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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35
U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election with traverse of Group I (Claims 1-9 and 14) in the reply
Filed on February 3, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 10-13 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CPR
1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the application filed on September 30, 2022.
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C.
119 (a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the
presence of all possible minor errors. The applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which the applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claims 6-7, 9, and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 6
line 2, “the polymer composite thin film” should be --a thin film comprising the polymer composite--
lines 2-3, “the polymer composite thin film” should be --the thin film comprising the polymer composite--
Claim 7
line 1, “the film or sheet” should be –a film or a sheet comprising the polymer composite--
Claim 9
line 1, “the polymer composites” should be –the polymer composite--
Claim 14
line 1, “the polymer composite thin film” should be --a thin film comprising the polymer composite--
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.
Claims 1-9 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite
for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the applicant regards as the invention.
In Claims 1 and 9, it is unclear whether “approximately” refers to a fourth, a third, half, more than half, almost all, exactly, or some other quantity. The specification does not provide some standard for measuring “approximately.” One of ordinary skill in the art, in view of the prior art and the status of the art, would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of “approximately” from the drawings alone. The specification uses the same term of degree, but the scope of the term is not understood when read in light of the specification because the specification does not provide a standard for measuring “approximately.” Therefore, the term is rendered indefinite and is understood as signifying exactly.
Dependent claims 2-9 and 14 inherit the deficiencies of independent claim 1, and
are therefore also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 (b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-9 and 14 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as
being anticipated by Markanday et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20220069195; hereinafter “Markanday”).
Regarding claim 1, Markanday discloses a polymer composite, comprising: a polymer matrix ([0011] – “A piezoelectric composite can include a piezoelectric additive, a polymeric matrix (e.g., a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer or blends thereof, preferably a thermoplastic polymer, more preferably a thermoplastic piezoelectric polymer, or most preferably, a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) polymer, a copolymer thereof, or a terpolymer thereof), and at least 1.5 wt. % of a polyol based on the total weight of the piezoelectric composite.”; [0012] – “In a preferred aspect, the polyol is glycerol, the polymer is a thermoplastic polymer, a thermosetting polymer or copolymer, or a blend thereof, preferably, PVDF or PVDF-TRFE-CFE or a blend thereof; and/or the piezoelectric additive is a perovskite material,…”; [0043]; [0045]) comprising at least two polymers ([0012]; [0043]; [0045]): a first polymer ([0012]; [0043]; [0045]; [0055] – “PVDF-TRFE-CFE”) comprising a fluorinated polymer ([0012]; [0043]; [0045]; [0055] – “PVDF-TRFE-CFE”); and a second polymer ([0012]; [0043]; [0045] – “PVDF”) having a dielectric constant ([0012]; [0043]; [0045] – dielectric constant of “PVDF”) of less than approximately 20 ([0012]; [0043]; [0045] – “PVDF”), in which the polymer matrix ([0011]-[0012]; [0043]; [0045]) comprises approximately 5-20 percent by weight or more ([0043] – “…75 wt. % to 90 wt. % PVDF or PVDF-TRFE-CFE or a blend thereof.”) of the second polymer ([0012]; [0043]; [0045] – “PVDF”); and a piezoelectric ceramic filler ([0055] – “BT”) embedded ([0055]) in the polymer matrix ([0011]-[0012]; [0043]; [0045]).
Regarding claim 2, Markanday discloses the polymer composite of claim 1, in which the piezoelectric ceramic filler ([0055] – “BT”) comprises approximately 40-70% by volume ([0050] – “The amount of lead-free piezoelectric additive can be at least, equal to, or between any two of 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, and 98 wt. % piezoelectric additive.”) of the polymer composite ([0011]-[0012]; [0043]; [0045]; [0055] – PVDF + PVDF-TRFE-CFE + BT).
