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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “wheel shaft” (claim 1), the second minimum axial distance (claim 8) and the third minimum distance (claim 12) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “128” has been used to designate both the trailing edge and the leading edge (paragraph [0048]). 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.
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 15-18 and 20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-2 of U.S. Patent No. 12,352,275. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the patent claims are narrower in scope but substantially disclose all the broader limitations of the instant claims. Note that while patent claim 1 does not explicitly disclose that each of the first gripping portion and the second lifting (interpreted as gripping, see 112b below) portion are engageable by a user to lift at least a portion of the fan assembly off a surface (per claim 17), this is a known extremely well known inherent feature of a handle that can be gripped. A user who can grip a handle should generally be able to lift the fan assembly off a floor-like surface to some degree as is well known in the art.
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 7-14 and 17 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 7 discloses “a slidable battery pack” wherein it is unclear if this is the same battery pack mentioned in parent claim 1 or of it is different. For the purposes of examination, this limitation will be interpreted as follows: “--a guide rail portion configured to accept the battery pack that is slidable in a direction--.”
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the plurality of fans" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purposes of examination, this will be interpreted as “the plurality of fan blades” for proper antecedent basis.
Claims 9-14 are also rejected as they depend on a rejected claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the second lifting portion" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purposes of examination, “the second lifting portion” will be interpreted as “the second gripping portion” that is mentioned in parent claim 15.
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.
Claim(s) 15-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhong et al. (herein Zhong) (US 2023/0118363).Regarding Claim 15:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses a fan assembly (100) comprising: a motor (112b) having an output shaft (described as an axis in paragraph [0053] and can be seen in Figures 5-6, henceforth referred to as OS) that defines a rotation axis (112c); a plurality of fan blades (112a) coupled to the output shaft (OS) and configured to be rotated by the output shaft when the motor is actuated to generate airflow (see paragraph [0053]); a fan shroud (11, 12) surrounding the plurality of fan blades (host 11 comprises 111 that surrounds the fan blades as seen in Figure 3); and a handle (111e, 310) disposed on the fan shroud (as seen in Figures 8 and/or 15-16), the handle (111e, 310) including a base (111e) and a rotating handle structure (310) rotatable about the base (as mentioned in paragraph [0077], the rotating handle structure 310 can be connected to base 111e and rotated as seen in Figures 15-16), the base (111e) having a first gripping portion (as seen in Figure 8, the base 111e comprises a plurality of gripping portions on the top bar, henceforth referred to as FG) and the rotating handle structure (310) defining a second gripping portion (311 or 312), each of the first gripping portion (FG) and the second gripping portion (311 or 312) configured to be separately gripped by a user (FG can be gripped by a user which is a known function of the handle 111e and the hook structure 310 can be easily gripped by a user at 311 or 312 for instance while forming a detachable connection with a fixture in an external environment, see paragraph [0077] and Figures 15-16), and the first gripping portion (FG) spaced from the fan shroud by a gap (as seen in Figure 8 there is a clear gap from the top of 111e that forms FG and the shroud).Regarding Claim 16:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein the rotating handle structure (310) is rotatably coupled to opposite ends of the first gripping portion (as evident from Figures 15-16, the rotating handle structure rotates about 122 which is similar to 111e and when disposed in the same manner over 111e, it would be rotatably coupled to a front end and an opposite rear end of 111e in the same manner as shown in Figures 15-16).Regarding Claim 17:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein each of the first gripping portion (FG on 111e) and the second gripping portion (311 or 312) are engageable by a user to lift at least a portion of the fan assembly off a surface (lifting the fan assembly 100 from a surface using a handle 111e is a known function of a handle, see paragraph [0059]; also as mentioned in paragraph [0076], the hook 310 can be used to lift the fan from a surface to hang it at a preset height and this lifting would be via a user at least partially gripping 310 to hang it at said preset height).Regarding Claim 18:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein the fan assembly (100) defines an upward direction (upper side, see Figure 2) and a downward direction (lower side see Figure 2) relative to the rotation axis (112c, see Figure 6), and wherein the handle (111e, 310) is disposed on the fan shroud at a position in the upward direction from the rotation axis (as evident from Figures 2 and 6).Regarding Claim 19:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses the fan assembly (100), further comprising a battery receptacle (126) at a position in the downward direction (see Figure 7) such that the battery receptacle is opposite the handle (as seen in Figure 7, the battery receptacle 126 is broadly diagonally opposite portions of the handle 111e).
