DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-11, 15-16, and 18-24 are currently pending.
Claims 12-14 and 17 have been canceled.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/27/2024 and 02/10/2026 have been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 8 and 24 are objected to because of the following informalities: both claims recited “in response to a determination that the homography matrix cannot be estiamted”, the word estimated is misspelled. 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 15, 18-19, and 20-24 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.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the feature points", “the current image”, “the descriptor of each feature point” in limes 4-5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Examiner notes the other independent claims recite a limitation “in response to a determination that a current image frame satisfies a relocalization condition, acquiring feature points of the current image frame and a descriptor of each feature point,” which has not been included in independent claim 15. Examiner recommends adding a similar limitation to claim 15.
Claims 18 and 20-24 depend from claim 15 and fail to remedy the indefinites of claim 15, and are therefore also indefinite.
Claim 19 recites “the electronic device of claim 16,” however claim 16 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. It is unclear if Applicant intended claim 19 to depend from claim 16 or the electronic device of claim 15. For the purposes of this action, Examiner interprets claim 19 as dependent upon claim 16. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 4-5, 15-16, 18 and 20-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shi (US 2024/0029300, effectively filed 12/25/2020).
Regarding claim 1, Shi teaches:
A method of relocalization, comprising:
in response to a determination that a current image frame satisfies a relocalization condition, (Shi [0067] When the SLAM system fails to estimate a pose of the robot, the re-localization apparatus may operate in re-localization mode) acquiring feature points of the current image frame and a descriptor of each feature point; (Shi [0067] In the re-localization mode the re-localization apparatus may retrieve image features and poses from the keyframes from the key frame database, extract image features of a current frame captured by the robot…See also [0030] The image features of the keyframe may include a global descriptor and local descriptors of the keyframe )
performing, based on the feature points of the current image frame and the descriptor of each feature point, feature matching on the current image frame and each stored key frame respectively to obtain feature point pairs after matching the current image frame with each key frame respectively; (Shi [0033] the re-localization apparatus may determine one or more rough matching frames from the key frames based on compassion between the global descriptor of each keyframe and the global descriptor of the current frame)
determining a matching degree of the current image frame and each key frame respectively based on the feature point pairs; (Shi [0034] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a Euclidean distance between the global descriptor of each keyframe and the global descriptor of the current frame)
determining a key frame with the highest matching degree with the current image frame as a target key frame; (Shi [0034-35], 15 keyframes with the smallest Euclidean distances (highest matching degree) may be selected as the rough matching frames. At operation 240, the re-localization apparatus may determine a final matching frame from one or more rough matching frames based on a comparison between the local descriptors of each rough matching frame and the local descriptors of the current frame) and
replacing a camera pose corresponding to the current image frame with a camera pose corresponding to the target key frame. (Shi [0037] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a pose of the current frame based on a pose of the final matching frame)
Regarding claim 2, Shi teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 1, wherein the relocalization condition comprises: a number of planar tracking failures between image frames exceeding a predetermined threshold of planar tracking failure. (Shi [0067] When the SLAM system fails to estimate a pose of the robot, the re-localization apparatus may operate in re-localization mode (a single failure is a predetermined threshold))
Regarding claim 4, Shi teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 1, wherein the determining a matching degree of the current image frame and each key frame respectively based on the feature point pairs after matching the current image frame and each key frame respectively comprises:
for each key frame, performing the following:
determining a homography matrix between the current image frame and the key frame based on the feature points pairs; (Shi, [0043] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a fundamental or homography matrix between the current frame and a rough matching frame based on the one or more matching pairs including the keypoints in the current frame and the matching points in the rough frame)
determining a number of feature point pairs among the feature point pairs that satisfy a relationship reflected by the homography matrix; (Shi [0045] the re-localization apparatus may determine the matching point as inline point when the reprojection error calculated at operation 340 is smaller than a predetermined threshold. [0046] determine a number of inline points in the rough matching frame that match the keypoints in the current frame) and
using the number of the feature point pairs as a matching degree of the current image frame and the key frame. (Shi [0047] the re-localization operation may select a rough matching frame with a largest number of inline points as the final matching frame)
