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 .
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 5-14 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. Claim 5, line 6, magnet sensor should be magnetic sensor. Claim 8, the plastic in the base claim refers to the material of the hollows core 510 or the shell, see [0017]. The two-part epoxy is not listed as a plastic for the shell, it is cited as filler material for the interior portion of the core, see [0025].
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) 5-7 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tattersfield (2019/0168081). Claim 5, Tattersfield discloses a golf ball comprising a core and a cover layer having an outer surface defining a plurality of dimples (102). The core comprises an electronic assembly and plastic [0072-0074]. The electronics assembly comprises a central processing unit (110) and a magnetometer (Note: all magnetometers are capable of detecting magnets) [0064]; and at least one mantle layer disposed between the spherical core and the cover layer (fig 1). Claim 6, the magnet sensor is a magnetometer [0064] (Note: all magnetometers are capable of detecting magnets). Claim 7, the magnet sensor is a Hall effect sensor configured to detect a magnet proximate to the Hall effect sensor [0064]. Claim 11, the electronics assembly comprises an accelerometer, a wireless antenna, and recharged wirelessly [0064-0065, 0119].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tattersfield (2019/0168081) in view of Jordan et al. (2004/0029651). Tattersfield does not disclose the plastics claimed by applicant. Jordan teaches ABS with fibers [0042]. One of ordinary skill in the art would have modified the materials for enhanced durability.
Claim(s) 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tattersfield (2019/0168081) in view of Jordan et al. (2004/0029651). Tattersfield does not disclose the plastics claimed by applicant. Iwami teaches materials with a flexural stiffness from 400 to 5,000 MPa (abstract). One of ordinary skill in the art would have modified the materials for enhanced durability.
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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/RAEANN GORDEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
December 22, 2025