene at a default location or at a location chosen by the user. Based on the preview placement, the user or system may move the entire saved scene to a desired location, and tell the system to instantiate the scene.”):
determining, based on the image, whether the physical environment includes a portion corresponding to the second anchor (¶0042, “if the saved scene is re-opened for a user while that fixed location is within their environment or within their field of view. If not, the system may provide a user interface through which the user may provide input indicating the location in which the virtual content of the saved scene is to be located. The system may accomplish this by identifying the PCF closest to the user (current PCF). If the current PCF matches the saved PCF, the system may re-open the saved scene with the virtual content of the saved scene at the exact same location as when the saved scene was saved by placing the virtual objects of the saved scene at a fixed spatial configuration relative to the PCF. If the current PCF does not match the saved PCF, the system may preview place the saved scene at a default location or at a location chosen by the user. Based on the preview placement, the user or system may move the entire saved scene to a desired location, and tell the system to instantiate the scene.” The default location or user selected location is the second anchor. ¶0047-0048, ¶0155-0158.); and
in response to determining that the physical environment includes the portion that corresponds to the second anchor, displaying, on the display, the CGR object at a location of the display corresponding to the second anchor (¶0042, “the saved scene may be rendered at the default location in a preview format, lacking some details or functions of the saved scene. Instantiating a scene may comprise rendering the full saved scene to the user including all visual, physics, and other saved scene data.”).
Brodsky does not explicitly disclose an image of the second anchor. However, using an image of an anchor to identify location is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Paulovich teaches determining, based on the image, whether the physical environment includes a portion corresponding to an image of the second anchor (Paulovich, Fig. 8B, ¶0067, “identifying a second shared anchor tag in the image data; and based at least on identifying the first shared anchor tag before identifying the second shared anchor tag, displaying the hologram at the target location determined relative to the location of the shared anchor.” ¶0068, “identifying a second shared anchor tag in the image” “identifying a second shared anchor tag in the image data; and displaying one or more conflict resolution indicators to enable selection of the first shared anchor tag or the second shared anchor tag.”); and
in response to determining that the physical environment includes the portion that corresponds to the image of the second anchor, displaying, on the display, the CGR object at a location of the display corresponding to the second anchor (Paulovich, Fig. 8B, ¶0084, “wherein the second display device is displaying the hologram at another location in another physical environment that is outside a field of view of the first display device. The method may additionally or optionally include, wherein the first display device comprises a head-mounted display device comprising an at least partially see-through display. The method may additionally or optionally include, wherein the shared anchor tag is a first shared anchor tag: identifying a second shared anchor tag in the image data; and based at least on identifying the first shared anchor tag before identifying the second shared anchor tag, displaying the hologram at the target location determined relative to the location of the shared anchor. The method may additionally or optionally include, wherein the shared anchor tag is a first shared anchor tag: identifying a second shared anchor tag in the image data; and based at least on determining that the first shared anchor tag is closer to the first display device than the second shared anchor tag, displaying the hologram at the target location determined relative to the location of the shared anchor. The method may additionally or optionally include, wherein the shared anchor tag is a first shared anchor tag: identifying a second shared anchor tag in the image data; and displaying one or more conflict resolution indicators to enable selection of the first shared anchor tag or the second shared anchor tag.”).
Brodsky and Paulovich are considered to be analogous art because all pertain to augmented reality. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Brodsky with the features of “an image of the second anchor” as taught by Paulovich. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order for the second display device is displaying the hologram at another location in another physical environment that is outside a field of view of the first display device. (Paulovich, ¶0084.).
As to claim 2, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses determining to present the CGR object comprises receiving, via one or more input devices, a user input that corresponds to a request to present the CGR object (Brodsky, ¶0155-0158.).
3. (Cancelled)
As to claim 4, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses capturing the image of the physical environment using a camera of the device (Brodsky, ¶0046, “In order to save a scene, for example, the user may select a camera icon (1900, FIG. 19), frame the scene, and then capture the image.” ¶0058, “The data may include data a) captured from sensors (which may be, e.g., operatively coupled to the frame 230 or otherwise attached to the user 210), such as image capture devices” ¶0096, “FOV images captured from users of the wearable system can be added to a world model by including new pictures that convey information about various points and features of the real world.”).
As to claim 5, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses the first anchor serves as a primary anchor and the second anchor serves as a backup anchor for displaying the CGR object (Brodsky, ¶0042, “the system may conditionally position the virtual content of the saved scene in a fixed location, if the saved scene is re-opened for a user while that fixed location is within their environment or within their field of view. If not, the system may provide a user interface through which the user may provide input indicating the location in which the virtual content of the saved scene is to be located.” The original anchor position is the primary anchor. If the original position is not existed, a user can select a new location or a default location which are the backup anchor.).
