Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/611,963

METHOD FOR OPERATING A REFRIGERANT CIRCUIT SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE, A REFRIGERANT CIRCUIT SYSTEM FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD AND A VEHICLE HAVING THE SAME

Final Rejection §103§112
Filed
Mar 21, 2024
Priority
Mar 23, 2023 — DE 102023202669.4
Examiner
OSWALD, KIRSTIN U
Art Unit
3763
Tech Center
3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing
Assignee
Mahle International GmbH
OA Round
2 (Final)
58%
Grant Probability
Moderate
3-4
OA Rounds
10m
Est. Remaining
92%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 58% of resolved cases
58%
Career Allowance Rate
297 granted / 508 resolved
-11.5% vs TC avg
Strong +33% interview lift
Without
With
+33.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 2m
Avg Prosecution
31 currently pending
Career history
554
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103
91.8%
+51.8% vs TC avg
§102
5.0%
-35.0% vs TC avg
§112
2.4%
-37.6% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 508 resolved cases

Office Action

§103 §112
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 1-15 are pending. Claims 1, 5, 7-8, and 14 have been amended. Claim 15 is new. Claim Objections Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 15 recites “circulate” instead of -- circuit--. Appropriate correction is required. Response to Arguments Applicant's arguments filed 03/18/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., “only two sensors” on page 9 of the remarks) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). The claims are “comprising” claims and do not prevent the claims from having more than two sensors. The claims do not require only gather temperature and pressure data from only two sensors. For the aforementioned reasons, the pending claims remain rejected. 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. Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claims 1 and 15 recites a compressor characteristic mop of the compressor, however, neither claim 1 or 15 positively recite a compressor. Claims 1 and 15 recite the limitation "the compressor" in the last line of each claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. By virtue of dependency claims 2-7 and 9-13 are also rejected. 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. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. Claims 1-6, 8-10, and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Eidan (US 2008/0314064 A1) in view of Durrani et al. (US 2019/0366800 A1), hereafter referred to as “Durrani.” Regarding Claim 1: Al-Eidan teaches a method for operating a refrigerant circuit system for a vehicle heat pump system (title, abstract, intended use of the system, paragraph [0004]), the method comprising - circulating a refrigerant through a refrigerant circuit (see piping loop in Figure 4), - wherein the refrigerant circuit (see piping loop in Figure 4) comprises a high-pressure circuit (after compressor, exit from compressor 4) and a low-pressure circuit (low side of compressor, intake into compressor 4), wherein the refrigerant circuit comprises two sensors (implied by the measuring at the monitored nodes, paragraph [0083]), wherein the two sensors (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]) are located in the low-pressure circuit, compressing the refrigerant in the high pressure circuit (via compressor 4), sensing a first refrigerant pressure in the low-pressure circuit, sensing a refrigerant temperature in the low-pressure circuit, (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]), wherein deriving a second refrigerant pressure in the high-pressure circuit is performed based on the first refrigerant pressure in the low-pressure circuit, the refrigerant temperature in the low-pressure circuit (see nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]), and a compressor characteristic map of the compressor (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]). Al-Eidan fails to teach the refrigerant circuit system for a vehicle a heat pump system, wherein two sensors are located in the low-pressure circuit, and wherein the two sensors further comprise a first refrigerant pressure sensor and a refrigerant temperature sensor located in the low-pressure-circuit deriving a second refrigerant pressure in the high-pressure circuit. Durrani teaches a refrigerant circuit system (paragraph [0130]) for a vehicle heat pump system (paragraphs [0016] and [0021]), wherein two sensors (38, 39) are located in a low-pressure circuit (see Figure 2, after expansion valves 7 and 9), and wherein the two sensors further comprise a first refrigerant pressure sensor (39 is a combined sensor, paragraph [0087]) and a refrigerant temperature sensor (38, 39 placed after expansion valves 7 and 9, paragraph [0087]) located in the low-pressure-circuit (after expansion