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 .
Specification
The objections to the Specification are withdrawn in view of the amendments to
the Title.
Claim Objections
The objections to the Claims 1-20 are withdrawn in view of the amendments to
the Claims 1, 6, 9-11, 16, 19-20.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the claimed subject matter of Claim 11 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
Claim 11 recites “wherein each heat bridge comprises at least one of an O-shaped plate”, no Figures or Drawings depict a “heat bridge” comprises at least one of an “O-shaped plate”, all Figures or Drawing which depict the “heat bridge” are of “U-Shaped plates”.
No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to because Figure 2A and 2B contain minor informalities.
Figure 2A, at the bottom of the Figure, the reference number “108” is used to indicate the “DIMM”, but it appears to be an error as “DIMM” uses reference number “106”, the Examiner recommends correcting the reference number to “106”.
Figure 2B, at the bottom and on the sides of the Figure,
On the sides of the Figure, the reference number “108’ “ is used to indicate the “heat bridge”, this appears to be an error as the reference number for “heat bridge” is “104”, the Examiner recommends correcting the reference number, and
at the bottom, the reference number “208” (does not exist in the Specification) is used to indicate the “DIMM”, but it appears to be an error as “DIMM” uses reference number “106”, the Examiner recommends correcting the reference number.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-2, 5-7, 9, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by David et al. (US 8,913,384 - hereinafter, "David").
With respect to Claim 1, David teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
A dual inline memory module (DIMM) cooling system (see Figure 16A) comprising:
a DIMM heat sink (1500’) comprising:
a thermally conductive member (1505+1530, in column 18, lines 22-29, “This is accommodated, in the embodiment depicted, by providing thermal transfer structure 1500' with a thermal spreader 1505 having thermally conductive spring assemblies 1520, 1521 secured to opposite sides thereof. As illustrated, thermal spreader 1505 comprises a spreader plate with respective recesses or channels in the plate, to accommodate flattened tube sections 1535 of a coolant-carrying tube 1530”) comprising at least one of a thermally conductive plate (1505, in column 18, lines 22-29, “This is accommodated, in the embodiment depicted, by providing thermal transfer structure 1500' with a thermal spreader 1505 having thermally conductive spring assemblies 1520, 1521 secured to opposite sides thereof. As illustrated, thermal spreader 1505 comprises a spreader plate with respective recesses or channels in the plate, to accommodate flattened tube sections 1535 of a coolant-carrying tube 1530”) that are configured to be void of any coolant fluid (thermally conductive plate (1505) does not contain any coolant fluid, coolant pipe (1530) contains and conveys the coolant fluid (coolant)); and
one or more heat bridges (1520+1521, in column 17, lines 41-56, “The electronics cards may then be docked in their respective sockets, with spring forces being exerted on the electronics cards by the adjacent thermally conductive spring assemblies. These spring forces are configured to ensure or enhance thermal contact between the thermal transfer structures and the electronics cards. Multiple springs or sections of springs may be employed within the assemblies to facilitate independence of the springs to accommodate, for example, differently sized chips or modules on the side surfaces of the cards. Further, those skilled in the art will note that the above-described C-shaped, dual compression spring, upward-facing, U-shaped compression spring, and downward-facing, U-shaped compression spring, are presented by way of example only, as is the thermal spreader, which in the embodiments of FIGS. 12A-14B, comprises a thermal spreader plate”) configured on opposing sides of the thermally conductive member (1505+1530),
wherein the one or more heat bridges (1520+1521) are resilient in order to maintain contact with a pair of adjacent dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) (electronics cards, in column 5, lines 32-40, “"Electronic component" refers to any heat-generating electronic component of, for example, a computer system or other electronic system requiring cooling. By way of example, an electronic component may comprise one or more integrated circuit dies, and/or other electronic devices to be cooled, such as one or more electronics cards. In one implementation, an electronics card may comprise a plurality of memory modules (such as one or more dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs))”, see Figure 16A) configured in a DIMM array (in column 18, lines 52-54, “In FIG. 16A, a plurality of thermal transfer structures 1630 are divided into two arrays to accommodate two banks of electronics cards (not shown)”, see Figure 16A) when disposed between the pair of adjacent DIMMs (electronics cards).