Regarding claim 5, Shi teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 1, further comprising:
determining whether the matching degree of the current image frame and each key frame is smaller than a predetermined threshold of matching degree; (Shi [0061] When the number of inline points in the rough matching frame is not greater than a predetermined threshold, the rough matching frame may be discarded) and
in response to a determination that the matching degree of the current image frame and each key frame is smaller than the threshold of matching degree, determining a failure of relocalization, and ending the current process. (Shi [0061] When the number of inline points in the rough matching frame is not greater than a predetermined threshold, the rough matching frame may be discarded)
Regarding claim 15, Shi teaches:
An electronic device, comprising a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and runnable on the processor, the processor, when executing the computer program, carries out a method comprising: (Shi [0069] processor with RAM)
performing, based on the feature points of the current image frame and the descriptor of each feature point, feature matching on the current image frame and each stored key frame respectively to obtain feature point pairs after matching the current image frame with each key frame respectively; (Shi [0033] the re-localization apparatus may determine one or more rough matching frames from the key frames based on compassion between the global descriptor of each keyframe and the global descriptor of the current frame)
determining a matching degree of the current image frame and each key frame respectively based on the feature point pairs; (Shi [0034] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a Euclidean distance between the global descriptor of each keyframe and the global descriptor of the current frame)
determining a key frame with the highest matching degree with the current image frame as a target key frame; (Shi [0034-35], 15 keyframes with the smallest Euclidean distances (highest matching degree) may be selected as the rough matching frames. At operation 240, the re-localization apparatus may determine a final matching frame from one or more rough matching frames based on a comparison between the local descriptors of each rough matching frame and the local descriptors of the current frame) and
replacing a camera pose corresponding to the current image frame with a camera pose corresponding to the target key frame. (Shi [0037] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a pose of the current frame based on a pose of the final matching frame)
Regarding claim 16, Shi teaches:
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, the computer instructions are configured to cause a computer to carry out a method comprising: (Shi [0069] processor with RAM)
in response to a determination that a current image frame satisfies a relocalization condition, (Shi [0067] When the SLAM system fails to estimate a pose of the robot, the re-localization apparatus may operate in re-localization mode) acquiring feature points of the current image frame and a descriptor of each feature point; (Shi [0067] In the re-localization mode the re-localization apparatus may retrieve image features and poses from the keyframes from the key frame database, extract image features of a current frame captured by the robot…See also [0030] The image features of the keyframe may include a global descriptor and local descriptors of the keyframe )
performing, based on the feature points of the current image frame and the descriptor of each feature point, feature matching on the current image frame and each stored key frame respectively to obtain feature point pairs after matching the current image frame with each key frame respectively; (Shi [0033] the re-localization apparatus may determine one or more rough matching frames from the key frames based on compassion between the global descriptor of each keyframe and the global descriptor of the current frame)
determining a matching degree of the current image frame and each key frame respectively based on the feature point pairs; (Shi [0034] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a Euclidean distance between the global descriptor of each keyframe and the global descriptor of the current frame)
determining a key frame with the highest matching degree with the current image frame as a target key frame; (Shi [0034-35], 15 keyframes with the smallest Euclidean distances (highest matching degree) may be selected as the rough matching frames. At operation 240, the re-localization apparatus may determine a final matching frame from one or more rough matching frames based on a comparison between the local descriptors of each rough matching frame and the local descriptors of the current frame) and
replacing a camera pose corresponding to the current image frame with a camera pose corresponding to the target key frame. (Shi [0037] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a pose of the current frame based on a pose of the final matching frame)
Regarding claim 18, Shi teaches:
The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the relocalization condition comprises: a number of planar tracking failures between image frames exceeding a predetermined threshold of planar tracking failure. (Shi [0067] When the SLAM system fails to estimate a pose of the robot, the re-localization apparatus may operate in re-localization mode (a single failure is a predetermined threshold))
Regarding claim 20, Shi teaches:
The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the determining a matching degree of the current image frame and each key frame respectively based on the feature point pairs after matching the current image frame and each key frame respectively comprises:
