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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer
Claims 17, 26 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 10 of U.S. Patent No. 12101814 B2. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because removing inherent and/or unnecessary limitations/step and rearranging the claims would be within the level of one of ordinary skill in the art. It is well settled that the omission of an element, e.g." removing or incorporating": “performing the channel access according to the second EDCA parameter set “ and rearranging the order in claims 17 and 26, and its function is an obvious expedient if the remaining elements perform the same function as before. In re Karlson, 136 USPQ 184 (CCPA 1963). Also note Ex parte Rainu, 168 USPQ 375 (Bd. App. 1969). Omission of a reference element or step whose function is not needed would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
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.
Claims 17-22, 26-27, 29- 31, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Viger et al (US 20190274171 A1) in view of Hwang et al (US 20230164857 A1).
Regarding claim 17, Viger et al discloses a station (STA 101) in a wireless communication system (fig.1: a communication system in which several communication stations 101-107 exchange data frames over a radio transmission channel 100 of a wireless local area network; paragraph 0137), the station (STA 101: the stations transmit MU UL PPDUs as immediate responses to the Trigger frame; all transmitters can send data at the same time; paragraph 0023) comprising: a transceiver; and a processor configured to control the transceiver (the AP solicits the transmission of Multi-User uplink OFDMA PPDU from multiple stations; paragraph 0023, 0037), wherein the processor is configured to: receive (receiving, from the access point, a trigger frame reserving the transmission opportunity granted to the access point on the communication channel; paragraph 0106, 0092) a trigger frame for triggering uplink transmission (the station receives a trigger frame with a scheduled RU; in addition, a trigger frame may be used to retrieve uplink data traffic stored in station's traffic queues; in addition, a Trigger Frame may be used to request Buffer Status Reports from stations to determine which 802.11ax stations hold uplink packets waiting for transmission and their related size ; paragraph 0037, 0048) from an access point (AP 110: under the management of a central station, or access point 110, also seen as a station of the network; paragraph 0137, 0144), wherein the trigger frame allocates (allocated resource units for MU UL OFDMA transmission; the trigger frame TF may also designate “Random” RUs; Random RUs designated or allocated by the AP in the TF may serve as basis for contention between stations willing to access the communication medium for sending data; paragraph 0202, 0205), to the station (transmission of a trigger frame using EDCA mechanism paragraph 0037,0122), a part of a transmission opportunity (TXOP limit parameters for each traffic queue, TXOP Limit defines the maximum size of a TXOP the station may request; paragraph 0156) acquired by the AP (the access point, receiving the frame, may use this information to determine the next TXOP duration it will grant to the station; paragraph 0182), as a shared TXOP (the sending station determines for its next TXOP for the specified TID; the “TXOP Duration Requested” provides an equivalent request as the “queue size” ; paragraph 0160, 0182-0183), transmit (Station 600 sends the selected data on the medium, during the granted EDCA TXOP; furthermore, station 600 initiates an EDCA transmission, in case for instance an RTS/ CTS exchange has been successfully performed to have an EDCA TXOP granted; paragraph 0347-0348) a CTS frame as a response to the trigger frame (control frames (RTS/CTS /ACK/Trigger Frame), MAC data and management frames, based on a 20 MHz width to interact with legacy 802.11 stations or with 802.11ax in legacy mode; paragraph 0191, 0294), and switch (switch from legacy EDCA contention access mode to the MU EDCA mode, the station may modify its EDCA parameter sets; paragraph 0218, 0251) a first enhanced distributed channel access parameter set (the modified values of the EDCA parameter sets (the MU parameter sets for the four traffic queues) may be transmitted by the Access Point in a Dedicated Information Element typically sent within a beacon frame broadcasting network information to the stations; paragraph 0040-0043, 0219) used for channel access to a second EDCA parameter set (set each transmitting traffic queue in a MU EDCA mode in response to successfully transmitting the data in the accessed MU UL OFDMA resource unit; paragraph 0217) based on a transmission of a quality of service data frame included in the non-TB PPDU(the AP sends a trigger frame 430 to the targeted 802.11ax stations; the trigger frame may define a plurality of resource units 410; the multi-user feature of OFDMA allows the AP to assign different RUs to different client stations ; furthermore, the stations with allocated resource units emits their buffered data during a longer TXOP_TF.sub.data 491 and inside their allocated resource unit 410-D ; paragraph 0201-0202, 0229, 0230-0234); and performing (perform multi-user transmission; performed by a MAC layer of a station, when receiving new data to transmit; paragraph 0017) the channel access according to the second EDCA parameter set (an access to an 802.11ax composite channel and/or to OFDMA Resource Units forming for instance an 802.11ax composite channel granted to the access point and allowing Uplink communication to be performed; control means for performing control so that, in a case where the AIFSN value included in the signal received by the receiving means is zero, data of an access category for which Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA)-access to the wireless network is gained are not transmitted over the wireless network. Conversely, a communication method is also proposed where a station ; paragraph 0056-0058, 0140, 0195). Note that the access point is able to manage the resource unit size based on the reported station needs; the access point may schedule the resource unit during the TXOP period (paragraph 0230-0231).
