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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A, claims 1-16 in the reply filed on 08/03/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
(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 1-16 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1)(a2) as being unpatentable over Carroll (US 2008/0007372 A1).
Regarding claim 1: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61, all reproduced below) teaches an apparatus comprising: a first flexible elongated body (i.e. 70); a plurality of cables (i.e. 76, 78 within 70) extending in the first body along a lengthwise direction; and a first connection assembly (i.e. 94) on a longitudinally first end of the first body connecting to the plurality of cables for connecting the plurality of cables to a plurality of ports of a first panel; wherein each of the plurality of cables comprises a plurality of wires (i.e. each 76, 78 within 70 is an isolated communication cable having wires) for transmitting signals and/or power to the first connection assembly.
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Regarding claim 2: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first connection assembly comprises: a first housing (i.e. housing of 94), and a plurality of first ports (i.e. receiving cable ends in figure 21) at fixed locations on or adjacent a distal end of the first housing; and wherein each first port of the plurality of first ports comprises a plurality of pins (i.e. pins receiving each wire of connector 72 of the cable ends in figure 21) connecting to the plurality of wires of the cable that the first port is connected thereto.
Regarding claim 3: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of pins is an end portion of the corresponding wire (i.e. as understood from figure 21).
Regarding claim 4: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of first ports are registered-jack-45 (RJ45) ports (i.e. see paragraph [0013]); and wherein the plurality of cables are category (CAT) 5, CAT 5e, CAT6, CAT 6A, CAT 6e, CAT 7, and/or CAT 8 cables (i.e. see paragraph [0004]).
Regarding claim 5: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of first ports are arranged in a matrix form (i.e. matrix of figure 21).
Regarding claim 6: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cables comprises: a flexible, elongated jacket (i.e. insulation of each cable), and a noise-reduction shield (i.e. see paragraph [0031] describing shielding network cables) received in the jacket; and wherein the plurality of wires are received in the shield.
Regarding claim 7: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a second connection assembly (i.e. 106) on a longitudinally second end of the first body connecting to the plurality of cables for connecting the plurality of cables to a plurality of ports of a second panel, the second end being longitudinally opposite to the first end; wherein the plurality of wires of each of the plurality of cables are for transmitting signals and/or power between the first and second connection assemblies.
Regarding claim 8: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second connection assembly comprises a second housing (i.e. housing of 106), and a plurality of second ports (i.e. ports of 106 receiving each cable of 70 in figure 53) at fixed locations on or adjacent a distal end of the second housing; and wherein each second port of the plurality of second ports comprises a plurality of pins (i.e. pins receiving each wire of each communication cable) connecting to the plurality of wires of the cable that the second port is connected thereto.
Regarding claim 9: Carroll (Figure 56) teaches the apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second connection assembly comprises: a second housing (i.e. housing of 106), and a plurality of pin holes (i.e. 112) at fixed locations on or adjacent a distal end of the second housing; and wherein each of the plurality of pin holes comprises an electrically conductive pin sleeve (i.e. receiving each pin of connectors 72 on ends of cables) received therein and connecting to one of the plurality of wires of the plurality of cables.
Regarding claim 10: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches a panel comprising: a plurality of first ports arranged in groups for connecting a group of second ports to the first connection assembly of the apparatus of claim 1 (i.e. as the apparatus of claim 1 is configured to be connected with).
Regarding claim 11: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the panel of claim 10, wherein a distance between each pair of neighboring groups of the plurality of first ports is greater than a distance between each pair of neighboring first ports in each pair of neighboring groups of the plurality of ports.
Regarding claim 12: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches a cable system comprising: a plurality of the apparatuses of claim 1, deployed in a site; and one or more panels each for connecting one or more of the plurality of the apparatuses; wherein each of the one or more panels comprises: a plurality of first ports arranged in groups for connecting a group of second ports to the first connection assembly of a respective one of the plurality of the apparatuses of claim 1 (i.e. as the apparatus of claim 1 is configured to be used).
Regarding claim 13: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the cable system of claim 12 further comprising: a component cable assembly comprising: a second elongated flexible body, and a pair of connectors coupled to two opposite ends of the second body; wherein the second body has same electrical specifications as those of the first body, except length-related electrical specifications.
Regarding claim 14: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the cable system of claim 13, wherein the pair of connectors comprise a female RJ45 connector and a male RJ45 connector.
Regarding claim 15: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the cable system of claim 13, wherein the electrical specifications comprise: number and specifications of wires in the second body; manner of twisting of the wires in the second body; and noise-reduction shield in the second body.
Regarding claim 16: Carroll (Figures 21, 38, 53, 61) teaches the cable system of claim 12, wherein the second body has same mechanical specifications as those of the first body, except length-related mechanical specifications.
Conclusion
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/GREGORY L MANGOT/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
