DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-4, 6-15, and 17-22 are presented for examination. This office action is response to the submission on 10/16/2023.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10/16/2023, 3/25/2024, 8/26/2024, 11/8/2024, 11/21/2024, 3/14/2025, 4/25/2025, 6/18/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on 4/30/2021. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the translation of application application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Examiner notes that the applicant filed the instant case as a continuation of PCT/JP2022/008330 in the domestic benefit/National Stage Information section of the application data sheet filed 10/16/2023. Examiner believes this should’ve been entered as “a 371 of an international”.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 10/16/2023 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Lines 3-4 read “priority of execution of a function of doing a setting for the aerosol generating apparatus…” Examiner believes this should read “…priority of execution of a function of configuring to be written similarly as claim 10 line 5 and improve clarity.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 6, 17, 20 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ferrie et al. (US20220061399A1).
Claim 1:
Ferrie teaches “An aerosol generating apparatus comprising: user interface configured to detect an input operation by a user;” (Ferrie teaches that the disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device in Ferrie [0002] "In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a smoking substitute system and particularly, although not exclusively, to a smoking substitute device adapted to operate while receiving power from an external power source. In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device such as heated tobacco (“HT”) device and particularly, although not exclusively, to a heated tobacco device configured to wirelessly communicate with a user compute device."; Ferrie teaches a user interface in Ferrie [0733] "The device may comprise a user interface (UI). In some embodiments the UI may include input means to receive operative commands from the user. The input means of the UI may allow the user to control at least one aspect of the operation of the device. In some embodiments the input means may comprise a power button to switch the device between an on state and an off state. In some other embodiments, input means may comprise a switch. In yet another embodiment, the input means may comprise a touch button sensor. In further embodiment, input means may include a touch screen."),
“and circuitry configured to, in accordance with the input operation detected by the user interface, unlock a locked state of the aerosol generating apparatus (Ferrie teaches that to unlock the device, the user may input a predetermined number of button presses in Ferrie [2056] "In one example, the predetermined user input for switching the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to an unlocked operating mode may include a pre-determined sequence of user presses, or button presses, on the button 212 k. For example, the predetermined sequence of button presses may be any one of (i) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, e.g., 5 times; (ii) pressing and holding the button 212 k for a predetermined period of time, e.g., 3 seconds or (iii) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, wherein during each of the button presses keeping the button 212 k depressed for a predetermined period of time. The heater 204 k of the device 201 k remains disabled in a locked operating mode, e.g., the heater 204 k is not energized during the locked operating mode. Thus, when the controller 208 k switches the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to the unlocked operating mode the controller 208 k enables the heater 204 k."; Ferrie teaches the device includes a controller which controls functions of the device i.e. circuitry in Ferrie [2018-2019] "The device 201 j includes a controller 208 j (not shown) located in the electronics cavity 224 j. The controller comprises a microcontroller mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). The USB port 206 j is also connected to the controller 208 j (i.e., connected to the PCB and microcontroller). The controller 208 j is configured to control at least one function of the device 202 j. For example, the controller 208 j is configured to control the operation of the heater 204 j. Such control of the operation of the heater 204 j may be accomplished by the controller toggling the electrical connection of the rechargeable battery 205 j to the heater 204 j. "),
“wherein when the aerosol generating apparatus is not in the locked state, the circuitry is configured to discriminatively receive a first operation for the user interface and a second operation of a different operation mode for the user interface,” (Ferrie teaches receiving a shorter actuation or a longer actuation in Ferrie [1707-1708] "The controller is configured to control at least one function of the device 202 d. For example, the controller is configured to control the operation of the heater 204 d. Such control of the operation of the heater 204 d may be accomplished by the controller toggling the electrical connection of the rechargeable battery 205 d to the heater 204 d. For example, the controller is configured to control the heater 204 d in response to an actuation sequence of input actuations provided by the user via the input means of the device 201 d. The input means may include for example presses/touches of one or more buttons, switches, or capacitive touch sensors. The actuation sequence may be for example, a predetermined sequence of presses of the button 212 d. The actuation sequence includes at least one actuation of longer duration and at least one actuation of shorter actuation duration. The shorter actuation may be for example shorter than 1 second, optionally, shorter than 0.5 seconds, optionally shorter than 0.25 seconds. The longer actuation may be longer that 1 second,"; Ferrie teaches that inputting short and long actuations allows for safer use of the device i.e. once unlocked, the device distinguishes between short and long presses in Ferrie [1715] "Using an input actuation sequence requiring short and long duration input actuations may allow for a safer device because inadvertent input of the sequence is reduced in likelihood (e.g., when the device is a user's pocket). Furthermore, because the input actuation sequence requires a level complexity above a simple button press, it may be more difficult for children to use the device, which improves safety."), and
“and when the aerosol generating apparatus is in the locked state, the circuitry is configured to receive the first operation without discriminating between the first operation and the second operation.” (Ferrie teaches that to unlock the device, the user may input a predetermined number of button presses i.e. it does not matter how long the button presses are in Ferrie [2056] "In one example, the predetermined user input for switching the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to an unlocked operating mode may include a pre-determined sequence of user presses, or button presses, on the button 212 k. For example, the predetermined sequence of button presses may be any one of (i) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, e.g., 5 times; (ii) pressing and holding the button 212 k for a predetermined period of time, e.g., 3 seconds or (iii) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, wherein during each of the button presses keeping the button 212 k depressed for a predetermined period of time. The heater 204 k of the device 201 k remains disabled in a locked operating mode, e.g., the heater 204 k is not energized during the locked operating mode. Thus, when the controller 208 k switches the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to the unlocked operating mode the controller 208 k enables the heater 204 k.").
