Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/390,163

NETWORK BASED MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Dec 20, 2023
Examiner
FENNER, RAENITA ANN
Art Unit
2468
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Endress+Hauser
OA Round
3 (Non-Final)
83%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
2y 10m
To Grant
90%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 83% — above average
83%
Career Allow Rate
20 granted / 24 resolved
+25.3% vs TC avg
Moderate +6% lift
Without
With
+6.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 10m
Avg Prosecution
41 currently pending
Career history
65
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.5%
-39.5% vs TC avg
§103
62.8%
+22.8% vs TC avg
§102
26.8%
-13.2% vs TC avg
§112
9.5%
-30.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 24 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
DETAILED ACTION The action is responsive to claims filed on 12/19/2025. Claims 1-14 are pending for evaluation. 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 . Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/19/2025 has been entered. Response to Amendment The Amendment filed on 12/19/2025 has been entered. Claim 1 has been amended; Claims 1-14 remain pending for evaluation. Response to Arguments Applicant's arguments filed 12/19/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to Applicant’s argument on pgs. 6-7 of Applicant Remarks that, in substance, the system of Swarr/Cella/Shryer fails to teach or suggest at least “wherein the first and second sensors exchange data directly with one another without knowledge of the higher-level unit,” Examiner respectfully disagrees. Applicant’s amendment requiring that the first and second sensors exchange data directly with one another without knowledge of the higher-level unit is taught by Cella. As shown in Fig. 2B and described in Para. [0205], Cella discloses a mesh sensor network in which sensors (102) connect to each other directly and non-hierarchically to route and exchange data among themselves. Cella further explains that the sensor nodes may communicate directly with one another and dynamically cooperate to route data, including determining routing and redundancy at the sensor level, rather than through a centralized higher-level unit. This direct sensor-to-sensor communication in the mesh network corresponds to the claimed exchange of data directly between first and second sensors without involvement or knowledge of the higher-level unit. In conclusion, Cella teaches “wherein the first and second sensors exchange data directly with one another without knowledge of the higher-level unit.” Accordingly, the system of Swarr/Cella/Shryer teaches the claimed subject matter, and the rejection under 35 U.S.C. §103 is upheld. Applicant’s arguments, see pgs. 7, filed 12/19/2025, presented with respect to Claim(s) 2-14 are substantively the same as those set forth for independent Claim 1. Accordingly, the same reasoning and supporting explanation provided for independent Claim 1 is equally applicable to Claims 2-14. 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. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Swarr et al. (US 2023/0318875, previously presented), Swarr hereinafter, and further in view of Cella et al. (US 2021/0360070, previously presented), Cella hereinafter, and Shryer et al. (US 10482757, previously presented), Shryer hereinafter. Regarding Claim 1, Swarr teaches a network-based measuring system, comprising (Fig. 1; Paras. [0051-0069]): a first sensor (Fig. 1, elements 26A-B, 36A-C, 40A-B; Para. [0060] - The field devices 26, 36, 40 are sensors, actuators, and the like compatible with the field switches to which they are connected. The field devices output sensor data, operating status, command confirmations, diagnostics, and other outgoing network communications required for operation of the process control network 10 and/or are configured to receive commands, data requests, and other incoming network communications required for operation of the process control network 10); at least one second sensor (Fig. 1, elements 26A-B, 36A-C, 40A-B; Para. [0060]); and at least one intermediate unit, wherein the first and/or second sensor are electrically connected to the intermediate unit via a connection, wherein the first and second sensors are supplied with power via the connection and data is exchanged bidirectionally (Fig. 1, elements 26, 28, 30, 32; Para. [0058] - The APL field switch 30 is shown connected to the network trunk 28 and can transmit power received from the network trunk to field devices attached to the APL field switch. The APL field switch 30 is connected to a field device 36a, a field device 36b, and a field device 36c by respective two-wire APL-compatible spurs extending from ports of the APL field switch. The APL field switch 32 transmits data to and from the field devices 36 and can deliver power to the field devices 36 received through the network trunk 28; See also Paras. [0056-0057, 0059]), wherein the connection comprises a network-based protocol (Fig. 1, elements 26, 28, and 30; Para. [0057-0058] – [0057] The APL power switch 26 is connected for data transmission to the backend Ethernet switch 22 through a standard Ethernet CAT 5 or better cable. The APL power switch 26 converts between the 100 Mbps Ethernet transmitted through the standard Ethernet cable to the 10 Mbps Ethernet transmitted through APL-Ethernet two-wire cable to provide data communications between the APL-Ethernet network 12 and the back end Ethernet switch 22. [0058] The APL field switch 30 is shown connected to the network trunk 28 and can transmit power received from the network trunk to field devices attached to the APL field switch. The APL field switch 30 is connected to a field device 36a, a field device 36b, and