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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed February 4, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding independent claims 6 and 8-10, Applicant has amended the independent claims to include the limitation of previous claim 7 of “wherein, when a subcarrier spacing is 480 kHz or 960 kHz, the control unit is configured to configure the random access response window with the number of slots that is 320,640, 1280, or 2560”, which was rejected in the previous office action as being unpatentable over Taherzadeh Boroujeni in view of Lee. Applicant asserts in the Remarks on page 11 that “while Lee describes that when an SCS greater than 120 KHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may exceed 80, Lee is silent with respect to configuring a random access response windows with 1,280 or 2,560 slots when the SCS is 480 kHz or 960 kHz, as recited by the above-referenced limitation (i) of amended independent claim 6.” Examiner respectfully disagrees. The above-described limitation found in amended independent claims 6 and 8-10 are drafted in alternative form such that a reference may teach the limitations of the claims if it teaches at least one of the elements in each of the “OR” clauses. That is, a reference must teach at least one of an SCS being equal to 480 kHz OR 960 kHz, and at least one of a number of slots of a RAR window being equal to 320, 640, 1280, OR 2560 to meet the requirements of the claim language. As discussed below, Lee discloses in col. 23, lines 16-20 that, for example, when 960 kHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may be 640. Accordingly, teaches at least one of an SCS being equal to 480 kHz or 960 kHz and a number of slots of a RAR window being equal to 320, 640, 1280, or 2560. Thus, Lee teaches the above-described limitation of the amended independent claims.
Applicant further asserts in the Remarks on page 11 that Lee “fails to provide any rationale to motivate a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Boroujeni to disclose or suggest, at least , the above-reference limitation (i) of amended independent claim 6. Applicant respectfully disagrees. As discussed below it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure a random access response window having a duration of a number of slots in accordance with a specific carrier spacing, as taught by Taherzadeh Boroujeni, to use a subcarrier spacing of 960 kHz with 640 slots, as taught by Lee. Doing so provides for more efficient utilization of communication system resources (see Lee: col. 23, lines 9-50).
Applicant further asserts in the Remarks on page 12 that “[f]urther, even assuming arguendo a skilled person were to combine the references in the manner suggested by the Examiner, the combination would still fail to render amended independent claim 6 obvious, because a person of ordinary skill in the art would have had no motivation to supply the missing elements (i.e., the above-referenced limitation (i)) without the benefit of Applicant's own disclosure as a guide.” Examiner respectfully disagrees. As discussed above, the claim limitation is drafted in an alternative form and at least one element of each of the two “OR” clauses is taught by Lee. Accordingly, there are no “missing elements” that need to be addressed by the reference.
In view of the forgoing, the rejections of claims 6 and 8-10 are maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 6 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Taherzadeh Boroujeni et al. (US 2021/0195652 A1)(hereinafter “Taherzadeh Boroujeni”) in view of Lee et al. (US 12225591 B2)(hereinafter “Lee”).
Regarding claim 6, Taherzadeh Boroujeni discloses a terminal (Fig. 8, [¶0103]: UE 802) comprising:
a receiving unit (Fig. 8: reception component 830) configured to receive a configuration of random access from a base station ([0067]: the UE 402 may receive the configuration of the different frequency hopping patterns for different segments of the RAR window 526 through remaining system information (RMSI) in a SIB, or through DCI. For instance, when the BS 404 sends a SIB1 (RMSI) or msg2 PDCCH including DCI to the UE, the RMSI or DCI may indicate that msg2 RARs 412 and msg2 RARs 418 are transmitted on different frequencies or in different RBs according to a configured frequency hopping pattern indicated in the RMSI or DCI.);
a control unit (Fig. 8: communication manager 832) configured to configure, based on the configuration of random access, a random access response window that has a duration of a number of slots in accordance with a specific subcarrier spacing ([¶0006]: the device is configured to receive, from the base station, a plurality of RARs in response to the transmitted preamble. The plurality of RARs are received in a plurality of slots during a portion of a RAR window. Fig. 5B, [¶0063]: the RAR window 526 may be partitioned into two or multiple parts with increasing aggregation of slots for the repetition of the scheduled msg2 PDSCH. For example, if the base station configures the RAR window 526 to be ten slots in a system information block (e.g., SIB1), the base station may partition the RAR window 526 such that one slot is included in legacy segment 530 (without msg2 PDSCH repetition), four slots are included in portion 540 (with two-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition), and five slots are included in portion 550 (with four-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition). The additional slots (i.e., additional repetition) improve the probability that the UE will successfully receive the msg2 RAR PDSCH. [¶0042]: the subcarrier spacing and symbol length/duration are a function of the numerology. The subcarrier spacing may be equal to 2.sup.μ*15 kilohertz (kHz), where μ is the numerology 0 to 4. As such, the numerology μ=0 has a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz and the numerology μ=4 has a subcarrier spacing of 240 kHz. The symbol length/duration is inversely related to the subcarrier spacing. FIGS. 2A-2D provide an example of slot configuration 0 with 14 symbols per slot and numerology μ=2 with 4 slots per subframe. The slot duration is 0.25 ms, the subcarrier spacing is 60 kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 16.67 μs. Within a set of frames, there may be one or more different bandwidth parts (BWPs) (see FIG. 2B) that are frequency division multiplexed. Each BWP may have a particular numerology.); and
a transmitting unit (Fig. 8: transmission component 834) configured to transmit, based on the configuration of random access, a random access preamble to the base station (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: a UE 402 transmits, to a BS 404, a preamble 406 to initiate a RACH procedure.),
wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive, from the base station, a random access response in the configured random access response window (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: the BS 404 subsequently transmits a msg2 RAR 408 to the UE 402 in response to the received preamble 406.).