As to claim 6, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses displaying the CGR object comprises overlaying the CGR object on a portion of the image that depicts the second anchor (Brodsky, ¶0158, “the user may place the visual anchor node. In some embodiments, the user may select the visual anchor node 1214 by pushing a button on a totem, for example. The user may then move the visual anchor node 1216 within the user's real world environment and then place the visual anchor node 1218 by releasing the button on the totem, for example. Moving the visual anchor node moves the entire saved scene relative to the user's real world. Steps 1214-1218 may function to move all of the saved scene objects within the user's real world. Once the saved scene is at the desired location, the saved scene may be instantiated 1220. At step 1220, instantiating the saved scene may mean a full copy of the saved scene is presented to the user.” ¶0160, “The user may decide to change where the saved scene is located based on the preview, and may thus select the visual anchor node 1214 by clicking a button on the totem, move the visual anchor node 1216 (which may cause all of the saved scene objects to move with the visual anchor node to maintain relative positioning to the visual anchor node and internally between the saved scene objects) by moving the totem, and then placing the visual anchor node 1218 at a different location in the user's environment by releasing the button on the totem. The user may then select a “load scene” virtual button from a user menu, which may cause the saved scene to instantiate 1220 and thus fully load the virtual scene by rendering the full saved scene data (e.g. an exact copy of the original scene, except potentially in a different location than where it was saved).”).
As to claim 9, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses the display includes an optical passthrough display (Brodsky, ¶0003, “an augmented reality, or “AR”, scenario typically involves presentation of digital or virtual image information as an augmentation to visualization of the actual world around the user; a mixed reality, or “MR”, related to merging real and virtual worlds to produce new environments where physical and virtual objects co-exist and interact in real time.”¶0011, “an optical system including a waveguide apparatus, an optical coupler subsystem to optically couple light to or from the waveguide apparatus, and a control subsystem, used in the generation of a multi-focal volumetric display, image, or light field.” ¶0066-0069).
As to claim 12, the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses an electronic device comprising: a display; a non-transitory memory; one or more processors; and one or more programs stored in the non-transitory memory, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to: determine to present a computer-generated reality (CGR) scene including a plurality of CGR objects, wherein the plurality of CGR objects includes a CGR object that is associated with a first anchor and a second anchor; determine, based on an image of a physical environment, whether the physical environment includes a portion corresponding to the first anchor; and in response to determining that the physical environment lacks a portion that corresponds to the first anchor: determine, based on the image that is associated with the FOV of the physical environment, whether the physical environment includes a portion corresponding to the second anchor; and in response to determining that the physical environment includes the portion that corresponds to the second anchor, display, on the display, the CGR object at a location of the display corresponding to the second anchor (See claim 1 for detailed analysis.).
As to claim 13, claim 12 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses determining to present the CGR object comprises receiving, via one or more input devices, a user input that corresponds to a request to present the CGR object (See claim 2 for detailed analysis.).
14. (Cancelled)
As to claim 15, claim 12 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses the one or more programs further cause the electronic device to capture the image of the physical environment using a camera of the device (See claim 4 for detailed analysis.).
As to claim 16, claim 12 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses the first anchor serves as a primary anchor and the second anchor serves as a backup anchor for displaying the CGR object (See claim 5 for detailed analysis.).
As to claim 17, claim 12 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses displaying the CGR object comprises overlaying the CGR object on a portion of the image that depicts the second anchor (See claim 6 for detailed analysis.).
As to claim 20, the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by an electronic device including a display, a non- transitory memory and one or more processors, cause the electronic device to: while displaying an anchor properties menu on the display, receive one or more user inputs that are directed to the anchor properties menu; define a first anchor and a second anchor based on the one or more user inputs (see claim 1, 21 , the original anchor and the adjusted location anchor); associate the first and second anchors with a computer-generated reality (CGR) object based on the user inputs; determine to present a CGR scene including a plurality of CGR objects, wherein the plurality of CGR objects includes the CGR object that is associated with the first anchor and the second anchor; determine, based on an image of a physical environment, whether the physical environment includes a portion corresponding to the first anchor; and in response to determining that the physical environment lacks a portion that corresponds to the first anchor: determine, based on the image, whether the physical environment includes a portion corresponding to the second anchor; and in response to determining that the physical environment includes the portion that corresponds to the second anchor, display, on the display, the CGR object at a location of the display corresponding to the second anchor (See claim 1 for detailed analysis.).
As to claim 21, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Paulovich discloses displaying, on the display, a CGR composing user interface including an anchor properties menu; and selecting the first anchor and the second anchor based on detecting one or more user inputs directed to the anchor properties menu (Brodsky, ¶0039, “The location of the virtual content of the saved scene within the environment of a user of an augmented reality system may be determined, for example, by user input positioning a visual anchor node, representing a location within the environment of the user. A user may manipulate the location of the visual anchor node through a virtual user interface of the augmented reality system. The virtual content of the saved scene may be rendered with the saved scene anchor node aligned with the visual anchor node.” ¶0040, “the saved scene anchor node may correspond to a fixed location in the physical world, and the saved scene may be re-opened with the virtual content of the scene having the same position relative to that location that it had upon saving of the scene. In that case a user may experience the scene if that fixed location in the physical world is within the user's environment when the scene is opened.” ¶0042, “the system may conditionally position the virtual content of the saved scene in a fixed location, if the saved scene is re-opened for a user while that fixed location is within their environment or within their field of view. If not, the system may provide a user interface through which the user may provide input indicating the location in which the virtual content of the saved scene is to be located.”).
