DETAILED ACTION
Examiner has received and accepted the amended claims and remarks filed on 4 February 2026. These amended claims and remarks are the claim and remarks being referred to in the instant Office Action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claims 4, 15, 19, 22, and 24 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The Objection of Claims 4, 15, 19, 22, and 24 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claims 4 – 7 and 14 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 112(b) Rejection of Claims 4 – 7 and 14 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s remaining arguments pertaining to the amended claims have been addressed in the claim rejections below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1 – 12, 14, and 15 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 claim recites “a pair of pressing parts disposed at the at least one end”. The specification does not disclose a pair of pressing parts disposed at the one end, as permitted by the claim. As such, the claim amendments recite NEW MATTER.
Claims dependent upon a rejected claim are therefore rejected as well.
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 – 12, 14, and 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.
Regarding Claim 1, the claim recites “an inner diameter of the ring body varies by tightly joining the pair of pressing parts”. It is unclear as to at what level of force is required to be present so that the joining of parts can be considered “tight”, thus rendering the claim indefinite.
Claims dependent upon a rejected claim are therefore rejected as well.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 12, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fan et al. (CN 205537593). Citations pertaining to Fan refer to the attached English translation.
Regarding Claim 1, as best understood, Fan discloses a force measurement apparatus, adapted to sense a radial deformation of a pile, in at least Figure 1, comprising: at least one pressing ring comprising: a ring body (4) with at least one end and an inner surface (Figure 1), wherein the ring body surrounds an axis passing through a centroid of the ring body (Figure 1), the inner surface faces the pile (Figure 1); and at least a pair of pressing parts (any two of 3) disposed at the at least one end (Figure 1); and at least one force sensor (6) disposed on the inner surface of the ring body to sense the radial deformation of the pile (Figure 1) [0025], wherein the pair of pressing parts are physically joined (via 4), and an inner diameter of the ring body varies by rightly joining the pair of pressing parts [0024].
Regarding Claim 2, Fan discloses the at least pair of pressing parts is capable of pressing the ring body such that the at least one force sensor contacts the pile to fix the at least one force sensor on the pile (Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 12, Fan discloses the ring body is a C-shaped ring (Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 15, Fan discloses the at least one force sensor is a plurality of force sensors, and the plurality of force sensors are axisymmetrically disposed on the inner surface of the ring body with respect to the axis (Figure 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 – 11 and 14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and amended to overcome the 112 Rejections.
Claims 16 – 24 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claims 3, 16, and 19, the prior art fails to anticipate nor render obvious the at least one force sensor comprises: a connection part connected to the inner surface of the ring body; a contact part connected with the connection part to form a space, wherein the at least one pressing part is capable of pressing the ring body such that the contact part contacts the pile; and a force sensing element disposed in the space so as to sense the radial deformation of the pile.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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ALEXANDER A. MERCADO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
/ALEXANDER A MERCADO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855