Taherzadeh Boroujeni does not disclose wherein, when a subcarrier spacing is 460 kHz or 960 kHz, the control unit is configured to configure the random access response window with the number of slots that is 320, 640, 1280, or 2560. However, Lee et al. discloses wherein, when a subcarrier spacing is 460 kHz or 960 kHz, the control unit is configured to configure the random access response window with the number of slots that is 320, 640, 1280, or 2560 (col. 22, lines 11-14: in a Type-1 RA procedure, the terminal may receive a Msg2 (e.g., RAR) from the base station on a PDSCH within an RAR window after transmitting an RA preamble. Col. 23, lines 16-20: when an SCS greater than 120 kHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may exceed 80. For example, when 960 kHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may be 640. Examiner notes, as discussed above in the Response to Arguments, the above-described limitation is drafted in alternative form such that a reference may teach the limitations of the claims if it teaches at least one of the elements in each of the “OR” clauses.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure a random access response window having a duration of a number of slots in accordance with a specific carrier spacing, as taught by Taherzadeh Boroujeni, to use a subcarrier spacing of 960 kHz with 640 slots, as taught by Lee. Doing so provides for more efficient utilization of communication system resources (see Lee: col. 23, lines 9-50).
Regarding claim 8, Taherzadeh Boroujeni discloses a base station (Fig. 9, [¶0112]: BS 902.) comprising:
a transmitting unit (Fig. 9: transmission component 934) configured to transmit a configuration of random access to a terminal ([0067]: the UE 402 may receive the configuration of the different frequency hopping patterns for different segments of the RAR window 526 through remaining system information (RMSI) in a SIB, or through DCI. For instance, when the BS 404 sends a SIB1 (RMSI) or msg2 PDCCH including DCI to the UE, the RMSI or DCI may indicate that msg2 RARs 412 and msg2 RARs 418 are transmitted on different frequencies or in different RBs according to a configured frequency hopping pattern indicated in the RMSI or DCI.);
a control unit (Fig. 9: communication manager 932) configured to configure, based on the configuration of random access, a random access response window that has a duration of a number of slots in accordance with a specific subcarrier spacing ([¶0006]: the device is configured to receive, from the base station, a plurality of RARs in response to the transmitted preamble. The plurality of RARs are received in a plurality of slots during a portion of a RAR window. Fig. 5B, [¶0063]: the RAR window 526 may be partitioned into two or multiple parts with increasing aggregation of slots for the repetition of the scheduled msg2 PDSCH. For example, if the base station configures the RAR window 526 to be ten slots in a system information block (e.g., SIB1), the base station may partition the RAR window 526 such that one slot is included in legacy segment 530 (without msg2 PDSCH repetition), four slots are included in portion 540 (with two-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition), and five slots are included in portion 550 (with four-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition). The additional slots (i.e., additional repetition) improve the probability that the UE will successfully receive the msg2 RAR PDSCH. [¶0042]: the subcarrier spacing and symbol length/duration are a function of the numerology. The subcarrier spacing may be equal to 2.sup.μ*15 kilohertz (kHz), where μ is the numerology 0 to 4. As such, the numerology μ=0 has a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz and the numerology μ=4 has a subcarrier spacing of 240 kHz. The symbol length/duration is inversely related to the subcarrier spacing. FIGS. 2A-2D provide an example of slot configuration 0 with 14 symbols per slot and numerology μ=2 with 4 slots per subframe. The slot duration is 0.25 ms, the subcarrier spacing is 60 kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 16.67 μs. Within a set of frames, there may be one or more different bandwidth parts (BWPs) (see FIG. 2B) that are frequency division multiplexed. Each BWP may have a particular numerology.); and
a receiving unit (Fig. 9: reception component 930) configured to receive, based on the configuration of random access, a random access preamble from the terminal (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: a UE 402 transmits, to a BS 404, a preamble 406 to initiate a RACH procedure.),
wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit, to the terminal, a random access response in the configured random access response window (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: the BS 404 subsequently transmits a msg2 RAR 408 to the UE 402 in response to the received preamble 406.).
