DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/16/2025 has been entered.
Status of Claims
Claims 1 and 3-6 were rejected in the Office Action mailed on 09/16/2025.
Applicant filed a response, amended claim 1 and cancelled claims 3 and 6. Claims 2 and 7-10 were previously cancelled.
Claims 1 and 4-5 are currently pending in the application and are being examined on the merits in this Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0057715) and further in view of Kawase et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009/0148778) and Maeda (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0039162).
Regarding claims 1 and 5, Hwang teaches an anode-free all-solid-state battery (abstract)(title) (paragraph [0050]) comprising:
a cathode layer (CE) containing a cathode active material (CM) (paragraph [0046]-[0048]);
an anode current collector layer (AC) (paragraph [0046]) and
a solid state electrolyte (E) interposed between the cathode layer (CE) and the anode current collector (AC) (paragraph [0023], [0054]) (see figure 2);
wherein the anode current collector layer (AC) is fabricated from a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, stainless steel (paragraph [0049])
wherein no other layer is present between the anode current collector layer (AC) and the solid electrolyte layer (E) in a discharge state (i.e., before discharging or activation) (see figure 2) (paragraph [0008], [0021]).
Hwang does not teach the specifics of the anode current collector having a surface roughness (Rq) of 180nm to 550nm.
Kawase, also related to a battery (abstract), teaches when the surface of the anode current collector is roughened to a value of 100nm to 500nm (i.e., 0.1µm to 0.5µm) (paragraph [0041]), the contact characteristics between the anode current collector and the anode active material are sufficiently improved.
Although the battery of Hwang is an anode-free battery, a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention could have looked at Kawase and find a motivation to roughened the surface of the anode current collector layer (AC) of Hwang in order to improve the contact characteristics in the surface of the anode current collector (AC) and between the anode current collector layer (AC) and solid electrolyte layer (E).
As to the specifics of the battery being secondary, while Hwang disclosure is for a primary battery (paragraph [0004]), Hwang further teaches that the technical principles of primary and secondary batteries is in their application fields where primary batteries are for wireless communications, internet and things like that and secondary batteries are for mobile phones, electric vehicles, etc. (paragraph [0003]). As such, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the configuration and the structure of the battery can be interchangeable between primary and secondary batteries and is based on the application in the field which would produce predictable results.
Hwang does not teach the solid electrolyte is a sulfide solid electrolyte selected from the group consisting of Li2S-P2S5, Li2S-P2S5-Lil, Li2S-P2S5-LiCI, Li2S-P2S5-LiBr, Li2S-P2S5-Li20, Li2S-P2S5-Li2O-Lil, Li2S-SiS2, Li2S-SiS2-Lil, Li2S-SiS2-LiBr, Li2S-SiS2-LiCI, Li2S- SiS2-B2S3-Lil, Li2S-SiS2-P2S5-Lil, Li2S-B2S3, Li2S-P2S5-ZmSn (wherein m and n are positive numbers and Z is one of Ge, Zn and Ga), Li2S-GeS2, Li2S-SiS2-Li3PO4, Li2S- SiS2-LixMOv (wherein x and y are positive numbers and M is one of P, Si, Ge, B, Al, Ga, and In), and Li1oGeP2S12; and wherein the solid electrolyte layer has an ionic conductivity of 9 mS/cm to 20 mS/cm.
Maeda, also directed to a battery (abstract), teaches a battery with a solid electrolyte comprising an inorganic solid electrolyte such as Li2S-P2S5, Li2S-SiS2, Li2S-B2S3 with an ion conductivity greater than 10-4 S/cm (paragraph [0017], [0036]) which overlaps the claimed ranges. Maeda teaches the solid electrolyte contribute in less side reactions and deterioration of the battery (paragraph [0005]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hwang to include a solid electrolyte in the battery as taught by Maeda in order to reduce side reactions and deterioration of the battery.
It is noted that Maeda differ in the exact same ion conductivity range as recited in the instant claim however, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have considered the invention to have been obvious because the ion conductivity range of Maeda overlap the instant claimed and therefore is considered to establish a prima facie case of obviousness. It has been held in the courts that in the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Regarding claim 4, Hwang teaches the anode current collector layer (AC) directly contacts the solid electrolyte layer (E) (see figure 2).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s argument filed on 12/16/2025 are deemed moot in view of the new grounds of rejection presented in this Office Action, necessitated by Applicant’s amendment to the claims which significantly affected the scope thereof (i.e., by incorporating new limitations into the independent claims, which require further search and consideration). The new limitations have been fully addressed above in view of Maeda.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTIAN ROLDAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5098. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm.
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://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TONG GUO can be reached at 571-272-3066. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHRISTIAN ROLDAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1723