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 .
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on October 27, 2022 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on October 27, 2022. These drawings are accepted.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
(i) With regard to page 5 (lines 5-6), the last sentence ending the paragraph, i.e., "These components are only used to distinguish one component from another" should be deleted since it is an exact duplicate of the previous sentence at page 5 (lines 4-5).
(ii) With regard to page 17 (line 29), the term "FIG. 8B" should be changed to the term --FIG. 8A-- in order to remain consistent with the context of the passage and the drawings (i.e. since 820 is depicted in FIG. 8A, not FIG. 8B).
(iii) With regard to page 20 (line 18), the term "the processor 1700" should be changed to the term --the processor 170-- in order to remain consistent with the specification and the drawings.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-7 and 9-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
(i) With regard to claim 1 (lines 8-9), the phrase "the specification information of the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information of the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(ii) With regard to claim 2 (lines 1-2), the phrase "the specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(iii) With regard to claim 3 (lines 1-2), the phrase "the specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(iv) With regard to claim 4 (lines 1-2), the phrase "the specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(v) With regard to claim 5 (lines 1-2), the phrase "the specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(vi) With regard to claim 6 (lines 1-2), the phrase "the specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(vii) With regard to claim 7 (line 2), the phrase "after specifying the parameter" should be changed to the phrase --after specifying the at least one parameter-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(viii) With regard to claim 7 (line 3), the phrase "verifying whether a natural frequency of the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- verifying whether a natural frequency of the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(ix) With regard to claim 7 (line 7), the phrase "the natural frequency of the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase --the natural frequency of the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(x) With regard to claim 9 (lines 12-13), the phrase "the specification information of the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information of the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(xi) With regard to claim 10 (line 3), the phrase "specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase --specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(xii) With regard to claim 11 (line 3), the phrase "the specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(xiii) With regard to claim 12 (line 3), the phrase "the specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(xiv) With regard to claim 13 (line 3), the phrase "the specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(xv) With regard to claim 14 (line 3), the phrase "the specification information about the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase -- the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(xvi) With regard to claim 15 (line 3), the phrase "after specifying the parameter" should be changed to the phrase --after specifying the at least one parameter-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(xvii) With regard to claim 15 (lines 3-4), the phrase "verify whether a natural frequency of the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase --verify whether a natural frequency of the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
(xviii) With regard to claim 15 (line 7), the phrase "the natural frequency of the vibration energy amplifier" should be changed to the phrase --the natural frequency of the selected vibration energy amplifier-- in order to remain consistent with the previous claim language and provide proper context.
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 1-15 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.
(i) With regard to claim 1 (line 3), the phrase (method step) "measuring a frequency of an object by coming into contact with the object" is indefinite since it fails to specify any element or structure that is being manipulated so as to come into contact with the object. Thus, the metes and bounds of the claim are not clear so as to apprise one of ordinary skill in the art the scope of such a limitation.
(ii) With regard to claim 1 (lines 6-7), the phrase (method step) "loading specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier" is indefinite since it fails to specify as to where any such loading takes place, i.e., where (or to what location) the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier is loaded to. Thus, the metes and bounds of the claim are not clear so as to apprise one of ordinary skill in the art the scope of such a limitation.
(iii) Additionally, since claims 2-8 depend directly or indirectly from claim 1, they too are thus rejected under the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112.
(iv) Regarding claim 6 (line 4) and claim 14 (lines 4-5), the phrase "including a material having a high elastic coefficient such as stainless steel" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase "such as" are a positive feature of the claimed invention, or are simply preferences that are not required.
Description of examples or preferences is properly set forth in the specification rather than the claims. If stated in the claims, examples and preferences may lead to confusion over the intended scope of a claim.
See MPEP 2173.05(d).
(v) With regard to claim 9 (lines 6-7), the phrase "measure . . . by coming into contact with the object" is indefinite since it fails to specify any element or structure that comes into contact with the object. Thus, the metes and bounds of the claim are not clear so as to apprise one of ordinary skill in the art the scope of such a limitation.
(vi) With regard to claim 9 (lines 9-10), the phrase "load specification information about a selected vibration energy amplifier" is indefinite since it fails to specify as to where any such loading takes place, i.e., where (or to what location) the specification information about the selected vibration energy amplifier is loaded to. Thus, the metes and bounds of the claim are not clear so as to apprise one of ordinary skill in the art the scope of such a limitation.
(vii) Additionally, since claims 10-15 depend directly or indirectly from claim 9, they too are thus rejected under the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112.
Citation of Prior or Relevant Art on enclosed PTO-892
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The cited art made of record (see the enclosed PTO-892), not applied to the rejection of the claims, supra, each disclose aspects of the claimed invention, including wherein vibration sensing devices are used to measure natural frequencies (and frequency responses) of devices - see attached PTO-892.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to William J Klimowicz whose telephone number is (571)272-7577. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday, 8:00AM-6PM, ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Lim can be reached at (571)270-1210. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM J KLIMOWICZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2688