The present application, filed on or after 16 March 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to Applicant’s submission filed on 20 June 2026. THIS ACTION IS FINAL.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-2, 4-17, 19-22 are pending.
Claims 3 and 18 are cancelled.
Claims 1-2, 4-17, 19-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as indefinite.
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.
A claim is indefinite if, when read in light of the specification, it fails to inform, with reasonable certainty, those skilled in the art about the scope of the invention. Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instruments, Inc., 110 USPQ.2d 1688, U.S. Supreme Court (2014).
Claims 1-2, 4-17, 19-22 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1 / 16 / 20,"another entity", another from what? the boundary is not clear, hence the claim is indefinite. For purposes of examination, “another entity” is construed to be “an entity other than the particular entity”.
Regarding claims 1,4,7 / 16, 17, 21-22 / 20 “the other entity”, lack of antecedent basis, the claim is therefore indefinite. For purposes of examination, “the other entity” is construed to be “the entity other than the particular entity”.
Regarding claims 2, 4-15 / 17, 19, 21-22, which depend on above rejected claim 1 / 16, are rejected for the same reason.
Response to Argument
Applicant’s arguments filed 6/30/2026 has been fully considered.
Applicant’s amendment / argument overcome 101 & 103 issues. However the amendment introduce new 112 issues. See 112 rejection section for more details.
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 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 TSU-CHANG LEE whose telephone number is 571-272-3567. The fax number is 571-273-3567.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Omar Fernandez Rivas, can be reached 571-272-2589.
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/TSU-CHANG LEE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2128
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