a field device 36c by respective two-wire APL-compatible spurs extending from ports of the APL field switch. The APL field switch 32 transmits data to and from the field devices 36 and can deliver power to the field devices 36 received through the network trunk 28 ), wherein the intermediate unit is connected to a higher-level unit (Fig. 1, elements 16, 18, 20; Para. [0054] - The process control network 10 includes a backend having an engineering station 16, an operations station 18, a process controller 20, and a backend non-APL Ethernet switch 22. The backend stations, process controller, and Ethernet switch are connected by standard CAT 5 or better Ethernet cables for high speed Ethernet communications (100 Mbps or greater)). Yet, Swarr does not expressly teach wherein each of the first and second sensors includes a data processing unit and wherein the first and second sensors exchange data directly with one another without knowledge of the higher-level unit. However, Cella teaches wherein each of the first and second sensors includes a data processing unit (Fig. 3A, element 310; Para. [0209-0214] - [0209] FIG. 3A illustrates an example IoT sensor 102 (or sensor) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the IoT sensor 102 may include, but are not limited to, one or more sensing components 302, one or more storage devices 304, one or more power supplies 306, one or more communication devices 308, and a processing device 310. In embodiments, the processing device 310 may execute an edge reporting module 312… [0214] In embodiments, the processing device 310 may be a microprocessor. The microprocessor may include memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM)) that stores computer-executable instructions and one or more processors that execute the computer-executable instructions. In embodiments, the processing device 310 executes an edge reporting module 312. In embodiments, the edge reporting module 312 is configured to transmit data to the edge device 104. Depending on the configuration of the sensor kit network 200 and location of the sensors 102 with respect to the edge device 104, the edge reporting module 312 may transmit data (e.g., sensor data) either directly to the edge device 104, or to an intermediate device (e.g., a collection device 206 or another sensor device 102) that routes the data towards the edge device 104. In embodiments, the edge reporting module 312 obtains raw sensor data from a sensing component 302 or from a storage device 304 and packetizes the raw sensor data into a reporting packet 320; See also Fig. 3B, Para. [0215-0219]; Para. [0010, 0029, 0045, 0064, 0081, 0082, 0088, 0096, 0112, 0120, 0144, 0155]) Examiner’s Note: Fig. 3A and associated paragraphs teach that the IoT sensor includes a processing device 310. The processing device 310, described as a microprocessor, executes instructions to obtain, packetize, and transmit sensor data. Therefore, the processing device 310 is interpreted as the claimed data processing unit. wherein the first and second sensors exchange data directly with one another without knowledge of the higher-level unit (Fig. 2B; Para. [0205] - FIG. 2B illustrates an example sensor kit network 200B that is a mesh network where the nodes (e.g., sensors 102) connect to each other directly, dynamically, and/or non-hierarchically to cooperate with one another to efficiently route data to and from the edge device 104. In some embodiments, the devices in the mesh network (e.g., the sensors 102, the edge device 104, and/or any other devices in the sensor kit network 200B) may be configured to self-organize and self-configure the mesh network, such that the sensors 102 and/or the edge device 104 may determine which devices route data on behalf of other devices, and/or redundancies for transmission should a routing node (e.g., sensor 102) fail. In embodiments, the sensor kit 100 may be configured to implement a mesh network in industrial settings 120 where the area being monitored is relatively large (e.g., greater than 100 meters in radius from the edge device 104) and/or where the sensors 102 in the sensor kit 100 are intended to be installed in close proximity to one another. In the latter scenario, the power consumption of each individual sensor 102 may be reduced in comparison to sensors 102 in a star network, as the distance that each respective sensor 102 needs to transmit over is relatively less than the distance that the respective sensor 102 would need to transmit over in a star network. In embodiments, a sensor 102 may be fabricated with a Zigbee® microchips, a Digi XBee® microchip, a Bluetooth Low Energy microchip, and/or any other suitable communication devices configured to participate in a mesh network.; See also Fig. 2C, Para. [0206-0207]; Fig. 11, Para. [0294-0301]; Fig. 12, Para. [0302-0309]) Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Swarr’s invention of an “APL field switch that enables legacy non-APL field devices having many different legacy field device protocols to be reliably attached to any channel of the APL field switch in a cost-efficient manner” (Swarr Para. [0013]) with Cella’s invention of “methods and systems for monitoring and managing industrial settings, including through a variety of configurable kits that provide out-of-the-box, self-configuring and automatically provisioned capabilities for monitoring and managing industrial settings” (Cella Para. [0009]) because Cella’s invention provides methods and systems for “mitigating issues of complexity, integration, bandwidth, latency and security” relevant to the deployment of IoT systems in industrial applications (Cella Para. [0009]) . Yet, Swarr not Cella expressly teach wherein the first and second sensors are configured via a website provided by a web server. However, Shryer teaches wherein the first