With respect to Claim 2, David teaches the limitations of Claim 1as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
wherein the thermally conductive member (1505+1530) comprises a coolant pipe (1530) configured to convey a coolant fluid (coolant, in column 18, lines 19-36, “FIG. 15B depicts an alternate embodiment of a thermal transfer structure 1500', wherein the coolant inlet and outlet manifolds are assumed to be disposed on the same side of the structure, and thus, the same side of the card array. This is accommodated, in the embodiment depicted, by providing thermal transfer structure 1500' with a thermal spreader 1505 having thermally conductive spring assemblies 1520, 1521 secured to opposite sides thereof. As illustrated, thermal spreader 1505 comprises a spreader plate with respective recesses or channels in the plate, to accommodate flattened tube sections 1535 of a coolant-carrying tube 1530. Coolant-carrying tube 1530 includes rounded tube sections 1532 at a common end of the thermal transfer structure 1500' that include a coolant inlet 1533 and a coolant outlet 1534. At an opposite end edge of the thermal transfer structure 1500', a loop or bend 1531 is provided, which allows coolant to enter and exit the coolant-carrying tube 1530 at the same end edge of the thermal transfer structure”).
With respect to Claim 5, David teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
further comprising a plurality of the DIMM heat sinks (1500’, see Figure 16A) that are configured to be disposed between adjacent ones of three or more DIMMs (electronic cards, see Figure 16A).
With respect to Claim 6, David teaches the limitations of Claim 5 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
further comprising one or more interconnecting members (1620+1621+1622) configured between each adjacent DIMM heat sink (1500’), the one or more interconnecting members (1620+1621+1622) configured to maintain each adjacent pair of DIMM heat sinks (1500’) a specified distance apart (see Figure 16A).
With respect to Claim 7, David teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
wherein each heat bridge (1520+1521) comprises at least one of a U-shaped plate (in column 17, lines 41-56, “The electronics cards may then be docked in their respective sockets, with spring forces being exerted on the electronics cards by the adjacent thermally conductive spring assemblies. These spring forces are configured to ensure or enhance thermal contact between the thermal transfer structures and the electronics cards. Multiple springs or sections of springs may be employed within the assemblies to facilitate independence of the springs to accommodate, for example, differently sized chips or modules on the side surfaces of the cards. Further, those skilled in the art will note that the above-described C-shaped, dual compression spring, upward-facing, U-shaped compression spring, and downward-facing, U-shaped compression spring, are presented by way of example only, as is the thermal spreader, which in the embodiments of FIGS. 12A-14B, comprises a thermal spreader plate”, upward-facing or downward-facing U-shaped compression spring) or an O-shaped plate.
With respect to Claim 9, David teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
wherein the one or more heat bridges (1520+1521) are resilient in order to maintain contact with a plurality of Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAMs) (memory modules, in column 11, lines 44-48, “These first and second surfaces on the different sides of the electronics card may comprise, in one example, surfaces of one or more electronics devices, such as memory modules, mounted on the different sides of the respective electronics card”) configured on each DIMM (electronics cards).
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.
Claims 8, 10, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over David in view of Ferrer Medina et al. (US 12,432,884 - hereinafter, "Ferrer").
With respect to Claim 8, David teaches the limitations of Claim 7 as per above, but fails to specifically teach or suggest the limitations of Claim 8.
Ferrer, however, teaches (in Figure 4A and in column 8, lines 58-62)
wherein a U-shaped plate (204, see Figure 4A) is made of copper (in column 8, lines 58-62, “The heat transfer device 204 may be made of thin and compliant material like a malleable sheet metal, such as steel or copper, heat conductive plastic sheet that is also elastic, heat conductive laminate materials that combine conductivity with elasticity, and the like”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Ferrer with David, such that a U-shaped plate is made of copper as taught by Ferrer since doing so would increase or effectively maximizes thermal contact area for conductive heat transfer that combines conductivity with elasticity. (in column 8, lines 58-67)
With respect to Claim 10, David teaches the limitations of Claim 9 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
the one or more heat bridges (1520+1521) and the DRAMs (memory modules).