Claim 2:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first operation is a pressing operation for the user interface for not more than a predetermined time, and the second operation is a pressing operation for the user interface for a time longer than the predetermined time.” (Ferrie teaches receiving a shorter actuation i.e. a first operation or a longer actuation i.e. a second operation in Ferrie [1707-1708] "The controller is configured to control at least one function of the device 202 d. For example, the controller is configured to control the operation of the heater 204 d. Such control of the operation of the heater 204 d may be accomplished by the controller toggling the electrical connection of the rechargeable battery 205 d to the heater 204 d. For example, the controller is configured to control the heater 204 d in response to an actuation sequence of input actuations provided by the user via the input means of the device 201 d. The input means may include for example presses/touches of one or more buttons, switches, or capacitive touch sensors. The actuation sequence may be for example, a predetermined sequence of presses of the button 212 d. The actuation sequence includes at least one actuation of longer duration and at least one actuation of shorter actuation duration. The shorter actuation may be for example shorter than 1 second, optionally, shorter than 0.5 seconds, optionally shorter than 0.25 seconds. The longer actuation may be longer that 1 second,").
Claim 6:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configured to set an operation condition of the input operation determined by the user for unlocking the locked state, and upon receiving the input operation in the locked state, when the operation condition of the input operation set in advance to execute the predetermined function equals the operation condition of the input operation determined by the user, the circuitry is configured to execute the predetermined function.” (Ferrie teaches that to unlock the device, the user may input a predetermined number of button presses i.e. if the user inputs the required button presses, it will execute the predetermined function of unlocking the device in Ferrie [2056] "In one example, the predetermined user input for switching the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to an unlocked operating mode may include a pre-determined sequence of user presses, or button presses, on the button 212 k. For example, the predetermined sequence of button presses may be any one of (i) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, e.g., 5 times; (ii) pressing and holding the button 212 k for a predetermined period of time, e.g., 3 seconds or (iii) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, wherein during each of the button presses keeping the button 212 k depressed for a predetermined period of time. The heater 204 k of the device 201 k remains disabled in a locked operating mode, e.g., the heater 204 k is not energized during the locked operating mode. Thus, when the controller 208 k switches the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to the unlocked operating mode the controller 208 k enables the heater 204 k.").
Claim 17:
Ferrie teaches “A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method of an aerosol generating apparatus, the method comprising: in accordance with an input operation by a user detected by an operation unit, unlocking a locked state of the aerosol generating apparatus (Ferrie teaches that the disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device in Ferrie [0002] "In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a smoking substitute system and particularly, although not exclusively, to a smoking substitute device adapted to operate while receiving power from an external power source. In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device such as heated tobacco (“HT”) device and particularly, although not exclusively, to a heated tobacco device configured to wirelessly communicate with a user compute device."; Ferrie teaches a user interface which detects an input operation in Ferrie [0733] "The device may comprise a user interface (UI). In some embodiments the UI may include input means to receive operative commands from the user. The input means of the UI may allow the user to control at least one aspect of the operation of the device. In some embodiments the input means may comprise a power button to switch the device between an on state and an off state. In some other embodiments, input means may comprise a switch. In yet another embodiment, the input means may comprise a touch button sensor. In further embodiment, input means may include a touch screen."; Ferrie teaches that to unlock the device, the user may input a predetermined number of button presses in Ferrie [2056] "In one example, the predetermined user input for switching the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to an unlocked operating mode may include a pre-determined sequence of user presses, or button presses, on the button 212 k. For example, the predetermined sequence of button presses may be any one of (i) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, e.g., 5 times; (ii) pressing and holding the button 212 k for a predetermined period of time, e.g., 3 seconds or (iii) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, wherein during each of the button presses keeping the button 212 k depressed for a predetermined period of time. The heater 204 k of the device 201 k remains disabled in a locked operating mode, e.g., the heater 204 k is not energized during the locked operating mode. Thus, when the controller 208 k switches the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to the unlocked operating mode the controller 208 k enables the heater 204 k."; Ferrie teaches that the system comprises a controller 108 that is coupled to memory 109 that stores instructions in controlling functions of the device 101 in Ferrie [1482] "The system 100 further comprises a controller 108 that is configured to control at least one function of the device 101. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 108 is a component of the device 101, but in other embodiments may be separate from (but connectable to) the device 101. The controller 108 is coupled to a memory 109 that stores instructions of the controller 108 in controlling at least one function of the device 101 while receiving power from the port."),
“wherein in the unlocking the locked state or the unlocking the locked state and executing the operation according to the input operation, if the aerosol generating apparatus is not in the locked state, a first operation for the operation unit and a second operation of a different operation mode for the operation unit are discriminatively received,” (Ferrie teaches receiving a shorter actuation or a longer actuation in Ferrie [1707-1708] "The controller is configured to control at least one function of the device 202 d. For example, the controller is configured to control the operation of the heater 204 d. Such control of the operation of the heater 204 d may be accomplished by the controller toggling the electrical connection of the rechargeable battery 205 d to the heater 204 d. For example, the controller is configured to control the heater 204 d in response to an actuation sequence of input actuations provided by the user via the input means of the device 201 d. The input means may include for example presses/touches of one or more buttons, switches, or capacitive touch sensors. The actuation sequence may be for example, a predetermined sequence of presses of the button 212 d. The actuation sequence includes at least one actuation of longer duration and at least one actuation of shorter actuation duration. The shorter actuation may be for example shorter than 1 second, optionally, shorter than 0.5 seconds, optionally shorter than 0.25 seconds. The longer actuation may be longer that 1 second,"; Ferrie teaches that inputting short and long actuations allows for safer use of the device i.e. once unlocked, the device distinguishes between short and long presses in Ferrie [1715] "Using an input actuation sequence requiring short and long duration input actuations may allow for a safer device because inadvertent input of the sequence is reduced in likelihood (e.g., when the device is a user's pocket). Furthermore, because the input actuation sequence requires a level complexity above a simple button press, it may be more difficult for children to use the device, which improves safety."), and
