Response to Amendment
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’s response to the last Office Action dated 12/17/2025, as well as amendment to claims, filed on 03/17/2026 have been entered and made of record.
In light of Applicant’s amendment of Claim 18, the rejections of record of this claim under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been withdrawn.
In light of Applicant’s amendment of Claim 19, the rejection of record with respect to this claim has been withdrawn.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-4, 6-7, and 17-19 are pending. Claim 5 is canceled. Claims 8-16 and 20 are withdrawn from consideration.
Response to Arguments
Examiner has reviewed Applicant’s arguments with respect to the amended claims filed with the Office on March 17, 2026. Applicant argument presented in Page 7 of its Reply with respect to the rejections of record under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered, and in light of the amendment of independent claims to incorporate the allowable subject matter of Claim 5, are found persuasive. Therefore, the outstanding rejection of pending claims under 35 U.S.C. 103 has been withdrawn. Accordingly, Claims 1-4, 6-7, and 17-18 are allowed. As shown below, Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b). THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL.
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.
Claim 19 is 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.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "when the program is executed by a processing unit" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Conclusion and Contact Information
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 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Siamak HARANDI whose telephone number is (571)270-1832. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30 - 6:00 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amandeep Saini can be reached on (571)272-3382. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Siamak Harandi/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2662
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