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 with traverse of Species 1 in the reply filed on 04/01/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Figures 2A, 2B, 4 and 5 all relate to Figure 1 of Species 1. This is found persuasive.
Claims 14-20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 04/01/2026.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description:
Reference character “ISO” as shown in Figures 2A and 2B.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Reference label “ISO” (Figures 2A and 2B) is not defined within the specification.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-13 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 6, 8, 10 and 12-13 depend upon rejected claim 1 and inherit the deficiency thereby.
Claim 1, Line 15, “or similar” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art what this terminology meant to convey, thereby leaving it difficult to ascertain the boundaries of the claim.
Claim 2, Lines 1-2, “the switch is electrically connected to a plurality of conductive strips” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art how this relates to “a switch electrically connected to each conductive strip of the plurality” as previously defined in claim 1 from which this claim depends, leaving it unclear whether the switch is connected to each conductive strip or only to the plurality.
Claim 3, Line 1, “a plurality of switches” is unclear how this relates to the singular “switch” as defined in claim 1 from which this claim depends and whether it is the same switch or a new, differing plurality of switches, thereby leaving the claim unclear.
Claim 3, Line 2, “a subset” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art how this limitation would be consistent with each strip being connected to each of “the plurality of conductive strips” as defined in claims 1 and 2 from which this claim depends.
Claim 4, Lines 1-2, the claim in its entirety appears to be redundant of the limitations previously defined in lines 18-19 of claim 1 from which this claim depends.
Claim 5, Lines 4-7, “a first transmission line” and “a second transmission line” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art how this relates to “the two or more transmission lines” or “the at least one transmission line” as defined in lines 2-4 of claim 1 and whether these are the same transmission lines or differing, newly defined transmission lines.
Claim 7, Lines 2 and 4, Claim 8, Line 2, “a first electromagnetic signal” and “a second electromagnetic signal” are unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art how they relate to the “an electromagnetic signal” as defined in line 4 of claim 1 from which this claim depends and whether these are the same signal or differing, newly defined signals.
Claim 9, Line 2, “minimum amplitude imbalance” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art what the “minimum” value would be and what would constitute this “minimum” value, leaving the scope of the claim unclear.
Claim 11, Line 2, “greater than 40%” is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art what this “40%” is measured by and in reference to what parameter, thereby leaving the boundaries of the claim unclear.
Appropriate correction is required.
Conclusion
The prior art of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
The most pertinent prior art is Krishnaswamy (US 7969359), which teaches two or more transmission lines, a plurality of conductive strips, a spacing distance, and an input and output port.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABIGAIL YALDO whose telephone number is (703)756-1784. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7 AM - 4 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Lindgren Baltzell can be reached at (571) 272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABIGAIL AMIR YALDO/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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