David fails to specifically teach or suggest a layer of thermal grease or oil disposed between the one or more heat bridges and the DRAMs
Ferrer, however, teaches (in column 4, lines 58-65) a layer of thermal grease (208, in column 4, lines 58-65, “A thermal interface or pliant gap-filler material 208, such as thermal conductive grease, thermal conductive paste, a thin metal layer, a 3-D thermal conductive plastic fabric, gap pad, and the like may be used between the memory chips 104 and heat spreader device 201 to create a complete thermal path without bubbles, gaps, or non-contact areas, to transfer and distribute heat from the memory chips 104 to the heat spreader device 201”)or oil disposed between a heat spreader device (201) and a memory chip (104).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Ferrer with David, such that a layer of thermal grease or oil disposed between a heat spreader device and a memory chip as taught by Ferrer since doing so would create a complete thermal path without bubbles, gaps, or non-contact areas, to transfer and distribute heat from David’s DRAMs. (in column 4, lines 58-65)
Claims 11-12, 15-17, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over David in view of Yang et al. (US 2013/0342987 - hereinafter, "Yang").
With respect to Claim 11, David teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
An Information Handling System (IHS) (in column 5, lines 15-31, “As used herein, the terms "electronics rack", and "rack unit" are used interchangeably, and unless otherwise specified include any housing, frame, rack, compartment, blade server system, etc., having one or more heat-generating components of a computer system or electronic system, and may be, for example, a stand-alone computer processor having high, mid or low end processing capability. In one embodiment, an electronics rack may comprise a portion of an electronic system, a single electronic system or multiple electronic systems, for example, in one or more sub-housings, blades, books, drawers, nodes, compartments, etc., having one or more heat-generating electronic components disposed therein. An electronic system(s) within an electronics rack may be movable or fixed relative to the electronics rack, with rack-mounted electronic drawers and blades of a blade center system being two examples of electronic systems (or subsystems) of an electronics rack to be cooled”, see Figure 3) comprising:
a pair of adjacent dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) (electronics cards, in column 5, lines 32-40, “"Electronic component" refers to any heat-generating electronic component of, for example, a computer system or other electronic system requiring cooling. By way of example, an electronic component may comprise one or more integrated circuit dies, and/or other electronic devices to be cooled, such as one or more electronics cards. In one implementation, an electronics card may comprise a plurality of memory modules (such as one or more dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs))) configured in a DIMM array (in column 18, lines 52-54, “In FIG. 16A, a plurality of thermal transfer structures 1630 are divided into two arrays to accommodate two banks of electronics cards (not shown)”, see Figure 16A); and
a DIMM heat sink (1500’) comprising:
a thermally conductive member (1505+1530, in column 18, lines 22-29, “This is accommodated, in the embodiment depicted, by providing thermal transfer structure 1500' with a thermal spreader 1505 having thermally conductive spring assemblies 1520, 1521 secured to opposite sides thereof. As illustrated, thermal spreader 1505 comprises a spreader plate with respective recesses or channels in the plate, to accommodate flattened tube sections 1535 of a coolant-carrying tube 1530”) comprising at least one of a thermally conductive plate (1505, in column 18, lines 22-29, “This is accommodated, in the embodiment depicted, by providing thermal transfer structure 1500' with a thermal spreader 1505 having thermally conductive spring assemblies 1520, 1521 secured to opposite sides thereof. As illustrated, thermal spreader 1505 comprises a spreader plate with respective recesses or channels in the plate, to accommodate flattened tube sections 1535 of a coolant-carrying tube 1530”) that are configured to be void of any coolant fluid (thermally conductive plate (1505) does not contain any coolant fluid, coolant pipe (1530) contains and conveys the coolant fluid (coolant)); and