However, Viger et al does not specifically disclose the features of transmitting a CTS frame as a response to the trigger frame.
On the other hand, Hwang et al, from the same field of endeavor, teaches that the access point may transmit a clear-to-send (CTS) frame in one or more links in response to the RTS frame (paragraph 0091). In addition, the CTS frame may be transmitted after a short interframe space from a reception time of the RTS frame. An RA field of the CTS frame may be set to an address in a link (the second link) in which direct communication is allowed. For instance, the RA field of the CTS frame may be set to the MAC address of the STA1 in the second link or the MAC address of the access point in the second link. Furthermore, the STA1 may identify the link in which direct communication is to be performed based on information (RA field) included in the CTS frame. The STA1 may perform a setup procedure for direct communication with peer station in the link (the second link) indicated by the CTS frame (paragraph 0092-0093). The STA1 may allocate resources for direct communication with the peer station and may generate a trigger frame including resource allocation information. The trigger frame may include resource allocation information for the STA2, resource allocation information for the STA3, and resource allocation information for the STA5. The STA1 may transmit the trigger frame in the second link. The trigger frame may be transmitted after a SIFS from a reception time of the S-CTS frame (paragraph 0094-0095). Note that a value of a duration field of the RTS frame for direct communication (the RTS frame transmitted from the STA1 in the second link) may be set to a length of a TXOP including a time required for the direct communication (a length from an end time of the RTS frame to an end time of the multi-STA BA frame). A value of a duration field of the RTS frame transmitted in the first link may be set to a length of a TXOP including a time required for the RTS-CTS operation (paragraph 0097-0099). A station (peer station) desiring to perform direct communication may switch a communication link from the first link to the second link while performing a monitoring operation on the first link. A time may be required for the switching operation of the communication link (paragraph 0088-0089, 0103, 0105).
Note that T1 may be a time required for the switching operation of the communication link in the station. T1 may be zero (paragraph 0109, 0120-0121). The S- CTS frame may include one or more parameters included in the MU-RTS frame received by the stations (paragraph 0093, 0106, 0129). It is shown above that Hwang et al discloses the features of transmitting a CTS frame as a response to the trigger frame. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to apply the technique of Hwang to the communication system of Viger in order to provide a method for direct communications in a wireless LAN system.
Regarding claim 18, Viger et al as modified discloses a station (STA 101) in a wireless communication system (fig.1: a communication system in which several communication stations 101-107 exchange data frames over a radio transmission channel 100 of a wireless local area network; paragraph 0137), wherein the processor is configured to switch the first EDCA parameter set to the second EDCA parameter set when a quality of service data frame has been successfully transmitted to the AP within the shared TXOP (switch from legacy EDCA contention access mode to the MU EDCA mode, the station may modify its EDCA parameter sets; paragraph 0218, 0251).
Regarding claim 19, Viger et al as modified discloses a station (STA 101) in a wireless communication system (fig.1: a communication system in which several communication stations 101-107 exchange data frames over a radio transmission channel 100 of a wireless local area network; paragraph 0137), wherein the processor is configured to switch the first EDCA parameter set to the second EDCA parameter set when the station has transmitted a QoS data frame requiring an immediate response to the AP and received a response to the QoS data frame requiring the immediate response within the shared TXOP (the multi-user feature of OFDMA allows the AP to assign different RUs to different client stations ; furthermore, the stations with allocated resource units emits their buffered data during a longer TXOP_TF.sub.data 491 and inside their allocated resource unit 410-D ; paragraph 0201-0202, 0229, 0230-0234).
