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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-10 in the reply filed on June 1, 2026 is acknowledged. Non-elected claims 11-20 are hereby withdrawn.
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 are hereby 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 1 recites “determining a first heating element corresponding to the first current value” and “determining a first and second counterpart heating element”. However in view of applicants’ specification it is unclear what is meant by “determining a fist heating element” and “determining a first and second counterpart heating element”. It appears that applicants may mean by “determining a first heating element corresponding to the first current value” that the determining is in fact “identifying a malfunction”. (Applicants’ fig. 1, 122). However, it is unclear hat is meant by “determining a first and second counterpart heating element” based on applicants’ specification and any attempt to impart meaning would require the Examiner to guess if it means shutting down the heating elements or simply adjusting the heating elements.
Claims 2-10 are rejected as being based on a rejected base claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT G BACHNER whose telephone number is (571)270-3888. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Leonard Chang can be reached at (571) 270-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT G BACHNER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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