for each key frame, performing the following:
determining a homography matrix between the current image frame and the key frame based on the feature points pairs; (Shi, [0043] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a fundamental or homography matrix between the current frame and a rough matching frame based on the one or more matching pairs including the keypoints in the current frame and the matching points in the rough frame)
determining a number of feature point pairs among the feature point pairs that satisfy a relationship reflected by the homography matrix; (Shi [0045] the re-localization apparatus may determine the matching point as inline point when the reprojection error calculated at operation 340 is smaller than a predetermined threshold. [0046] determine a number of inline points in the rough matching frame that match the keypoints in the current frame) and
using the number of the feature point pairs as a matching degree of the current image frame and the key frame. (Shi [0047] the re-localization operation may select a rough matching frame with a largest number of inline points as the final matching frame)
Regarding claim 21, Shi teaches:
The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, carries out the method further comprising:
determining whether the matching degree of the current image frame and each key frame is smaller than a predetermined threshold of matching degree; (Shi [0061] When the number of inline points in the rough matching frame is not greater than a predetermined threshold, the rough matching frame may be discarded) and
in response to a determination that the matching degree of the current image frame and each key frame is smaller than the threshold of matching degree, determining a failure of relocalization, and ending the current process. (Shi [0061] When the number of inline points in the rough matching frame is not greater than a predetermined threshold, the rough matching frame may be discarded)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 3, 6-11, 19 and 22-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi as applied to claims 1, 15, and 16 above, and further in view of Lin (US 2020/00334836).
Regarding claim 3, Shi fails to teach:
The method of relocalization of claim 2, wherein the relocalization condition further comprises: a planar tracking error of an adjacent image frame of the current image frame is smaller than a predetermined threshold of plane tracking error.
Lin teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 2, wherein the relocalization condition further comprises: a planar tracking error of an adjacent image frame of the current image frame is smaller than a predetermined threshold of plane tracking error. (Lin [0033] Specifically, in a tracking process corresponding to an ith marker image, in a case that a racking effect of a current image relative to the ith marker imager is poorer than a preset condition (for example, a quantity of feature points that can be obtained through matching is less than a preset threshold), a previous image of the current image (adjacent frame) is determined as an (i+1)th marker and an (i+1)th racking process is started)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to implement the adjacent frame tracking as disclosed in Lin in the re-localization system of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shin and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of re-localization. The motivation for the combination is improve the time required for re-localization. See Lin [0005]
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 1, further comprising:
in response to a determination that the current image frame satisfies an initial screening condition of key frame, acquiring the feature points of the current image frame and the descriptor of each feature point; (Lin [0182] Determine whether the candidate image satisfies an addition condition…. [0184] for an initial feature point in the first marker image, a target feature point matching the initial feature point exists in the candidate image)
performing, based on the feature points of the current image frame and the descriptor of each feature point, feature matching on the current image frame and a stored reference image frame to obtain a matched second feature point pair; (Lin [0184] An L2 distance (a Euclidean distance corresponding to the norm of L2) is calculated according to each matching feature point pair)
estimating a homography matrix between the current image frame and the reference image frame based on the second feature point pair; (Shi, [0043] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a fundamental or homography matrix between the current frame and a rough matching frame based on the one or more matching pairs including the keypoints in the current frame and the matching points in the rough frame)and
in response to a determination that the homography matrix can be estimated, (Shi, [0043] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a fundamental or homography matrix between the current frame and a rough matching frame based on the one or more matching pairs including the keypoints in the current frame and the matching points in the rough frame) determining the current image frame as a key frame, and recording the feature points of the current image frame, the descriptor of each feature point, and the camera pose corresponding to the current image frame. (Lin [0187-88] Add the candidate image frame to the keyframe database in a case that the candidate image satisfies the addition condition….Optionally a first global descriptor of the keyframe, a keyframe feature point, a positioning result of the first relocalization are stored in the keyframe database)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to implement the keyframe determination as disclosed in Lin in the re-localization system of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shin and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of re-localization. The motivation for the combination is improve the time required for re-localization. See Lin [0005]