“and if the aerosol generating apparatus is in the locked state, the first operation for the operation unit is received.” (Ferrie teaches that to unlock the device, the user may input a predetermined number of button presses i.e. it does not matter how long the button presses are in Ferrie [2056] "In one example, the predetermined user input for switching the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to an unlocked operating mode may include a pre-determined sequence of user presses, or button presses, on the button 212 k. For example, the predetermined sequence of button presses may be any one of (i) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, e.g., 5 times; (ii) pressing and holding the button 212 k for a predetermined period of time, e.g., 3 seconds or (iii) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, wherein during each of the button presses keeping the button 212 k depressed for a predetermined period of time. The heater 204 k of the device 201 k remains disabled in a locked operating mode, e.g., the heater 204 k is not energized during the locked operating mode. Thus, when the controller 208 k switches the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to the unlocked operating mode the controller 208 k enables the heater 204 k.").
Claim 20:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to provide visual feedback by sequentially illuminating a plurality of light sources from a first light source to a last light source when the locked state is successfully unlocked.” (Ferrie teaches a light sequence of sequential activation of multiple lighting elements in Ferrie [0872] "The plurality of device light elements may be arranged circumferentially around the surface of the device and spaced from each other. Together, the plurality of lighting elements may display a light sequence. Said light sequence may comprises one or more of sequential activation or deactivation of one or more of the lighting elements,"; Ferrie teaches controlling LEDs to indicate the device has switched from locked to unlocked mode in Ferrie [2062] "The controller 208 k is also configured to control the LEDs 211 k in response to (e.g., a detected) a condition of the device 201 k or the consumable 202 k. For example, the controller may control the LEDs to indicate whether the device 201 k is in an on state or an off state (e.g., one or more of the LEDs may be illuminated by the controller when the device is in an on state). In addition, the controller 208 k may control the LEDs to indicate that the device 201 k has switched from locked operating mode to unlocked operating mode, e.g., whether the device is in the locked operating state or the unlocked operating state. The device 201 k additionally includes other output means such as haptic sensor, audio sensors etc. to provide haptic/audio feedback indicating that the device 201 k has switched from locked operating mode to unlocked operating mode.").
Claim 22:
Ferrie teaches “An aerosol generating apparatus comprising: a sensor configured to detect an input operation by a user;” (Ferrie teaches that the disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device in Ferrie [0002] "In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a smoking substitute system and particularly, although not exclusively, to a smoking substitute device adapted to operate while receiving power from an external power source. In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device such as heated tobacco (“HT”) device and particularly, although not exclusively, to a heated tobacco device configured to wirelessly communicate with a user compute device."; Ferrie teaches a user interface which detects an input operation in Ferrie [0733] "The device may comprise a user interface (UI). In some embodiments the UI may include input means to receive operative commands from the user. The input means of the UI may allow the user to control at least one aspect of the operation of the device. In some embodiments the input means may comprise a power button to switch the device between an on state and an off state. In some other embodiments, input means may comprise a switch. In yet another embodiment, the input means may comprise a touch button sensor. In further embodiment, input means may include a touch screen."),
“circuitry configured to discriminatively receive a first operation and a second operation of different operation modes in response to identifying that the aerosol generating apparatus is not in the locked state;” (Ferrie teaches receiving a shorter actuation or a longer actuation in Ferrie [1707-1708] "The controller is configured to control at least one function of the device 202 d. For example, the controller is configured to control the operation of the heater 204 d. Such control of the operation of the heater 204 d may be accomplished by the controller toggling the electrical connection of the rechargeable battery 205 d to the heater 204 d. For example, the controller is configured to control the heater 204 d in response to an actuation sequence of input actuations provided by the user via the input means of the device 201 d. The input means may include for example presses/touches of one or more buttons, switches, or capacitive touch sensors. The actuation sequence may be for example, a predetermined sequence of presses of the button 212 d. The actuation sequence includes at least one actuation of longer duration and at least one actuation of shorter actuation duration. The shorter actuation may be for example shorter than 1 second, optionally, shorter than 0.5 seconds, optionally shorter than 0.25 seconds. The longer actuation may be longer that 1 second,"; Ferrie teaches that inputting short and long actuations allows for safer use of the device i.e. once unlocked, the device distinguishes between short and long presses in Ferrie [1715] "Using an input actuation sequence requiring short and long duration input actuations may allow for a safer device because inadvertent input of the sequence is reduced in likelihood (e.g., when the device is a user's pocket). Furthermore, because the input actuation sequence requires a level complexity above a simple button press, it may be more difficult for children to use the device, which improves safety."; Ferrie teaches the device includes a controller which controls functions of the device i.e. circuitry in Ferrie [2018-2019] "The device 201 j includes a controller 208 j (not shown) located in the electronics cavity 224 j. The controller comprises a microcontroller mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). The USB port 206 j is also connected to the controller 208 j (i.e., connected to the PCB and microcontroller). The controller 208 j is configured to control at least one function of the device 202 j. For example, the controller 208 j is configured to control the operation of the heater 204 j. Such control of the operation of the heater 204 j may be accomplished by the controller toggling the electrical connection of the rechargeable battery 205 j to the heater 204 j."), and
“receive the first operation without discriminating between the first operation and the second operation in response to identifying that the aerosol generating apparatus is in the locked state; and unlock the locked state of the aerosol generating apparatus (Ferrie teaches that to unlock the device, the user may input a predetermined number of button presses i.e. it does not matter how long the button presses are in Ferrie [2056] "In one example, the predetermined user input for switching the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to an unlocked operating mode may include a pre-determined sequence of user presses, or button presses, on the button 212 k. For example, the predetermined sequence of button presses may be any one of (i) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, e.g., 5 times; (ii) pressing and holding the button 212 k for a predetermined period of time, e.g., 3 seconds or (iii) pressing the button 212 k for a predetermined number of times, wherein during each of the button presses keeping the button 212 k depressed for a predetermined period of time. The heater 204 k of the device 201 k remains disabled in a locked operating mode, e.g., the heater 204 k is not energized during the locked operating mode. Thus, when the controller 208 k switches the device 201 k from the locked operating mode to the unlocked operating mode the controller 208 k enables the heater 204 k.").
