DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/24/2026 has been entered.
The office acknowledges the following papers:
IDS filed on 4/24/2026.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 8-10, and 15-17 are allowed.
Claim 4-7, 11-14, and 18-20 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.
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 4-7, 11-14, and 18-20 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.
Claim 4 recites “an application-dependent workflow variable” at line 3 of the claim. Claims 11 and 18 recite similar limitations. Claim 1 introduces the “an application-dependent workflow variable” at line 6 of the claim. It’s unclear if these two elements are supposed to be the same or different variables. If the same, then claim 4 should be amended to show antecedent basis. If different, then claim 4 should be amended (e.g. “a second application-dependent workflow variable”).
Claim 5 recites “an application-dependent workflow variable” at line 2 of the claim. Claims 12 and 19 recite similar limitations. Claim 1 introduces the “an application-dependent workflow variable” at line 6 of the claim. It’s unclear if these two elements are supposed to be the same or different variables. If the same, then claim 5 should be amended to show antecedent basis. If different, then claim 5 should be amended (e.g. “a second application-dependent workflow variable”).
Claims 6-7, 13-14, and 20 are rejected due to their dependency.
Conclusion
The following is text cited from 37 CFR 1.111(c): In amending in reply to a rejection of claims in an application or patent under reexamination, the applicant or patent owner must clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. The applicant or patent owner must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB A. PETRANEK whose telephone number is (571)272-5988. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-4:30.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jyoti Mehta can be reached on (571) 270-3995. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JACOB PETRANEK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2183
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