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (herein Zhong) (US 2023/0118363).Regarding Claim 1:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses a fan assembly (100) comprising: a motor (112b) having an output shaft (described as an axis in paragraph [0053] and can be seen in Figures 5-6, henceforth referred to as OS) that defines a rotation axis (112c); a plurality of fan blades (112a) coupled to the output shaft (OS) and configured to be rotated by the output shaft (OS) when the motor is actuated to generate airflow (see paragraph [0053]); a fan shroud (11, 12) surrounding the plurality of fan blades (host 11 comprises 111 that surrounds the fan blades as seen in Figure 3); wheels (14) coupled to a wheel shaft (wheel shaft seen in Figure 3) and spaced apart from each other to at least partially support the fan shroud (as seen in Figure 3); and a battery receptacle assembly (13) disposed on the fan shroud (as seen in Figure 7), the battery receptacle assembly (13) including a battery receptacle (126) configured to receive a battery pack (see paragraph [0058]), wherein the fan assembly (100) defines an upward direction (upper side, see Figure 2) and a downward direction (lower side, see Figure 2), and wherein the battery receptacle (126) is disposed in the downward direction from the rotation axis (as seen in Figure 2).Zhong fails to disclose that the battery receptacle (126) is positioned between the wheels.It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have rearranged the battery receptacle to be positioned at least partially between the two wheels (for instance between the arms of 121, see Figure 4), since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.Regarding Claim 2:Zhong as modified discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein the fan assembly comprises a stand (121, 122, 123), and wherein the battery receptacle assembly (13) is directly fixed to the stand (see Figures 4 and 7 and paragraph [0058]. After the proposed modification in claim 1, the battery receptacle assembly would be directly fixed to the stand between the arms of 121).Regarding Claim 3:Zhong as modified discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein the wheels (156) are rotatably disposed on the stand (wheels 14 are rotatably disposed on 121 as seen in Figure 4) and the battery receptacle (126) would be at least partially disposed between the wheels (as proposed in the rejection of claim 1 above).Regarding Claim 4:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein the battery receptacle assembly comprises an electrical plug receptacle (as stated in paragraph [0058]: “Inside the battery compartment 126, it is further provided with a joint portion or a connection terminal (not shown in the figure) for connecting the battery pack, so that when the battery pack is inserted into the battery compartment 126, the electrical connection with a control circuit can be realized.” This joint portion/terminal is known to be an electrical plug type structure).Regarding Claim 7:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein the battery receptacle (126) comprises a guide rail portion (sidewalls of battery compartment 126) configured to accept a slidable battery pack (battery pack is inserted into the battery compartment as mentioned in paragraph [0058]) in a direction that forms a non-zero angle (angle alpha, Figure 1) with the upward direction and the downward direction.
Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (herein Zhong) (US 2023/0118363) in view of Turner (US 9,863,698).
Regarding Claim 5:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein battery receptacle assembly (13) comprises a speed control (air volume buttons 163a or 163b to increase/decrease air volume by controlling speed, see paragraphs [0063] and paragraph [0066]) to control a rotational speed of the motor.Zhong fails to disclose a dial for speed control.However, in Figure 1, Turner discloses a fan (56) wherein a rotatable dial (92) is used to control the speed of the fan (see column 3, lines 60-63). Hence, based on Turner’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have substituted Zhong’s speed control buttons on the control module (16) with a rotatable speed dial (of the type taught by Turner), since doing so would involve a simple substitution that would yield predictable results such a reducing the number of parts by replacing multiple buttons with a single rotatable dial. Regarding Claim 6:In Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein the speed control dial is disposed in the upward direction from the battery receptacle (the added speed control dial would be arranged above the battery receptacle on the control module 16 as seen in Zhong’s Figure 9).
