Armon, Gilad et al.Download PDFPatent Trials and Appeals BoardOct 9, 201914258295 - (D) (P.T.A.B. Oct. 9, 2019) Copy Citation UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www.uspto.gov APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 14/258,295 04/22/2014 Gilad Armon 07696-P0003A 1664 136531 7590 10/09/2019 The Roy Gross Law Firm, LLC 50 Washington Street Suite 733/734 Norwalk, CT 06854 EXAMINER FRUNZI, VICTORIA E. ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 3688 MAIL DATE DELIVERY MODE 10/09/2019 PAPER Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication. PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE ____________________ BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD ____________ Ex parte GILAD ARMON, ADIEL LOINGER, URI BLATT, and SHAHAR SIEGMAN ____________ Appeal 2018–007587 Application 14/258,295 Technology Center 3600 ____________ Before JOSEPH L. DIXON, KRISTEN L. DROESCH, and STEPHEN E. BELISLE, Administrative Patent Judges. DROESCH, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL STATEMENT OF THE CASE Appellant appeals under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) from the Examiner’s Non-Final Rejection of claims 17–42, all of the pending claims.1,2 We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We AFFIRM. 1 We use the word “Appellant” to refer to “applicant” as defined in 37 C.F.R. § 1.42 (2017). Appellant indicates the real party-in-interest is KENSHOO LTD. Appeal Br. 3. 2 Claims 1–16 have been cancelled. Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 2 BACKGROUND The disclosed invention relates to a method of benchmarking in online advertising. Spec. 3:28–4:2, Abstract. CLAIMED SUBJECT MATTER Claim 17, which is representative of the subject matter of the appeal and is reproduced from the Claims Appendix of the Appeal Brief, reads as follows: 17. A method for benchmarking in online advertising, the method comprising using at least one hardware processor for automatically: serving a plurality of online ad entities to a plurality of users through a plurality of internet connected web browsers at a plurality of time points; gathering a plurality of performance metrics resulting from the serving; constructing, from said serving and said plurality of performance metrics, multiple historical time series comprising values of N metrics associated with M online ad entities, wherein N ≥ 1 and M ≥ 2, each value associated with one of the plurality of time point values; computing statistical relationships, each of the statistical relationships being between the metrics of different pairs of the M online ad entities; constructing an N x M x M matrix of the statistical relationships between the M online ad entities over the N metrics; combining cells of the matrix using cluster analysis, to produce multiple clusters each comprised of similarly- characterized cells according to the statistical relationships; receiving a[] plurality of performance metric[s] associated with a target ad entity, each of the plurality of performance metric[s] comprising a metric value and a time point value; presenting the multiple clusters to an advertiser; receiving an advertiser selection of at least one of the multiple clusters as a joint benchmark, wherein the selection is Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 3 based on a similarity between at least some of the metrics of the target ad entity and the multiple clusters; comparing the target ad entity with the joint benchmark to compute a difference between at least one comparison metric of the target ad entity with a respective at least one comparison metric of the joint benchmark; and sending automatically a command to automatically adjust at least one ad bidding parameter of the target ad entity based on the comparing, wherein the adjustment of the at least one ad bidding parameter is selected from the group consisting of: decreasing a bid value, increasing a budget value, decreasing a budget value, adding a searched keyword, removing a searched keyword, increasing geographies of advertisers, decreasing geographies of advertisers, increasing geographies of users, decreasing geographies of users, adding user demographics, removing user demographics, adding a browser language, and removing a browser language. REJECTION ON APPEAL3 Claims 17–42 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 as directed to patent-ineligible subject matter. ANALYSIS Appellant disputes the Examiner’s conclusion that claims 17–42 are directed to patent-ineligible subject matter. See Appeal Br. 7–12. Appellant argues claims 17–42 together as a group. See id. Consequently, we choose claim 17 as representative of the group. 37 C.F.R. 41.37(c)(1)(iv). In particular, Appellant contends that the Examiner’s determination that claims 17–42 are directed to a judicial exception without significantly more were improperly based on comparisons to multiple abstract ideas and comparisons to case law irrelevant to the present invention. See Appeal Br. 8–10 (citing 3 Additional grounds of rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103 subject to the Appeal were withdrawn by the Examiner. Ans. 3 Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 4 CyberSource Corp. v. Retail Decisions, Inc., 654 F.3d 1366 (Fed. Cir. 2011)). According to Appellant, “the claims are directed to a specific solution for overcoming technical interfacing problems [between] a human user and an automatic advertisement platform for adjusting bid parameters automatically when there is insufficient data to determine a benchmark for a new advertisement entity.” Id. at 10; see id. at 8, 9 (similar arguments). Appellant contends the claimed invention is a strict computer science technique, not a mental process or just an abstract idea. See id. at 