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 Status
Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are pending for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/6/2025 have been fully considered.
In response to “Allowable Subject Matter”, the partial incorporation of former claim 10 into claim 1, as well as into similar claims 17 and 20, is rejected upon further consideration in view of teachings and suggestions from a newly identified reference. However, claim 16 would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and overcome of the rejections of the base claim.
The new ground of rejection is necessitated by the amendment and is made in view of the combination of Protopsaltis (Pub. No.: US 2018/0025604 A1) and Artuso (Pub. No.: US 2021/0334563 A1).
Artuso cures Protopsaltis’s deficiencies with respect to the newly introduced claim limitation “receiving, from local weather services, real-time weather alerts”. Artuso teaches a vehicle configured to receive inside temperature from a first sensor at step 312 and outside temperature from a second sensor at step 314. The second sensor receives the outside temperature from a third-party weather application or website. See Fig. 3 and para [0040], “At a block 314, a second temperature reading for a second temperature outside the vehicle 204 may be received. The second temperature may be obtained by a third party application, API, website, or an ambient air temperature sensor that is built into the vehicle 204.” and para [0028], “In one embodiment, the second temperature reading may be obtained by using the GPS 214 of the OBD device 202 to determine a location of the vehicle 204. Once the location of the vehicle 204 is determined, the temperature and/or humidity levels may be obtained by using a third party weather application, application programming interface (API), or website.”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Protopsaltis’s temperature detection and alert system with an outside temperature sensor that receives local weather from a weather application to accurately determine outside temperature.
In response to “§ 112 Rejection”, the amendment fails to fully address the rejection. Please see the rejection below for details.
According, the rejection is maintained based on the reasons provided.
Claim Objections
Regarding claim 1, recites the limitation “the detected temperature conditions” in the last clause. Please consider to amend to “the detected abnormal temperature conditions” for consistency.
Regarding claims 1-9 and 11-16, are also objected because they depend on claim 1.
Regarding claim 17, recites the limitation “the detected temperature conditions” in the last clause. Please consider to amend to “the detected abnormal temperature conditions” for consistency.
Regarding claims 18-19, are also objected because they depend on claim 17.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Regarding claim 1, recites the limitation “the presence” in line 8, “the duration” in line 10, and “the alert mechanism” in line 14. These limitations lack sufficient antecedent basis.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01.
The last line recites the limitation “a critical temperature condition” which appear to be different from the determination of “abnormal temperature conditions” in line 8. The claim appears to have omitted the steps of how the method determines “a critical temperature condition”.
Regarding claims 1-9 and 11-16, are also rejected because they depend on claim 1.
Regarding claim 2, recites the limitation “the alerting protocol” in line 3.
There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 8, recites the limitation “the household” in line 3.
There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 9, recites the limitation “the receiving device” in line 2 and “the preferences of the user” in line 3. These limitations lack sufficient antecedent basis.
The “receiving device” appears to refer to one of the “plurality of interconnected user devices” in line 12 of claim 1. Please review and amend accordingly.
Regarding claim 17, recites the limitation “the alert mechanism” in line 16. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Lines 13-17 recite the limitation:
“interconnect with a plurality of user devices within the household for transmitting generated progressive alerts;
generate and transmit the progressive alerts to the interconnected user devices and to receive user responses to the alerts, wherein the alert mechanism adjusts based on the received user responses;” with emphasis underlined.
Please consider to rearrange the order of the steps because the transmitting of the alerts occurs before the generation of the alerts. Furthermore, it is unclear whether “the alerts” is referring to the “weather alerts” or to the “progressive alerts”.
One acceptable amendment is to amend the limitation to:
“interconnect with a plurality of user devices within the
household
generate and transmit progressive alerts, wherein the alert mechanism adjusts based on the received user responses;”.
Regarding claims 18-19, are also rejected because they depend on claim 17.
Regarding claim 18, recites the limitation “the monitoring unit” in line 1.
There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 19, recites the limitation “further comprising a user interface” in line 1. Claim 17 has already defined a user interface for the user device and appears to be referring to the same. If the user interface of claim 19 is not the same as the user interface of claim 17, then the claims should clearly distinguish those two. If they are the same, then consider to amend with proper antecedent basis to reduce confusion. Please review and amend accordingly.
