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 .
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 1-20 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.
Regarding claims 1, 15, and 19-20, the phrase "such as" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee (12,127,921).
With respect to claims 15-16, Lee discloses a strip element 100, as shown in figure 2, configured to be internally or externally fixed or removably provided to an absorbent hygiene article, as shown in figure 6. The strip element comprises a sensing element having a capacitor electrode 20_1, 20_2, a signal line 40, and a ground element 15_1, 15_2, 15_3, as shown in figures 2 and 3. The capacitor electrode 420_1, 20_2 is electrically connected to the signal line 40, as disclosed in column 5, lines 31-36. The ground element 15_1, 15_2, 15_3 is provided on either side of the capacitor electrode 20_1, 20_2, as shown in figure 3, and therefore is considered to form an open loop around the capacitor electrode.
With respect to claim 17, a ground electrode 15_1, 15_2, 15_3 of the ground element is provided in a first layer of a flexible printed circuit board and the capacitor electrode 20_1, 20_2 also provided in a layer of the flexible printed circuit board, as shown in figure 3.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 and 18-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not disclose the claimed invention, a strip element comprising a first sensing element having a capacitor electrode, a signal line, a ground element, and a shielding component between the signal line and the ground element, wherein the strip element is configured such that an electrical potential of the shielding component synchronously oscillates with an electric potential of the signal line.
The closest prior art of record, Lee, discloses a strip element comprising a first sensing element having a capacitor electrode 20_1, a signal line 40, a ground element 15_1, and a shielding component 30 between the signal line and ground element, as shown in figure 3. However, Lee is silent as to the electric potential of the shielding component and does not disclose that the strip element is configured such that the electric potential of the shielding element can synchronously oscillate with the electric potential of the signal line. The present specification discloses on page 4, lines 28-35, that synchronous oscillation of the shielding component and signal line results in an active shield that increases measurement accuracy. The prior art of record therefore does not disclose nor fairly suggest the claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. U.S. Patents and Publications 11,280,757; 11,197,785; and 2022/0054326 disclose strip elements for sensors for use in absorbent articles.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LYNNE ANDERSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sarah Al-Hashimi can be reached at 571-272-7159. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CATHARINE L ANDERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3781