11. According to Appellant, “[m]odern online advertising methods, which utilize computers for tasks which were not possible to automate before, are unmistakably within the scope of patent-eligible inventions as determined by the Federal Circuit in [DDR].” Id. (citing DDR Holdings, LLC v. Hotels.com L.P., 773 F.3d 1245 (Fed Cir. 2014)). Appellant contends that, like McRO, the recited claims use a combination of technologies (specific claim elements and formulas) to perform advertisement benchmarking in the dynamic and real-time environment of advertising platforms, and interface between the advertiser and the [advertising] platform to find the closest similar cluster . . . based on . . . metrics of a new ad entity to determine unknown performance of that [new ad] entity.” Appeal Br. 11 (citing McRO Inc. v. Bandai Namco Games Amer. Inc., 837 F.3d 1299 (Fed. Cir. 2018)). Appellant further argues that, like Enfish, “the present claimed invention, being directed to addressing a particular computerized text analytics problem, is directed to specific improvements to the way computers operate to solve this special problem, and thus are patent eligible under § 101.” Id. (citing Enfish, LLC v. Microsoft Corp., 822 F.3d 1327 (Fed Cir. 2016)). Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 5 The Supreme Court’s two-step framework guides our analysis of patent eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101. Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int’l, 573 U.S. 208, 217 (2014). In addition, the Office recently published revised guidance for evaluating subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101, specifically with respect to applying the Alice framework. USPTO, 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance, 84 Fed. Reg. 50 (Jan. 7, 2019) (“Guidance”). If a claim falls within one of the statutory categories of patent eligibility (i.e., a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter) then the first inquiry is whether the claim is directed to one of the judicially recognized exceptions (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea). Alice, 573 U.S. at 217. As part of this inquiry, we must “look at the ‘focus of the claimed advance over the prior art’ to determine if the claim’s ‘character as a whole’ is directed to excluded subject matter.” Affinity Labs of Tex., LLC v. DIRECTV, LLC, 838 F.3d 1253, 1257 (Fed. Cir. 2016). According to the recent Guidance, this first inquiry has two prongs of analysis (i) does the claim recite a judicial exception (e.g., an abstract idea); and (ii) if so, is the judicial exception integrated into a practical application. See Guidance, 84 Fed. Reg. at 54. Under the Guidance, if the judicial exception is integrated into a practical application, the claim is patent eligible under § 101. See id. at 54–55. If the claims are not directed to a judicial exception, the inquiry ends. See McRO, 837 F.3d at 1312. However, if the claim is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., recites a judicial exception and does not integrate the exception into a practical application), the next step is to determine whether any element, or combination of elements, amounts to significantly more than the judicial Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 6 exception. See Alice, 573 U.S. at 217; see also Guidance, 84 Fed. Reg. at 56. Here, we conclude claim 17 generally is directed to identifying one or more online ad entities as potential benchmarks and adjusting a first target online ad entity based on a comparison to a selected benchmark. This is consistent with how Appellant describes the claimed invention. See Spec. 18:14–27:22, Figs. 4–5 (describing identifying one or more online ad entities as potential benchmarks, or identifying clusters of online ad identities as potential joint benchmarks, and performing automatic actions with respect to a target online ad entity based on a comparison to a selected benchmark or joint benchmark). Consistent with the Guidance and case law, we conclude that identifying one or more online ad entities as potential benchmarks and adjusting a first target online ad entity based on a comparison to a selected benchmark is a mental process and, thus, an abstract idea. See Guidance, 84 Fed. Reg. at 52; see also Elec. Power Grp., LLC v. Alstom S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1354 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (concluding that “analyzing information by steps people go through in their minds, or by mathematical algorithms, without more, as essentially mental processes within the abstract-idea category”); CyberSource, 654 F.3d at 1371–72 (concluding claims directed to “detecting credit card fraud based on information relating [to] past transactions” can be performed in the human mind and were drawn to a patent-ineligible mental process); FairWarning IP, LLC v. Iatric Sys., Inc., 839 F.3d 1089, 1093–94 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (concluding claims directed to “collecting and analyzing information to detect misuse and notifying a user when misuse is detected” to be mental processes within the abstract-idea Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 7 category); Voter Verified, Inc. v. Election Sys. & Software LLC, 887 F.3d 1376, 1385–86 (explaining the concepts of voting, verifying the vote, and submitting the vote for tabulation to be abstract). Claim 17 is reproduced below and includes the following claim limitations that recite identifying one or more online ad entities as potential benchmarks, and adjusting a first target online ad entity based on a comparison to a selected benchmark, emphasized in italics: 17. A method for benchmarking in online advertising, the method comprising using at least one hardware processor for