Regarding claim 20, recites the limitations “the weather data” in line 5, “the abnormal weather conditions” in line 7, and "the type of user device" in line 9 and “the presence of a severe temperature condition” in the last line. These limitations lack insufficient antecedent basis in the claim.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01.
The last line recites the limitation “a severe temperature condition” which appear to be different from the determination of “abnormal temperature conditions” in line 4. The claim appears to have omitted the steps of how the device determines “a severe temperature condition”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-2, 4-9, 11-12, 14 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Protopsaltis (Pub. No.: US 2018/0025604 A1) in view of Artuso (Pub. No.: US 2021/0334563 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Protopsaltis teaches a method for monitoring and alerting household temperature conditions (Abstract, temperature detection and alert system), comprising:
collecting temperature data from a plurality of sources, including at least one indoor temperature sensor and one outdoor temperature sensor (Fig. 2A, temperature sensors 22, para [0036], “With reference to the FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, the onboard apparatus 14 may include one or more occupancy sensors 20 which sense the presence of an occupant within the vehicle 15. The onboard system further includes one or more environment sensors 22 which sense the conditions inside of the vehicle such as temperature.”);
analyzing the collected temperature data in a monitoring unit (Fig. 2A, controller 26), where the analysis involves comparing the data against one or more predetermined temperature thresholds to determine the presence of abnormal temperature conditions (para [0073], “When the alert system is armed, the environment sensors 22 monitor the temperature of the vehicle cabin. If the temperature exceeds the predetermined threshold 96, the controller will cause the transceiver to initiate a communication to the mobile device, activating the alarm mode and triggering an alert 98.” and para [0059], “Temperature notification thresholds may be set by the user. For example, there may a warning level threshold at which the temperature is at a level that with extended duration could potentially be hazardous. The next level may be an Emergency level at which the temperature level is dangerous; extended exposure could mean loss of life.”. The controller generates an alert if the temperature exceeds a threshold level.);
generating progressive alerts based on the analysis, wherein the alerts escalate in severity and urgency in response to the duration and severity of the detected abnormal temperature conditions;
transmitting the generated alerts to a plurality of interconnected user devices (Fig. 12 – Fig. 13, para [0052], “The software application running on the mobile device 12 initiates an alert notification 114 as shown in FIG. 12. This alert may be in the form of an audible, visual, and/or sensory (vibration) alert. The alert state will cause the software application to lock the mobile device and restrict its functionalities.”, para [0055], “If this notification message is not acknowledged by the user within a predetermined time, a secondary alert signal may then be generated. The secondary alert signal may cause the mobile communication device 12 or a transmitting device 25 in the vehicle to initiate a communication to a secondary contact.” and para [0056], “Once the secondary alert is generated, a predetermined time is set for the alert condition to be acknowledged and resolved. If the alert condition is not resolved in the predetermined time, e.g. 5 minutes, a tertiary emergency alert may be generated.” and para [0057], “Depending on the alert condition, the system may bypass the secondary alert, and generate the tertiary emergency alert right after the first alert is not timely acknowledged. For, example, if the temperature in the vehicle quickly builds to a very high temperature, the welfare of the occupant may require an immediate response. In such situation, the communication to emergency services may be made before or instead of the secondary alert.”. A first, second and third alerts are generated and transmitted to one or more mobile devices and users);
receiving user responses to the transmitted alerts via the interconnected user devices and adjusting the alert mechanism based on the received responses (Fig. 14, steps 100-102, the user enters a PIN to acknowledge and to stop the alerts.); and
automatically initiating communication with predefined emergency contacts or emergency services, based on the severity of the detected temperature condition, in an absence of a satisfactory user response or detection of a critical temperature condition (para [0056], “Once the secondary alert is generated, a predetermined time is set for the alert condition to be acknowledged and resolved. If the alert condition is not resolved in the predetermined time, e.g. 5 minutes, a tertiary emergency alert may be generated. The software application running on the mobile device 12 initiates an emergency alert notification 116 as shown in FIG. 13. The tertiary alert may trigger an emergency mode during which emergency services are contacted.” and para [0057], “Depending on the alert condition, the system may bypass the secondary alert, and generate the tertiary emergency alert right after the first alert is not timely acknowledged. For, example, if the temperature in the vehicle quickly builds to a very high temperature, the welfare of the occupant may require an immediate response. In such situation, the communication to emergency services may be made before or instead of the secondary alert.”.).