Regarding claim 3, Markanday discloses the polymer composite of claim 1 in which the second polymer ([0012]; [0043]; [0045] – “PVDF”) is compatible ([0012]; [0043]; [0045] – “PVDF”) with the fluorinated polymer ([0012]; [0043]; [0045] – “PVDF”).
Regarding claim 4, Markanday discloses the polymer composite of claim 1, in which the polymer composite ([0047]; [0012] – “The piezoelectric materials can be formed into a film or a sheet.”) exhibits piezoelectric properties ([0047]; [0012] – “The piezoelectric materials can be formed into a film or a sheet.”).
Regarding claim 5, Markanday discloses the polymer composite of claim 1, in which the first polymer ([0012]; [0043]; [0045]; [0055] – “PVDF-TRFE-CFE”) comprises PVDF-TrFE-CFE ([0012]; [0043]; [0045]; [0055] – “PVDF-TRFE-CFE”).
Regarding claim 6, Markanday discloses the polymer composite of claim 1, further comprising a flexible substrate ([0047] – “substrate”; [0013] – “The device can be mechanically flexible.”) attached ([0047]) to the polymer composite thin film ([0047]; [0053]; [0012] – “The piezoelectric materials can be formed into a film or a sheet.”), and in which the polymer composite thin film ([0047]; [0053]; [0012] – “The piezoelectric materials can be formed into a film or a sheet.”) is a mechanically-flexible thin film ([0011] – “The piezoelectric composites can be mechanically flexible (e.g., a mechanically flexible film).”).
Regarding claim 7, Markanday discloses the polymeric composite of claim 1, wherein the film or sheet ([0047]; [0053]; [0012] – “The piezoelectric materials can be formed into a film or a sheet.”) has thickness 50-200 micron ([0060] – “80 micrometer”).
Regarding claim 8, Markanday discloses the polymer composite of claim 1, in which the piezoelectric ceramic filler ([0055] – “BT”) is a lead-free piezoelectric ceramic filler ([0055] – “BT”).
Regarding claim 9, Markanday discloses the polymer composites of claim 1, in which the polymer composite ([0011]-[0012]; [0043]; [0045]; [0055] – PVDF + PVDF-TRFE-CFE + BT) exhibiting ([0011] – “piezoelectric composite”) piezoelectric properties ([0011] – “piezoelectric composite”) has: a piezoelectric strain constant of between approximately 30 and approximately 70 pC/N ([0011] – “greater than 55 pC/N, preferably 56 pC/N to 70 pC/N, or more preferably 58 pC/N to 65 pC/N”; [Table 3]); and a piezoelectric voltage constant between approximately 100 and approximately 300 mV.m/N ([0011]; [Table 3]; Examiner’s Note: g constant =d constant/absolute permittivity where absolute permittivity = (dielectric constant*permittivity of free space). The permittivity of free space is approximately 8.5428 × 10⁻¹² Coulombs per volt-meter (C/Vm). Hence, 65/(40*8.5428) = 0.190 Vm/N = 190 mV/N).
Regarding claim 14, Markanday discloses a piezoelectric sensor ([0053]) comprising the polymer composite thin film ([0047]; [0053]; [0012] – “The piezoelectric materials can be formed into a film or a sheet.”) of claim 1, in which the piezoelectric sensor ([0053]) is configured ([0053]) to generate ([0053]) an analog signal ([0053] – sensor output proportional to amount of user applied piezoelectric deflection) proportional ([0053] – sensor output proportional to amount of user applied piezoelectric deflection) to an amount of deflection ([0053] – amount of user applied piezoelectric deflection) applied ([0053]) to the piezoelectric sensor ([0053]) by a user ([0053]), in which the piezoelectric sensor ([0053]) is integrated ([0053]) in a mobile device ([0053]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to MONICA MATA
whose telephone number is (571) 272-8782. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
supervisor, Dedei Hammond, can be reached on (571) 270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/MONICA MATA/
Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
6 March 2026
/EMILY P PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837