one or more heat bridges (1520+1521, in column 17, lines 41-56, “The electronics cards may then be docked in their respective sockets, with spring forces being exerted on the electronics cards by the adjacent thermally conductive spring assemblies. These spring forces are configured to ensure or enhance thermal contact between the thermal transfer structures and the electronics cards. Multiple springs or sections of springs may be employed within the assemblies to facilitate independence of the springs to accommodate, for example, differently sized chips or modules on the side surfaces of the cards. Further, those skilled in the art will note that the above-described C-shaped, dual compression spring, upward-facing, U-shaped compression spring, and downward-facing, U-shaped compression spring, are presented by way of example only, as is the thermal spreader, which in the embodiments of FIGS. 12A-14B, comprises a thermal spreader plate”) configured on opposing sides of the thermally conductive member (1505+1530),
wherein the one or more heat bridges (1520+1521, in column 17, lines 41-56) are resilient in order to maintain contact with the pair of adjacent DIMMs (electronics cards) when disposed between the pair of adjacent DIMMs (electronics cards), and wherein each heat bridge (1520+1521) comprises at least one of a U-shaped plate (in column 17, lines 41-56).
David fails to specifically teach or suggest wherein each heat bridge comprises at least one of an O-shaped plate.
Yang, however, teaches (in paragraph [0028])
wherein each heat bridge (24) comprises at least one of an O-shaped plate (in paragraph [0028], “Additionally, in an embodiment, the metal spring leaves 24 may be made in a U shape, an O shape, or an arc shape”)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Yang with David, such that each heat bridge comprises at least one of an O-shaped plate as taught by Yang since doing so would allow the heat bridge to be of various shape, size and form to meet the desired characteristic or needs for the various situations as necessary.
With respect to Claim 12, David as modified by Yang teaches the limitations of Claim 11 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
wherein the thermally conductive member (1505+1530) comprises a coolant pipe (1530) configured to convey a coolant fluid (coolant, in column 18, lines 19-36, “FIG. 15B depicts an alternate embodiment of a thermal transfer structure 1500', wherein the coolant inlet and outlet manifolds are assumed to be disposed on the same side of the structure, and thus, the same side of the card array. This is accommodated, in the embodiment depicted, by providing thermal transfer structure 1500' with a thermal spreader 1505 having thermally conductive spring assemblies 1520, 1521 secured to opposite sides thereof. As illustrated, thermal spreader 1505 comprises a spreader plate with respective recesses or channels in the plate, to accommodate flattened tube sections 1535 of a coolant-carrying tube 1530. Coolant-carrying tube 1530 includes rounded tube sections 1532 at a common end of the thermal transfer structure 1500' that include a coolant inlet 1533 and a coolant outlet 1534. At an opposite end edge of the thermal transfer structure 1500', a loop or bend 1531 is provided, which allows coolant to enter and exit the coolant-carrying tube 1530 at the same end edge of the thermal transfer structure”).
With respect to Claim 15, David as modified by Yang teaches the limitations of Claim 11 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
further comprising a plurality of the DIMM heat sinks (1500’, see Figure 16A) that are configured to be disposed between adjacent ones of three or more DIMMs (electronic cards, see Figure 16A).
With respect to Claim 16, David as modified by Yang teaches the limitations of Claim 15 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
further comprising one or more interconnecting members (1620+1621+1622) configured between each adjacent DIMM heat sink (1500’), the one or more interconnecting members (1620+1621+1622) configured to maintain each adjacent pair of DIMM heat sinks (1500’) a specified distance apart (see Figure 16A).
