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 1-11 are pending.
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 1-11 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.
Regarding Claim 1, the limitation in line 5-6, which recites “the plurality of node mechanism sections holding one ends of at least two or more link shafts among the plurality of link shafts” renders the claim unclear as to whether “one ends” renders the claim unclear as to whether the limitation recites a grammatical error that renders the scope of the claim unclear as to whether the limitation is directed to i) “one end” of the at least two or more link shafts; or ii) the group of one end of each of the two or more link shafts connected to the nodes. For purposes of Examination, the claim has been interpreted as “holding one end of at least two or more link shafts among the plurality of link shafts”.
Regarding claim 2, the limitation in lines 2-3 which recite “a magnetic field that changes according to a direction in which each of the link shafts held” renders the claim unclear as to whether “a direction” is the same and/or different “direction” as detected by the first directions means recited by Claim 1 from which it depends.
Regarding claim 3, the limitations in line 3-4 which recites “and each of the node mechanism sections is provided with a first magnetic sensor that detects a magnetic field generated from the first magnet, a second magnetic sensor that detects a magnetic field from the second magnet” which renders the claim unclear as to whether the “magnetic field” of the first magnet sensor and the second magnetic sensor are the same and/or different as the “magnetic field” detected by “a magnetic sensor” of the first detection means of claim 2 from which it depends.
Regarding Claim 7, the claim is rendered indefinite because the limitations in line 3 recites “between the adjacent node mechanism sections adjacent to each other” and the term “the adjacent node mechanism sections adjacent to each other” lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
Regarding claim 11, the limitation in lines 4-6 which recites “the held link shaft changes due to own weight of another” renders the claim unclear because it is unclear what “another” is referencing to set forth the metes and bounds of the claimed subject matter.
Dependent claims 4-6 and 8-10 are rendered unclear for substantially the same reasons as independent Claim 1 above as being dependent and incorporating the limitations of independent Claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN HSU whose telephone number is (571)272-7148. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10:00-6:00 PM.
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/RYAN HSU/EXAMINER, Art Unit 3715