automatically: serving a plurality of online ad entities to a plurality of users through a plurality of internet connected web browsers at a plurality of time points; gathering a plurality of performance metrics resulting from the serving; constructing, from said serving and said plurality of performance metrics, multiple historical time series comprising values of N metrics associated with M online ad entities, wherein N ≥ 1 and M ≥ 2, each value associated with one of the plurality of time point values; computing statistical relationships, each of the statistical relationships being between the metrics of different pairs of the M online ad entities; constructing an N x M x M matrix of the statistical relationships between the M online ad entities over the N metrics; combining cells of the matrix using cluster analysis, to produce multiple clusters each comprised of similarly- characterized cells according to the statistical relationships; receiving a[] plurality of performance metric[s] associated with a target ad entity, each of the plurality of performance metric[s] comprising a metric value and a time point value; presenting the multiple clusters to an advertiser; receiving an advertiser selection of at least one of the multiple clusters as a joint benchmark, wherein the selection is Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 8 based on a similarity between at least some of the metrics of the target ad entity and the multiple clusters; comparing the target ad entity with the joint benchmark to compute a difference between at least one comparison metric of the target ad entity with a respective at least one comparison metric of the joint benchmark; and sending automatically a command to automatically adjust at least one ad bidding parameter of the target ad entity based on the comparing, wherein the adjustment of the at least one ad bidding parameter is selected from the group consisting of: decreasing a bid value, increasing a budget value, decreasing a budget value, adding a searched keyword, removing a searched keyword, increasing geographies of advertisers, decreasing geographies of advertisers, increasing geographies of users, decreasing geographies of users, adding user demographics, removing user demographics, adding a browser language, and removing a browser language. More specifically, the concept of identifying one or more online ad entities as potential benchmarks, and adjusting a first target online ad entity based on a comparison to a selected benchmark comprises the following mental process(es): (1) constructing multiple historical time series comprising values of N metrics associated with M online ad entities; (2) computing statistical relationships between the metrics of different pairs of the M online ad entities; (3) constructing an N x M x M matrix of the statistical relationships between the M online ad entities over the N metrics; (4) combining cells of the matrix using cluster analysis to produce multiple clusters of similarly-characterized cells according to the statistical relationships; (5) comparing a target ad entity with a selected benchmark; and (6) adjusting the target ad entity based on the comparing. These steps may be performed by a human with the aid of pen and paper because the scope of claim 17 includes, at minimum, one metric (N ≥ 1) and two online ad entities (M ≥ 2). In other words, a human, with the aid of pen and paper, Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 9 can: (1) construct multiple historical time series comprising values of one metric associated with two online ad entities, each value associated with one of the plurality of time point values; (2) compute statistical relationships between the metrics of different pairs of the two online ad entities; (3) construct a 1 x 2 x 2 matrix of the statistical relationships between the two online ad entities over the one metric; (4) combine cells of the matrix using cluster analysis, to produce multiple clusters each comprised of similarly-characterized cells according to the statistical relationships; (5) compare a target ad entity with a selected joint benchmark (i.e., a selected cluster) to compute a difference between at least one comparison metric of the target ad entity with a respective at least one comparison metric of the joint benchmark; and (6) adjust at least one ad bidding parameter of the target ad entity based on the comparing. We are not persuaded by Appellant’s argument that the claimed invention is a strict computer science technique, not a mental process or just an abstract idea. See Appeal Br. 11 (citing Alice; DDR). If a claim, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it is still in the mental processes category unless the claim cannot practically be performed in the mind. See Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Symantec Corp., 838 F.3d 1307, 1318 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (“[W]ith the exception of generic computer- implemented steps, there is nothing in the claims themselves that foreclose them from being performed by a human, mentally or with pen and paper.”); see also CyberSource, 654 F.3d at 1372 (holding that the incidental use of a “computer” or “computer readable medium” does not make a claim otherwise directed to a process that “can be performed in the human mind, Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 10 or by a human using a pen and paper” patent eligible); Mayo Collaborative Servs. v. Prometheus Labs., Inc., 566 U.S. 66, 71 (2012) (explaining mental processes are not patentable); Guidance, 84 Fed. Reg. at 52–53 nn.14–15. Additionally, we note that using a computer to perform tasks more quickly or efficiently does not confer patent eligibility on an otherwise ineligible abstract idea. See, e.g., Bancorp Servs., LLC