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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3, and 9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any combination of reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 1, 3, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 20170048991; hereinafter Kim) in view of Ren et al. (US20260074429; hereinafter Ren).
Regarding claim 1, Kim (figs. 4A and 6D-6E) discloses “A wearable computing device comprising: a printed circuit board (430 and 630); a conductive housing (410); and a parasitic element (421 and 620), the parasitic element being electrically grounded to the printed circuit board at a plurality of different location (652b and 653b)”.
Kim does not disclose “a slot antenna defined by a gap between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing, the slot antenna operable at a plurality of different frequency bands, the plurality of different frequency bands comprising one or more global positioning system (GPS) frequency bands, wherein the gap extends along an entire perimeter of the printed circuit board such that no edge of the printed circuit board contacts the conductive housing”.
However, Ren teaches “a slot antenna defined by a gap (610) between the printed circuit board (300) and the conductive housing (200), the slot antenna operable at a plurality of different frequency bands, the plurality of different frequency bands comprising one or more global positioning system (GPS) frequency bands (¶[0036]; In the embodiments, a smartwatch is used as an example of the apparatus, and the slot antenna is used to realize a dual-band GPS antenna as an example. It can be seen from the foregoing that, it is difficult to implement a dual-band GPS antenna by using a slot antenna structure due to the limited space in the smartwatch, and these embodiments are directed to the design of the dual-band GPS antenna in the smartwatch. It should be understood that, the slot antenna structure is also applicable to other types of wearable devices with a limited space, and that other types of antenna may likewise be implemented), wherein the gap extends along an entire perimeter of the printed circuit board such that no edge of the printed circuit board contacts the conductive housing (see fig. 2)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Ren and make Kim’s wearable computing device with a slot antenna defined by a gap between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing, the slot antenna operable at a plurality of different frequency bands, the plurality of different frequency bands comprising one or more global positioning system (GPS) frequency bands, wherein the gap extends along an entire perimeter of the printed circuit board such that no edge of the printed circuit board contacts the conductive housing, in order to save space within the device when incorporating the antenna.
Regarding claim 3, Kim (figs. 4A and 6D-6E) discloses “The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein: the parasitic element is direct current (DC) grounded to the printed circuit board at a first location thereon (652B is a DC connection); and the parasitic element is DC grounded to the printed circuit board at a second location thereon (653B is a DC connection)”.
Regarding claim 9, Kim (figs. 4A and 6D-6E) discloses the wearable computing device of claim 1 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein when the slot antenna operates at the one or more GPS frequency bands, the slot antenna induces one or more electrical currents on the parasitic element”.
However, Ren teaches “wherein when the slot antenna operates at the one or more GPS frequency bands, the slot antenna induces one or more electrical currents on the parasitic element (¶[0036])”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Ren and make Kim’s wearable computing device wherein when the slot antenna operates at the one or more GPS frequency bands, the slot antenna induces one or more electrical currents on the parasitic element, in order to help the device with positioning functions.
Claims 13-15 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei et al. (US20200015701; hereinafter Wei) in view of Ren.
Regarding claim 13, Wei (fig. 6) discloses “A wearable computing device comprising: a printed circuit board (608); a conductive housing (616); a slot antenna defined by a gap between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing (610), the slot antenna operable at a plurality of different frequency bands, the plurality of different frequency bands comprising one or more global positioning system (GPS) frequency bands (¶[0041]; Monopole-excited slot antenna antennas that support other wireless communications protocols may also be designed using the principles outlined herein. For example, the disclosed antenna architectures may be configured or dimensioned to be suitable for use with wireless networks and radio technologies, such as wireless wide area network (WWAN) (e.g., cellular) and/or wireless local area network (WLAN) carriers. Examples of such wireless networks and radio technologies include but are not limited to Long Term Evolution (LTE) frequency bands or other cellular communications protocol bands, GPS (Global Positioning System) or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) frequency bands, ANT™, 802.11, and ZigBee™, for example, as well as frequency bands associated with other communications standards); and an electrocardiogram (ECG) electrode (502/616), the ECG electrode being radio frequency (RF) grounded to the printed circuit board at a plurality of different locations (620/614); and a plurality of bypass capacitors, each of bypass capacitors coupled between the ECG electrode and a corresponding location of the plurality of different locations on the printed circuit board (620 and 614 are ECG electrode grounding points that ground via capacitors acting as decoupling elements)”.
Wei does not disclose “wherein the gap extends along an entire perimeter of the printed circuit board such that no edge of the printed circuit board contacts the conductive housing”.