and second sensors are configured via a website provided by a web server (Fig. 1, elements 110 and 140; Column 3, Lines 5-21- Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a block diagram of an environment 100 in which the control, monitoring and alert system (CMAS) described herein operates. The CMAS includes a cloud server 140 running a cloud application that provides a website and mobile application support to users on computing devices over network 140. Users of the CMAS, namely a system operator affiliated with a premises, control, manage and configure sensors and components 124 external to a premises device 122 at a premises 120 by accessing the website provided by the cloud application at cloud server 110 via computing devices using a web interface provided by cloud application at the cloud server 110 or a mobile application provided as part of the CMAS. The cloud server 110 takes high level commands, configuration and other information provided by system operators via their computing devices over network 140 and sends it to the premises device 122; See also Column 2, Lines 23-52). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide wherein the first and second sensors are configured via a website provided by a web server as taught by Shryer, in the combined system of Swarr/Cella, so that it would provide “a control, monitoring and alert system (CMAS)” (Shryer Column 2, Lines 23-52) which provides “improved evaluation and selection of actions and responses to real-time events that incorporate local, remote and learned information” (Shryer Column 1, Lines 43-67 and Column 2, Lines 2-4). Regarding Claim 2, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 1. Swarr also teaches wherein the network-based protocol comprises the Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer as a physical layer (Fig. 1, process 12; Para. [0052] - The APL-Ethernet process control network 12 conforms to the Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (APL) specification. The APL-Ethernet network 12 uses two-wire trunk and two-wire spur cabling for simultaneous data transmission and power transmission over the two wires. The trunk and spurs of the APL-Ethernet process control network 12 are shown in solid lines in FIG. 1). Regarding Claim 4, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 1. Swarr also teaches wherein the network-based protocol is configured as a wireless protocol (Para. [0087] - The controller 90 is also connected to a communications line 98 used to inform a user of the detected field device protocol (or the failure to detect a field device protocol). A display 100 represents informing the user of the detected field device protocol. A display 100 may be placed on the APL field switch 30 itself or may be separate from the APL field switch. The communication line 98 may, as non-limiting examples, take the form of one or more of: a Bluetooth wireless connection to a smartphone or the like, a wired connection such as a serial USB cable or Ethernet cable that connects to the controller, and/or through APL data terminal(s) 42, 48 via the data line 54. The controller 90 may be configured to be seen as a field device on the process control network to communicate through the process control network; See also Para. [0160]). Regarding Claim 5, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 1. Swarr also teaches wherein the first and/or second sensor comprises an external power supply (Para. [0058] - The APL field switch 30 is shown connected to the network trunk 28 and can transmit power received from the network trunk to field devices attached to the APL field switch. The APL field switch 30 is connected to a field device 36a, a field device 36b, and a field device 36c by respective two-wire APL-compatible spurs extending from ports of the APL field switch. The APL field switch 32 transmits data to and from the field devices 36 and can deliver power to the field devices 36 received through the network trunk 28; See also Paras. [0055, 0059, 0066]). Regarding Claim 6, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 1. Swarr also teaches wherein the first and/or second sensor is an ion-sensitive sensor, in particular a pH sensor, conductivity sensor, turbidity sensor, temperature sensor, oxygen sensor, a sensor for measuring the absorption of electromagnetic waves in the medium, a sensor for measuring the concentration of metallic or non-metallic substances, a flow sensor, pressure sensor, or fill-level sensor (Para. [0113] - FIG. 9 illustrates a selectable current-limiting device 118 formed as a parallel fuse arrangement that includes Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) resettable fuses that can automatically reopen after cooling. PTC fuses that may be adapted for use in accordance with this disclosure may be obtained from Eaton, Electronics Division, Cleveland, Ohio USA. The fuses 115 are each arranged in series with a relay 117 connected to and controlled by the controller 68. Closing a relay and keeping the other relays open enables the controller 90 to selectably insert a selected one of the fuses 115 in the channel power line 68). Regarding Claim 7, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 1. Swarr also teaches wherein the first and second sensors are configured independently (Fig. 1; Paras. [0062-0063] - [0062] The APL field switch 30 is connected to an APL field device 36a and to legacy non-APL field devices 36b and 36c. The APL field switch 30 is configured to operatively connect to APL field devices by attaching an APL spur from the APL field switch to the field device. The APL field switch 30 has internal protocol detection circuitry (shown and described in more detail below) that includes a controller that detects whether or not an APL field device has been attached to the field switch. [0063] If