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 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 1-15 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.
Re Claim 1, it is unclear what the metes and bounds of the limitation “including an output area where a screen is output and a button manipulated by a user” is.
It is unclear whether a screen and button are being claimed or it is intended use of an area, or the screen is part of the area while the button is being claimed, or something else.
It is unclear what is meant by “a screen is output” because is output implies a process.
It is also unclear whether the central portion having an output area and straight edges is claiming structure or geometrical descriptions and referential direction. This applies to “the straight edges and the curved edge… connected to each other via a pair of connecting points” and “a boundary line… is defined to pass through the pair of connecting points.” The language – portion, area, line, points, edges are not inherently structural and do not require any require any structure and further these are unclear because it is not clear what is being claimed.
Claims 2-15 are rejected as they depend from Claim 1 without curing the deficiency. In fact, they add to the indefiniteness by further using the language of defined, boundary, line, shape, edge, area, portion, without using any positively claimed structural language.
Re Claims 1, 3, 5, and 12-13 it is unclear whether “defined to be” is more of a geometrical reference or positively claimed structure.
Further examination of the claims is precluded in view of the unascertainable claim scope described by the rejection above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON Y KO whose telephone number is (571)270-7451. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00-6:00.
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JASON Y. KO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/JASON Y KO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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