With respect to Claim 17, David as modified by Yang teaches the limitations of Claim 11 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
wherein each heat bridge (1520+1521) comprises at least one of an U-shaped plate (in column 17, lines 41-56, “The electronics cards may then be docked in their respective sockets, with spring forces being exerted on the electronics cards by the adjacent thermally conductive spring assemblies. These spring forces are configured to ensure or enhance thermal contact between the thermal transfer structures and the electronics cards. Multiple springs or sections of springs may be employed within the assemblies to facilitate independence of the springs to accommodate, for example, differently sized chips or modules on the side surfaces of the cards. Further, those skilled in the art will note that the above-described C-shaped, dual compression spring, upward-facing, U-shaped compression spring, and downward-facing, U-shaped compression spring, are presented by way of example only, as is the thermal spreader, which in the embodiments of FIGS. 12A-14B, comprises a thermal spreader plate”, upward-facing or downward-facing U-shaped compression spring) or an O-shaped plate.
With respect to Claim 19, David as modified by Yang teaches the limitations of Claim 11 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
wherein the one or more heat bridges (1520+1521) are resilient in order to maintain contact with a plurality of Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAMs) (memory modules, in column 11, lines 44-48, “These first and second surfaces on the different sides of the electronics card may comprise, in one example, surfaces of one or more electronics devices, such as memory modules, mounted on the different sides of the respective electronics card”) configured on each DIMM (electronics cards).
Claims 18, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over David in view of Yang in view of Ferrer).
With respect to Claim 18, David as modified by Yang teaches the limitations of Claim 17 as per above, but fails to specifically teach or suggest the limitations of Claim 18.
Ferrer, however, teaches (in Figure 4A and in column 8, lines 58-62)
wherein a U-shaped plate (204, see Figure 4A) is made of copper (in column 8, lines 58-62, “The heat transfer device 204 may be made of thin and compliant material like a malleable sheet metal, such as steel or copper, heat conductive plastic sheet that is also elastic, heat conductive laminate materials that combine conductivity with elasticity, and the like”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Ferrer with David, such that a U-shaped plate is made of copper as taught by Ferrer since doing so would increase or effectively maximizes thermal contact area for conductive heat transfer that combines conductivity with elasticity. (in column 8, lines 58-67)
With respect to Claim 20, David as modified by Yang teaches the limitations of Claim 19 as per above, David further teaches (in Figure 15A-15B and 16A)
the one or more heat bridges (1520+1521) and the DRAMs (memory modules).
David fails to specifically teach or suggest a layer of thermal grease or oil disposed between the one or more heat bridges and the DRAMs
Ferrer, however, teaches (in column 4, lines 58-65) a layer of thermal grease (208, in column 4, lines 58-65, “A thermal interface or pliant gap-filler material 208, such as thermal conductive grease, thermal conductive paste, a thin metal layer, a 3-D thermal conductive plastic fabric, gap pad, and the like may be used between the memory chips 104 and heat spreader device 201 to create a complete thermal path without bubbles, gaps, or non-contact areas, to transfer and distribute heat from the memory chips 104 to the heat spreader device 201”)or oil disposed between a heat spreader device (201) and a memory chip (104).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Ferrer with David, such that a layer of thermal grease or oil disposed between a heat spreader device and a memory chip as taught by Ferrer since doing so would create a complete thermal path without bubbles, gaps, or non-contact areas, to transfer and distribute heat from David’s DRAMs. (in column 4, lines 58-65)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 08/24/2026 have been fully considered, the Examiner notes that Applicant’s arguments are directed to the claims as amended, and the rejection has been modified to meet the limitations of the amended claims (See rejection above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 12,635,110 to Shaw et al., which teaches a system and method enabling the use of convection cooled dual-inline memory modules (DIMM) in non-convection environments, specifically used for computing applications for harsh environments. This system and method describes a design which transfers heat from the various components on the memory module to thermally opportunistic areas of an enclosure in the absence of sufficient or in some cases any convective cooling conditions. The system and method describes a sandwiched metal heat plate assembly, being constructed from a thermally conductive material, which is attached to a heat pipe, designed to be highly thermally conductive, which is further attached to a thermally conductive cold plate saddle, which in turn is connected to a thermal sink.
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 Steven Ngo whose telephone number is (571)272-4295. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM - 4:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached at (571) 272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
Prosecution Insights