Taherzadeh Boroujeni does not disclose wherein, when a subcarrier spacing is 460 kHz or 960 kHz, the control unit is configured to configure the random access response window with the number of slots that is 320, 640, 1280, or 2560. However, Lee et al. discloses wherein, when a subcarrier spacing is 460 kHz or 960 kHz, the control unit is configured to configure the random access response window with the number of slots that is 320, 640, 1280, or 2560 (col. 22, lines 11-14: in a Type-1 RA procedure, the terminal may receive a Msg2 (e.g., RAR) from the base station on a PDSCH within an RAR window after transmitting an RA preamble. Col. 23, lines 16-20: when an SCS greater than 120 kHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may exceed 80. For example, when 960 kHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may be 640. Examiner notes, as discussed above in the Response to Arguments, the above-described limitation is drafted in alternative form such that a reference may teach the limitations of the claims if it teaches at least one of the elements in each of the “OR” clauses.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure a random access response window having a duration of a number of slots in accordance with a specific carrier spacing, as taught by Taherzadeh Boroujeni, to use a subcarrier spacing of 960 kHz with 640 slots, as taught by Lee. Doing so provides for more efficient utilization of communication system resources (see Lee: col. 23, lines 9-50).
Regarding claim 9, Taherzadeh Boroujeni discloses a communication system comprising: a terminal (Fig. 8, [¶0103]: UE 802); and a base station (Fig. 9, [¶0112]: BS 902.),
wherein the terminal includes
a receiving unit (Fig. 8: reception component 830) configured to receive a configuration of random access from the base station ([0067]: the UE 402 may receive the configuration of the different frequency hopping patterns for different segments of the RAR window 526 through remaining system information (RMSI) in a SIB, or through DCI. For instance, when the BS 404 sends a SIB1 (RMSI) or msg2 PDCCH including DCI to the UE, the RMSI or DCI may indicate that msg2 RARs 412 and msg2 RARs 418 are transmitted on different frequencies or in different RBs according to a configured frequency hopping pattern indicated in the RMSI or DCI.);
a control unit (Fig. 8: communication manager 832) configured to configure, based on the configuration of random access, a random access response window that has a duration of a number of slots in accordance with a specific subcarrier spacing ([¶0006]: the device is configured to receive, from the base station, a plurality of RARs in response to the transmitted preamble. The plurality of RARs are received in a plurality of slots during a portion of a RAR window. Fig. 5B, [¶0063]: the RAR window 526 may be partitioned into two or multiple parts with increasing aggregation of slots for the repetition of the scheduled msg2 PDSCH. For example, if the base station configures the RAR window 526 to be ten slots in a system information block (e.g., SIB1), the base station may partition the RAR window 526 such that one slot is included in legacy segment 530 (without msg2 PDSCH repetition), four slots are included in portion 540 (with two-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition), and five slots are included in portion 550 (with four-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition). The additional slots (i.e., additional repetition) improve the probability that the UE will successfully receive the msg2 RAR PDSCH. [¶0042]: the subcarrier spacing and symbol length/duration are a function of the numerology. The subcarrier spacing may be equal to 2.sup.μ*15 kilohertz (kHz), where μ is the numerology 0 to 4. As such, the numerology μ=0 has a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz and the numerology μ=4 has a subcarrier spacing of 240 kHz. The symbol length/duration is inversely related to the subcarrier spacing. FIGS. 2A-2D provide an example of slot configuration 0 with 14 symbols per slot and numerology μ=2 with 4 slots per subframe. The slot duration is 0.25 ms, the subcarrier spacing is 60 kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 16.67 μs. Within a set of frames, there may be one or more different bandwidth parts (BWPs) (see FIG. 2B) that are frequency division multiplexed. Each BWP may have a particular numerology.); and
a transmitting unit (Fig. 8: transmission component 834) configured to transmit, based on the configuration of random access, a random access preamble to the base station (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: a UE 402 transmits, to a BS 404, a preamble 406 to initiate a RACH procedure.),
wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive, from the base station, a random access response in the configured random access response window (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: the BS 404 subsequently transmits a msg2 RAR 408 to the UE 402 in response to the received preamble 406.), and
