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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph [0002], the first occurring abbreviation “USB” should be written with a full terminology with the abbreviation enclosed within a parenthesis.
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 3-6 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 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are: the USB Type-C receptacle and the spring contact with the tailcap and the battery compartment of the portable electronic device.
Regarding claim 3, lines 8-9 recite that the USB Type-C receptacle is accessible through an opening in the tailcap. First, it is not clear and indefinite the USB Type-C receptacle is structurally related with the tailcap or the battery compartment. Although it is clear that the USB Type-C receptacle is accessible through the opening in the tailcap, it is not clear and indefinite whether the USB Type-C receptacle is in or out of the tailcap or the battery compartment since the tailcap is to enclose the battery compartment. Second, it is clear that the spring contact is conductively connected to the USB Type-C receptacle. However, it is not clear and indefinite how the spring contact is structurally related with the tailcap or the battery compartment and what the function of the spring contact is other than conductively connected to the USB Type-C receptacle.
Claim 5 also recite, “a USB Type-C receptacle” in line 4 and “a spring contact” in line 7. Therefore, the same rejection applied to claim 3 also applies to claim 5.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2 are allowed.
Claims 3 and 5 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Reason for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: In combination with all the limitations recited in the independent claim, the prior art of record does not anticipate nor render obvious a tailcap assembly comprising: a tailcap including a USB Type-C receptacle, which is accessible through an opening in the tailcap; and a complementary plug including an outer shell and a male connector extending from the outer shell; wherein the opening receives and detachably retains the complementary plug when the male connector is inserted into the USB Type-C receptacle; and wherein the opening includes two contoured edges positioned opposite each other, the contoured edges being positioned on opposite sides of the outer shell of the complementary plug when the male connector is inserted into the USB Type-C receptacle.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAE MOON HYEON whose telephone number is (571) 272-2093. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm.
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, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. 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.
/hmh/
/Hae Moon Hyeon/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
Prosecution Insights