an APL field device is detected, no further user-configuration is required. The port transfers data to and from the APL field device and delivers power through the port to the APL field device in accordance with the APL specification. [0064] If the protocol detection controller detects that the attached field device is not an APL field device, the controller sequentially connects the field device to a number of respective protocol detection circuits that can each identify a respective non-APL network protocol if used by the non-APL field device. The protocol detection controller informs the user of the detected non-APL protocol, or of the failure to detect a protocol). Regarding Claim 8, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 7. Swarr also teaches a control panel that is connected to a sensor or is connected to the intermediate unit or is part of the intermediate unit, and wherein the first and second sensors and the control panel exchange data with one another without knowledge of the higher-level unit (Fig. 6, element 100; Paras. [0058-0060]; Para. [0087] - The controller 90 is also connected to a communications line 98 used to inform a user of the detected field device protocol (or the failure to detect a field device protocol). A display 100 represents informing the user of the detected field device protocol. A display 100 may be placed on the APL field switch 30 itself or may be separate from the APL field switch. The communication line 98 may, as non-limiting examples, take the form of one or more of: a Bluetooth wireless connection to a smartphone or the like, a wired connection such as a serial USB cable or Ethernet cable that connects to the controller, and/or through APL data terminal(s) 42, 48 via the data line 54. The controller 90 may be configured to be seen as a field device on the process control network to communicate through the process control network). The examiner interprets “a display” as a control panel. Regarding Claim 9, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 8. Swarr also teaches wherein the control panel is connected to the higher-level unit via a network-based protocol (Fig. 6, element 100; Paras. [0058-0060]; Para. [0087]; Fig. 1, elements 26, 28, and 30; Para. [0057-0058] – [0057] The APL power switch 26 is connected for data transmission to the backend Ethernet switch 22 through a standard Ethernet CAT 5 or better cable. The APL power switch 26 converts between the 100 Mbps Ethernet transmitted through the standard Ethernet cable to the 10 Mbps Ethernet transmitted through APL-Ethernet two-wire cable to provide data communications between the APL-Ethernet network 12 and the back end Ethernet switch 22. [0058] The APL field switch 30 is shown connected to the network trunk 28 and can transmit power received from the network trunk to field devices attached to the APL field switch. The APL field switch 30 is connected to a field device 36a, a field device 36b, and a field device 36c by respective two-wire APL-compatible spurs extending from ports of the APL field switch. The APL field switch 32 transmits data to and from the field devices 36 and can deliver power to the field devices 36 received through the network trunk 28). Note that the display in element 100 of Figure 6 can be a part of the APL switch, the APL-Ethernet connection between the APL switch and the Ethernet trunk suffices as a connection between the display and the Process Control Network, i.e., process 10 in Fig. 1. Regarding Claim 10, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 8. Swarr also teaches wherein the control panel is connected to the higher-level unit via a non-network-based protocol (Fig. 6, elements 98 and 100; Para. [0087] - The controller 90 is also connected to a communications line 98 used to inform a user of the detected field device protocol (or the failure to detect a field device protocol). A display 100 represents informing the user of the detected field device protocol. A display 100 may be placed on the APL field switch 30 itself or may be separate from the APL field switch. The communication line 98 may, as non-limiting examples, take the form of one or more of: a Bluetooth wireless connection to a smartphone or the like, a wired connection such as a serial USB cable or Ethernet cable that connects to the controller, and/or through APL data terminal(s) 42, 48 via the data line 54. The controller 90 may be configured to be seen as a field device on the process control network to communicate through the process control network). The examiner interprets a smartphone as a potential higher-level unit and Bluetooth as a non-network-based protocol. Regarding Claim 11, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 1. Swarr also teaches wherein the intermediate unit is configured as a switch (Para. [0058] - The APL field switch 30 is shown connected to the network trunk 28 and can transmit power received from the network trunk to field devices attached to the APL field switch. The APL field switch 30 is connected to a field device 36a, a field device 36b, and a field device 36c by respective two-wire APL-compatible spurs extending from ports of the APL field switch. The APL field switch 32 transmits data to and from the field devices 36 and can deliver power to the field devices 36 received through the network trunk 28; See also Paras. [0055-0057, 0059]). Regarding Claim 12, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 1. Swarr also teaches wherein the second sensor retrieves measurement data from the first sensor (Para. [0084] - Referring back to FIG. 2, the APL field switch 30 includes a protocol detection module 88 containing protocol detection circuitry (shown in more detail in FIG. 6) that enables automatic protocol detection of a newly attached field device to a port. The protocol detection circuitry