Regarding claim 20, Viger et al as modified discloses a station (STA 101) in a wireless communication system (fig.1: a communication system in which several communication stations 101-107 exchange data frames over a radio transmission channel 100 of a wireless local area network; paragraph 0137), wherein the processor is configured to switch the first EDCA parameter set to the second EDCA parameter set when the station has transmitted a QoS data frame (switch from legacy EDCA contention access mode to the MU EDCA mode, the station may modify its EDCA parameter sets; paragraph 0218, 0251) requiring no immediate response to the AP within the shared TXOP (the multi-user feature of OFDMA allows the AP to assign different RUs to different client stations ; furthermore, the stations with allocated resource units emits their buffered data during a longer TXOP_TF.sub.data 491 and inside their allocated resource unit 410-D ; paragraph 0201-0202, 0229, 0230-0234).
Regarding claim 21, Viger et al as modified discloses a station (STA 101) in a wireless communication system (fig.1: a communication system in which several communication stations 101-107 exchange data frames over a radio transmission channel 100 of a wireless local area network; paragraph 0137), wherein the second EDCA parameter set is used instead of the first EDCA parameter set based on whether UL multiuser transmission has been successfully performed (perform multi-user transmission; performed by a MAC layer of a station, when receiving new data to transmit; paragraph 0017 ; transmission of a trigger frame using EDCA mechanism paragraph 0037,0122).
Regarding claim 22, Viger et al as modified discloses a station (STA 101) in a wireless communication system (fig.1: a communication system in which several communication stations 101-107 exchange data frames over a radio transmission channel 100 of a wireless local area network; paragraph 0137), wherein a timer value for remaining duration (an 802.11ax station switches into an MU EDCA mode for a predetermined duration counted down by a timer (noted HEMUEDCATimer below, standing for High Efficiency Multi-User EDCA Timer); in the MU EDCA mode, the set of EDCA parameters of the station has been to reduce the probability for the station to access again the communication channel through EDCA access scheme; paragraph 0037, 0040) which is applied to the second EDCA parameter set (set each transmitting traffic queue in a MU EDCA mode in response to successfully transmitting the data in the accessed MU UL OFDMA resource unit; paragraph 0217; furthermore, the contention windows CW and the queue backoff values are EDCA variables; EDCA backoff procedure consists for the station to randomly select a backoff value for a traffic queue backoff counter from the respective contention window CW, and then to decrement it upon sensing the medium as idle after the AIFS period ; paragraph 0010) is configured as a value greater than 0 when the QoS data frame (give a specific value to the AIFSN parameter in the set of degraded/penalized parameters provided by the AP; this specific value indicates to the stations that it shall use a very high value for the AIFSN of the concerned traffic queue or queues; in addition, the very high value for AIFSN is proposed to be equal to the HEMUEDCATimer value also provided by the AP ; each queue backoff counter is reset with an associated backoff value drawn from a respective contention window, and the MU contention mode uses the same lower boundary CW.sub.min and/or same higher boundary CW.sub.m ; paragraph 0084-0085; paragraph 0044-0045) has been successfully transmitted to the AP (the multi-user feature of OFDMA allows the AP to assign different RUs to different client stations ; furthermore, the stations with allocated resource units emits their buffered data during a longer TXOP_TF.sub.data 491 and inside their allocated resource unit 410-D ; paragraph 0201-0202, 0229, 0230-0234). Note that the AIFSN values may be provided by the AP within a so-called EDCA Parameter Set information element. The AIFSN field in the Information Element is four bits long, with a minimum value of 2 defined in the standard and a maximum value of 15 based on the field length limitation; paragraph 0168-0169, 0178).
