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 Amendment
This Office Action is in response to applicant’s communication filed June 18, 2026 in response to PTO Office Action dated March 18, 2026. The applicant’s remarks and amendment to the specification and/or claims were considered with the results that follow.
Claims 1-10, 12-14, and 16-27 have been presented for examination in this application. In response to the last Office Action, claims 1-4, 6-10, 12, 14, 16, 18-24 have been amended. Claim 27 has been added. Claims 11 and 15 have been cancelled.
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 1-10, 12-14, 16, 17 and 22-27 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 “a plurality of ports” in line 6. Line 7 further recites “a first subset of ports”, and line 8 recites “a second subset of ports”. It is unclear as to whether the first and second subset of ports linked to the “plurality of ports” of line 6, or are separate groups of ports distinct from each other and the “plurality of ports”.
Claims 2-10, 12-14, 16, 17, and 27 are rejected as being dependent upon a previously rejected claim.
Regarding claim 22, the claim recites “a plurality of ports” in line 6. Line 7 further recites “a first subset of ports”, and line 8 recites “a second subset of ports”. It is unclear as to whether the first and second subset of ports linked to the “plurality of ports” of line 6, or are separate groups of ports distinct from each other and the “plurality of ports”.
Claims 23-26 are rejected as being dependent upon a previously rejected claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-21 are allowed over the prior art of record.
Claims 1 and 22 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 2-17 and 23-27 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brian R. Peugh whose telephone number is (571) 272-4199. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 7:30am to 3:30pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Rocio Del Mar Perez-Velez, phone number 571-270-5935, can be reached. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-2100.
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/BRIAN R PEUGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2133
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