Claim(s) 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eggers (US 2019/0383295).Regarding Claims 8-11:In Figures 1-4, Eggers discloses a fan assembly (100) comprising: a motor (108) having an output shaft (104) that defines a rotation axis (118); a plurality of fan blades (126) coupled to the output shaft and configured to be rotated by the output shaft when the motor is actuated to generate airflow (see paragraphs [0043] and [0045]), the plurality of fan blades defining a fan diameter (ODB, see paragraph [0051]) and each of the plurality of fan blades (126) defines a leading edge (138) and a trailing edge (136) in an airflow direction (122) through the fan assembly (as seen in Figure 4, airflow 122 is from leading edge 138 to trailing edge 136); a fan shroud (110) surrounding the plurality of fan blades (see Figure 2); and a front grill (112) disposed on a front side of the fan shroud (see paragraph [0041]); and a rear grill (frame 102 with arms 116, see paragraph [0042]) disposed on a rear side of the fan shroud (see Figure 4), wherein a ratio between i) a minimum distance (henceforth referred to as D1) between the leading edge (138) of each of the plurality of fan blades and the rear grill (the distance between the leading edge 138 and the rear grill 116 as seen in Figure 4 is clearly less than LC which is disclosed to be between 10-11 inches, see paragraph [0050]) and ii) the fan diameter (fan diameter ODB is = 2 x RB = 2 x 15.75 inches = 31.5 inches, see paragraph [0051]) is between 10% to 25% (assuming D1 less than 10 inches for instance 7 inches and ODB is 31.5 inches, the ratio is approximately 7/31.5 which is approximately 22.22%), and wherein the first axial minimum distance (D1) is greater than a second minimum axial distance (distance between 136 and 112, henceforth referred to as D2) between the trailing edge (136) of the fan blades and the front grill (as seen in Figures 1 and 4, distance D1 would be much larger than D2 since the trailing edge 136 is much closer to the front grill 112, than the leading edge 138 is to the rear grill 116).Since, Eggers only mentions that the minimum distance (D1) could be less than 10 inches, such that the ratio could be approximately 22.22%, there is no explicit disclosure regarding this minimum distance (D1) such that the ratio (D1/ ODB) could be between 10% to 25% (per claim 8) or between 10-18% (per claim 9) or 15% to 18% (per claim 10) or 16% to 17% (per claim 11). Note: Note that the criticality for this feature is defined as follows in paragraph in paragraph [0048]: “While keeping the minimum distance Dmin is generally desirable in forming a more compact fan assembly, Applicant has discovered that, when the minimum distance Dmin is 10% or greater than the fan diameter Df, there is a significant reduction in fan noise.” It is noted that Eggers discloses a value greater than 10% as described above. Since Eggers already discloses approximate values in the claimed range, this range is essentially an optimizable range. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to optimize the ratio to be between 10% to 25% (per claim 8) or between 10-18% (per claim 9) or 15% to 18% (per claim 10) or 16% to 17% (per claim 11) for instance by changing the size of the plurality of fan blades such that the distance D1 could be optimized for the claimed ranges, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.Regarding Claim 12:In Figures 1-4, Eggers discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein the first axial minimum distance (D1) between the leading edge (138) of each of the plurality of fan blades (126) and the rear grill (102, 116) is greater than a third minimum distance (distance between 138 and 112) between the leading edge (138) of each of the fan blades and the front grill (as seen in Figure 4, the blades are much closer to the front grill than the rear grill such that at least one point on the leading edge 138 would be closer to the front grill than the rear grill, i.e., D1>D3).