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.
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferrie et al. (US20220061399A1), in view of Ouyang (US20200065462A1).
Claim 3:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1,” as described above. Ferrie does not appear to explicitly teach “wherein the first operation is a pressing operation for the user interface with not more than a predetermined force strength, and the second operation is a pressing operation for the user interface with a force stronger than the predetermined force.” (Ouyang teaches that the pressure information may be used to determine a type of input in Ouyang [0103] "Specifically, in Step S321, the type refers to the form in which the password is carried. In this embodiment, the type comprises at least text information, voice information, fingerprint information, and face information. Of course, in actual applications, the type may further comprise gesture information, pressure information of pressing the touch screen, iris information collected by the mobile terminal, retina information, and the like.").
Ferrie and Ouyang are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of aerosol generation devices. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Ferrie and Ouyang before him/her, to modify the teachings of a smoking substitute system of Ferrie to include the pressure information of pressing a touch screen of Ouyang because adding the method for setting password for electronic cigarette of Ouyang would allow for improve safety of the use of the electronic cigarette as described in Ouyang [0063] “Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a method for setting a password for an electronic cigarette, a system, a storage medium, and an electronic cigarette, the method comprising: sending, by a mobile terminal, a request for setting a password to the electronic cigarette, wherein the request carries an application identifier; searching, by the electronic cigarette, for the corresponding password information according to the received application identifier, and feeding back the first information in which a password is not set to the mobile terminal when the corresponding password information is not found; when the mobile terminal receives the first information, displaying a password setting interface for the user to set a password and sending the password set by the user to the electronic cigarette; receiving, by the electronic cigarette, the password, and saving the password in association with the application identifier to generate the password information of a corresponding application. The present invention ensures that only users who know the password can use these applications by setting passwords for various functions and applications in the electronic cigarette, thereby avoiding accidental smoking and improving the safety of the use of the electronic cigarette.”
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferrie et al. (US20220061399A1), in view of Cameron (US20170042231A1).
Claim 4:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1,” as described above. Ferrie does not appear to explicitly teach “wherein the first operation is a tap operation for a touch panel that is the user interface, and the second operation is a flick operation along a surface of the touch panel.” (Cameron teaches a user inputting taps and swipes in Cameron [0214] "In view the foregoing, and by way of additional example, disclosed are methods for a demonstrative user interface, as may be performed by an electronic vapor device and/or a server as described herein, alone or in combination with other elements. The server may include at least memory, a transceiver, and a processor. Referring to FIG. 18, the method 1800 may include, at 1810, generating a user interface enabling demonstrative input of instructions into an interface. For example, the demonstrative input can be a combination of user swipes with his/her finger and/or taps."; Cameron teaches that the user interface can comprise a touchscreen in Cameron [0083] "In an aspect, the input/output device 112 can comprise a touchscreen interface and/or a biometric interface.").
Ferrie and Cameron are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of aerosol generation devices. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Ferrie and Cameron before him/her, to modify the teachings of a smoking substitute system of Ferrie to include the touch screen detecting swipes and taps of Cameron because adding the demonstrative interface for electronic vaporizing device of Cameron would enable a user to lock, unlock, or partially unlock or lock the vapor device as described in Cameron [0083] “In an aspect, the input/output device 112 can comprise a touchscreen interface and/or a biometric interface. For example, the input/output device 112 can include controls that allow the user to interact with and input information and commands to the vapor device 100. For example, with respect to the embodiments described herein, the input/output device 112 can comprise a touch screen display. The input/output device 112 can be configured to provide the content of the exemplary screen shots shown herein, which are presented to the user via the functionality of a display. User inputs to the touch screen display are processed by, for example, the input/output device 112 and/or the processor 102. The input/output device 112 can also be configured to process new content and communications to the system 100. The touch screen display can provide controls and menu selections, and process commands and requests. Application and content objects can be provided by the touch screen display. The input/output device 112 and/or the processor 102 can receive and interpret commands and other inputs, interface with the other components of the vapor device 100 as required. In an aspect, the touch screen display can enable a user to lock, unlock, or partially unlock or lock, the vapor device 100. The vapor device 100 can be transitioned from an idle and locked state into an open state by, for example, moving or dragging an icon on the screen of the vapor device 100, entering in a password/passcode, and the like. The input/output device 112 can thus display information to a user such as a puff count, an amount of vaporizable material remaining in the container 110, battery remaining, signal strength, combinations thereof, and the like.”