includes a controller 90 that operates the protocol detection circuitry to detect and identify the field device protocol; Para. [0087] - The controller 90 is also connected to a communications line 98 used to inform a user of the detected field device protocol (or the failure to detect a field device protocol). A display 100 represents informing the user of the detected field device protocol. A display 100 may be placed on the APL field switch 30 itself or may be separate from the APL field switch. The communication line 98 may, as non-limiting examples, take the form of one or more of: a Bluetooth wireless connection to a smartphone or the like, a wired connection such as a serial USB cable or Ethernet cable that connects to the controller, and/or through APL data terminal(s) 42, 48 via the data line 54. The controller 90 may be configured to be seen as a field device on the process control network to communicate through the process control network). The examiner interprets the controller 90 as a potential sensor because it can also be configured as a field device. Regarding Claim 13, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 1. Swarr also teaches a non-sensor unit that is connected to the network-based protocol (Para. [0060] - The field devices 26, 36, 40 are sensors, actuators, and the like compatible with the field switches to which they are connected. The field devices output sensor data, operating status, command confirmations, diagnostics, and other outgoing network communications required for operation of the process control network 10 and/or are configured to receive commands, data requests, and other incoming network communications required for operation of the process control network 10). Regarding Claim 14, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 8. Swarr also teaches wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, the switch and/or the control panel are configured as explosion-proof devices (Para. [0102] - The protocol detection circuitry 88 includes each channel 56 having an inline, selectable current-limiting device 118 disposed in the channel power line 68. A current-limiting device placed in a circuit activates should the current exceed a predetermined maximum current flow (amperage), thereby interrupting the circuit and stopping current flow or otherwise reducing or maintaining circuit current flow to a safe level. The current-limiting device limits the maximum flow of electrical current through the channel port 62; See also Paras. [0023, 0103, 0108, 0109-0119, 0122-0125, 0128-0133]). Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer as applied to Claim 1, and in further view of Bodzay et al. (US 2023/0246404, previously presented), Bodzay hereinafter. Regarding Claim 3, Swarr in view of Cella and Shryer teaches Claim 1. Swarr also teaches “The Industrial Ethernet network 14 uses standard Ethernet CAT 5 or better Ethernet cable (referred to herein as “standard Ethernet cable”) and associated hardware that is also commonly used in business Ethernet LAN networks. Standard Ethernet cables are shown in broken lines in FIG. 1.” In Para. [0053]. Yet, Swarr, Cella, nor Shryer explicitly teach wherein the network-based protocol comprises a standard according to IEC 63171-7. However, Bodzay teaches wherein the network-based protocol comprises a standard according to IEC 63171-7 (Para. [0084] - Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, an SPE connector cable assembly, generally referred to using the reference numeral 10, will now be described. The assembly comprises a plurality of SPE cables 12. Each SPE cable 12 comprises a twisted pair of conductors (not shown) illustratively having a gauge of 18 AWG, although other gauges, for example between 14 AWG and 28 AWG could also be used depending on the application, and surrounded by a protective cable jacket 14. A miniplug 16 is provided at a first end 18 of the pair of conductors and a second plug 20 for example a standardised plug according to standards such as IEC-63171-X, at a second end 22 of the pair of conductors. In one embodiment, and as will be discussed in more detail below, the cables 12 may be arranged, or ganged, in a 2×2 configuration by inserting a plurality of the miniplugs 16 in a caddy 24; See also Para. [0101]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide wherein the network-based protocol comprises a standard according to IEC 63171-7 as taught by Bodzay, in the combined system of Swarr/Cella/Shryer, so that it would provide an invention of a Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) connector and system (Bodzay Para. [0002]) because Bodzay’s invention provides solutions for connecting SPE cables to (1) four-pair Ethernet cables and equipment and (2) other SPE cables (Bodzay Para. [0007]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAENITA ANN FENNER whose telephone number is (571)270-0880. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 - 5:30 PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marcus Smith can be reached on (571) 270-1096. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /R.A.F./Examiner, Art Unit 2468 /Thomas R Cairns/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2468
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 20, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 21, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103
Jun 26, 2025
Response Filed
Sep 13, 2025
Final Rejection — §103
Dec 19, 2025
Request for Continued Examination
Jan 22, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Feb 03, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
83%
Grant Probability
90%
With Interview (+6.3%)
2y 10m
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 24 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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