Claim(s) 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eggers (US 2019/0383295) in view of Zhong et al. (herein Zhong) (US 2023/0118363).Regarding Claims 13-14:In Figures 1-4, Eggers discloses the fan assembly (100), wherein the fan assembly (100) defines an upward direction (above 118 in Figure 2), a downward direction (below 118 in Figure 2), a rightward direction (right of 118 in Figure 2), and a leftward direction (left of 118 in Figure 2) relative to the rotation axis (see Figure 2).Eggers fails to disclose that the fan assembly further comprises a battery receptacle at a position in the downward direction and in the rightward direction or the leftward direction (per claim 13) and a handle disposed on the fan shroud at a position in the upward direction and in the other of the rightward direction or the leftward direction such that the handle is diagonally opposite the battery receptacle (per claim 14).However, in Figures 1-16, Zhong discloses a similar fan assembly (100), wherein the fan assembly (100) defines an upward direction (upper side, see Figure 2), a downward direction (lower side see Figure 2), a rightward direction (right side see Figure 2), and a leftward direction (left side see Figure 2) relative to the rotation axis (112c, see Figure 6), wherein the fan assembly further comprises a battery receptacle (126 in 13, see Figures 1 and 7) at a position in the downward direction (as seen Figure 2) and in the rightward direction (on the right side as seen in Figure 2) and a handle (111e, see Figure 8) disposed on the fan shroud (on 111) at a position in the upward direction (on the upper side as seen in Figure 2) and in the other of the rightward direction or the leftward direction (as seen in Figure 2, the handle is at least partially on the left side) such that the handle is diagonally opposite the battery receptacle (as seen in Figure 2, the handle is at least partially on the left side such that a portion of the handle 111e is diagonally opposite the battery receptacle 126).Hence, based on Zhong’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified Eggers’ shroud incorporate a battery receptacle to include a battery pack to drive Eggers motor (battery pack for driving an electric motor is disclosed in Zhong’s paragraph [0058]) and to further include a handle of the type disclosed by Zhong on Eggers’ shroud, such that the added battery receptacle and the added handle were in the positions disclosed by Zhong above, since doing so would allow for operating Eggers fan using a portable battery and to further provide a handle to easily carry Eggers fan assembly for transportation.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (herein Zhong) (US 2023/0118363) in view of Perkins et al. (herein Perkins) (US 6,257,440).Regarding Claim 20:Zhong fails to disclose the structure to retain the rotating handle in the raised position relative to the fan shroud. However, in Figures 1-9, Perkins discloses a similar handle (20, 220) comprising a rotating handle (20) and a base (220). The base (220) comprises a first gripping portion (222) and the rotating handle (20) comprises a second gripping portion (40). Perkins further discloses, that the handle comprises a detent structure (56, 230), wherein the detent structure comprises a rib (56) disposed on the rotating handle structure (at 54) a detent slot (230) disposed on the base (230 is formed on base portion 224), and wherein, in the raised position, the rib is inserted into detent slot (as seen in Figure 8, in the raised position the rib 56 is inserted into the detent slot 230 to retain the rotating handle in the upright position). As stated in column 7, line 47 to column 8 line 12, this arrangement allows the rotating handle (20) to be rotated through several different positions and retained in multiple positions temporarily along arc A. Furthermore as stated in column 4, lines 54-58, this handle might be attached without limitation to a variety of different shaped boxes such as a round box. This would include the round shroud portion (11) of Zhong’s fan. Hence, based on Perkin’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have replaced Zhong’s handle (111e) with the handle structure (20, 220) taught by Perkins, for instance by attaching Perkins’s base (220) to the shroud (11) at two circumferential positions, since doing so would provide a rotating handle with a detent structure (as discussed above) that could be temporarily retained in many different positions along a rotation arc (as taught by Perkins) and additionally the rotating handle (20) would have a rotating grip sleeve (40) which would improve the carrying comfort of the user (see Perkins’s column 7, lines 40-56). Note that the existing rotating handle (310) could still be coupled rotatably to the modified handle.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20220290680 – Adjustable fan assembly. US 20070280829 – Axial fan assembly.
See appended PTO-892 for more prior art related to fan assemblies and handle structures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOMINICK L PLAKKOOTTAM whose telephone number is (571)270-7571. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 12 pm -8 pm ET.
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, Essama Omgba can be reached at 469-295-9278. 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.
/DOMINICK L PLAKKOOTTAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
Prosecution Insights