Claims 11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferrie et al. (US20220061399A1), in view of Han et al. (US20200237014A1).
Claim 11:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a communication interface configured to perform short range wireless communication with an external communication device,” (Ferrie teaches that the device comprises a wireless interface configured to communicate with an external device in Ferrie [0056] "The device may comprise a wireless interface configured to communicate wirelessly (e.g., via Bluetooth (e.g., a Bluetooth low-energy connection) or Wi-Fi) with an external device.").
Ferrie does not appear to explicitly teach “wherein the circuitry is configured to receive a signal for unlocking the locked state from the external communication device for which the initialization of the short range wireless communication is performed, thereby unlocking the locked state of the aerosol generating apparatus.” However, Han does teach this claim limitation (Han teaches that upon establishing connection with a paired device, it unlocks the electronic cigarette i.e. while pairing, the device is locked in Han [0191-0192] "FIG. 23 is a flowchart of an example in which an electronic cigarette control device 1000 unlocks the electronic cigarette when a communication connection with a preset device 2000 is established. In operation S2310, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 establishes a communication connection with at least one device. The at least one device may be a preset device 2000 or another device (not shown) different from the preset device 2000."; Han teaches that upon establishing connection with the device, it unlocks the electronic cigarette in Han [0197-0198] "In operation S2330, when the device, with which the communication connection is established in operation S2310, is the preset device 2000, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 unlocks the electronic cigarette 100. When the device, with which the communication connection is established in operation S2310, is the preset device 2000, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment may unlock the electronic cigarette 100 and control the electronic cigarette 100 to perform an operation according to a user input.").
Ferrie and Han are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of aerosol generation devices. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Ferrie and Han before him/her, to modify the teachings of a smoking substitute system of Ferrie to include the unlocking of the device after establishing connection with a device of Han because adding the electronic cigarette control method and device of Han would enable the user to unlock the aerosol generating apparatus by connecting to a preset device but not when connecting to a device that isn’t a preset device, providing additional security functionality as described in Han [0197-0199] “In operation S2330, when the device, with which the communication connection is established in operation S2310, is the preset device 2000, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 unlocks the electronic cigarette 100. When the device, with which the communication connection is established in operation S2310, is the preset device 2000, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment may unlock the electronic cigarette 100 and control the electronic cigarette 100 to perform an operation according to a user input. However, when the device, with which the communication connection is established in operation S2310, is not the preset device 2000, but is another device, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment may maintain the locked state of the electronic cigarette 100. When the locked state of the electronic cigarette 100 is maintained, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 may control limited operations of the electronic cigarette 100 (e.g., power on, power off, etc.) and other operations (e.g., puffing, preheating, etc.) may be restricted.
Claim 15:
Ferrie in view of Han teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined state includes a state in which the initialization of the short range wireless communication with the external communication device is being performed.” (Han teaches authentication in order to establish communication i.e. a state in which initialization of short range wireless communication with the external device is performed in Han [0188-0190] "FIG. 22 illustrates an example in which authentication is performed by receiving input of a password when an electronic cigarette control device 1000 establishes a communication connection with a holder 101. In a process in which the device 2000 and the holder 101 establish a communication connection, a password may be used. The electronic cigarette control device 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment may receive an authentication response message determined according to a user input on a first window 2200, and approve or deny a communication connection with the device 2000 according to a result of performing authentication with respect to the received authentication response message. For example, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 may approve a communication connection with the device 2000 when a preset password is input. When no preset password is input, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 may deny communication connection with the device 2000. When communication connection is approved, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 may establish a communication connection with the device 2000."; Han teaches that upon establishing connection with a paired device, it unlocks the electronic cigarette i.e. while pairing, the device is locked in Han [0191-0192] "FIG. 23 is a flowchart of an example in which an electronic cigarette control device 1000 unlocks the electronic cigarette when a communication connection with a preset device 2000 is established. In operation S2310, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 establishes a communication connection with at least one device. The at least one device may be a preset device 2000 or another device (not shown) different from the preset device 2000."; Han teaches that upon establishing connection with the device, it unlocks the electronic cigarette in Han [0197-0198] "In operation S2330, when the device, with which the communication connection is established in operation S2310, is the preset device 2000, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 unlocks the electronic cigarette 100. When the device, with which the communication connection is established in operation S2310, is the preset device 2000, the electronic cigarette control device 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment may unlock the electronic cigarette 100 and control the electronic cigarette 100 to perform an operation according to a user input.").
Claims 12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferrie et al. (US20220061399A1), in view of Holtz et al. (US20180271149A1).
