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 .
Claims 1 – 20 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 2 – 19 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding Claims 2 – 19, the claims should recite in line 1 [[An]]The apparatus as claimed in claim…. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 20 is 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.
Regarding Claim 20, the claim recites the step of “determining one or more features of the input electromagnetic signal…”. It is unclear how the determination is achieved. Is it a visual observation or a mathematical calculation?
Clarification and amendment are kindly requested.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 – 19 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding Claim 1, the prior art of record does not teach claimed limitation: “at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform: controlling a variation in time of the applied magnetic field within the resonant cavity, and determine one or more features of the input electromagnetic signal based at least in part on a variation of the output electromagnetic signal with variation in time of the applied magnetic field” in combination with all other claimed limitations of claim 1.
Regarding Claims 2 – 19, the claims are allowed as they further limit allowed claim 1.
Claim 20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Felici (US 11,867,723 B2) discloses a probe head for testing a device under test integrated on a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a plurality of contact probes, each having a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to contact pads of the device under test; at least one first lower guide and one second lower guide at the first end of the probes, said first and second lower guides being parallel to each other and having a respective plurality of first and second guide holes for slidingly housing the contact probes, wherein the second guide holes of the second lower guide are shifted with respect to the first guide holes of the first lower guide along a first direction (see claim 1).
Kenzaki (US 11,719,762 B2) suggests a probe fitting structure comprising: a connector to be inspected, the connector including a plurality of connection electrodes; and a probe configured to fit to the connector, the probe including a flange having a through hole, a coaxial cable extending through the through hole and including a leading end portion to which at least one probe pin is attached, a plunger including a leading end through which the at least one probe pin is exposed, and at least one plunger-side fitting portion in a leading end portion of the plunger, and a spring housing the coaxial cable between the flange and the plunger (see claim 1).
Perego (US 11,549,965 B2) teaches a contact probe for a testing head comprising: respective end portions to contact respective contact pads; a probe body being extended in a longitudinal direction according to a longitudinal axis between the respective end portions; and a first and a second side wall, opposite one another at least one end portion having transverse dimensions greater than the probe body and comprising an enlarged portion, the enlarged portion projecting only from the first side wall of the contact probe wherein the at least one end portion further comprises: at least one protrusion projecting from the second side wall and extending the second wall along the longitudinal axis of the contact probe starting from the enlarged portion wherein the enlarged portion defines at least one undercut wall and the protrusion has a point of maximum lateral extension (see claim 1).
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/GIOVANNI ASTACIO-OQUENDO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858 9/19/2026
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