v. Sun Life Assurance Co. of Can. (U.S.), 687 F.3d 1266, 1278 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (“[T]he fact that the required calculations could be performed more efficiently via a computer does not materially alter the patent eligibility of the claimed subject matter.”). As noted by Appellant, “[p]revious to computer technologies and the implementation of internet search engine-based advertising, . . . human advertising professionals acquired benchmark data by trial and error over periods of years and decades.” Appeal Br. 8. Because the claim recites a judicial exception, we next determine whether the claim integrates the judicial exception into a practical application. See Guidance, 84 Fed. Reg. at 54. To determine whether the judicial exception is integrated into a practical application, we identify whether there are “any additional elements recited in the claim beyond the judicial exception(s)” and evaluate those elements to determine whether they integrate the judicial exception into a recognized practical application. Guidance, 84 Fed. Reg. at 54–55 (emphasis added); see Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (“MPEP”) § 2106.05(a)–(c), (e)–(h) (9th ed. Rev. 08.2017, Jan. 2018). Here, we find the additional limitations do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. Although Appellant asserts that the invention solves a “technical problem” or “technical interfacing problems” Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 11 (see Appeal Br. 8–11), the claims do not recite an improvement to the functionality of a computer or other technology or technical field (see MPEP § 2106.05(a)). The claims also do not recite (i) a “particular machine” to apply or use the judicial exception (see MPEP § 2106.05(b)); (ii) a particular transformation of an article to a different thing or state (see MPEP § 2106.05(c)); or (iii) any other meaningful limitation (see MPEP § 2106.05(e)). See Guidance, 84 Fed. Reg. at 55. The additional limitations of claim 17 recite: (1) “at least one hardware processor for automatically,” and (2) “serving a plurality of online ad entities to a plurality of users through a plurality of internet connected web browsers at a plurality of time points.” We agree with the Examiner that these claim recitations are generic computer elements. See Non-Final Act. 5 (citing Spec. 11:25–30, 13:15–20). Implementing an abstract idea on a generic computer is not a practical application of the abstract idea. See Alice, 573 U.S. at 221, Spec. 11:25–30 (“These computer program instructions may be provided to a hardware processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.”). We are not persuaded by Appellant’s arguments analogizing the claims before us with the facts before the Federal Circuit in McRO and Enfish. See Br. 10–11 (citing McRO; Enfish)). Appellant does not direct us to evidence to demonstrate that the claimed invention provides a specific improvement in technology like the claims in McRO which provided a Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 12 specific improvement in the technology of computer animation. Appellant also does not direct us to evidence to demonstrate that the claimed invention provides an improvement in computer capabilities, like the claims in Enfish which provided a self-referential table in a computer database that improved the computer functionality itself. Contrary to Appellant’s arguments, it is unclear how the subject matter of claim 17 provides any improvement in technology or computer functionality based on Appellant’s following unsupported arguments: (1) “the use of a specialized technique and mathematics for interfacing between the advertiser and the advertising platform . . . ;” (2) the “use [of] a combination of technologies (specific claim elements and formulas) to perform advertisement benchmarking in the dynamic and real-time environment of advertising platforms, and interface between the advertiser and the [advertising] platform to find the closest similar cluster . . . based on . . . metrics of a new ad entity to determine unknown performance of that [new ad] entity;” and (3) “addressing a computerized text analytics problem.” Appeal Br. 10–11 (citing McRO, Enfish). As the Federal Circuit has stated, Our prior cases have made clear that mere automation of manual processes using generic computers does not constitute a patentable improvement in computer technology. In those cases, “the focus of the claims is not on such an improvement in computers as tools, but on certain independently abstract ideas that use computers as tools. Credit Acceptance Corp. v. Westlake Servs., 859 F.3d 1044, 1055 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (quoting Elec. Power Grp., LLC v. Alstom S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1354 (Fed Cir. 2016). Similarly, “[r]elying on a computer to perform routine tasks more quickly or more accurately is insufficient to render a claim patent Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 13 eligible.” OIP Techs, Inc., v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363 (Fed. Cir. 2015). The additional limitations of claim 17 also recite: (1) serving a plurality of online ad entities to a plurality of users through a plurality of internet connected web browsers at a plurality of time points; (2) gathering a plurality of performance metrics resulting from the serving; (3) receiving performance metrics associated with a target ad entity; (4) presenting multiple clusters to an advertiser; and (5) receiving a selection of at least one of the multiple clusters as a joint benchmark. Gathering of data as input for further processing, and displaying information resulting from data collection and processing are the types of extra-solution activity (i.e., in addition