Claims 7-8, 10-11, 18-19, 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brodsky et al. (US Pub 2022/0101607 A1) in view of Paulovich et al. (US Pub 2018/0321894 A1) and Nuernberger (US Pub 2017/0287218 A1).
As to claim 7, claim 1 is incorporated and Brodsky does not explicitly disclose the first anchor includes an anchor image and the second anchor includes a planar surface in the physical environment.
Nuernberger teaches the first anchor includes an anchor image and the second anchor includes a planar surface in the physical environment (Nuernberger, ¶0048, “an indication of an extracted segment (a corresponding candidate anchor feature) may be displayed to a user to assist the user in aligning a virtual object with the physical object corresponding to the extracted segment. In other examples, indications of other corresponding candidate anchor features that are different from extracted line segments may be displayed to a user to assist the user in aligning a virtual object with the physical object corresponding to the candidate anchor feature. Such other corresponding candidate anchor features may include, for example, different geometrical features such as planes, cylinders, spheres, curved surfaces, volumes, dimensions, repeating distances between objects, and objects' relative locations and orientations.” Fig. 4-7. ¶0053, “With continued reference to FIG. 3, in some examples candidate anchor features 74 in the form of planar surfaces, such as planar surfaces 340 and 350 corresponding to selected planar surfaces of the table 230 in room 210, are determined from the image data 26. In this example, fewer than all planar surfaces of the table 230 are represented by planar surface candidate anchor features. As described in more detail below, these planar surface candidate anchor features may be utilized to display indications of the candidate anchor features 74 corresponding to these surfaces, such as the virtual circle indications 260 and 264 illustrated in FIG. 2.”),
Brodsky and Nuernberger are considered to be analogous art because all pertain to augmented reality. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Brodsky with the features of “the first anchor includes an anchor image and the second anchor includes a planar surface in the physical environment” as taught by Nuernberger. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to locate and orient a virtual object or portion thereof with respect to a physical object or surface in the user's physical environment (Nuernberger, ¶0001).
As to claim 8, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Nuernberger discloses the first anchor is a tabletop and the second anchor is a horizontal plane (Nuernberger, Fig. 4-7. ¶0053, “With continued reference to FIG. 3, in some examples candidate anchor features 74 in the form of planar surfaces, such as planar surfaces 340 and 350 corresponding to selected planar surfaces of the table 230 in room 210, are determined from the image data 26. In this example, fewer than all planar surfaces of the table 230 are represented by planar surface candidate anchor features. As described in more detail below, these planar surface candidate anchor features may be utilized to display indications of the candidate anchor features 74 corresponding to these surfaces, such as the virtual circle indications 260 and 264 illustrated in FIG. 2.”).
As to claim 10, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Nuernberger discloses detecting a movement of the device that results in a change of the location of the second anchor on the display; and displaying a movement of the CGR object based on the change of the location of the second anchor on the display (Nuernberger, ¶0028, “In some examples, a 6 degree-of-freed (6DOF) position sensor system may be used to display virtual content in a world-locked manner. A world-locked virtual object, such as a hologram, appears to be fixed relative to real world objects viewable through the HMD device 18, thereby enabling a wearer of the HMD device to move around a real world physical environment while perceiving the virtual object as remaining stationary in a fixed location and orientation in the physical environment.”).
As to claim 11, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Nuernberger discloses the second anchor is a physical object in the physical environment, and the method further comprises:
detecting a movement of the physical object in the physical environment; and displaying a movement of the CGR object based on the movement of the physical object in the physical environment (Nuernberger, ¶0029, “the HMD device 18 may operate in a body-lock display mode in which one or more virtual objects may be displayed via the HMD device with body-locked positions. In a body-locked position, a holographic object appears to be fixed relative to the wearer of the HMD device 18, and the body-locked position of the holographic object appears to be moveable relative to real-world objects.”).
As to claim 18, claim 12 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Nuernberger discloses the first anchor includes an anchor image and the second anchor includes a planar surface in the physical environment (See claim 7 for detailed analysis.).
As to claim 19, claim 12 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Nuernberger discloses the first anchor is a tabletop and the second anchor is a horizontal plane (See claim 8 for detailed analysis.).
As to claim 22, claim 1 is incorporated and the combination of Brodsky and Nuernberger discloses the plurality of CGR objects include an additional CGR object that is associated with a third anchor and a fourth anchor (Nuernberger, Fig. 2, ¶0 0053, “these planar surface candidate anchor features may be utilized to display indications of the candidate anchor features 74 corresponding to these surfaces, such as the virtual circle indications 260 and 264 illustrated in FIG. 2.” ¶0056, ¶0060, “the planar surface of table top 236 and each of the 4 top linear edges 280, 288, 290 and 292 are each a candidate anchor feature.”).
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YU CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7951. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8-5 PST Mid-day flex.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao Wu can be reached on 571-272-7761. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YU CHEN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2613