wherein the base station includes
a transmitting unit (Fig. 9: transmission component 934) configured to transmit the configuration of random access to the terminal ([0067]: the UE 402 may receive the configuration of the different frequency hopping patterns for different segments of the RAR window 526 through remaining system information (RMSI) in a SIB, or through DCI. For instance, when the BS 404 sends a SIB1 (RMSI) or msg2 PDCCH including DCI to the UE, the RMSI or DCI may indicate that msg2 RARs 412 and msg2 RARs 418 are transmitted on different frequencies or in different RBs according to a configured frequency hopping pattern indicated in the RMSI or DCI.);
a control unit (Fig. 9: communication manager 932) configured to configure, based on the configuration of random access, the random access response window that has the duration of the number of slots in accordance with the specific subcarrier spacing ([¶0006]: the device is configured to receive, from the base station, a plurality of RARs in response to the transmitted preamble. The plurality of RARs are received in a plurality of slots during a portion of a RAR window. Fig. 5B, [¶0063]: the RAR window 526 may be partitioned into two or multiple parts with increasing aggregation of slots for the repetition of the scheduled msg2 PDSCH. For example, if the base station configures the RAR window 526 to be ten slots in a system information block (e.g., SIB1), the base station may partition the RAR window 526 such that one slot is included in legacy segment 530 (without msg2 PDSCH repetition), four slots are included in portion 540 (with two-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition), and five slots are included in portion 550 (with four-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition). The additional slots (i.e., additional repetition) improve the probability that the UE will successfully receive the msg2 RAR PDSCH. [¶0042]: the subcarrier spacing and symbol length/duration are a function of the numerology. The subcarrier spacing may be equal to 2.sup.μ*15 kilohertz (kHz), where μ is the numerology 0 to 4. As such, the numerology μ=0 has a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz and the numerology μ=4 has a subcarrier spacing of 240 kHz. The symbol length/duration is inversely related to the subcarrier spacing. FIGS. 2A-2D provide an example of slot configuration 0 with 14 symbols per slot and numerology μ=2 with 4 slots per subframe. The slot duration is 0.25 ms, the subcarrier spacing is 60 kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 16.67 μs. Within a set of frames, there may be one or more different bandwidth parts (BWPs) (see FIG. 2B) that are frequency division multiplexed. Each BWP may have a particular numerology.); and
a receiving unit (Fig. 9: reception component 930) configured to receive, based on the configuration of random access, the random access preamble from the terminal (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: a UE 402 transmits, to a BS 404, a preamble 406 to initiate a RACH procedure.),
wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit, to the terminal, the random access response in the configured random access response window (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: the BS 404 subsequently transmits a msg2 RAR 408 to the UE 402 in response to the received preamble 406.).
Taherzadeh Boroujeni does not disclose wherein, when a subcarrier spacing is 460 kHz or 960 kHz, the control unit is configured to configure the random access response window with the number of slots that is 320, 640, 1280, or 2560. However, Lee et al. discloses wherein, when a subcarrier spacing is 460 kHz or 960 kHz, the control unit is configured to configure the random access response window with the number of slots that is 320, 640, 1280, or 2560 (col. 22, lines 11-14: in a Type-1 RA procedure, the terminal may receive a Msg2 (e.g., RAR) from the base station on a PDSCH within an RAR window after transmitting an RA preamble. Col. 23, lines 16-20: when an SCS greater than 120 kHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may exceed 80. For example, when 960 kHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may be 640. Examiner notes, as discussed above in the Response to Arguments, the above-described limitation is drafted in alternative form such that a reference may teach the limitations of the claims if it teaches at least one of the elements in each of the “OR” clauses.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure a random access response window having a duration of a number of slots in accordance with a specific carrier spacing, as taught by Taherzadeh Boroujeni, to use a subcarrier spacing of 960 kHz with 640 slots, as taught by Lee. Doing so provides for more efficient utilization of communication system resources (see Lee: col. 23, lines 9-50).
