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 .
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted April 23, 2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
In response to the amendment received on 11/26/2025:
Claims 1-12 are pending in the current application. Claims 1, 4-5, and 8 have been amended.
The objections to Claims 1, 4-5, and 8 have been overcome in light of the amendments.
The cores of the previous prior art-based rejections have been overcome in light of the amendment.
Response to Arguments
The examiner finds the applicant’s arguments persuasive and has withdrawn the previous prior art-based rejections.
Double Patenting
Claims 1, 3, and 7 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,074,287. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,074,287 recites:
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Claims 1, 3, and 7 of the instant application recite:
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Claim 7 of the instant application recites an additional additive of LiBF4 and Claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,074,287 recites an additional additive of LiBF4. Additionally, the formula in the instant application and the formula in U.S. Patent No. 12,074,287 substantially overlap when, in U.S. Patent No. 12,074,287, X is an R4—SO2 group, R4 is a substituted or unsubstituted C1 to C20 alkyl group or isocyanate group, and L is a substituted or unsubstituted C1 to C20 alkylene group or a substituted or unsubstituted C2 to C20 alkenylene group, and are not patentably distinct from each other.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 contain allowable subject matter.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: none of the prior art of record, alone or in combination, appears to teach, suggest, or render obvious the invention of Claims 1-12.
Independent Claims 1 and 3 disclose an additive for an electrolyte of a lithium secondary battery comprising a compound represented by the claimed Chemical Formula 1.
Shigematsu et al. US-20130330610-A1 (“Shigematsu”) discloses an additive for an electrolyte of a lithium secondary battery comprising a compound that contains two isocyanate groups (NCO groups) and further comprising an additional isocyanate compound (see paragraphs [0002], [0026], and [0083]).
Dijkhuzien GB-1139033-A (“Dijkhuzien”) discloses a diisocyanate compound containing an SO2 group (see image below) (see Page 1 Column 2 Lines 71-82 and Claim 3).
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Figure 1. Diisocyanate compound disclosed by Dihkhuzien
However, as applicant correctly and convincingly points out in arguments filed 11/26/2025, a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time when the present application was effectively filed would not have modified the additive of Shigematsu in such a way as to arrive at an additive that does not include the general formula (1) of Shigematsu and therefore would not have modified the electrolyte with the compound of Dijkhuzien.
Thus, none of the prior art of the record, alone or in combination, appears to teach, suggest, or render obvious the invention of Claims 1-12.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SYDNEY L KLINE whose telephone number is (703)756-1729. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm.
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, Ula Ruddock can be reached at 571-272-1481. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S.L.K./
Examiner, Art Unit 1729
/ULA C RUDDOCK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1729