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 § 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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chuang et al. US Pub 2013/0016483.
Regarding claim 1, Chuang discloses,
A computer (figure 2 and 3c) for (intended use language) use with a touchscreen display, comprising:
a receiver adapter (element 3c), wherein said receiver adapter comprises a receiver (receiver where element 33/31c is indicated) for accepting an open pluggable specification (“OPS”) computer (1c which houses device like element 2, so the combination of 1c and device 2 is the OPS computer, as shown in figure 4), wherein said receiver comprises:
a multipin plug (element 33, figure 3c) for connecting said receiver adapter to said OPS computer;
at least one male portion (fig. 3c, group of elements 31c extending outward into the slot similar to present application) extending outward from a backing plate of the receiver adapter (backing plate is the wall where element 33 is disposed which is at least thickness of the thickness of 1c) into said receiver to prevent the insertion of a different OPS computer not containing a corresponding female portion (element 174c; the office notes if the group of elements 174c is not presented in another OPS computer than the male portion would prevent the insertion; for example if figure 3b’s element 1c were to attempt to be inserted into the receiver of figure 3c, 1c of figure 3b would not be secured), wherein said one male portion consists of a cylindrical pin (as seen in figure 3c, at least one of the male portion of element 31c is cylindrical, see annotated drawing below; the office notes that the applicant is only requiring one of the male portion to be cylindrical pin) affixed to the interior of said receiver and said corresponding female portion consists of at least one slot (as seen in figure 3c, element 174c, see annotated drawing) within said OPS computer designed to allow said one male portion to slide into said at least one slot so that said receiver adapter can be connected to said receiver (figure 3c, as the two components engaged the female portion accepts the cylindrical pin); and
wherein said OPS computer contacts the backing plate (as mentioned above, combination of 1c and the device element 2 is the OPS computer, therefore, OPS computer 1c/2 contacts the backing plate as described above since the pins 31c engage with 174c and the connector 33 engages to connecter 15).
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Regarding claim 2, Chuang discloses,
Wherein said at least one male portion extending vertically from said receiver (element 31c which is similar to element 43/44 extending vertically, see annotated figure 3c).
Regarding claim 3, Chuang teaches,
Wherein said at least one male portion extends horizontally from said receiver (annotated figure 3c, element 31c which in same plane as 33, similar to elements 41/42 of present application,).
Regarding claim 4, Chuang discloses,
further comprising a second male portion (any one of the other 31c as indicated in figure 3c, is consider as the second male portion, such that this is extending outwards and thus preventing the insertion of 1c if that corresponding female portion isn't there) extending outward into said receiver to prevent the insertion of an OPS computer not containing a corresponding second female portion.
Regarding claim 5, Chuang discloses,
wherein said at least one male portion extending outward into said receiver comprises one vertical (as seen in figure 3c, each of element 31c is one vertical and one horizontal similar to present application) and one horizontal male portion (as seen in figure 3c, each of element 31c is one vertical and one horizontal similar to present application).
Regarding claim 6, Chuang discloses,
wherein said at least one male portion extending outward into said receiver comprises two vertical and two horizontal male portions (as seen in figure 3c, element 31c is two vertical and two horizontal male portions; paragraph 34).
Regarding claim 7, Chuang discloses,
A method of upgrading an OPS computer, comprising:
providing a receiver adapter (figure 2 and 3c, element 3c), wherein said receiver adapter comprises a slot (slot where element 33/31c is indicated) for accepting an OPS computer,
wherein said slot comprises:
a multipin plug (element 33, figure 3c) for connecting said receiver adapter to said OPS computer (1c which houses device like element 2, so the combination of 1c and device 2 is the OPS computer, as shown in figure 4);
at least one male portion (fig. 3c, group of elements 31c extending outward into the slot similar to present application) extending outward from a backing plate of the receiver adapter (backing plate is the wall where element 33 is disposed which is at least thickness of the thickness of 1c) into said slot to prevent the insertion of a different OPS computer not containing a corresponding female portion (element 174c; the office notes if the group of elements 174c is not presented in another OPS computer than the male portion would prevent the insertion) wherein said one male portion consists of a cylindrical pin (as seen in figure 3c, at least one of the male portion of element 31c is cylindrical, see annotated drawing below; the office notes that the applicant is only requiring one of the male portion to be cylindrical pin) affixed to the interior of said receiver and said corresponding female portion consists of at least one slot (as seen in figure 3c, element 174c, see annotated drawing) within said OPS computer designed to allow said one male portion to slide into said at least one slot so that said receiver adapter can be connected to said receiver (figure 3c, as the two components engaged the female portion accepts the cylindrical pin); and
inserting an OPS computer containing a corresponding female portion into said receiver adapter (as the OPS computer 1c and 2 are inserted into the slot which contains the female portion 174c) and received in the adapter 3c),
Regarding claim 8, Chuang discloses,
Wherein said at least one male portion extends vertically from said receiver (element 31c which is similar to element 43/44 extending vertically).