in valves 7 and 9 respectively) deriving a second refrigerant pressure in a high-pressure circuit (first 39 after condenser 5 prior to expansion valves 7 and 9, paragraph [0087], see Figure 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided a vehicle a heat pump system, and wherein two sensors are located in the low-pressure circuit, and wherein the two sensors further comprise a first refrigerant pressure sensor and a refrigerant temperature sensor located in the low-pressure-circuit deriving a second refrigerant pressure in the high-pressure circuit of Al-Eidan as taught by Durrani in order to advantageously provide the air condition system to a vehicle and optimizing electrical power consumption (see Durrani, paragraph [0130]). Regarding Claim 2: Al-Eidan teaches wherein, a temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area is determined by means of the measured pressure and temperature value of the refrigerant in the low-pressure area and the compressor characteristic map of the compressor (T4, PE, and T1,PC sent to controller 12). Regarding Claim 3: Al-Eidan teaches wherein a temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area is measured by means of a temperature sensor (T1, see Figure 4, paragraph [0083]) of the refrigerant circuit system (see Figure 4) arranged in the high-pressure area (exit from 4), wherein the pressure of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area is determined by means of the measured pressure (PC, paragraph [0080]) and temperature value of the refrigerant in the low-pressure area (T4), the compressor (4) characteristic map of the compressor (readings and measurements to controller 12, see Figure 13) and by means of measured temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area with the temperature sensor (thermocouple in T1) in the high-pressure area (exit from compressor 4). Regarding Claim 4: Al-Eidan teaches wherein the temperature sensor (t1, paragraph [0083]) arranged in the high-pressure area (exit from compressor 4) is an indirect surface temperature sensor (see Figure 4), which is disposed on a surface of a high-pressure line within the high-pressure area, wherein a temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area is indirectly measured by the sensor (paragraph [0083]), or the temperature sensor arranged in the high-pressure area is a direct temperature sensor, which is disposed within a high-pressure line within in the high-pressure area and which is directly moistened by the refrigerant, wherein a temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area is directly measured by the temperature sensor. Regarding Claim 5: Al-Eidan teaches wherein the compressor characteristic map of the compressor is formed by one or more compressor characteristics (pressure, paragraph [0080]), which describe the operational behavior of the compressor (4) in a predefined operating range of the compressor (paragraph [0080]) and on the basis of which an assignment of a state of the refrigerant to an entry area of the compressor (4) assigned to the low-pressure area to a state of the refrigerant at an exit area of the compressor assigned to the high-pressure area is carried out (paragraph [0080], functional limitations of the configuration of the operation of compressor 4). Regarding Claim 6: Al-Eidan teaches wherein a pressure of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area (exit from 4) and/or a temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area (via T1, paragraph [0083]) is determined by the measured pressure and temperature of the refrigerant in the low-pressure area and/or the measured temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area (paragraphs [0080] and [0083] and the compressor characteristic map of the compressor (paragraph [0080]), in that an assignment of the measured pressure and temperature of the refrigerant is carried out in the low-pressure area (via T4, PE) and/or the measured temperature value of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area (PC) to a non-measured pressure of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area (paragraph [0080]) and/or a non-measured temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area (via the control system, paragraph [0111]) by the measured pressure and temperature of the refrigerant in the low-pressure area and/or the measured temperature value of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area as well as by at least one compressor characteristic of the compressor characteristic map (performance and functional limitations of the compressor and the sensors monitoring the parameters of operation). Regarding Claim 8: Al-Eidan teaches wherein the refrigerant circuit system is operable in a first and second operating mode (paragraphs [0039]-[0040]) and to be switchable between these two operating modes (paragraph [0096]), wherein the refrigerant