However, Ren teaches “wherein the gap extends along an entire perimeter of the printed circuit board such that no edge of the printed circuit board contacts the conductive housing (fig. 2)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Ren and make Wei’s wearable computing device wherein the gap extends along an entire perimeter of the printed circuit board such that no edge of the printed circuit board contacts the conductive housing, in order to create enough size of the slot for the desired frequency.
Regarding claim 14, Wei (fig. 6) discloses “The wearable computing device of claim 13, wherein when the slot antenna is operating at the one or more GPS frequency bands (¶[0041]), the slot antenna induces one or more electrical currents on the electrocardiogram electrode (obvious function of a slot antenna is to induce current in any nearby conductive element including ECG)”.
Regarding claim 15, Wei (fig. 6) discloses “The wearable computing device of claim 13, wherein: the electrocardiogram electrode is RF grounded to the printed circuit board at a first location thereon via a first a first spring clip (¶[0029]; The grounding clips can be configured as a spring contact or other type of electrical connection); and the electrocardiogram electrode is RF grounded to the printed circuit board at a second location thereon via a second spring clip (¶[0029])”.
Claims 2, 6, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim and Ren in view of Tseng et al (US20190109367; hereinafter Tseng).
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 1 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein the parasitic element is radio frequency (RF) grounded to the printed circuit board via one or more bypass capacitors”.
However, Tseng teaches “wherein the parasitic element is radio frequency (RF) grounded to the printed circuit board via one or more bypass capacitors (543/542)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Tseng and make Kim’s wearable computing device wherein the parasitic element is radio frequency (RF) grounded to the printed circuit board via one or more bypass capacitors, in order to improve slot antenna efficiency.
Regarding claim 6, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 1 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein the perimeter of the printed circuit board comprises a ground keep-out region”.
However, Tseng teaches “wherein the perimeter of the printed circuit board comprises a ground keep-out region (330)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Tseng and make Kim’s wearable computing device wherein the perimeter of the printed circuit board comprises a ground keep-out region, in order to increase the size of the slot antenna gap.
Regarding claim 12, the modified Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 2 as shown previously.
Kim does not directly disclose “wherein a radiation efficiency of the slot antenna at the one or more GPS frequency bands is increased by at least 2 decibels due, at least in part, to the parasitic element being RF grounded to the printed circuit board via the one or more bypass capacitors”.
However, Tseng does disclose the structure involving the RF grounded parasitic element via one or more bypass capacitors that would achieve this improvement and furthermore, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Tseng and make Kim’s wearable computing device wherein a radiation efficiency of the slot antenna at the one or more GPS frequency bands is increased by at least 2 decibels due, at least in part, to the parasitic element being RF grounded to the printed circuit board via the one or more bypass capacitors, in order to have the antenna radiation efficiency at an optimal range for transmitting and receiving information.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim and Ren in view of Bai et al. (US20250017480; hereinafter Bai).
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 3 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein the first location and the second location are spaced apart from one another on the printed circuit board such that one or more magnets disposed on the printed circuit board are positioned between the first location and the second location”.
However, Bai teaches that including magnets on a circuit board in a wearable device is common knowledge in the art (¶[0096]; In a related technology, the wearable device 10 includes a magnet used to attract the charging dock. The magnet is disposed on a side that is of the circuit board 30 and that faces the battery 70) and furthermore since the magnet is being used to engage with a charging station, the matter of positioning of the magnet on the circuit board is a design choice and one of ordinary skill in the art would be inclined to place the magnet between the two locations since in the prior art of record the locations are usually on opposite sides of the circuit board.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Bai and make Kim’s wearable computing device wherein the first location and the second location are spaced apart from one another on the printed circuit board such that one or more magnets disposed on the printed circuit board are positioned between the first location and the second location, in order to make the wearable device usable with a charging station.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim and ren in view of Wei et al. (US2020015701; hereinafter Wei).
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 1 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein a width of the gap between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing ranges from about 0.5 millimeters to about 10 millimeters”.
However, Wei teaches that the size of the gap in these wearable slot antennas in a design choice based on the desired operating frequency (¶[0033]; The dimensions of the slot antenna and monopole antenna can be tuned to achieve targeted communication frequency bands) and furthermore, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Wei and make Kim’s wearable computing device wherein a width of the gap between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing ranges from about 0.5 millimeters to about 10 millimeters, in order to have the antenna operate at the desired frequency.
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim and Ren in view of Tseng, further in view of Wei.
Regarding claim 7, the modified Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 6 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein a width of the slot antenna spans the width of the gap and a width of the ground keep-out region”.