Regarding claim 9, Chuang discloses,
Wherein said at least one male portion extends horizontally from said receiver (figure 3c, element 31c which in same plane as 33, similar to elements 41/42 of present application).
Regarding claim 10, Chuang discloses,
further comprising a second male portion (any one of the other 31c as indicated in figure 3c, is consider as the second male portion, such that this is extending outwards and thus preventing the insertion of 1c if that corresponding female portion isn't there) extending outward into said receiver to prevent the insertion of an OPS computer not containing a corresponding second female portion.
Regarding claim 11, Chuang discloses,
wherein said at least one male portion extending outward into said receiver comprises one vertical (as seen in figure 3c, each of element 31c is one vertical and one horizontal similar to present application) and one horizontal male portion (as seen in figure 3c, each of element 31c is one vertical and one horizontal similar to present application) extending outward into said receiver.
Regarding claim 12, Chuang discloses,
wherein said at least one male portion extending outward into said receiver comprises two vertical and two horizontal male portions extending outward into said receiver (as seen in figure 3c, element 31c is two vertical and two horizontal male portions; paragraph 34).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/22/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant provides remarks towards “a computer” as claimed is different than the computer in prior art, furthermore, applicant recites “Chuang’s computer is 3 components whereas present application is two components. Furthermore, applicant believes that Chuang teaches away from this limitation. The office respectfully disagrees.
The office notes that the OPS computer as recited in the claim isn’t just limited to a singular device, furthermore as mentioned in the rejection above the OPS computer is the combination of the element 1c and 2, even though they are showing two structure, when combined together this is one unit. In other words, one example to put into consideration is that the structure of 1c as the casing of the device 2. The office also notes applicant is using the transitional phrase of “comprising” therefore according to MPEP§2111.03, the is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. See, e.g., Mars Inc. v. H.J. Heinz Co., 377 F.3d 1369, 1376, 71 USPQ2d 1837, 1843 (Fed. Cir. 2004). Therefore, the prior art could contain more features (various number of components, multi-generational, etc.) than what is being claimed. Lastly, the office notes the number of components is not being claimed explicitly.
The office would furthermore like to highlight how Chuang device limits insertion of a different OPS as claimed by the applicant. As provided in the embodiment of figure 3c of Chuang that group of element 31c extend outward and the corresponding connection is provided in figure 3c with corresponding group of elements 174c. The office notes that any other device (i.e. a different OPS computer) that is not the configuration of figure 3c, element 1c (in combination with the electronic housed therewithin), then the structure of 3c would not be able to connect to structure of 1c. For example, if a user were to attempt to insert the OPS computer (elements 1 and 2) of figure 4 into the receiver 3c of figure 3c, this would not be possible since the group of male portion elements 31c would interfere with the OPS computer (1 and 2 of figure 4), thus preventing the insertion of the OPS computer not containing the corresponding female portion. Similar can be said about the OPS computer of figure 3a and 3b if the attempt to insert into receiver of figure 3c, the male portion would not align with the corresponding female portions.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
MacLeod et al. US Patent 6424525 – figure 1, element 20 and 18 teaches the horizontal and vertical alignment pins/male portion as recited.
Helot US Patent 6185095 – figure 1, element 36 and adjacent to element 34 are the alignment pins.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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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ABHISHEK M. RATHOD
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2841
/ABHISHEK M RATHOD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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