`
`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
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313- 1450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`APPLICATION NO.
`
`
`
`
`
` F ING DATE
`
`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`
`
`
`
`CONF {MATION NO.
`
`13/202, 896
`
`08/23/2011
`
`Jun Hashimoto
`
`MAT—10505US
`
`2826
`
`EXAMINER
`RATNERPRESTIA —
`09’1”” —
`7590
`52473
`PO. BOX 980
`COUGHLIN, ANDREW I
`VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482-0980
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`28 89
`
`
`
`
`NOT *ICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`09/ 1 3/201 3
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`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.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e—mail address(es):
`
`ptocorrespondence @ratnerprestia.c0m
`
`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 13/202,896 HASHIMOTO ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`ANDREW COUGHLIN [SENS 2889
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTH(S) OR THIRTY (30) DAYS,
`WHICHEVER IS LONGER, FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`In no event however may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX () MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1 .704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 9/4/2013.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2b)|:l This action is non-final.
`2a)|Z| This action is FINAL.
`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`
`4)|:| Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims
`
`5)IZI Claim(s) 1 and2is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`is/are allowed.
`6)I:I Claim(s)
`7)|Z| CIaim(s)_1and2is/are rejected.
`8)|:| Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
`
`
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)I:I Claim((s)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`hit
`:/'I’vaIW.usnI‘.0. ovI’ atentS/init events/
`
`
`
`hI/index.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)I:l The drawing(s) filed on
`is/are: a)I:I accepted or b)I:I objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`
`12)I:| Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`a)I:l All
`
`b)|:l Some * c)I:l None of the:
`
`1.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.|:l Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.|:| Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`3) D Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`
`Paper N°ISI/Ma" Date' —
`PTO/SB/08
`t
`t
`St
`I
`D'
`I'
`f
`2 I] I
`)
`4) I:I Other:
`a emen (s) (
`Isc osure
`n orma Ion
`)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL—326 (Rev. 08-13)
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20130908
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/202,896
`
`Page 2
`
`Art Unit: 2889
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
`
`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and
`the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the
`invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.
`Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
`
`Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over
`
`Fukui et al. (US Pub. No. 2009/0167176 A1) in view of Kawasaki et al. (US Pub. No.
`
`2009/0256478 A1) in view of Takehito (JP 2009-259462) in view of Mizokami et al. (US
`
`Pub. No. 2010/0060163 A1 ). There is a translation of the Takehito reference already in
`
`the case file which is being referenced in this rejection.
`
`As to claim 1, Fukui et al. teaches a plasma display panel comprising: a front
`
`plate (#2 in Fig. 1 and in 1] [0064]) including a dielectric layer (#7 in Fig.
`
`1 and in 1]
`
`[0067]) and a protective layer (#8/#16 in Fig. 1 and in 1] [0069]) covering the dielectric
`
`layer, the protective layer including a base layer (#8 in Fig.
`
`1 and in 1] [0069]) disposed
`
`on the dielectric layer; a rear plate (#9 in Fig.
`
`1 and in 1] [0064]) disposed opposite to the
`
`front plate, the rear plate including an underlying dielectric layer (#12 in Fig. 1 and in 1]
`
`[0072]), a plurality of barrier ribs (#13 in Fig. 1 and in 1] [0073]) disposed on the
`
`underlying dielectric layer; and phosphor layers (#14 in Fig.
`
`1 and in 1] [0074]) disposed
`
`on the underlying dielectric layer and on side surfaces of the barrier ribs, wherein:
`
`aggregated particles (#16 in Fig. 1 and in 1] [0069]), in which a plurality of crystal
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/202,896
`
`Page 3
`
`Art Unit: 2889
`
`particles of magnesium oxide are aggregated (11 [0069]), are dispersed and disposed on
`
`an entire surface of the base layer; the base layer includes at least a first metal oxide
`
`and a second metal oxide (11 [0089]); the base layer exhibits at least one peak in X-ray
`
`diffraction analysis, the peak lying between a first peak of the first metal oxide in X-ray
`
`diffraction analysis and a second peak of the second metal oxide in X-ray diffraction
`
`analysis, the first peak and the second peak showing a plane direction identical to that
`
`which the peak shows (a natural feature of a MgCaO solid layer, see teaching reference
`
`JP 2007-0961263 cited in the IDS with a translation in the case file); the first metal oxide
`
`and the second metal oxide are two selected from the group consisting of magnesium
`
`oxide, calcium oxide, strontium oxide, and barium oxide (11 [0089]).
`
`Fukui et al. is silent about a concentration of calcium included in the base layer
`
`being from not less than 1 atomic % to not greater than 5 atomic % of the base layer
`
`and the base layer having a peak on the (111) plane in X-ray diffraction analysis.
`
`However, in the same field of endeavor, Kawasaki et al. teaches that a base
`
`layer with a peak on the (111) plane in X-ray diffraction analysis results in a larger
`
`secondary electron emission coefficient (11 [0071]).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to at the time the
`
`invention was made to form the base layer taught by Fukui et al. with a base layer
`
`having a peak on the (111) plane in X-ray diffraction analysis as taught by Kawasaki et
`
`al. in order to improve the secondary electron emission coefficient of the layer.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/202,896
`
`Page 4
`
`Art Unit: 2889
`
`Fukui et al. and Kawasaki et al. are still silent about a concentration of calcium
`
`included in the base layer is from not less than 1 atomic % to not greater than 5 atomic
`
`% of the base layer.
`
`However, in the same field of endeavor, Takehito teaches a Ca concentration in
`
`a layer with MgO and CaO to be 1% (1] [0016] of the translation) in order to reduce
`
`discharge voltage in the device.
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to at the time the
`
`invention was made to form the MgO/CaO layer of Fukui et al. with a small percentage
`
`of CaO (around 1%) since Takehito teaches this amount to be a suitable amount for
`
`reducing the discharge voltage in the device.
`
`Fukui Kawasaki and Takehito are silent about the crystal particles of the
`
`magnesium oxide having a polyhedron shape of seven or more faces.
`
`However, in the same field of endeavor, Mizokami et al. teaches an aggregated
`
`layer of magnesium oxide particles similar to the Applicant’s. Mizokami et al. also
`
`teaches that in an effective protective layer it is desirable for the particles to have
`
`polyhedron shapes of seven or more faces (1] [0079]).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to at the time the
`
`invention was made to form the protective layer of Fukui et al. out of particles having a
`
`polyhedron shape of seven or more faces since it has been shown to be a desirable trait
`
`used to create an effective protective layer as taught by Mizokami et al.
`
`As to claim 2, Fukui et al. teaches the base layer is formed of metal oxides of
`
`magnesium oxide and calcium oxide (1] [0089]), and Takehito teaches a concentration
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/202,896
`
`Page 5
`
`Art Unit: 2889
`
`of calcium contained in the base layer is from not less than 1 atomic % to not greater
`
`than 5 atomic % of the base layer (11 [0016] of the translation). The motivation to
`
`combine is the same as in claim 1.
`
`Conclusion
`
`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in
`
`this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP
`
`§ 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37
`
`CFR1.136(a).
`
`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
`
`MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
`
`In the event a first reply is filed within
`
`TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not
`
`mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the
`
`shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any
`
`extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of
`
`the advisory action.
`
`In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later
`
`than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to ANDREW COUGHLIN whose telephone number is
`
`(571 )270-781 3. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday
`
`during normal business hours of 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/202,896
`
`Page 6
`
`Art Unit: 2889
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, ANH T. MAI can be reached on (571) 272-1995. The fax phone number for
`
`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
`
`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
`
`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
`
`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
`
`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
`
`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
`
`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272—1000.
`
`/Andrew J Coughlin/
`Examiner, Art Unit 2889
`
`