circuit system (see Figure 4) comprises a refrigerant circuit (see refrigerant loop of Figure 4), in which a refrigerant can circulate and which is divided into a high-pressure area (exit from 4) and a low-pressure area (intake into 4), wherein the compressor (4) for compressing the refrigerant arranged in the refrigerant circuit (functional limitation), through which refrigerant can flow, forms a transition from the low-pressure area to the high-pressure area and fluidically connects the high-pressure area to the low-pressure area (via the piping of Figure 4). Al-Eidan fails to teach the refrigerant circuit system for a vehicle, in particular a heat pump system configured for execution of the method according to claim 1. Durrani a refrigerant circuit system (paragraph [0130]) for a vehicle (paragraph [0106]), in particular a heat pump system (paragraph [0021]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the refrigerant circuit system for a vehicle, in particular a heat pump system configured for execution of the method according to claim 1 to the structure of Al-Eidan as taught by Durrani in order to advantageously provide the air condition system to a vehicle and optimizing electrical power consumption (see Durrani, paragraph [0130]). Regarding Claim 9: Al-Eidan teaches the refrigerant circuit system (see Figure 4) according to claim 8, wherein a temperature sensor (T1, thermocouple, paragraph [0083]) is provided in the high-pressure area (exit of compressor 4) of the refrigerant circuit system (see Figure 4), and wherein a pressure of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area can be determined on the basis of the measurable pressure (paragraph [0114]) and temperature of the refrigerant in the low-pressure area (via T4 and PE), the measurable temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area (see T1 in Figure 4) and a compressor characteristic map of the compressor (paragraph [0080]), and/or wherein the temperature sensor (T1) is implemented as an indirect surface temperature sensor (on the piping of Figure 4), which is disposed on a surface of a high-pressure line within the high-pressure area (see Figure 4), wherein a temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area can be indirectly measured by the temperature sensor (function of T1, thermocouple), or wherein the temperature sensor is implemented as a direct temperature sensor, which is disposed within a high-pressure line in the high-pressure area and is moistened by the refrigerant, so that the temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area can be directly measured (paragraph [0083]). Regarding Claim 10: Al-Eidan teaches wherein the pressure and temperature sensor (T4, Pe) is disposed in the low-pressure area upstream of the compressor (4, see Figure 4). Regarding Claim 14: Al-Eidan fails to teach a vehicle, in particular an electrically powered vehicle, which is equipped with a refrigerant circuit system according to claim 8. Durrani teaches a vehicle (paragraph [0106]), in particular an electrically powered vehicle (paragraph [0106]), which is equipped with a refrigerant circuit system (paragraph [0130]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided a vehicle, in particular an electrically powered vehicle, which is equipped with a refrigerant circuit system according to claim 8 to the structure of Al-Eidan as taught by Durrani in order to advantageously provide the air condition system to a vehicle and optimizing electrical power consumption (see Durrani, paragraph [0130]). Regarding Claim 15: Al-Eidan teaches a method for operating a refrigerant circuit system for a vehicle a heat pump system (title, abstract, intended use of the system, paragraph [0004]), the method comprising circulating a refrigerant through a refrigerant circuit (see piping loop in Figure 4), wherein the refrigerant circuit (see piping loop in Figure 4) comprises a high-pressure circuit (after compressor, exit from compressor 4) and a low-pressure circuit (low side of compressor, intake into compressor 4), compressing the refrigerant in the high-pressure circuit (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]), sensing a first refrigerant pressure in the low-pressure circuit (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]), sensing a first refrigerant temperature in the low-pressure circuit (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]), sensing a second refrigerant temperature in the high-pressure circuit (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]), wherein deriving a second refrigerant pressure in the high-pressure circuit is performed based on the values of the first refrigerant pressure in the low- pressure circuit (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]), the first refrigerant temperature in the low-pressure circuit (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]), the