Regarding claims 26, 29, Viger et al discloses a method (fig. 1, fig. 8) for operating a station (STA 101) in a wireless communication system (fig.1: a communication system in which several communication stations 101-107 exchange data frames over a radio transmission channel 100 of a wireless local area network; paragraph 0137), the method comprising: receiving (receiving, from the access point, a trigger frame reserving the transmission opportunity granted to the access point on the communication channel; paragraph 0106, 0092) a trigger frame for triggering uplink transmission (the station receives a trigger frame with a scheduled RU; in addition, a trigger frame may be used to retrieve uplink data traffic stored in station's traffic queues; in addition, a Trigger Frame may be used to request Buffer Status Reports from stations to determine which 802.11ax stations hold uplink packets waiting for transmission and their related size ; paragraph 0037, 0048) from an AP (AP 110: under the management of a central station, or access point 110, also seen as a station of the network; paragraph 0137, 0144), wherein the trigger frame allocates (allocated resource units for MU UL OFDMA transmission; the trigger frame TF may also designate “Random” RUs; Random RUs designated or allocated by the AP in the TF may serve as basis for contention between stations willing to access the communication medium for sending data; paragraph 0202, 0205), to the station (transmission of a trigger frame using EDCA mechanism paragraph 0037,0122), a part of a transmission opportunity (TXOP limit parameters for each traffic queue, TXOP Limit defines the maximum size of a TXOP the station may request; paragraph 0156) acquired by the AP (the access point, receiving the frame, may use this information to determine the next TXOP duration it will grant to the station; paragraph 0182), as a shared TXOP (the sending station determines for its next TXOP for the specified TID; the “TXOP Duration Requested” provides an equivalent request as the “queue size” ; paragraph 0160, 0182-0183), transmitting (Station 600 sends the selected data on the medium, during the granted EDCA TXOP; furthermore, station 600 initiates an EDCA transmission, in case for instance an RTS/ CTS exchange has been successfully performed to have an EDCA TXOP granted; paragraph 0347-0348) a CTS frame as a response to the trigger frame (control frames (RTS/CTS /ACK/Trigger Frame), MAC data and management frames, based on a 20 MHz width to interact with legacy 802.11 stations or with 802.11ax in legacy mode; paragraph 0191, 0294); switching (switch from legacy EDCA contention access mode to the MU EDCA mode, the station may modify its EDCA parameter sets; paragraph 0218, 0251) a first enhanced distributed channel access parameter set (the modified values of the EDCA parameter sets (the MU parameter sets for the four traffic queues) may be transmitted by the Access Point in a Dedicated Information Element typically sent within a beacon frame broadcasting network information to the stations; paragraph 0040-0043, 0219) used for channel access to a second EDCA parameter set (set each transmitting traffic queue in a MU EDCA mode in response to successfully transmitting the data in the accessed MU UL OFDMA resource unit; paragraph 0217) based on a transmission of quality of service data frame included in the non-TTB PPDU (the AP sends a trigger frame 430 to the targeted 802.11ax stations; the trigger frame may define a plurality of resource units 410; the multi-user feature of OFDMA allows the AP to assign different RUs to different client stations ; furthermore, the stations with allocated resource units emits their buffered data during a longer TXOPTF.sub.data 491 and inside their allocated resource unit 410-D ; paragraph 0201-0202, 0229, 0230-0234); and performing (perform multi-user transmission; performed by a MAC layer of a station, when receiving new data to transmit; paragraph 0017) the channel access according to the second EDCA parameter set (an access to an 802.11ax composite channel and/or to OFDMA Resource Units forming for instance an 802.11ax composite channel granted to the access point and allowing Uplink communication to be performed; control means for performing control so that, in a case where the AIFSN value included in the signal received by the receiving means is zero, data of an access category for which Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA)-access to the wireless network is gained are not transmitted over the wireless network. Conversely, a communication method is also proposed where a station ; paragraph 0056-0058, 0140, 0195). Note that the access point is able to manage the resource unit size based on the reported station needs; the access point may schedule the resource unit during the TXOP period (paragraph 0230-0231).
However, Viger et al does not specifically disclose the features of transmitting a CTS frame as a response to the trigger frame.