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 6, wherein the initial screening condition of key frame comprises:
detecting a click from a user on a screen of a planar tracking device, or
determining that a difference between the camera pose corresponding to the current image frame and a camera pose corresponding to each key frame is greater than a predetermined threshold of pose difference. (Lin [0182] Step 2: Determine whether the candidate image satisfies an addition condition, the addition condition including: a first distance between the cnaddiate image and the first marker image is greater than a first threshold, and/or a second distance between the candidate image and a key-frame added last time is greater than a second threshold)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to implement the keyframe determination as disclosed in Lin in the re-localization system of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shin and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of re-localization. The motivation for the combination is improve the time required for re-localization. See Lin [0005]
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 6, further comprising:
in response to a determination that a number of the feature points of the current image frame is smaller than a predetermined threshold number of feature points, determining that the current image frame is not a key frame, and ending the current process; or,
in response to a determination that the homography matrix cannot be estiamted, determining that the current image frame is not a key frame, and ending the current process. ( Lin [0189-190] Step 4: Skip adding the candidate image to the keyframe database in a case that the candidate image does not satisfy the addition condition. The candidate image is not added to the key frame database in a case that the first distance between the candidate image and the first marker image is less than the first threshold, or, the second distance between the candidate image and the key frame added last time is less than the second threshold)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to implement the keyframe determination as disclosed in Lin in the re-localization system of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shin and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of re-localization. The motivation for the combination is improve the time required for re-localization. See Lin [0005]
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 1, wherein the acquiring feature points of the current image frame and a descriptor of each feature point comprises:
performing feature extraction on the current image frame by using a scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm, an oriented FAST and rotated brief (ORB) algorithm or a speed up robust features (SURF) algorithm to acquire the feature points of the current image frame and the descriptor of each feature point; (Lin [0079] In another embodiment, for feature point tracking, a SIFT feature descriptor extracted based on scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm and an ORB feature descriptor based on an oriented FAST and rotated BRIEF (ORB, fast feature point extraction and description are used to perform feature point tracking) or
reading the recorded feature points of the current image frame and the descriptor of each feature point.
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the specific features of Lin with the re-localization of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shi and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of relocalization. The rationale for the combination is simple substitution of one feature point for another yielding the predictable result of relocalization based on known features.
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 1, wherein the performing feature matching on the current image frame and each stored key frame respectively comprises:
tracking feature points in the current image frame to feature points in each of the key frames by using an optical flow tracking algorithm. (Lin, [0079] In an embodiment, a Kanade-Lucas (KLT) optical flow tracking algorithm is used for feature point tracking)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the specific features of Lin with the re-localization of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shi and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of relocalization. The rationale for the combination is simple substitution of one feature point for another yielding the predictable result of relocalization based on known features.
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The method of relocalization of claim 6, wherein the performing feature matching on the current image frame and a stored reference image frame comprises:
tracking feature points in the current image frame to feature points in the reference image frame by using an optical flow tracking algorithm. (Lin, [0079] In an embodiment, a Kanade-Lucas (KLT) optical flow tracking algorithm is used for feature point tracking)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the specific features of Lin with the re-localization of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shi and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of relocalization. The rationale for the combination is simple substitution of one feature point for another yielding the predictable result of relocalization based on known features.