Protopsaltis fails to expressly teach receiving, from local weather services, real-time weather alerts.
However, in the same field of vehicle, Artuso teaches vehicle is configured to receive inside temperature from a first sensor at step 312 and outside temperature from a second sensor at step 314. The second sensor receives the outside temperature from a third-party weather application or website. See Fig. 3 and para [0040], “At a block 314, a second temperature reading for a second temperature outside the vehicle 204 may be received. The second temperature may be obtained by a third party application, API, website, or an ambient air temperature sensor that is built into the vehicle 204.” and para [0028], “In one embodiment, the second temperature reading may be obtained by using the GPS 214 of the OBD device 202 to determine a location of the vehicle 204. Once the location of the vehicle 204 is determined, the temperature and/or humidity levels may be obtained by using a third party weather application, application programming interface (API), or website.”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Protopsaltis’s temperature detection and alert system with an outside temperature sensor that receives local weather from a weather application to accurately determine outside temperature.
Regarding claim 2, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising employing predictive analytics within the monitoring unit to anticipate potential extreme temperature events and adjusting the alerting protocol accordingly (para [0057], “Depending on the alert condition, the system may bypass the secondary alert, and generate the tertiary emergency alert right after the first alert is not timely acknowledged. For, example, if the temperature in the vehicle quickly builds to a very high temperature, the welfare of the occupant may require an immediate response. In such situation, the communication to emergency services may be made before or instead of the secondary alert.”. The system determines the temperature is quickly increasing to bypass the second alert).
Regarding claim 4, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting environmental control mechanisms to enable automatic adjustment of household heating or cooling systems in response to detected abnormal temperature conditions (para [0080], “For example, the controller 26 can issue a signal causing the vehicle's windows to be lowered and the vehicle's alarm to be activated. In addition, the vehicle's ventilation system and air conditioning may be activated to help lower the vehicle's interior temperature. These actions can be activated without the need of input or instructions from an operator.”. Adjust the temperature and ventilation inside of the household vehicle).
Regarding claim 5, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a user interface for customizing temperature thresholds, alert preferences, and emergency contact settings (para [0059], “Temperature notification thresholds may be set by the user. For example, there may a warning level threshold at which the temperature is at a level that with extended duration could potentially be hazardous. The next level may be an Emergency level at which the temperature level is dangerous; extended exposure could mean loss of life. These temperature limits can be modified. However, the amount of modification may be limited to prevent certain limitations from being exceeded in the software.”).
Regarding claim 6, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing predictive analytics or prediction models based on the accumulation of new temperature data, user interactions, and outcomes of previous alert responses (para [0057], “Depending on the alert condition, the system may bypass the secondary alert, and generate the tertiary emergency alert right after the first alert is not timely acknowledged. For, example, if the temperature in the vehicle quickly builds to a very high temperature, the welfare of the occupant may require an immediate response. In such situation, the communication to emergency services may be made before or instead of the secondary alert.”. The system bypasses the second alert based on the determination that the temperature is increasing rapidly and the lack of user interaction and response to the first alert.).
Regarding claim 7, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing predictive analytics or prediction models based on user interactions and outcomes of previous alert responses (para [0057], “Depending on the alert condition, the system may bypass the secondary alert, and generate the tertiary emergency alert right after the first alert is not timely acknowledged. For, example, if the temperature in the vehicle quickly builds to a very high temperature, the welfare of the occupant may require an immediate response. In such situation, the communication to emergency services may be made before or instead of the secondary alert.”. The system bypasses the second alert based on the determination that the temperature is increasing rapidly and the lack of user interaction and response to the first alert.).
Regarding claim 8, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, further including monitoring or analyzing additional environmental parameters, including humidity, air quality, smoke, or presence of individuals within the household (para [0039], “The system 10 is able to detect the presence of an occupant within the seat 32 using the occupancy sensor(s) 20.”.).