Claim 12:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1,” As described above. Ferrie does not appear to explicitly teach “wherein when an action state of the aerosol generating apparatus is a predetermined state in which heating of a heater of the aerosol generating apparatus cannot be started, the circuitry does not unlock the locked state.” However, Holtz does teach this claim limitation (Holtz teaches that if the battery does not have sufficient charge, it displays an indication that battery is low i.e. it does not unlock the device in Holtz [0105-0106] "The controller 264 may determine that the battery section 140 has sufficient charge at S460 if the amount of charge left in the battery section 140, as indicated by the charge information, exceeds a desired (or, alternatively, given or predetermined) threshold. In one example, the threshold may be about 10% or 20% of the total charge capacity (e.g., about 90 mAh) of the battery section 140. If, at S460, the controller 264 determines that the battery section 140 does riot have sufficient charge to power the authenticated cartridge 120, then at S470 the controller 264 sends appropriate commands to instruct the display 250 and/or the speaker 251 (the controller 264 may drive the display 250 and/or the speaker 251) to provide visual and/or audio indications that the battery inside the battery section 140 needs to be replaced and/or recharged."; Holtz teaches that if the battery has sufficient charge, it unlocks the battery section i.e. if the charge is too low, it does not unlock in Holtz [0108] "Returning to S460, if the controller 264 determines that the battery in the battery section 140 has sufficient charge to power the cartridge 120, then at S480 the controller 264 sends a command to the battery section 140 to unlock the battery section 140 (transition the battery to an unlocked state), thereby permitting the battery of the battery section 140 to power the cartridge 120."
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Ferrie and Holtz are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of aerosol generation devices. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Ferrie and Holtz before him/her, to modify the teachings of a smoking substitute system of Ferrie to include the teachings of only unlocking the battery when the battery has sufficient charge of Holtz because adding the methods and devices for cartridge authentication of Holtz would enable a determination that the device needs to charge and may activate a case that charges the device as described in Holtz [0106-0107] “If, at S460, the controller 264 determines that the battery section 140 does riot have sufficient charge to power the authenticated cartridge 120, then at S470 the controller 264 sends appropriate commands to instruct the display 250 and/or the speaker 251 (the controller 264 may drive the display 250 and/or the speaker 251) to provide visual and/or audio indications that the battery inside the battery section 140 needs to be replaced and/or recharged. The controller 264 may drive the display 250 and/or the speaker 251 in the same or substantially the same manner as discussed above with regard to S450. At S475, the controller 264 enables charging of the battery inside the battery section 140. An example embodiment of a process of enabling the charging of the battery section inside the battery section 140 will be further described with reference to FIG. 5.” And in Holtz [0114-0115] “An example embodiment of a method for selectively enabling charging of the battery inside the battery section 140 at S475 will be described below with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 illustrates an example embodiment of a method of enabling charging of a battery inside the battery section of an electronic vaping device. As shown in FIG. 2B, and described above, the PCC 200 may include PCC battery 265, which is electrically connected to the controller 264 as well as the interfaces 266 and 268. As with FIG. 4, the example embodiment shown in FIG. 5 will be described with reference to the electronic vaping device 100 being inserted into the slot 205 of the PCC 200. It should he understood, however, that the process shown in FIG. 5 may also be applied with regard to the electronic vaping device 110 and the slot 210 of the PCC 200.”
Claim 14:
Ferrie in view of Holtz teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: a chargeable power supply,” (Ferrie teaches the device 301 comprising a rechargeable battery 324 in Ferrie [1518] "FIG. 3C illustrates a schematic of the device 301. The device 301 comprises a controller 322 (interchangeably referred to as controller 104), memory 323, a rechargeable battery 324 and a feedback means 325."), and
“wherein the predetermined state includes a state in which a residual battery amount of the power supply is less than a predetermined value.” (Holtz teaches that if the battery does not have sufficient charge, it displays an indication that battery is low i.e. it does not unlock the device in Holtz [0105-0106] "The controller 264 may determine that the battery section 140 has sufficient charge at S460 if the amount of charge left in the battery section 140, as indicated by the charge information, exceeds a desired (or, alternatively, given or predetermined) threshold. In one example, the threshold may be about 10% or 20% of the total charge capacity (e.g., about 90 mAh) of the battery section 140. If, at S460, the controller 264 determines that the battery section 140 does riot have sufficient charge to power the authenticated cartridge 120, then at S470 the controller 264 sends appropriate commands to instruct the display 250 and/or the speaker 251 (the controller 264 may drive the display 250 and/or the speaker 251) to provide visual and/or audio indications that the battery inside the battery section 140 needs to be replaced and/or recharged."; Holtz teaches that if the battery has sufficient charge, it unlocks the battery section i.e. if the charge is too low, it does not unlock in Holtz [0108] "Returning to S460, if the controller 264 determines that the battery in the battery section 140 has sufficient charge to power the cartridge 120, then at S480 the controller 264 sends a command to the battery section 140 to unlock the battery section 140 (transition the battery to an unlocked state), thereby permitting the battery of the battery section 140 to power the cartridge 120.").
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferrie et al. (US20220061399A1), in view of Weigensberg et al. (US20150020831A1).
Claim 13:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1,” As described above. Ferrie teaches “further comprising: a chargeable power supply,” (Ferrie teaches the device 301 comprising a rechargeable battery 324 in Ferrie [1518] "FIG. 3C illustrates a schematic of the device 301. The device 301 comprises a controller 322 (interchangeably referred to as controller 104), memory 323, a rechargeable battery 324 and a feedback means 325.").
Ferrie does not appear to explicitly teach “wherein when an action state of the aerosol generating apparatus is a predetermined state in which heating of a heater of the aerosol generating apparatus cannot be started, the circuitry does not unlock the locked state.” or “wherein the predetermined state includes a state in which the power supply is being charged.”
