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 without traverse of Specie II (Figure 4) in the reply filed on 01/29/26 is acknowledged.
Applicant indicates that claims 1-3 and 11-13 read on the elected Specie II (Figure 4). However, because claim 1 is found allowable and claims 4 and 14 also depend on claim 1, so claims 4 and 14 are rejointed in this office action. Thus, claims 1-4 and 11-14 are examined in this office action, and claims 5-10 and 15-20 are withdrawn from consideration.
Claims 5-10 and 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Specie, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/29/26.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-4 and 11-14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, lines 1-2, “code (where L is an integer larger than or equal to 3)” should be changed to “code, wherein L is an integer larger than or equal to 3,”.
Claims 2-4 and 11-14 are objected to because they depend on claim 1.
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.
Claim 1-4 and 11-14 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.
For claim 1, the recitation “a carry signal” on line 17 is unclear antecedent basis because it is not clear if it relates to “a carry signal” recited earlier on line 15. Further, the recitation “carry signals” on line 19 is unclear antecedent basis because it is not clear if any of the “carry signals” relates to “a carry signal” recited earlier on line 15. Clarification and/or appropriate correction is required.
Claims 2-4 and 11-14 are allowed because they depend on claim 1.
Also, for claims 2 and 3, the recitation “a carry signal” (line 7 of claim 2 and line 9 of claim 3) is also indefinite for the same reason as discussed in claim 1 above. Clarification and/or appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 and 11-14 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directly to Examiner Long Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-1753. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lincoln Donovan, can be reached at (571) 272-1988. The fax number for this group is (571) 273-8300.
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/Long Nguyen/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2842