Regarding claim 9, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the progressive alerts include visual, auditory, and tactile notifications tailored to the capabilities of the receiving device and the preferences of the user (para [0050], “When the child is placed with in the seat, the system will be armed and the mobile device will display a system armed notification 100 as shown in FIG. 10. If an alert condition is present, the system 10 will transmit a signal to the mobile communication device 12. The application software will cause the mobile device 12 to generate a visual alert notification 110 on the screen (FIG. 11) and/or generate an audible alert and/or vibration using the mobile device's standard alert elements.”).
Regarding claim 11, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, further including a social feature to enable sharing control or monitoring capabilities with trusted individuals (para [0055], “If this notification message is not acknowledged by the user within a predetermined time, a secondary alert signal may then be generated. The secondary alert signal may cause the mobile communication device 12 or a transmitting device 25 in the vehicle to initiate a communication to a secondary contact. For example, the communication may be a text message or phone call to a predetermined phone number or numbers that the user has pre-designated using the application software. An automated message can be communicated advising the recipient of the alert condition communication and the location of the vehicle. For example, this may be a communication to a relative, neighbor, associate of the user or a monitoring service.” and para [0056], “Once the secondary alert is generated, a predetermined time is set for the alert condition to be acknowledged and resolved. If the alert condition is not resolved in the predetermined time, e.g. 5 minutes, a tertiary emergency alert may be generated.”. The second alert is sent to a relative to acknowledge and to control the suspension of the alert and to monitor the occupancy of the child in the vehicle.).
Regarding claim 12, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a smart home device to abate the critical temperature condition (para [0080], “For example, the controller 26 can issue a signal causing the vehicle's windows to be lowered and the vehicle's alarm to be activated. In addition, the vehicle's ventilation system and air conditioning may be activated to help lower the vehicle's interior temperature.”. The air conditioner is considered as a smart home device because it turns on when the temperature is high.).
Regarding claim 14, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the method of claim 1, said devices include at least one of smartphones, smartwatches, smart TVs (para [0035], “The software application may be compatible with operating systems such as Android/IOS/Microsoft mobile/blackberry. The mobile device 12, such as a smart-phone, may generate an alert in response to information received from the onboard apparatus 14. The user must acknowledge the alert and correct the condition in a timely manner in order to terminate the alert condition.”).
Regarding claim 17, recites a system that performs the method of claims 1 and 5. Therefore, it is rejected for the same reasons.
Regarding claim 18, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the system of claim 17, wherein the monitoring unit includes predictive analytics capabilities to anticipate potential extreme temperature events based on historical data and current weather forecasts (para [0057], “Depending on the alert condition, the system may bypass the secondary alert, and generate the tertiary emergency alert right after the first alert is not timely acknowledged. For, example, if the temperature in the vehicle quickly builds to a very high temperature, the welfare of the occupant may require an immediate response. In such situation, the communication to emergency services may be made before or instead of the secondary alert.”. The system anticipates very high temperature that requires immediate response based on the determination that the temperature is increasing rapidly. The speed of the temperature increase is based on the difference between the previous data (analogous to historical data) and the current data (analogous to current weather) within a specific amount of time.).
Regarding claim 19, Protopsaltis in the combination teaches the system of claim 18, further comprising a user interface accessible via the user devices, allowing users to customize temperature thresholds, alert preferences, emergency contact settings and to interact with and respond to alerts (para [0059], “Temperature notification thresholds may be set by the user. For example, there may a warning level threshold at which the temperature is at a level that with extended duration could potentially be hazardous. The next level may be an Emergency level at which the temperature level is dangerous; extended exposure could mean loss of life. These temperature limits can be modified. However, the amount of modification may be limited to prevent certain limitations from being exceeded in the software.”).
Regarding claim 20, recites an analysis device that performs the method of claim 1 and is analogous to the controller 26 of Protopsaltis. Therefore, the rejection is similar to claim 1.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Protopsaltis (Pub. No.: US 2018/0025604 A1) in view of Artuso (Pub. No.: US 2021/0334563 A1) and further in view of Chai (Pub. No.: US 2015/0193127 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Protopsaltis in view of Artuso teaches the method of claim 1, but fails to teach wherein the monitoring unit is a set top box.