Weigensberg teaches “wherein when an action state of the aerosol generating apparatus is a predetermined state in which heating of a heater of the aerosol generating apparatus cannot be started, the circuitry does not unlock the locked state.” (Weigensberg teaches that during charging, it is desirable to disable the aerosol generating device i.e. the action state where the heater may not be started is the charging state and it will remain locked in Weigensberg [0074] "During charging, it is desirable to disable the aerosol generating device or otherwise eliminate it from the charging circuit. Were this not done, the wire (not shown) in the aerosol generating device would constitute a relatively low resistance load on the charger, and would defeat the charging function."), and
“wherein the predetermined state includes a state in which the power supply is being charged.” (Weigensberg teaches that during charging, it is desirable to disable the aerosol generating device i.e. the device remains locked while charging in Weigensberg [0074] "During charging, it is desirable to disable the aerosol generating device or otherwise eliminate it from the charging circuit. Were this not done, the wire (not shown) in the aerosol generating device would constitute a relatively low resistance load on the charger, and would defeat the charging function.").
Ferrie and Weigensberg are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of aerosol generation devices. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Ferrie and Weigensberg before him/her, to modify the teachings of a smoking substitute system of Ferrie to include the teachings of disabling the aerosol generating device while charging of Weigensberg because adding the charging electronic cigarette of Weigensberg would prevent defeating the charging function as described in Weigensberg [0074] “During charging, it is desirable to disable the aerosol generating device or otherwise eliminate it from the charging circuit. Were this not done, the wire (not shown) in the aerosol generating device would constitute a relatively low resistance load on the charger, and would defeat the charging function.”
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferrie et al. (US20220061399A1), in view of Lee et al. (US20210161210A1).
Claim 18:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1,” As described above. Ferrie does not appear to explicitly teach “wherein the circuitry is configured to automatically return the aerosol generating apparatus to the locked state after a predetermined time period following unlocking of the locked state.” However, Lee does teach this claim limitation (Lee teaches an aerosol generating device that returns to a locking mode after a predetermined locking wait time in Lee [0105] "The controller 12 in the aerosol generating device 1 may switch the aerosol generating device 1 to the locking mode when no input signal is received from the input interface 16 during a predetermined locking waiting time. For example, the predetermined locking waiting time may be 24 hours.").
Ferrie and Lee are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of aerosol generation devices. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Ferrie and Lee before him/her, to modify the teachings of a smoking substitute system of Ferrie to include the teachings of disabling the aerosol generating device after a period of time of Lee because adding the method and apparatus for unlocking aerosol generating device of Lee would prevent accidental activations of the heater as described in Lee [0105-0106] “The controller 12 in the aerosol generating device 1 may switch the aerosol generating device 1 to the locking mode when no input signal is received from the input interface 16 during a predetermined locking waiting time. For example, the predetermined locking waiting time may be 24 hours. In the locking mode, the controller 12 may control the battery 11 to cut off power supplied to the heater 13. However, even in the locking mode, the controller 12 may control the battery 11 to supply power to the input interface 16, the output interface 17, and the memory 18.”
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferrie et al. (US20220061399A1), in view of Lim (US20220071293A1).
Claim 19:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1,” As described above. Ferrie does not appear to explicitly teach “further comprising: a slider configured to open and close an opening for inserting an aerosol source,” or “wherein the circuitry is configured to receive opening and closing of the slider as part of a series of input operations for unlocking the locked state.” However, Lim does teach these claim limitations.
Lim teaches “further comprising: a slider configured to open and close an opening for inserting an aerosol source,” (Lim teaches a cover 30 which is capable of sliding which exposes a cigarette insertion hole 18 when moved in Lim [0077-0079] "A cap 10 is coupled to an upper portion of the case 20. The cap 10 is detachably coupled to the case 20. A cover 30 is mounted on an upper surface of the cap 10 to be capable of performing sliding movement. However, a structure of the aerosol generating device 5 illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 8 is an example, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the case 20 and the cap 10 may be coupled to each other as an integral structure and may not be separable from each other. A rail 16 extending in a sliding direction of the cover 30 and a cigarette insertion hole 18 into which the cigarette 7 is inserted are formed on the upper surface of the cap 10. The rail 16 may be exposed to the outside to connect the inside and the outside of the cap 10. The cigarette insertion hole 18 is exposed to the outside when the cover 30 moves to a location illustrated in FIG. 8 along the rail 16 formed on the upper surface of the cap 10. Accordingly, the cigarette 7 may be inserted into the cigarette insertion hole 18."), and
“wherein the circuitry is configured to receive opening and closing of the slider as part of a series of input operations for unlocking the locked state.” (Lim teaches a sensor 61 that detects the position of the cover 30 in Lim [0091] "The first sensor 61 may include a sensor configured to sense whether the cigarette insertion hole 18 is open or closed. For example, the first sensor 61 may include an on/off switch configured to generate an ON signal when the cover 30 moves to open the cigarette insertion hole 18 and an OFF signal when the cover 30 moves to close the cigarette insertion hole 18. However, it is not limited thereto, and the first sensor 61 may include any other appropriate sensor configured to sense sliding movement of the cover 30."; Lim teaches that when the controller 70 determines the cigarette insertion hole 18 is open, it sets the aerosol generation device 5 to ON mode which allows the user to activate button 28 to provide an input i.e. opening the slider is part of a series of operations to unlock the locked state in Lim [0102] "For example, when the controller 70 determines that the cigarette insertion hole 18 is open, the controller 70 may set the operational mode of the aerosol generating device 5 as the ON mode. When the operational mode of the aerosol generating device 5 is the ON mode, the controller 70 may electrically connect the battery 60 to the heater 52 and the vaporizer 40 so that the battery 60 may supply power to the heater 52 and the vaporizer 40, may activate the button 28 to receive a user's input, and may activate the second sensor 62 to sense whether or not the cigarette 7 is inserted into the case 20.").