Regarding claim 10, Taherzadeh Boroujeni discloses a communication method executed by a terminal (Fig. 8, [¶0103]: UE 802), the method comprising:
receiving a configuration of random access from a base station ([0067]: the UE 402 may receive the configuration of the different frequency hopping patterns for different segments of the RAR window 526 through remaining system information (RMSI) in a SIB, or through DCI. For instance, when the BS 404 sends a SIB1 (RMSI) or msg2 PDCCH including DCI to the UE, the RMSI or DCI may indicate that msg2 RARs 412 and msg2 RARs 418 are transmitted on different frequencies or in different RBs according to a configured frequency hopping pattern indicated in the RMSI or DCI.);
configuring, based on the configuration of random access, a random access response window that has a duration of a number of slots in accordance with a specific subcarrier spacing ([¶0006]: the device is configured to receive, from the base station, a plurality of RARs in response to the transmitted preamble. The plurality of RARs are received in a plurality of slots during a portion of a RAR window. Fig. 5B, [¶0063]: the RAR window 526 may be partitioned into two or multiple parts with increasing aggregation of slots for the repetition of the scheduled msg2 PDSCH. For example, if the base station configures the RAR window 526 to be ten slots in a system information block (e.g., SIB1), the base station may partition the RAR window 526 such that one slot is included in legacy segment 530 (without msg2 PDSCH repetition), four slots are included in portion 540 (with two-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition), and five slots are included in portion 550 (with four-slot msg2 PDSCH repetition). The additional slots (i.e., additional repetition) improve the probability that the UE will successfully receive the msg2 RAR PDSCH. [¶0042]: the subcarrier spacing and symbol length/duration are a function of the numerology. The subcarrier spacing may be equal to 2.sup.μ*15 kilohertz (kHz), where μ is the numerology 0 to 4. As such, the numerology μ=0 has a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz and the numerology μ=4 has a subcarrier spacing of 240 kHz. The symbol length/duration is inversely related to the subcarrier spacing. FIGS. 2A-2D provide an example of slot configuration 0 with 14 symbols per slot and numerology μ=2 with 4 slots per subframe. The slot duration is 0.25 ms, the subcarrier spacing is 60 kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 16.67 μs. Within a set of frames, there may be one or more different bandwidth parts (BWPs) (see FIG. 2B) that are frequency division multiplexed. Each BWP may have a particular numerology.);
transmitting, based on the configuration of random access, a random access preamble to the base station (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: a UE 402 transmits, to a BS 404, a preamble 406 to initiate a RACH procedure.); and
receiving, from the base station, a random access response in the configured random access response window (Fig. 4, [¶0058]: the BS 404 subsequently transmits a msg2 RAR 408 to the UE 402 in response to the received preamble 406.).
Taherzadeh Boroujeni does not disclose wherein, when a subcarrier spacing is 460 kHz or 960 kHz, the control unit is configured to configure the random access response window with the number of slots that is 320, 640, 1280, or 2560. However, Lee et al. discloses wherein, when a subcarrier spacing is 460 kHz or 960 kHz, the control unit is configured to configure the random access response window with the number of slots that is 320, 640, 1280, or 2560 (col. 22, lines 11-14: in a Type-1 RA procedure, the terminal may receive a Msg2 (e.g., RAR) from the base station on a PDSCH within an RAR window after transmitting an RA preamble. Col. 23, lines 16-20: when an SCS greater than 120 kHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may exceed 80. For example, when 960 kHz SCS is used, the number of slots within one system frame may be 640. Examiner notes, as discussed above in the Response to Arguments, the above-described limitation is drafted in alternative form such that a reference may teach the limitations of the claims if it teaches at least one of the elements in each of the “OR” clauses.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure a random access response window having a duration of a number of slots in accordance with a specific carrier spacing, as taught by Taherzadeh Boroujeni, to use a subcarrier spacing of 960 kHz with 640 slots, as taught by Lee. Doing so provides for more efficient utilization of communication system resources (see Lee: col. 23, lines 9-50).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
LI et al. (US 2023/0345541 A1) – RA-RNTI Processing Method and Apparatus, Terminal, and Readable Storage Medium – discloses SCS of 480 kHz and 960 kHz, and RAR windows of 320 and 640 slots.
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 MICHAEL W MADDOX whose telephone number is (571)272-5834. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30am-5:00pm, 1st F 7:30am-4:00pm, 2nd F off.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Asad M Nawaz can be reached at 571-272-3988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL WAYNE MADDOX/Examiner, Art Unit 2463 /CHI TANG P CHENG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
Prosecution Insights