On the other hand, Hwang et al, from the same field of endeavor, teaches that the access point may transmit a clear-to-send (CTS) frame in one or more links in response to the RTS frame (paragraph 0091). In addition, the CTS frame may be transmitted after a short interframe space from a reception time of the RTS frame. An RA field of the CTS frame may be set to an address in a link (the second link) in which direct communication is allowed. For instance, the RA field of the CTS frame may be set to the MAC address of the STA1 in the second link or the MAC address of the access point in the second link. Furthermore, the STA1 may identify the link in which direct communication is to be performed based on information (RA field) included in the CTS frame. The STA1 may perform a setup procedure for direct communication with peer station in the link (the second link) indicated by the CTS frame (paragraph 0092-0093). The STA1 may allocate resources for direct communication with the peer station and may generate a trigger frame including resource allocation information. The trigger frame may include resource allocation information for the STA2, resource allocation information for the STA3, and resource allocation information for the STA5. The STA1 may transmit the trigger frame in the second link. The trigger frame may be transmitted after a SIFS from a reception time of the S-CTS frame (paragraph 0094-0095). Note that a value of a duration field of the RTS frame for direct communication (the RTS frame transmitted from the STA1 in the second link) may be set to a length of a TXOP including a time required for the direct communication (a length from an end time of the RTS frame to an end time of the multi-STA BA frame). A value of a duration field of the RTS frame transmitted in the first link may be set to a length of a TXOP including a time required for the RTS-CTS operation (paragraph 0097-0099). A station (peer station) desiring to perform direct communication may switch a communication link from the first link to the second link while performing a monitoring operation on the first link. A time may be required for the switching operation of the communication link (paragraph 0088-0089, 0103, 0105). Note that T1 may be a time required for the switching operation of the communication link in the station. T1 may be zero (paragraph 0109, 0120-0121). It is shown above that Hwang et al discloses the features of transmitting a CTS frame as a response to the trigger frame. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to apply the technique of Hwang to the communication system of Viger in order to provide a method for direct communications in a wireless LAN system.
Regarding claim 30, Viger et al as modified discloses a method (fig. 1, fig. 8) for operating a station (STA 101) in a wireless communication system (fig.1: a communication system in which several communication stations 101-107 exchange data frames over a radio transmission channel 100 of a wireless local area network; paragraph 0137), wherein the second EDCA parameter set is used instead of the first EDCA parameter set based on whether UL multiuser transmission has been successfully performed (perform multi-user transmission; performed by a MAC layer of a station, when receiving new data to transmit; paragraph 0017 ; transmission of a trigger frame using EDCA mechanism paragraph 0037,0122).
Regarding claim 31, Viger et al as modified discloses a method (fig. 1, fig. 8) for operating a station (STA 101) in a wireless communication system (fig.1: a communication system in which several communication stations 101-107 exchange data frames over a radio transmission channel 100 of a wireless local area network; paragraph 0137), wherein a timer value for remaining duration (an 802.11ax station switches into an MU EDCA mode for a predetermined duration counted down by a timer (noted HEMUEDCATimer below, standing for High Efficiency Multi-User EDCA Timer); in the MU EDCA mode, the set of EDCA parameters of the station has been to reduce the probability for the station to access again the communication channel through EDCA access scheme; paragraph 0037, 0040) which is applied to the second EDCA parameter set (set each transmitting traffic queue in a MU EDCA mode in response to successfully transmitting the data in the accessed MU UL OFDMA resource unit; paragraph 0217; furthermore, the contention windows CW and the queue backoff values are EDCA variables; EDCA backoff procedure consists for the station to randomly select a backoff value for a traffic queue backoff counter from the respective contention window CW, and then to decrement it upon sensing the medium as idle after the AIFS period ; paragraph 0010) is configured as a value greater than 0 when the QoS data frame (give a specific value to the AIFSN parameter in the set of degraded/penalized parameters provided by the AP; this specific value indicates to the stations that it shall use a very high value for the AIFSN of the concerned traffic queue or queues; in addition, the very high value for AIFSN is proposed to be equal to the HEMUEDCATimer value also provided by the AP ; each queue backoff counter is reset with an associated backoff value drawn from a respective contention window, and the MU contention mode uses the same lower boundary CW.sub.min and/or same higher boundary CW.sub.m ; paragraph 0084-0085; paragraph 0044-0045) has been successfully transmitted to the AP (the multi-user feature of OFDMA allows the AP to assign different RUs to different client stations ; furthermore, the stations with allocated resource units emits their buffered data during a longer TXOP_TF.sub.data 491 and inside their allocated resource unit 410-D ; paragraph 0201-0202, 0229, 0230-0234). Note that the AIFSN values may be provided by the AP within a so-called EDCA Parameter Set information element. The AIFSN field in the Information Element is four bits long, with a minimum value of 2 defined in the standard and a maximum value of 15 based on the field length limitation; paragraph 0168-0169, 0178).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23-25, 28, 32-34, are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCEAU MILORD whose telephone number is (571)272-7853. The examiner can normally be reached 10-6.
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, CHARLES APPIAH can be reached on 571-2727904. 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.
MARCEAU MILORD
Examiner
Art Unit 2641
/MARCEAU MILORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2641