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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: “136A” on line 10 of paragraph 29 and “425” on line 12 of paragraph 47. 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. 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.
The drawings are objected to because figure 4 fails to include the proper cross sectional shading as set forth in MPEP 608.02. 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.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because “wireless signals” on line 7 is confusing since it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the wireless signals set forth above or is attempting to set forth wireless signals in addition to the ones set forth above. 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).
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: on line 15 of paragraph 22, “wall-mounted to a wall as shown in FIG. 1” is confusing since figure 1 fails to show a wall.
On line 18 of paragraph 35, “two slots 166” is confusing since the figures only show one slot 166.
On line 19 of paragraph 35, “tabs 165” is confusing since the figures only show one tab 165.
On line 3 of paragraph 40, “stationary portion 232 (e.g., such as the stationary portion 132A)” is confusing since it is unclear what the applicant is attempting to set forth. The applicant appears to be setting forth two different embodiments of the invention, however, the applicant appears to be setting forth that the elements 232 and 132A of the two different embodiments are the same. Thus, it is unclear if the applicant is setting forth two different embodiments of the invention. Also see “a movable portion 234 (e.g., such as the movable portion 134A)” on line 4 of paragraph 40.
Finally, the applicant has improperly used the same language to refer to different elements of the invention. For example, the applicant has improperly referred to element “168” on line 7 of paragraph 36 as “the button” and referred to element “268” on line 11 of paragraph 36 as “the button”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
The claims are objected to because recitations such as “the antenna element” on line 4 of claim 6 bring the clarity of the claims into question because it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the wire of the antenna element or is referring to the entirety of the antenna element.
Recitations such as “a coaxial cable” on line 2 of claim 10 bring the clarity of the claims into question because it is unclear if the coaxial cable is the same as the electrical conductor or if the coaxial cable is in addition to the electrical conductor.
On line 3 of claim 14, it is suggested the applicant change the second occurrence of “the” to --an-- to avoid confusion.
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 1-24 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.
Recitations such as “receive messages” on line 17 of claim 1 render the claims indefinite because it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the messages set forth on line 8 of claim 1 or is attempting to set forth messages in addition to the ones set forth above.
Recitations such as “messages” on line 18 of claim 1 render the claims indefinite because it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the messages set forth on lines 8 or 17 of claim 1 or is attempting to set forth messages in addition to the ones set forth above.
Recitations such as “the antenna” on line 3 of claim 3 render the claims indefinite because it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the antenna element set forth above or is attempting to set forth another element in addition to the antenna element set forth above.
Recitations such as “the electrical conductor of the antenna element” on line 3 of claim 8 render the claims indefinite because they lack antecedent basis.
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.
Claims 1 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Carmen (US 2007/0273309). Carmen discloses a motor drive unit for a motorized window treatment, the motorized window treatment having a roller tube 116 configured to windingly receive a flexible material 114 and to be rotated to raise and lower the flexible material, the motor drive unit comprising:
a housing 152, 154 configured to be received within a cavity of the roller tube 116;
a motor 130 located within the housing and configured to rotate the roller tube;
a first printed circuit board 150 located within the housing, the first printed circuit board 150 having mounted thereto drive circuitry 132 for controlling the motor 130 and a wireless communication circuit 140 for communicating messages (see lines 1-5 of paragraph 35);
an antenna element 128 configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; and
a second printed circuit board 180 secured within the housing, the second printed circuit board comprising an electrical conductor 188 (fig. 7) that extends along a length of a front side of the second printed circuit board 180, the electrical conductor 188 enabling electrical communication between the antenna element 128 and the wireless communication circuit 140 mounted to the first printed circuit board 150, the second printed circuit board 180 (fig. 7) further comprising a first ground plane 188 on a rear side of the second printed circuit board 180, the first ground plane 188 in electrical communication with a circuit common of the first printed circuit board 150 as set forth on lines 8-10 of paragraph 38;
wherein the wireless communication circuit 140 is configured to receive messages via the wireless signals received by the antenna element and transmit messages via the wireless signals transmitted by the antenna element (claim 1);
wherein the antenna element 128 is configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the roller tube 116 of the motorized window treatment when the roller tube is made of a conductive material (claim 22).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-21, 23 and 24 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record, absent applicant’s own disclosure, fails to teach the entire combination of elements set forth in the claimed invention. Specifically, the prior art of record fails to teach the second printed circuit board further comprises a second ground plane having a first portion located on a first side of the electrical conductor and a second portion located on a second side of the electrical conductor on the front side of the second printed circuit board. Although references such as Carmen disclose ground planes 188 on either side of a conductor 190, they fail to disclose the second ground plane, on the front side of the printed circuit board.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY J STRIMBU whose telephone number is (571)272-6836. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-4:30 Monday-Friday.
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, Daniel Cahn can be reached at 571-270-5616. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GREGORY J STRIMBU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3634
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