DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
I. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
II. This action is in response to applicants amendment/arguments filed on June 8, 2026. This action is made FINAL.
Allowable Subject Matter
III. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 9 contains allowable subject matter because the prior art does not teach a communication connection determination method, the method comprising: determining whether a reception number of pieces of the first data has reached a first specified number; calculating a mean deviation reference value using a first time stamp interval obtained from the first time stamp in response to a determination that the reception number of pieces of the first data has reached the first specified number; determining whether a reception number of pieces of the second data has reached a second specified number; calculating a mean deviation evaluation value using a second time stamp interval obtained from the second time stamp in response to a determination that the reception number of pieces of the second data has reached the second specified number; and testing whether there is a threshold difference between the mean deviation reference value and the mean deviation evaluation value and determining that there is a communication connection abnormality in response to a determination that there is the threshold difference.
Claims 10-14 contain allowable subject matter based on their dependence on independent claim 9,
Claims 15 and 19 may be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action.
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.
IV. Claims 15, 17-19, and 21-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 15 recites “statistically determining a communication connection status between the sensor terminal and a sensor accommodating terminal based on the time stamp interval, including determining whether to disconnect a communication connection based on the mean deviation reference value and the mean deviation evaluation value” in lines 13-16.
It is unclear how the phrase “determining whether to disconnect a communication connection based on the mean deviation reference value and the mean deviation evaluation value” is related to “statistically determining a communication connection status… based on the time stamp interval”.
The specification describes ascertaining a state of connection between the sensor terminal and the sensor accommodating terminal, and appropriately determine whether to continue or disconnect the connection to perform control according to the connection status (see the specification as filed, paragraph [0009], pages 3-4 ). However, the above recitation in the claim makes the relationship between determining the communication connection status and determining whether to disconnect the communication connection unclear. The limitation renders the claim indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 17-18 and 23-24 are dependent on claim 15 and are rejected for indefiniteness under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for the same reasons given above regarding claim 15.
Claim 19 contains limitations similar to the ones recited above in claim 15. Therefore, claim 19 is rejected for indefiniteness under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for the same reasons given above regarding claim 15.
Claims 21-22 and 25-26 are dependent on claim 19 and are rejected for indefiniteness under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for the same reasons given above regarding claim 19
Response to Arguments
V. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 15, 17-19, and 21-26 have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
VI. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDON J MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-7869. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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/BRANDON J MILLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
July 22, 2026
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