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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/384,845
`
`07/26/2021
`
`ENCHI KOGA
`
`083710-3465
`
`5189
`
`Rimon PC - Pansonic Corporation
`8300 Greensboro Dr.
`Suite 500
`McLean, VA 22102
`
`AMPONSAH,OSEIK
`
`1729
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`02/29/2024
`
`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):
`USPTOmail@rimonlaw.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-15 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected.
`(] Claim(s)__ is/are objectedto.
`C] Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)( The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 07/26/2021 is/are: a)[¥) accepted or b)(.) 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)(¥) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)Y) All
`1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No. |
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin 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)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 07/26/20211,05/27/2022,03/14/2023
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`4)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20240224
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/384,845
`KOGAetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`OSEI K AMPONSAH
`1729
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORYPERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensionsof time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom 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) MONTHSfrom 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, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s)filed on 26 July 2021.
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)(2) 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 Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/384,845
`Art Unit: 1729
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`The presentapplication, filed on or after March 16, 2013,
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`is being examined underthe
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
`
`Priority
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07-26-2021, 05-27-2022, and
`
`03-14-2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information
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`disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
`
`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-AlA), 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.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/384,845
`Art Unit: 1729
`
`Page 3
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`Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), 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 -AlA 35 U.S.C.
`
`112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
`
`The recitation “...wherein the coating layer has a conductivity less than a conductivity of
`
`the solid electrolyte layer...” is unclear. Examiner submits that Applicant’s specification
`
`describes electrical conductivity of the coating layer however for clarity and to particularly
`
`point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor regards as the invention,
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`amendmentthat clearly defines an electrical conductivity is recommended. Additionally, the
`
`claimed subject matter can read on lithium ion conductivity between the coating layer and the
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`solid electrical layer.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`In the event the determination of the status of the application as subjectto AIA35
`
`U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subjectto pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction
`
`of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AlA) forthe rejection will not be
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`considered a new ground ofrejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting
`
`the rejection, would be the same under either status.
`
`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 forthin 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
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/384,845
`Art Unit: 1729
`
`Page 4
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`claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention
`was made.
`
`The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under
`
`35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
`
`FPWNER
`
`Determining the scope and contentsof the prior art.
`Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
`Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
`Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness
`or nonobviousness.
`
`This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the
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`claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly
`
`ownedas of the effectivefiling date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the
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`contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and
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`effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly ownedas of the effectivefiling date
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`of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C.
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`102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
`
`Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2017-
`
`147397 A hereinafter Iwasaki [cited in IDS filed 05-27-2022]
`
`in view of JP 2019-021795
`
`hereinafter Ban [cited in IDS filed 05-27-2022] and U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No.
`
`2020/0106125 hereinafter Yano.
`
`Regarding Claims 1-2, lwasaki teaches a power storage device comprising: a solid
`
`electrolyte layer [31]; a coating (cover) layer [32] that coats a surface of the solid electrolyte
`
`layer; a first internal electrode [41] disposed inside the solid electrolyte layer; a first external
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/384,845
`Art Unit: 1729
`
`Page 5
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`electrode [51] disposed outside of the solid electrolyte layer and electrically connected to the
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`first internal electrode; a second internal electrode[42] disposed inside the solid electrolyte
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`layer; and a second external electrode [52] disposed outside of the solid electrolyte layer and
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`electrically connected to the second internal electrode (paragraph 43, see figures 1-2).
`
`Iwasaki further teaches in paragraph 72 that the coating layer is made of a material
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`having no lithium ion conductivity.
`
`With regards to the thicknessof the coating layer being greater than or equal to 1 um
`
`and less than or equal to 100 um, and the active material formed in the solid electrolyte layer.
`
`Ban teachesa powerstorage device that comprises a coating (covering) layer having a
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`thickness of 50 - 200 um (paragraph 32).
`
`Yano teachesa power storage device that comprises an active material layer disposed
`
`inside the solid electrolyte layer (see figure 1).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form such
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`power storage device beforethe effectivefiling date of the claimed invention because Yano
`
`discloses that such modification can reducefailure rate of the power storage device (paragraph
`
`26).
`
`Regarding Claims 3-6, the combination teaches that the solid electrolyte layer is a garnet
`
`structure (i.e., sintered body with no sulfur, see combination of |wasaki, Ban and Yano above).
`
`Regarding Claims 7-12, the combination teaches the coating layer includes an oxide
`
`having a crystalline phase (see MPEP§ 2143, E).
`
`Regarding Claims 13-15, the combination teaches a coating (covering) layer having a
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`thickness of 50 - 200 um (paragraph 32 of Ban) and further comprises a plating that coats a
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/384,845
`Art Unit: 1729
`
`Page 6
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`surface ofthe first external electrode and a surface of the second externalelectrode (see figure
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`1 of Yano).
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to OSEI K AMPONSAH whosetelephone number is (571)270-3446.
`
`The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
`
`Examiner interviewsare 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, Ula C Ruddock can be reached on (571)272-1481. The fax phone number for the
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`organization wherethis application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`
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`
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`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/384,845
`Art Unit: 1729
`
`Page 7
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`/OSEI K AMPONSAH/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1729
`
`