However, in the same field of temperature detection, Chai teaches a set top box 102A-N, 200 configured to receive sensor data (e.g., temperature measurement) from one or more home devices 108A-N and configured to display an alert message 802, 902 on a TV screen based on an event detected by the one or more home sensors. See Fig. 1 – Fig. 9B, para [0055], “For example, in the case where home device 300 includes an oven, sensors 314 may include a temperature sensor that may be used to control a heating element. Further, measurements from sensors 314 may be used to provide visual indicators to a user.” and para [0069], “As illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8B, graphical user interface 800 includes a full screen presentation of video content and a notification bar 802. Notification bar 802 may appear on a display 250 based on information received from a home device 108A-108N. In one example, notification bar 802 may be associated with an audio notification and/or may include animation (e.g., a flashing red boundary, motion, etc.) in order to get a user's attention. Notification bar 802 may identify a home device and provide a notification specific to a home device. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8A, a "motion detected" notification associated with a security camera may be displayed. As illustrated in FIG. 8B a "brewing complete" notification associated with a coffee maker may be displayed. It should be noted that although a single notification is displayed in each of FIGS. 8A-8B, in other examples, multiple notifications may be displayed simultaneously. For example, notifications may appear as a list or each notification may be at different portions on a display (e.g., the corners).”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Protopsaltis’s controller with a set top box to be used inside of a house to detect and to alert a user about an overheat event to improve home safety.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Protopsaltis (Pub. No.: US 2018/0025604 A1) in view of Von Dehsen (Pub. No.: US 2016/0364114 A1).
Regarding claim 13, Protopsaltis teaches the method of claim 1, but fails to teach further comprising conducting self-diagnostics on sensors and networked devices.
However, in the same field of sensors, Von Dehsen teaches a monitoring system configured to perform diagnostic checks on sensors and connected devices. See Figs. 11O - 11T, para [0162], “In this example, the GUI includes hazard device state indicators 1118-1 and 1118-2 (e.g., for indicating a device state of the hazard detector 104), a device information affordance 1120-1 (e.g., for displaying diagnostic information of the corresponding hazard detector 104), a checkup affordance 1120-2 (e.g., for displaying instructions for performing a diagnostic test for the hazard detector 104), and a history affordance 1120-3 (e.g., for viewing a diagnostic test history for the hazard detector 104).” and para [0163], “FIG. 11S illustrates a GUI displayed in response to detecting selection of the device information affordance 1120-1 in FIG. 11O. As shown, diagnostic information of the corresponding hazard detector 104 is displayed, which indicates how recently components of the corresponding hazard detector 104 were checked for proper functionality. FIG. 11T illustrates an alternative implementation of the GUI in FIG. 11S.”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Protopsaltis’s controller to perform diagnostic checks on sensors and connected devices to provide malfunction detection.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Protopsaltis (Pub. No.: US 2018/0025604 A1) in view of Artuso (Pub. No.: US 2021/0334563 A1) and further in view of Garza (Pat. No.: US 9,845,050 B1).
Regarding claim 15, Protopsaltis in view of Artuso teaches the method of claim 1, but fails to teach further comprising receiving a signal from a tag indicating the presence of a pet and modifying the analysis based on the presence of a pet.
However, in the same field of occupant detection, Garza teaches a pet safety device worn by a pet to allow a controller to identify the presence of a pet. See Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 6, Col. 13 line 52 to Col. 14 line 7, “The pet safety monitoring apparatus 500 also contains a proximal environment temperature sensor 520, a gyro-accelerometer motion sensor 523, and a global position system (GPS) locating circuit 526 to independently monitor and detect the presence of a pet in the vehicle. For operation, the pet safety monitoring apparatus 500 would be attached (clipped on, adhered to) to a component (such as a pet collar 241) (FIG. 16) worn by the pet during use.”
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Protopsaltis’s controller to receive a signal from a pet safety device worn by the pet to detect the presence of the pet to improve pet safety.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wilson (Pat. No.: US 8,516,087 B2) teaches a home sensor and automation system by using a set top box.
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 ZHEN Y WU whose telephone number is (571)272-5711. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10AM-6PM, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Quan-Zhen Wang can be reached at 571-272-3114. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZHEN Y WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685