DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
1. Applicant’s arguments with respect to the new limitations of independent claims 1, 12, and 17 have been considered but are moot.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
2. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
3. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 1, the newly-added limitations “that is configured to represent a
threshold above which differences in the signal metric value are determined less meaningful to handover success;”, “wherein the signal score is assigned a lower weight as a function of the defined threshold signal metric value;” and “wherein the success rate score is assigned a higher weight as a function of the defined threshold signal metric value.” are not supported by the disclosure.
Regarding claim 12, the newly-added limitations “that represents a
configurable level beyond which differences in signal strength are determined less meaningful to handover success;”, “wherein the signal score is assigned a reduced weighting as a function of the defined threshold;”, and “wherein the load score is assigned an increased weight as a function of the defined threshold signal metric value.” are not supported by the disclosure.
Regarding claim 17, the newly-added limitations “wherein the signal
score is assigned a reduced weighting in response to a signal quality threshold condition being satisfied;” and “and assigning a weighting to the success rate score that increases relative to the signal score weighting in response to the signal quality threshold being satisfied;” are not supported by the disclosure.
Each of claims 2-11 depends on claim 1, each of claims 13-16 depends on claim 12, and each of claims 18-20 depends on claim 17, and therefore claims 2-11, 13-16, and 18-20 also fail to comply with the written description requirement.
Conclusion
4. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW W GENACK whose telephone number is (571)272-7541. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
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/MATTHEW W GENACK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645