However, Wei teaches that the size of the gap in these wearable slot antennas in a design choice based on the desired operating frequency (¶[0033]; The dimensions of the slot antenna and monopole antenna can be tuned to achieve targeted communication frequency bands) and furthermore, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Wei and make the modified Kim’s wearable computing device wherein a width of the slot antenna spans the width of the gap and a width of the ground keep-out region, in order to have the antenna operate at the desired frequency.
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 7 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein the width of the slot antenna ranges from about 0.5 millimeters to about 10 millimeters”.
However, Wei teaches that the size of the gap in these wearable slot antennas in a design choice based on the desired operating frequency (¶[0033]; The dimensions of the slot antenna and monopole antenna can be tuned to achieve targeted communication frequency bands) and furthermore, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Wei and make Kim’s wearable computing device wherein the width of the slot antenna ranges from about 0.5 millimeters to about 10 millimeters, in order to have the antenna operate at the desired frequency.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim and Ren in view of Wei et al. (US20200193434; hereinafter Wei424).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 1 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein the slot antenna comprises a first grounding contact and a second grounding contact, the first grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a first location, the second grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a second location that is different than the first location”.
However, Wei424 teaches “wherein the slot antenna comprises a first grounding contact (left 308) and a second grounding contact (right 308), the first grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a first location, the second grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a second location that is different than the first location (¶[0054]; Various other components are available in the top view 300 of FIG. 3 as well. For example, the slot grounds 308 are two electric connections between the PCB 503 and the metal housing 311. They are the two grounding terminals shared for both slot antenna 202 and slot antenna 204. Meanwhile, they also provide the separations for the two slot antennas 202 and 204)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Wei424 and make Kim’s wearable computing device wherein the slot antenna comprises a first grounding contact and a second grounding contact, the first grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a first location, the second grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a second location that is different than the first location, in order to help with impedance matching of the antenna.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim and Ren.
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 1 as shown previously.
Kim does not directly disclose “wherein the one or more GPS frequency bands comprise: a first GPS frequency band ranging from about 1164 MHz to about 1189 MHz a second GPS frequency band ranging from about 1563 Megahertz (MHz) to about 1587 MHz; and a third GPS frequency band ranging from about 1215 MHz to about 1240 MHz”.
However, Kim does disclose GPS and various other frequencies as possible frequency bands for the antenna (¶[0055]) and furthermore, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Kim and make Kim’s wearable computing device wherein the one or more GPS frequency bands comprise: a first GPS frequency band ranging from about 1164 MHz to about 1189 MHz a second GPS frequency band ranging from about 1563 Megahertz (MHz) to about 1587 MHz; and a third GPS frequency band ranging from about 1215 MHz to about 1240 MHz, in order to meet standard operating frequencies for GPS communication.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei and Ren in view of Bai.
Regarding claim 16, Wei discloses the wearable computing device of claim 15 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein the first location and the second location are spaced apart from one another on the printed circuit board such that one or more magnets disposed on the printed circuit board are positioned between the first location and the second location”.
However, Bai teaches that including magnets on a circuit board in a wearable device is common knowledge in the art (¶[0096]; In a related technology, the wearable device 10 includes a magnet used to attract the charging dock. The magnet is disposed on a side that is of the circuit board 30 and that faces the battery 70) and furthermore since the magnet is being used to engage with a charging station, the matter of positioning of the magnet on the circuit board is a design choice and one of ordinary skill in the art would be inclined to place the magnet between the two locations since in the prior art of record the locations are usually on opposite sides of the circuit board.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Bai and make Wei’s wearable computing device wherein the first location and the second location are spaced apart from one another on the printed circuit board such that one or more magnets disposed on the printed circuit board are positioned between the first location and the second location, in order to make the wearable device usable with a charging station.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei and Ren.
Regarding claim 17, Wei discloses the wearable computing device of claim 1 as shown previously.
Wei does not directly disclose “wherein the one or more GPS frequency bands comprise: a first GPS frequency band ranging from about 1164 MHz to about 1189 MHz a second GPS frequency band ranging from about 1563 Megahertz (MHz) to about 1587 MHz; and a third GPS frequency band ranging from about 1215 MHz to about 1240 MHz”.
However, Wei does disclose GPS and various other frequencies as possible frequency bands for the antenna (¶[0041]) and furthermore, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Wei and make Wei’s wearable computing device wherein the one or more GPS frequency bands comprise: a first GPS frequency band ranging from about 1164 MHz to about 1189 MHz a second GPS frequency band ranging from about 1563 Megahertz (MHz) to about 1587 MHz; and a third GPS frequency band ranging from about 1215 MHz to about 1240 MHz, in order to meet standard operating frequencies for GPS communication.
Claims 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei and Ren in view of Wei424.