second refrigerant temperature in the high-pressure circuit (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]), and a compressor characteristic map of the compressor (see implied sensors at measured/monitored nodes of T1-T6, and Pressure PC, PE, paragraph [0083]). Al-Eidan fails to teach the refrigerant circuit system for a vehicle a heat pump system, and wherein the refrigerant circuit comprises three sensors, wherein two sensors are located in the low-pressure circuit, wherein one sensor is located in the high-pressure circuit, wherein the two sensors in the low-pressure circuit further comprise a first refrigerant pressure sensor and a refrigerant temperature sensor, wherein the one sensor in the high-pressure circulate further comprises a second refrigerant temperature sensor, deriving a second refrigerant pressure in the high-pressure circuit. Durrani teaches a refrigerant circuit system (paragraph [0130]) for a vehicle a heat pump system (paragraphs [0016] and [0021]), and wherein a refrigerant circuit (see Figure 2) comprises three sensors (see Figure 2, two 39s and a 38), wherein two sensors (38 and the second 39) are located in a low-pressure circuit (see Figure 2, after expansion elements 7 and 9, there is 38 and a 39), wherein one sensor (first 39) is located in a high-pressure circuit (after condenser 5 prior to entering expansion valves 7 or 9, see Figure 2, paragraph [0080]), wherein the two sensors in the low-pressure circuit further comprise a first refrigerant pressure sensor (39 is a combined pressure/temperature sensor, paragraph [0087]) and a refrigerant temperature sensor (38, paragraph [0087]), wherein the one sensor (first 39 after condenser 5 prior to expansion valves 7 and 9 in Figure 2) in the high-pressure circuit (after condenser 5 prior to entering expansion valves 7 or 9, see Figure 2, paragraph [0080]) further comprises a second refrigerant temperature sensor (first 39 after condenser 5 prior to expansion valves 7 and 9 in Figure 2), deriving a second refrigerant pressure in the high-pressure circuit (39 is a combined pressure/temperature sensor, paragraph [0087]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the refrigerant circuit system for a vehicle a heat pump system, and wherein the refrigerant circuit comprises three sensors, wherein two sensors are located in the low-pressure circuit, wherein one sensor is located in the high-pressure circuit, wherein the two sensors in the low-pressure circuit further comprise a first refrigerant pressure sensor and a refrigerant temperature sensor, wherein the one sensor in the high-pressure circulate further comprises a second refrigerant temperature sensor, deriving a second refrigerant pressure in the high-pressure circuit of Al-Eidan as taught by Durrani in order to advantageously provide the air condition system to a vehicle and optimizing electrical power consumption (see Durrani, paragraph [0130]). Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Eidan (US 2008/0314064 A1) in view of Durrani et al. (US 2019/0366800 A1), hereafter referred to as “Durrani,” as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2019/0344636 A1), hereafter referred to as “Lee.” Regarding Claim 7: Al-Eidan teaches a condenser (1) disposed in the high-pressure area (exit from 4) and through which refrigerant can flow for transferring heat from the high-pressure area to an air-conditioned air (via fan 1A), an exit area of the compressor (exit line from 4 to 1) assigned to the high-pressure area is connected to an entry area of the condenser (1) by a high-pressure line of the refrigerant circuit system (see Figure 4) through which refrigerant can flow, so that refrigerant can flow from the compressor to the condenser (functional limitation, see Figure 4), wherein the determined pressure of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area is determined as a pressure of the refrigerant within the high-pressure line or as a pressure of the refrigerant within the exit area of the compressor or as a pressure of the refrigerant within the entry area of the condenser (at PC, paragraph [0080]), and/or wherein the determined temperature of the refrigerant in the high-pressure area is determined as a temperature of the refrigerant within the high-pressure line (via T1, paragraph [0083]) or as a temperature of the refrigerant within the exit area of the compressor (via T1, paragraph [0083]) or as a temperature of the refrigerant within the entry area of the condenser. Al-Eidan modified supra fails to teach wherein the refrigerant circuit system comprises an air-conditioning unit disposed in the refrigerant circuit with the condenser. Lee teaches a refrigerant circuit system (1, see Figure 2) comprises an air-conditioning unit (see interior cabin in Figure 2) disposed in the refrigerant circuit (1) with a condenser (120). