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 .
Status of Claims
In a preliminary amendment filed 4/29/2025, Applicant cancelled claims 1-10 and added new claims 11-30. This amendment is acknowledged. Claims 11-30 are pending and are currently being examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 7/29/2025, 8/14/2025, 1/13/2026, 2/3/2026 were filed before the mailing date of the first office action on the merits. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains implied language (ex. “Provided herein…”) and includes details of previously claimed limitations that are no longer relevant to this iteration of claims (string having extended fibers, etc.). A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because some or all of the figures are presented in a horizontal/landscape orientation instead of the preferred vertical/portrait orientation and the nature of the drawings does not appear to require the landscape/horizontal orientation used (37 CFR 1.84(h)-(i)). 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.
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 11-30 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of U.S. Pat. No. 12,241,715, 1-15 of U.S. Patent No. 12,025,399, claims 1-20 of U.S. Pat. No. 11,879,703, and claims 1-20 of U.S. Pat. No. 11,674,774. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they disclose the same or very similar essential features (string propelling device, body, housing having guide and loading slot(s) and wheel coverings, first and second string propelling rotatable wheels, and a propelled looped string received in a gap between the wheels) which are anticipated by or are obvious modifications of the patented claims.
Claim Objections
Claims 13 and 22 are objected to because of the following informalities: the limitation of “a loading slot through the removable housing through which a looped string is inserted into the gap” is a little unclear. It could be rewritten in a clearer manner (ex. “a loading slot extending through the removable housing to allow a looped string to be inserted through and positioned within the gap”). Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 23-27 are objected to because of the following informalities: it appears that claim 23 should depend on claim 21 as claims 23-27 include similar limitations to claims 15-18, and this is redundant if the claim is intended to depend on claim 18. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 28 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim language is written in a different font than the rest of the claims. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102/103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 11-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Wagner US Pat. No. 6,537,126.
In Reference to Claim 11
Wagner teaches:
A device for propelling a string (string 10 is moved/propelled using device 1, Fig. 1-21) comprising:
a body (body 70 having a base end 80 housing and handle 30, Fig. 3);
a first wheel (drive wheel 50 rotates about first axis 42, Fig. 1);
a second wheel (backup wheel 60 is rotatable about parallel second axis 62, Fig. 1), wherein at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel is a driven wheel (motor driver first wheel 50, Col. 2 lines 23-58), and wherein the first wheel and the second wheel extend above a surface of the body (each of the wheels 50/60 rotate about axles that extend above/from a rear surface of the body);
a removable housing, wherein the removable housing is removably supported by the body and covers at least a portion of the first wheel and the second wheel (wheel covering housing 80 with removable/adjustable cup and cover 150 form a wheel covering housing that is supported at one end of body 70 and covers the first and second wheels 50/60 therein, Fig. 1-5), wherein the removable housing defines an intake aperture and an exit aperture (intake aperture 160/180 and exit aperture 158/182 are formed in or between the removable housing portion 150 and 80, Fig. 1-3, 25-19); and
a gap disposed between the first wheel and the second wheel (a gap is formed between wheels 50/60 to guide the string through the housing, wherein the string is guiding along the outer perimeter 56/64 of the wheels 50/60 in groove 58 between flange 52 and hubs 56/64, Fig. 1, Col. 2 lines 48-58), wherein the intake aperture, exit aperture, and gap are aligned along an axis (a curved axis may be drawn through the intake aperture, gap, and exit aperture, and the apertures are adjustably positionable using cover 150 in cup 100 to so that the relative positions of the intake, exit, and wheel gap forming the string path is adjustable and appear capable of being positioned in a relatively linear axis, Col. 4 lines 39-46).
Though Wagner doesn’t specifically show the intake aperture, exit aperture, and gap being aligned along a linear axis (the claim does not require the axis to be linear and axes are not always inherently linear and therefore in the broadest reasonable interpretation Wagner anticipates the presented claim), Wagner shows that the intake aperture, exit aperture, and gap, are fairly closely aligned to provide a relatively straightforward guided path for the string to follow through the housing during use and Wagner teaches that the relative positions of the intake, exit, and gap may be changed to modify the orientation of the driven string during use (Col. 4 lines 39-46), and therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to have modified the relative positioning of these elements to be close to aligned, or fully aligned, along a given linear axis is merely a matter of obvious design choice and as Wagner teaches these relative positions may be modified. Further, the exact arrangement of these parts does not materially affect the function of the device in a manner differently than that of Wagner and one having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to have formed the intake aperture, exit aperture, and gap to have been aligned along the same linear axis as it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art (In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70) and it has been held that the configuration of a claimed product is merely a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration is significant (In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)).