Regarding claim 18, Wei discloses the wearable computing device of claim 13 as shown previously.
Wei does not disclose “further comprising: an electrodermal activity electrode electrically coupled to the printed circuit board”.
However, Wei424 teaches “further comprising: an electrodermal activity electrode electrically coupled to the printed circuit board (¶[0087-0088]; An example monitoring or tracker device can collect one or more types of physiological and/or environmental data from one or more sensor(s) and/or external devices and communicate or relay such information to other devices (e.g., host computer or another server), thus permitting the collected data to be viewed, for example, using a web browser or network-based application. For example, while being worn by the user, a tracker device may perform biometric monitoring via calculating and storing the user's step count using one or more sensor(s). The tracker device may transmit data representative of the user's step count to an account on a web service (e.g., www.fitbit.com), computer, mobile phone, and/or health station where the data may be stored, processed, and/or visualized by the user. The tracker device may measure or calculate other physiological metric(s) in addition to, or in place of, the user's step count. Such physiological metric(s) may include, but are not limited to: energy expenditure, e.g., calorie burn; floors climbed and/or descended; HR; heartbeat waveform; HR variability; HR recovery; respiration, SpO.sub.2, blood volume, blood glucose, skin moisture and skin pigmentation level, location and/or heading (e.g., via a GPS, global navigation satellite system (GLONASS), or a similar system); elevation; ambulatory speed and/or distance traveled; swimming lap count; swimming stroke type and count detected; bicycle distance and/or speed; blood glucose; skin conduction; skin and/or body temperature; muscle state measured via electromyography; brain activity as measured by electroencephalography; weight; body fat; caloric intake; nutritional intake from food; medication intake; sleep periods (e.g., clock time, sleep phases, sleep quality and/or duration); pH levels; hydration levels; respiration rate; and/or other physiological metrics. An example tracker or monitoring device may also measure or calculate metrics related to the environment around the user (e.g., with one or more environmental sensor(s)), such as, for example, barometric pressure, weather conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, pollen count, air quality, rain/snow conditions, wind speed), light exposure (e.g., ambient light, ultra-violet (UV) light exposure, time and/or duration spent in darkness), noise exposure, radiation exposure, and/or magnetic field. Furthermore, a tracker device (and/or the host computer and/or another server) may collect data from one or more sensors of the device, and may calculate metrics derived from such data. For example, a tracker device may calculate the user's stress or relaxation levels based on a combination of HR variability, skin conduction, noise pollution, and/or sleep quality. In another example, a tracker device may determine the efficacy of a medical intervention, for example, medication, based on a combination of data relating to medication intake, sleep, and/or activity. In yet another example, a tracker device may determine the efficacy of an allergy medication based on a combination of data relating to pollen levels, medication intake, sleep and/or activity. These examples are provided for illustration only and are not intended to be limiting or exhaustive)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Wei424 and make Wei’s wearable computing further comprising: an electrodermal activity electrode electrically coupled to the printed circuit board, in order to track electrodermal activity of the user.
Regarding claim 20, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 13 as shown previously.
Wei does not disclose “wherein the slot antenna comprises a first grounding contact and a second grounding contact, the first grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a first location, the second grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a second location that is different than the first location”.
However, Wei424 teaches “wherein the slot antenna comprises a first grounding contact (left 308) and a second grounding contact (right 308), the first grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a first location, the second grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a second location that is different than the first location (¶[0054]; Various other components are available in the top view 300 of FIG. 3 as well. For example, the slot grounds 308 are two electric connections between the PCB 503 and the metal housing 311. They are the two grounding terminals shared for both slot antenna 202 and slot antenna 204. Meanwhile, they also provide the separations for the two slot antennas 202 and 204)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Wei424 and make Wei’s wearable computing device wherein the slot antenna comprises a first grounding contact and a second grounding contact, the first grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a first location, the second grounding contact coupled between the printed circuit board and the conductive housing at a second location that is different than the first location, in order to help with impedance matching of the antenna.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei and Ren in view of Tseng.
Regarding claim 19, Kim discloses the wearable computing device of claim 13 as shown previously.
Kim does not disclose “wherein the perimeter of the printed circuit board comprises a ground keep-out region”.
However, Tseng teaches “wherein the perimeter of the printed circuit board comprises a ground keep-out region (330)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Tseng and make Wei’s wearable computing device wherein the perimeter of the printed circuit board comprises a ground keep-out region, in order to increase the size of the slot antenna gap.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AUSTIN MICHAEL BACK whose telephone number is (703)756-4521. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM ET.
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/AUSTIN M BACK/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/DIMARY S LOPEZ CRUZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845