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein the refrigerant circuit system comprises an air-conditioning unit disposed in the refrigerant circuit with the condenser to the structure of Al-Eidan modified supra as taught by Lee in order to advantageously provide conditioned air to a vehicle cabin (see Lee, paragraphs [0048]-[0050]). Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Eidan (US 2008/0314064 A1) in view of Durrani et al. (US 2019/0366800 A1), hereafter referred to as “Durrani,” as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Kalya et al. (US 2018/0298817 A1), hereafter referred to as “Kalya.” Regarding Claim 11: Al-Eidan modified supra fails to teach wherein the pressure and temperature sensor is a component of the compressor and is disposed in the low-pressure area. Kalya teaches a pressure and temperature sensor (70) is a component of a compressor (24) and is disposed in a low-pressure area (intake area near 23). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein the pressure and temperature sensor is a component of the compressor and is disposed in the low-pressure area to the structure of Al-Eidan modified supra as taught by Kalya in order to advantageously provide the sensor incorporated within the compressor for data of the compressor (see Kalya, paragraph [0027]). Regarding Claim 12: Al-Eidan modified supra fails to teach wherein no pressure sensor is disposed in the high-pressure area, and/or no temperature sensor is disposed in the high-pressure area. Kalya teaches no pressure sensor is disposed in a high-pressure area, and/or no temperature sensor is disposed in the high-pressure area (no sensor 70 is outside of the discharge of the compressor, paragraph [0027]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein no pressure sensor is disposed in the high-pressure area, and/or no temperature sensor is disposed in the high-pressure area to the structure of Al-Eidan modified supra as taught by Kalya in order to advantageously provide the sensor incorporated within the compressor for data of the compressor (see Kalya, paragraph [0027]). Regarding Claim 13: Al-Eidan teaches wherein an exit area of the compressor (from 4 to 1) assigned to the high-pressure area (exit to condenser) is connected to an entry area of the condenser (1) by a high-pressure line of the refrigerant circuit system (see Figure 4) through which refrigerant can flow, so that refrigerant can flow from the compressor (4) to the condenser (1). Al-Eidan modified supra fails to teach, wherein no pressure sensor for measuring a pressure is provided at the exit area of the compressor and/or at the high-pressure line and/or at the entry area of the condenser, and/or wherein no temperature sensor for measuring a temperature value is provided at the exit area of the compressor and/or at the high-pressure line and/or at the entry area of the condenser. Kalya teaches no pressure sensor for measuring a pressure is provided at an exit area of a compressor and/or at a high-pressure line and/or at an entry area of a condenser, and/or wherein no temperature sensor for measuring a temperature value is provided at the exit area of the compressor and/or at the high-pressure line and/or at the entry area of the condenser (no sensor 70 is outside of the discharge of the compressor, paragraph [0027]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided wherein no pressure sensor for measuring a pressure is provided at the exit area of the compressor and/or at the high-pressure line and/or at the entry area of the condenser, and/or wherein no temperature sensor for measuring a temperature value is provided at the exit area of the compressor and/or at the high-pressure line and/or at the entry area of the condenser to the structure of Al-Eidan modified supra as taught by Kalya in order to advantageously provide the sensor incorporated within the compressor for data of the compressor (see Kalya, paragraph [0027]). Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Allgaeuer et al. (US 2020/0298657 A1). 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 KIRSTIN U OSWALD whose telephone number is (571)270-3557. The examiner can normally be reached 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. M-F. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at 571-272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /KIRSTIN U OSWALD/Examiner, Art Unit 3763 /ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 21, 2024
Application Filed
Jan 13, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103, §112
Mar 18, 2026
Response Filed
Jun 16, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103, §112 (current)

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3-4
Expected OA Rounds
58%
Grant Probability
92%
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3y 2m (~10m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
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