to the judicial exception), the courts have determined insufficient to transform judicially excepted subject matter into a patent-eligible application. See MPEP § 2106.05(g); see also Bilski v. Kappos, 561 U.S. 593, 612 (2010) (holding the use of well-known techniques to establish inputs to the abstract idea as extra-solution activity that fails to make the underlying concept patent eligible); Elec. Power Grp., 830 F.3d at 1355 (explaining that “merely presenting the results of abstract processes of collecting and analyzing information, without more (such as identifying a particular tool for presentation), is abstract as an ancillary part of such collection and analysis”); OIP Techs., Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (finding that gathering statistics generated based on customer testing for input to a pricing calculation “fail[s] to ‘transform’ the claimed abstract idea into a patent-eligible invention”). For these reasons, we also are not persuaded by Appellant’s argument that Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 14 receiving a user selection of one cluster to use as a benchmark is significantly more than an alleged abstract idea. See Appeal Br. 10–11. Finally, we are not persuaded by Appellant’s arguments that the following additional elements are significantly more than an alleged abstract idea, and were not addressed by the Examiner: (1) using statistical analysis between multiple previous ad entities; (2) arrangement of the statistical values in a matrix; (3) clustering similar ad entities; (4) comparing partial data of the new ad entity with a selected cluster; and (5) adjusting automatically the bid parameters of the new ad entity based on the other metrics of the selected cluster. See Appeal Br. 10–11. Contrary to Appellant’s argument, the Examiner identified these elements as forming the abstract idea of a mental process. See Non-Final Act. 3–4. Because we determine claim 17 does not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application, and is instead directed to an abstract idea, we analyze the claims under step two of Alice to determine if there are additional limitations that individually, or as an ordered combination, ensure the claims amount to “significantly more” than the abstract idea. Alice, 573 U.S. at 217–18 (citing Mayo, 566 U.S. at 77–79). As stated in the Guidance, many of the considerations to determine whether the claims amount to “significantly more” under step two of the Alice framework are already considered as part of determining whether the judicial exception has been integrated into a practical application. See Guidance, 84 Fed. Reg. at 56. Therefore, at this point of our analysis, we determine if the claims add a specific limitation, or combination of limitations, that is not well- understood, routine, conventional activity in the field, or simply append well-understood, routine, conventional activities at a high level of generality. Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 15 See id. “Whether something is well-understood, routine, and conventional to a skilled artisan at the time of the patent is a factual determination.” Berkheimer v. HP Inc., 881 F.3d 1360, 1369 (Fed. Cir. 2018). Here, Appellant’s claims do not recite specific limitations (or a combination of limitations) that are not well-understood, routine, and conventional. We agree with the Examiner that the claim recitations of “at least one hardware processor for automatically,” “serving a plurality of online ad entities to a plurality of users through a plurality of internet connected web browsers at a plurality of time points,” and “automatically” are generic computer elements and conventional and routine processes. See Non-Final Act. 5 (citing Spec. 11:25–30, 13:15–20). We also agree with the Examiner’s finding that our reviewing courts have determined that processing and receiving data, as well as the application of repetitive calculations are conventional computer functions. See Ans. 4; see also Intellectual Ventures I v. Symantec, 838 F.3d at 1321, (utilizing an intermediary computer to forward information); OIP Techs., Inc., v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363, (Fed. Cir. 2015) (presenting offers and gathering statistics; sending messages over a network); buySAFE, Inc. v. Google, Inc., 765 F.3d 1350, 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2014) (computer receives and sends information over a network); Flook, 437 U.S. at 594 (recomputing or readjusting alarm limit values); Bancorp Services v. Sun Life, 687 F.3d 1266, 1278 (Fed. Cir. 2012) (“The computer required by some of Bancorp’s claims is employed only for its most basic function, the performance of repetitive calculations, and as such does not impose meaningful limits on the scope of those claims.”); Trading Techs. Int’l, Inc., v. IBG LLC, 921 F.3d 1084, 1093 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (agreeing with Board’s determination that “receiving Appeal 2018-007587 Application 14/258,295 16 market information is simply routine data gathering, and displaying information as indicators along a scaled price axis is well-understood, routine conventional activity.”). For the foregoing reasons, we are not persuaded the Examiner erred in rejecting claims 17–42 under 35 U.S.C. § 101. Accordingly, we sustain the Examiner’s rejection of claims 17–42 under 35 U.S.C. § 101 as directed to patent-ineligible subject matter. CONCLUSION In summary: Claims Rejected 35 U.S.C. § Basis Affirmed Reversed 17–42 101 Eligibility 17–42 TIME PERIOD FOR RESPONSE No time period for taking any subsequent action in connection with this appeal may be extended under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a)(1)(iv). AFFIRMED Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation