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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
`
`16/930,439
`
`07/16/2020
`
`MASASHI SAKAIDA
`
`083710-3083
`
`3059
`
`Rimon PC - Panasonic Corporation
`8300 Greensboro Dr.
`Suite 500
`McLean, VA 22102
`
`MARTIN, ANGELAJ
`
`1727
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`04/11/2024
`
`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
`
`eofficeaction @appcoll.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`5a) Of the above claim(s) 8-14 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`[] Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-7 and 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:/Awww.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) filedon__ is/are: a)C) 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)LJ None ofthe:
`b)LJ Some**
`a)¥) 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 2/9/24.
`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 20240405
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/930,439
`SAKAIDAetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`ANGELA J MARTIN
`1727
`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
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`1) Responsive to communication(s)filed on 12/28/2023.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
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`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: 16/930,439
`Art Unit: 1727
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthe
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`The pending claims are claims 1-7 and 15.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`1.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basisfor all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed
`invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in 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 effectivefiling date of the claimed invention to a person having
`ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be
`negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
`
`2.
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`Claim(s) 1-7, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
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`Tomita et al., JP 2006244734, in view of Bohnsack (“Ternary Halides of the A8MX6
`
`Type V”).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/930,439
`Art Unit: 1727
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`Page 3
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`Regarding claims 1-7, Tomita et al., teaches a solid electrolyte material (0006)
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`represented by a composition formula Li3-2xMxIn1-yMyL6-zLz, where M and M’ are
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`metal elements (0007); electrode (0006-0007), wherein the electrolyte includes a solid
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`electrolyte material consisting of Li, M, X, and F, represented by Lix-2xMxIn1-yM’yL6-
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`zL’z, wherein x is from 0 to 1.5; y is from 0 to 1 (not inclusive); M is a metal such as Ca,
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`Sr, Ba, and Mg; M’ can be Y; and L’ and L are each independently halogen atoms
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`(0036-0037). When x=0 and y>0, the solid electrolyte material consists of Li, M, X, and
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`at least two halogen elements selected from F, Cl, |, Br, where M includes In, Y, and a
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`metal such as Ca, Sr, Ba. Tomita’s solid electrolyte material reads on the presently
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`claimed composition when at least one of L and L’is F with the other being any one of
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`Br, Cl, and I.
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`Bohnsackteachesa lithium ion conductive solid electrolyte represented by the generally
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`formula A2MX6including Li3MBr6 (M = Y).
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Tomita’s
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`composition wherein y=1 becausesolid electrolytes of the form LiSMX6 whereM isY,it
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`is known to have goodlithium ion conductivity (Bohnsack, 3. Results and Conclusion).
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`Regarding claim 15, Tomita et al., teaches a battery (abstract; 0001), comprising: the
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`solid electrolyte material (0003) according to claim 1; a positive electrode (0007); a
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`negative electrode (0007); and an electrolyte layer (0007) disposed between the
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`positive electrode and the negative electrode (0015), wherein at least one selected from
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`the group consisting of the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the electrolyte
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`layer includes the solid electrolyte material (0015).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/930,439
`Art Unit: 1727
`
`Page 4
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`Responseto Arguments
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`3.Applicant’s arguments with respect to above claim(s) have been considered but are
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`moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the
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`prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the
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`argument.
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`Conclusion
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`4.Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to ANGELA J MARTIN whosetelephone numberis
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`(571)272-1288. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-4pm.
`
`Examiner interviews are 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:/Avwww.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`supervisor, Barbara Gilliam can be reached on 571-272-1330. The fax phone number
`
`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-
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`https:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information aboutfiling in DOCX format. For
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/930,439
`Art Unit: 1727
`
`Page 5
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`additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197
`
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`
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`
`ANGELA J. MARTIN
`Examiner
`
`Art Unit 1727
`
`/ANGELA J MARTIN/
`Examiner, Art Unit 1727
`
`