Public Records Division/Public Information Services Division
Public User’s Meeting
December 20, 2006
2:00 p.m. - Remsen Building Conference Center
The Public User's Meeting was held at 2:00 p.m. in the 1st floor conference room 1D04/1D14 of the Remsen Building on the USPTO campus in Alexandria, Virginia. Martha Sneed, Manager of PISD, chaired the meeting. There were 3 members of the public in attendance.
Announcements
Next year (2007) we will be meeting in different buildings:
- January - February; April, June - December in Jefferson Conference Center
- March, May in Randolph Conference Center
USPTO Security Badges for public users are being renewed. Please go to the USPTO Security office before December 31, 2006.
User Ids for access to the Universal Public Workstations (UPWS) are up for renewal in January 2007 in the Public Search Facility (PSF).
Modification to Design Search Code Manual
Teresa Rupp, Senior Trademark Attorney in Law Office 106, made a presentation on the modification of the Design Search Code Manual. There will be two phases of the project, the first to add images to the manual, and the second to add new search codes to the trademark search systems. Eighty new codes will be added to the existing manual to provide for finer breakdowns and ease of searching. None of the old codes will be deleted, but some will be narrower in scope as parts of them will be broken down into finer components. For example, the "grotesque men" category will be retained, but a new code has been added for "snowman", formerly coded as "grotesque men". Coding has also been added for emoticon- type icons in emails (e.g. smiley face), speech balloons (called speech clouds), and a computer mouse. Only live registrations will be recoded with new codes. The new information will be available by Monday, January 8, 2007.
Public Search Facility Update
The staff person who covered the reference desk in the Trademark Search Facility from 4-5 p.m. each day has retired. The house phones in the facility have been programmed to speed dial the reference desk in PSF to handle questions that might come in during this time. A sign has been posted at the reference desk in the Trademark Search Facility to alert the public about this capability.
New directional signs are up reflecting post construction layout. The 2nd emergency staircase is still under construction and scheduled to be finished in 2007. The public should keep staff informed if there are any problems, i.e. broken items, out of service elevator, etc.
Doug Salser received kudos from a customer for having a previously requested feature, a button on EAST, added to UPWS.
Customer Questions/Requests:
Q: When will highlighted text function be available in EAST on the image database? Specifications referring to drawings are in bold face. Keyword/context should be highlighted. A: We have forwarded this request to developers, but are aware of no plans to implement this feature.
Q: WiFi connections in PSF are too slow. What will it take to update these connections? A: The wifi connections were initially launched as a beta program. Staff will forward this concern to Search and Information Resources Adm. Staff that oversee the wifi program.
Q: Are there minutes posted from these meetings? A: Yes, they are posted on the website. Minutes from past meetings are available also.
Q: Do you have a suggestion box? A: We have the online suggestion box at psf@ustpo.gov . You may send messages to this box when having an online UPWS session, or send direct through another means.
Q: In the Manual of Classification window with links, some are not available to click on. Why? A: Some links are blocked for security purposes. Internet access is not allowed through UPWS. If any of the links pass through the Internet there is no access to those links via these workstations. However, we will visit with the customer after the meeting to find out exactly what links do not appear to be working.
Q: Can vending machines with food and coffee be made available in the cafeteria so customers can have something to eat after the cafeteria and other close by coffee shops close? A: The cold beverage vending machine in the cafeteria was requested by PSF staff in 2004 and took two years to implement. We will start this new request with Facility Help Desk.
Q: Please provide videoconference access to examiners since we cannot visit their offices. A: We will forward this request to Patents.
Q: Is there any means to disseminate USPTO news outside the USPTO? A: Be sure to keep up with the USPTO Home Page at www.uspto.gov , and also frequently review "News" to keep up with the latest. You may also initiate a subscription to the online News@USPTO newsletter through the Office of Public Affairs.
Q: Are the USPTO offices located in South Tower moving? A: Not at this time. The lease has been extended through 2008.
Q: Patent examiners do not include "out of office" messages on their telephones. It is very difficult to find them. Dial "0" only ends in a loop of messages with no real person answering. A: We will provide this comment to Patents.
Q: Can the lighting on the second floor have the same checkerboard capability as the first floor? A: The capability was placed on the first floor because of lowered ceilings resulting from new construction. If customers cannot find a workstation with their preferred lighting situation, they should contact the staff and relay this concern.
Public Records Division Update - Nothing at this time.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:00pm.
Next meeting is January 17, 2007, in Jefferson conference center room 1D70/1D80 at 2:00pm.
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