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 .
Applicant cancelled claim 2.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/10/25 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see applicant’s argument, filed12/10/25, with respect to
claims 1 and 3-20 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 USC 102 of claims 1and 3-20 has been withdrawn.
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 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.
Claims 9 and 10 are 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.
Claims 9 and 10 are indefinite under 35 USC 112(b) because claim 2, from which claims 9 and 10 depends, has been canceled, leaving claims 9 and 10 without a proper parent claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-8 and 11-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, none of the prior art of record teaches or fairly suggests a test and measurement instrument, comprising: an auxiliary trigger input port for receiving an auxiliary trigger signal, the auxiliary trigger input port separate from the one or more input channels, the auxiliary trigger signal generated by a device separate from the instrument; a digital trigger processor for generating a digital trigger signal from the auxiliary trigger signal within a first processing time; an analog trigger processor for generating an analog trigger signal from the auxiliary trigger signal within a second processing time that is faster than the first processing time; and a user-configurable selector coupled to the digital trigger processor and to the analog trigger processor, the user-configurable selector configured to output either the digital trigger signal or the analog trigger signal as a selected trigger output signal of the instrument, in combination with the rest of the claim limitations as claimed and defined by the applicant.
Regarding claim 12, none of the prior art of record teaches or fairly suggests a method of generating trigger signals in a test and measurement instrument, the method including the steps of: accepting an auxiliary trigger signal at a trigger port, the trigger port separate from the input port, the auxiliary trigger signal generated by a device separate from the test and measurement instrument; generating a digital trigger signal from the auxiliary trigger signal; generating an analog trigger signal from the auxiliary trigger signal; accepting a trigger selection from a user; and passing the digital trigger signal or the analog trigger signal as an output of the test and measurement device instrument, depending on the trigger selection, in combination with the rest of the claim limitations as claimed and defined by the applicant.
Contact information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
examiner should be directed to MOHAMED CHARIOUI whose telephone number is (571)272-2213. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 6 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrew Schechter can be reached on (571) 272-2302. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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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Mohamed Charioui
/MOHAMED CHARIOUI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857