Ferrie and Lim are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of aerosol generation devices. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Ferrie and Lim before him/her, to modify the teachings of a smoking substitute system of Ferrie to include the teachings of a sliding cover that may be used as an input of Lim because adding the aerosol generating device of Lim would provide an additional method of controlling the device and help prevent unintentional operation of the device as described in Lim [0008-0010] “According to the present disclosure, an aerosol generating device and a method of controlling the same are provided. An aerosol generating device includes: a case into which a cigarette is inserted; a cap detachably coupled to a top portion of the case; a cover configured to slide on a top surface of the cap so as to open or close a cigarette insertion hole; a first sensor configured to sense whether the cigarette insertion hole is open or closed; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the cigarette insertion hole is open or closed based on a signal sensed by the first sensor and set an operational mode of the aerosol generating device as an ON mode or an OFF mode based on a result of the determining. For example, the controller may be configured to set the operational mode of the aerosol generating device as the OFF mode, when the controller determines that the cigarette insertion hole is closed. When the operational mode of the aerosol generating device is the OFF mode, the controller may further be configured to electrically disconnect a battery from a heater and a vaporizer, block a user's input received through a button, and block a signal sensed by a second sensor, in order to 1) prevent the performance of an unintentional operation of the aerosol generating device due to wrong pressing of the button and 2) prevent unnecessary power consumption while a user is not smoking. Also, the aerosol generating device according to the present disclosure 3) may further include a cover capable of sliding movement, in addition to a button, which is a component for receiving a user's input according to manipulation of a user, and thus, an additional method of controlling the aerosol generating device may be provided.”
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferrie et al. (US20220061399A1), in view of Johansson et al. (US8904479B1).
Claim 21:
Ferrie teaches “The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1,” As described above. Ferrie does not appear to explicitly teach “wherein the circuitry is configured to: enter an unlock pattern setting mode during charging and store a user-defined series of input operations as an unlock pattern; and disable a lock function when a predetermined number of operations are not input within a predetermined time in the unlock pattern setting mode.” However, Lim does teach these claim limitations (Johansson teaches a user making a selection, which may be done while charging, in order to provide a pass code in Johansson [Column 7 lines 54-56] "Display 134 shows an initial input screen with instructions that may be provided to a user of a mobile device after they have selected an entry to provide a pass code for their device."; Johansson Fig. 1B teaches a user recording a pattern code wherein if the user inputs too few inputs, the code is rejected i.e. it disables the lock function. Additionally, Johansson teaches that if a device has been left untouched for a predetermined time period, it may go into a sleep mode which would disable the lock function if one has not been set in Johansson [Column 1 lines 21-26] "Access to a device by such bad actors may be blocked by requiring that a password be entered to access the device when it is first powered up. In addition, when a device has been left untouched for a predetermined time period, it may also go into a locked-down, sleep mode, from which a password is required in order to enter information."
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Ferrie and Johansson are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of controlling a device that may have an unlock code. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having teachings of Ferrie and Johansson before him/her, to modify the teachings of a smoking substitute system of Ferrie to include the teachings of a custom unlock setting mode that requires a minimum number of inputs of Johansson because adding the Pattern-based mobile device unlocking of Johansson would allow for a custom unlock pattern to be inputted, improving user functionality and also prevent adoption of easily pickable pass codes as described in Johansson [Column 7 line 48 – Column 8 line 2] “FIGS. 1B-1C show displays of another device for receiving user inputs of unlocking codes. FIG. 1B generally shows the first several displays, while FIG. 1C shows the follow-up screens. The particular screens shown here are provided as an example for clarity, and other approaches may also be employed.
Display 134 shows an initial input screen with instructions that may be provided to a user of a mobile device after they have selected an entry to provide a pass code for their device. The display 134 shows a grid of elements, here a series of circles in a 3×3 tic-tac-toe pattern, along with an example of a dragging action across the grid. In addition a short instruction sentence indicates to the user that they are to drag their finger in a pattern on the display. The user may select a menu button on the device to be showing display 132, which is a help screen. Display 132 may show one or more still images or an animation of a finger tracing a pattern on the device to indicate the manner in which the user is to provide their pass code to the device. The particular pass code shown on the display 132 may be automatically rejected if the user attempts to trace that is their own password, so as to prevent the adoption of easily pickable pass codes in the system.”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 9-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the objection of claim 9 set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nerudia (EP3711498A1) teaches that a user may set a locking key of a smoking substitute system in Nerudia [0134] "The controller 208 receives the first user input and determines the validity of the first user input based on comparison of the first user input with a predetermined locking key. The controller 208 enables the user to previously set the predetermined locking key via the UI of the device 201."
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Zachary A Cain whose telephone number is (571)272-4503. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:00-3:30 CST.
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, Kenneth M Lo can be reached at (571) 272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Z.A.C./ Examiner, Art Unit 2116 /KENNETH M LO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2116