Why do you keep pushing for something that no one appears interested in?

The question, I think most here want answered, is whether the claims are obvious if hindsight is eliminated. Are you after something different?

I venture to guess that your IEEE would respond by saying it will all depend on the strength of the patent owner's rebuttal. Now maybe after the response is out, then would be a reasonable time to ask some IEEE what he thought, but unfortunately it could be too late if the market percieves the response as weak.

In any case, I would not pay $ unless there was a detailed discussion of the rationale for the IEEE's opinion and it was someone that had a reputation to protect. So that would not come cheaply. Plus you are assuming that the question of obviousness is 100% black or white and the USPTO or the court of appeals would necessarily see it the same way as your expert. What if the expert provides many different shades of gray? Are you going to force the expert to respond with only a simple yes or no to the question of obviousness? All IMHO Opty