In Reference to Claim 12
The device of claim 11, wherein the removable housing is attached to the body at the surface of the body (the removable/adjustable cup and cover 150 of the housing is attached to the body at the surface 80 of the attached wheel extending surface at the end of body 70 and covers the first and second wheels 50/60 therein, Fig. 1-5).
In Reference to Claim 13
The device of claim 11, further comprising: a loading slot through the removable housing through which a looped string is inserted into the gap (the respective bottoms of cup 100 cover 150 are open ended so that the string may be loaded through the open ends of 106/108/158/160 so that the string loop may be loaded or unloaded from the gap between the wheels and sandwiched between matching open end of 100 (the cylindrical side wall 104 at ejection and take-up holes 106/108 having side walls 124/126/130/132 each having an open end forming a “slot” to load the string between the wheels with the cover 150 detached, Fig. 1-21, Col. 3 lines 21-40, Col. 3 line 47 – Co. 4 line 38)).
In Reference to Claim 14
The device of claim 11, further comprising one or more string guides arranged to maintain a position of at least a portion of the string relative to the driven wheel and within the gap as the string is propelled (the inlet and outlets 180/182 are sized to match the wheel flanges 52/54 such that the string is guided into the housing and into the gap such that it remains within the grooved area 58 of the driven wheel during use, Fig. 2).
In Reference to Claim 15
The device of claim 14, wherein the one or more string guides urge the string toward an operational position within the gap and in contact with the driven wheel as a user moves the body in a direction parallel to an axis about which the first wheel rotates (the inlet and outlets 180/182 are sized to match the wheel flanges 52/54 such that the string is guided in the housing such that it remains within and is biased/urged towards the gap between the wheels at the grooved area 58 of the driven wheel during use, see Fig. 2, where the string is aligned with the wheels regardless of the position or direction of the portion of the loop outside the device (even if it was moving laterally), Col. 4 line 53 – Col. 5 line 21).
In Reference to Claim 16
The device of claim 14, wherein the one or more string guides comprises a guide slot, wherein the guide slot is bounded by at least one curved surface of the removable housing (the respective bottoms of cup 100 cover 150 are open ended so that the string may be loaded through the open ends of 106/108/158/160 so that the string loop may be loaded or unloaded from the gap between the wheels and sandwiched between matching open end of 100 (the cylindrical/curved side wall 104 at ejection and take-up holes 106/108 having side walls 124/126/130/132 each having an open end forming a “slot” to load the string between the wheels with the cover 150 detached, Fig. 1-21, Col. 3 lines 21-40, Col. 3 line 47 – Co. 4 line 38)).
In Reference to Claim 17
The device of claim 16, wherein the guide slot extends around a portion of a circumference of at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel (the inlet and outlets 180/182 are sized to match the wheel flanges 52/54 and extend about the outer circumference of each wheel such that the string is guided into the housing (even if it strays away from the axis while outside the housing) and into the gap such that it remains within the grooved area 58 of the driven wheel during use, Fig. 2).
In Reference to Claim 18
The device of claim 17, wherein the guide slot extends around at least half of the circumference of the at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel (the inlet and outlets 180/182 that act as the string guides are cutouts in the housing that each extend along the rounded housing outer surface that extends about/around the periphery of the driven wheel 50/guide wheel 60, Fig. 1, wherein the slots themselves and the surrounding housing portion extend around the circumference of the first and second wheels to fully enclose and protect the wheels within the housing during use).
In Reference to Claim 19
The device of claim 11, further comprising a looped string received within the gap and propelled by the at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel (a looped string 10 is received through the circular guide slot/inlet 182 (Fig. 1, 6, 10) such that the string is fed into the gap between the wheels and engages the periphery of the driven wheel (groove 58) and the periphery 64 of the backup wheel, Col. 2 lines 37-58, Col. 4 lines 22-34, 53-66, Fig. 1-3).
In Reference to Claim 20
The device of claim 19, wherein the looped string engages one of the first wheel and the second wheel about a portion of a periphery of the one of the first wheel and the second wheel (the looped string 10 is received through the circular guide slot/inlet 182 (Fig. 1, 6, 10) such that the string is fed into the gap between the wheels and engages the periphery of the driven wheel (groove 58) and the periphery 64 of the backup wheel, Col. 2 lines 37-58, Col. 4 lines 22-34, 53-66, Fig. 1-3).