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The electronic device of claim 16, the relocalization condition further comprises: a planar tracking error of an adjacent image frame of the current image frame is smaller than a predetermined threshold of plane tracking error. (Lin [0033] Specifically, in a tracking process corresponding to an ith marker image, in a case that a racking effect of a current image relative to the ith marker imager is poorer than a preset condition (for example, a quantity of feature points that can be obtained through matching is less than a preset threshold), a previous image of the current image (adjacent frame) is determined as an (i+1)th marker and an (i+1)th racking process is started)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to implement the adjacent frame tracking as disclosed in Lin in the re-localization system of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shin and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of re-localization. The motivation for the combination is improve the time required for re-localization. See Lin [0005]
Regarding claim 22, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, carries out the method further comprising:
in response to a determination that the current image frame satisfies an initial screening condition of key frame, acquiring the feature points of the current image frame and the descriptor of each feature point; (Lin [0182] Determine whether the candidate image satisfies an addition condition…. [0184] for an initial feature point in the first marker image, a target feature point matching the initial feature point exists in the candidate image)
performing, based on the feature points of the current image frame and the descriptor of each feature point, feature matching on the current image frame and a stored reference image frame to obtain a matched second feature point pair; (Lin [0184] An L2 distance (a Euclidean distance corresponding to the norm of L2) is calculated according to each matching feature point pair)
estimating a homography matrix between the current image frame and the reference image frame based on the second feature point pair; (Shi, [0043] the re-localization apparatus may calculate a fundamental or homography matrix between the current frame and a rough matching frame based on the one or more matching pairs including the keypoints in the current frame and the matching points in the rough frame) and
in response to a determination that the homography matrix can be estimated, determining the current image frame as a key frame, and recording the feature points of the current image frame, the descriptor of each feature point, and the camera pose corresponding to the current image frame. (Lin [0187-88] Add the candidate image frame to the keyframe database in a case that the candidate image satisfies the addition condition….Optionally a first global descriptor of the keyframe, a keyframe feature point, a positioning result of the first relocalization are stored in the keyframe database)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to implement the keyframe determination as disclosed in Lin in the re-localization system of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shin and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of re-localization. The motivation for the combination is improve the time required for re-localization. See Lin [0005]
Regarding claim 23, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the initial screening condition of key frame comprises:
detecting a click from a user on a screen of a planar tracking device, or
determining that a difference between the camera pose corresponding to the current image frame and a camera pose corresponding to each key frame is greater than a predetermined threshold of pose difference. (Lin [0182] Step 2: Determine whether the candidate image satisfies an addition condition, the addition condition including: a first distance between the candidate image and the first marker image is greater than a first threshold, and/or a second distance between the candidate image and a key-frame added last time is greater than a second threshold)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to implement the keyframe determination as disclosed in Lin in the re-localization system of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shin and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of re-localization. The motivation for the combination is improve the time required for re-localization. See Lin [0005]
Regarding claim 24, the combination of Shi and Lin teaches:
The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, carries out the method further comprising:
in response to a determination that a number of the feature points of the current image frame is smaller than a predetermined threshold number of feature points, determining that the current image frame is not a key frame, and ending the current process; or,
in response to a determination that the homography matrix cannot be estiamted, determining that the current image frame is not a key frame, and ending the current process. ( Lin [0189-190] Step 4: Skip adding the candidate image to the keyframe database in a case that the candidate image does not satisfy the addition condition. The candidate image is not added to the key frame database in a case that the first distance between the candidate image and the first marker image is less than the first threshold, or, the second distance between the candidate image and the key frame added last time is less than the second threshold)
Before the time of filing, it would have been obvious to implement the keyframe determination as disclosed in Lin in the re-localization system of Shi. Lin was known at the time of Shin and the inventions lie in the same field of endeavor of re-localization. The motivation for the combination is improve the time required for re-localization. See Lin [0005]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Refer to PTO-892, Notice of References Cited for a listing of analogous art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Molly K Wilburn whose telephone number is (571)272-3589. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-4pm.
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, Emily Terrell can be reached at (571) 270-3717. 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.
/Molly Wilburn/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2666
Prosecution Insights