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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 10/18/24 has been considered.
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 communication headset (claims 1, 8 and 15) and the microphone (claims 1 and 8) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. Each of independent claims claims 1, 8 and 15 set forth “a communications device”, i.e. a single device along with a switch activated by a user to select a low impedance interface or a high impedance interface which is not supported by the written disclosure as set forth. It appears that the purpose of a low impedance interface and a high impedance interface is for the use of at least two communication devices (such as a military device and a civilian device) and that the switch is used to select the appropriate impedance based on the type of communication device being connected. The written specification does not make an impedance selection when there is only a single communications device as set forth. It appears that the claim must be amended to include at least to different communications devices so that a proper impedance is selected (high or low) upon activation of the switch for an impedance matching to take place. Impedance matching between a low impedance and a high impedance cannot occur with only a single communications device as set forth. The limitations of dependent claims 2-7, 9-14 and 16-20 inherit the language of claims 1, 8 and 15 respectively.
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 1-20 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.
Each of independent claims 1, 8 and 15 do not adequately set forth how an impedance matching between a low impedance interface and a high impedance interface by the activation of a user operated switch occurs when there is only a single communications device being present. It appears that there must be at least two different communications devices present for an impedance selection to be made. Clarification of the claimed limitations is required. The limitations of dependent claims 2-7, 9-14 and 16-20 do not clarify the language of the respective independent claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 are allowed over the art of record.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: See et al. considered to be the closest art on record teaches an audio cable connector including a cable (106) with a plurality of wires (paragraph [0055]) connected to a communications remote device (104) and a plug (108) connected to a communications device (102) which includes a housing having logic and control circuitry (figure 2) including an impedance matching circuitry (230) including low impedance path (240) and a high impedance path (238) and a switch (push-to talk button, paragraph [0056]). It is noted that See et al. does not teach a headset or impedance matching between a microphone input and a communications device connected to a plug being used as set forth in each of claims 1 and 8 or between an input of at least one of the cable wires and a communications device set forth in claim 15. In See et al. the selection of the impedance circuit used to output sound in a speaker at a remote device is based on a configuration of a radio device. The limitations of claims 2-7, 9-14 and 16-20 inherit the features of claims 1, 8 and 15 respectively.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wu et al. teaches an audio processing arrangement that includes a circuit to match the impedance for a TV tuner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW SNIEZEK whose telephone number is (571)272-7563. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00 AM-3:30 PM EST.
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/ANDREW SNIEZEK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693
/A.S./Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693 10/6/26