In Reference to Claim 21
Wagner teaches:
A device for propelling a string (string 10 is moved/propelled using device 1, Fig. 1-21) comprising:
a body (body 70 having a base end 80 housing and handle 30, Fig. 3);
a first wheel (drive wheel 50 rotates about first axis 42, Fig. 1);
a second wheel (backup wheel 60 is rotatable about parallel second axis 62, Fig. 1), wherein at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel is a driven wheel (motor driver first wheel 50, Col. 2 lines 23-58);
a housing attached to the body, wherein the housing is removable from the body and covers at least a portion of the first wheel and the second wheel (wheel covering housing 80 with removable/adjustable cup and cover 150 form a wheel covering housing that is supported at one end of body 70 and covers the first and second wheels 50/60 therein, Fig. 1-5), wherein the housing defines an intake aperture and an exit aperture (intake aperture 160/180 and exit aperture 158/182 are formed in or between the removable housing portion 150 and 80, Fig. 1-3, 25-19);
a gap disposed between the first wheel and the second wheel (a gap is formed between wheels 50/60 to guide the string through the housing, wherein the string is guiding along the outer perimeter 56/64 of the wheels 50/60 in groove 58 between flange 52 and hubs 56/64, Fig. 1, Col. 2 lines 48-58), wherein the intake aperture, exit aperture, and gap are aligned along an axis (a curved axis may be drawn through the intake aperture, gap, and exit aperture, and the apertures are adjustably positionable using cover 150 in cup 100 to so that the relative positions of the intake, exit, and wheel gap forming the string path is adjustable and appear capable of being positioned in a relatively linear axis, Col. 4 lines 39-46); and
one or more string guides arranged to maintain a position of at least a portion of the string relative to the driven wheel and within the gap as the string is propelled (the inlet and outlets 180/182 are sized to match the wheel flanges 52/54 such that the string is guided in the housing such that it remains within and is biased/urged towards the gap between the wheels at the grooved area 58 of the driven wheel during use, see Fig. 2, where the string is aligned with the wheels regardless of the position or direction of the portion of the loop outside the device (even if it was moving laterally), Col. 4 line 53 – Col. 5 line 21).
Though Wagner doesn’t specifically show the intake aperture, exit aperture, and gap being aligned along a linear axis (the claim does not require the axis to be linear and axes are not always inherently linear and therefore in the broadest reasonable interpretation Wagner anticipates the presented claim), Wagner shows that the intake aperture, exit aperture, and gap, are fairly closely aligned to provide a relatively straightforward guided path for the string to follow through the housing during use and Wagner teaches that the relative positions of the intake, exit, and gap may be changed to modify the orientation of the driven string during use (Col. 4 lines 39-46), and therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to have modified the relative positioning of these elements to be close to aligned, or fully aligned, along a given linear axis is merely a matter of obvious design choice and as Wagner teaches these relative positions may be modified. Further, the exact arrangement of these parts does not materially affect the function of the device in a manner differently than that of Wagner and one having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to have formed the intake aperture, exit aperture, and gap to have been aligned along the same linear axis as it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art (In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70) and it has been held that the configuration of a claimed product is merely a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration is significant (In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)).
In Reference to Claim 22
The device of claim 21, further comprising a loading slot through the housing through which a looped string is inserted into the gap (the respective bottoms of cup 100 cover 150 are open ended so that the string may be loaded through the open ends of 106/108/158/160 so that the string loop may be loaded or unloaded from the gap between the wheels and sandwiched between matching open end of 100 (the cylindrical side wall 104 at ejection and take-up holes 106/108 having side walls 124/126/130/132 each having an open end forming a “slot” to load the string between the wheels with the cover 150 detached, Fig. 1-21, Col. 3 lines 21-40, Col. 3 line 47 – Co. 4 line 38)).
In Reference to Claim 23
The device of claim 18 (likely intended to be claim 21), wherein the one or more string guides arranged to maintain a position of at least a portion of the string relative to the driven wheel as the string is propelled and guide the at least the portion of the string in response to the at least the portion of the string returning to the device misaligned with the gap (the inlet and outlets 180/182 are sized to match the wheel flanges 52/54 such that the string is guided into the housing (even if it strays away from the axis while outside the housing) and into the gap such that it remains within the grooved area 58 of the driven wheel during use, Fig. 2).
In Reference to Claim 24
The device of claim 23, wherein the one or more string guides are defined by the housing (the inlet and outlets 180/182 are sized to match the wheel flanges 52/54 such that the string is guided into the housing via the guides formed in the housing (even if it strays away from the axis while outside the housing) and into the gap such that it remains within the grooved area 58 of the driven wheel during use, Fig. 2).
In Reference to Claim 25
The device of claim 23, wherein the one or more string guides comprises a guide slot defined by the housing, wherein the guide slot is bounded by at least one curved surface of the housing (the respective bottoms of cup 100 cover 150 are open ended so that the string may be loaded through the open ends of 106/108/158/160 so that the string loop may be loaded or unloaded from the gap between the wheels and sandwiched between matching open end of 100 (the cylindrical/curved surface/side wall 104 at ejection and take-up holes 106/108 having side walls 124/126/130/132 each having an open end forming a “slot” to load the string between the wheels with the cover 150 detached, Fig. 1-21, Col. 3 lines 21-40, Col. 3 line 47 – Co. 4 line 38)).
In Reference to Claim 26
The device of claim 25, wherein the guide slot extends around a portion of a circumference of at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel (the inlet and outlets 180/182 are sized to match the wheel flanges 52/54 and extend about the outer circumference of each wheel such that the string is guided into the housing (even if it strays away from the axis while outside the housing) and into the gap such that it remains within the grooved area 58 of the driven wheel during use, Fig. 2).
In Reference to Claim 27
The device of claim 26, wherein the guide slot extends around at least half of the circumference of the at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel (the inlet and outlets 180/182 that act as the string guides are cutouts in the housing that each extend along the rounded housing outer surface that extends about/around the periphery of the driven wheel 50/guide wheel 60, Fig. 1, wherein the slots themselves and the surrounding housing portion extend around the circumference of the first and second wheels to fully enclose and protect the wheels within the housing during use).
In Reference to Claim 28
The device of claim 21, wherein the first wheel and the second wheel extend above a surface of the body, wherein the housing is attached to the body at the surface (the removable/adjustable cup and cover 150 of the housing is attached to the body at the surface 80 of the attached wheel extending surface at the end of body 70 and covers the first and second wheels 50/60 therein, the wheels extending above the rear surface of the body, Fig. 1-5).
In Reference to Claim 29
The device of claim 21, wherein one or more of the first wheel and the second wheel define a groove about a periphery of the one or more of the first wheel and the second wheel, wherein the groove urges the string to remain within the groove as the string is propelled by the at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel that is a driven wheel (the looped string 10 is received through the circular guide slot/inlet 182 (Fig. 1, 6, 10) such that the string is fed into the gap between the wheels and engages the grooved periphery of the driven wheel (groove 58) and the grooved periphery 64 of the backup wheel, Col. 2 lines 37-58, Col. 4 lines 22-34, 53-66, Fig. 1-3).
In Reference to Claim 30
The device of claim 21, wherein the body is configured to be hand-held (a user holds the device via the handle 30 in their hand during use, Col. 2 lines 23-33, Fig. 3).
Brief Discussion of Other Prior Art References
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See the references cited page for publications that are noted for containing similar subject matter as the applicant. For example, Valentine (9,427,120), Sampson (9,189,908), Gonzalez (8,556,675, 9,101,850), Persichini (3,822,839), McRoskey (3,797,163), Carter (3,491,479), and Williamson (3,202,378) teach similar projecting/retrieving devices.
Fazio (12,422,211, 12,504,250), Sadigursky (12,053,711, 12,194,392, 12,296,279), Yue (CN216092242U), and Kong (CN216319961U, CN113797561A) teach similar looped string projecting devices but do not have a priority date before the presented application.
IPR Review Notes
The IPR 2024-01213 Final Written Decision (2/20/2026) was reviewed regarding the parent patent 11,674,774. It is noted that the upheld 103 rejections under Yeany, Abello/Yeany, Wagner/Yeany, and Wagner/Yeany/Scorch detail that the specific feature(s) of the loading slot is an obvious modification (pages 22-28, 33-36, 38-50), and it is further noted that Yeany and Abello generally teach aligned inlet, outlet, and gaps along an axis as claimed.
Conclusion
If the applicant or applicant’s representation has any questions or concerns regarding this office action or the application they are welcome to contact the examiner at the phone number listed below and schedule and interview to discuss the outstanding issues and possible amendments to expedite prosecution of this application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER R NICONOVICH whose telephone number is (571)270-7419. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8-6 MST.
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/ALEXANDER R NICONOVICH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
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