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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 5-6 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 20 November 2025.
Applicant’s election of the invention of group I in the reply filed on 20 November 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 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.
Claims 1-4 and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bryzek et al. (US 2021/0137497).
With respect to claim 1, Bryzek et al. discloses a piezoelectric stack (Figs 3-4, items 302) comprising: a substrate (item 430); an output-side bottom electrode film (item 402 of one piezoelectric element 302) on the substrate (Fig 4, wherein each of the piezoelectric elements of Bryzek et al. provide both input and output); an output-side piezoelectric film (item 410), being an oxide film (Paragraph 52), on the output-side bottom electrode film (Fig 4); an output-side top electrode film (item 408 or 414) on the output-side piezoelectric film (Fig 4); an input-side bottom electrode film (item 402 of another one of the piezoelectric elements 302) on the substrate (Figs 3-4); an input-side piezoelectric film (item 410), being a nitride film (Paragraph 52), on the input-side bottom electrode film (Fig 4); an input-side top electrode film (item 408 or 414) on the input-side piezoelectric film (Fig 4); and an ultrasonic output part and ultrasonic input part placed in such a manner as not overlapping each other when viewed from a top surface of the substrate (Fig 3-4, wherein each of the piezoelectric elements of Bryzek et al. provide both input and output), the ultrasonic output part comprising a stacked part of the output-side bottom electrode film, the output-side piezoelectric film, and the output-side top electrode film (Figs 3-4), the ultrasonic input part comprising a stacked part of the input-side bottom electrode film, the input-side piezoelectric film, and the input-side top electrode film (Figs 3-4).
With respect to claim 2, Bryzek et al. discloses the piezoelectric stack according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic output part and the ultrasonic input part are not in contact with each other (Figs 3-4).
With respect to claim 3, Bryzek et al. discloses the piezoelectric stack according to claim 1, wherein the output-side piezoelectric film, being a deposited film, contains any one of potassium sodium niobium oxide, lead-zirconium-titanium oxide, bismuth sodium titanium oxide, or bismuth ferrite (Paragraph 52).
With respect to claim 4, Bryzek et al. discloses the piezoelectric stack according to claim 1, wherein the input-side piezoelectric film, being a deposited film, contains aluminum nitride (Paragraph 52).
With respect to claim 7, Bryzek et al. discloses a piezoelectric element comprising: the piezoelectric stack according to claim 1; a voltage applicator (Fig 4 and 10, wherein the voltages for transmission are applied by the circuits connected to the electrodes of the piezoelectric elements) connected between the output-side bottom electrode film and the output-side top electrode film (Figs 4 and 10); and a voltage detector (Figs 4 and 10, wherein the detection signals from the electrodes of the piezoelectric elements are connected to the circuits) connected between the input-side bottom electrode film and the input- side top electrode film (Figs 4 and 10), wherein the output-side piezoelectric film deforms under a voltage application from the voltage applicator applying a predetermined electric field between the output-side bottom electrode film and the output-side top electrode film (Paragraph 30), and ultrasonic waves generated due to a deformation of the output-side piezoelectric film are transmitted from the ultrasonic output part (Paragraph 30), and the ultrasonic input part receives the ultrasonic waves reflected by a test object, and a voltage generated between the input-side bottom electrode film and the input-side top electrode film due to a deformation of the input-side piezoelectric film is detected by the voltage detector (Paragraph 30).
With respect to claim 8, Bryzek et al. discloses the piezoelectric stack according to claim 2, wherein the output-side piezoelectric film, being a deposited film, contains any one of potassium sodium niobium oxide, lead-zirconium-titanium oxide, bismuth sodium titanium oxide, or bismuth ferrite (Paragraph 52).
With respect to claim 9, Bryzek et al. discloses the piezoelectric stack according to claim 2, wherein the input-side piezoelectric film, being a deposited film, contains aluminum nitride (Paragraph 52).
With respect to claim 10, Bryzek et al. discloses the piezoelectric stack according to claim 3, wherein the input-side piezoelectric film, being a deposited film, contains aluminum nitride (Paragraph 52).
With respect to claim 11, Bryzek et al. discloses a piezoelectric element comprising: the piezoelectric stack according to claim 2; a voltage applicator (Fig 4 and 10, wherein the voltages for transmission are applied by the circuits connected to the electrodes of the piezoelectric elements) connected between the output-side bottom electrode film and the output-side top electrode film (Figs 4 and 10); and a voltage detector (Figs 4 and 10, wherein the detection signals from the electrodes of the piezoelectric elements are connected to the circuits) connected between the input-side bottom electrode film and the input- side top electrode film (Figs 4 and 10), wherein the output-side piezoelectric film deforms under a voltage application from the voltage applicator applying a predetermined electric field between the output-side bottom electrode film and the output-side top electrode film (Paragraph 30), and ultrasonic waves generated due to a deformation of the output-side piezoelectric film are transmitted from the ultrasonic output part (Paragraph 30), and the ultrasonic input part receives the ultrasonic waves reflected by a test object, and a voltage generated between the input-side bottom electrode film and the input-side top electrode film due to a deformation of the input-side piezoelectric film is detected by the voltage detector (Paragraph 30).
With respect to claim 12, Bryzek et al. discloses a piezoelectric element comprising: the piezoelectric stack according to claim 3; a voltage applicator (Fig 4 and 10, wherein the voltages for transmission are applied by the circuits connected to the electrodes of the piezoelectric elements) connected between the output-side bottom electrode film and the output-side top electrode film (Figs 4 and 10); and a voltage detector (Figs 4 and 10, wherein the detection signals from the electrodes of the piezoelectric elements are connected to the circuits) connected between the input-side bottom electrode film and the input- side top electrode film (Figs 4 and 10), wherein the output-side piezoelectric film deforms under a voltage application from the voltage applicator applying a predetermined electric field between the output-side bottom electrode film and the output-side top electrode film (Paragraph 30), and ultrasonic waves generated due to a deformation of the output-side piezoelectric film are transmitted from the ultrasonic output part (Paragraph 30), and the ultrasonic input part receives the ultrasonic waves reflected by a test object, and a voltage generated between the input-side bottom electrode film and the input-side top electrode film due to a deformation of the input-side piezoelectric film is detected by the voltage detector (Paragraph 30).
With respect to claim 13, Bryzek et al. discloses a piezoelectric element comprising: the piezoelectric stack according to claim 4; a voltage applicator (Fig 4 and 10, wherein the voltages for transmission are applied by the circuits connected to the electrodes of the piezoelectric elements) connected between the output-side bottom electrode film and the output-side top electrode film (Figs 4 and 10); and a voltage detector (Figs 4 and 10, wherein the detection signals from the electrodes of the piezoelectric elements are connected to the circuits) connected between the input-side bottom electrode film and the input- side top electrode film (Figs 4 and 10), wherein the output-side piezoelectric film deforms under a voltage application from the voltage applicator applying a predetermined electric field between the output-side bottom electrode film and the output-side top electrode film (Paragraph 30), and ultrasonic waves generated due to a deformation of the output-side piezoelectric film are transmitted from the ultrasonic output part (Paragraph 30), and the ultrasonic input part receives the ultrasonic waves reflected by a test object, and a voltage generated between the input-side bottom electrode film and the input-side top electrode film due to a deformation of the input-side piezoelectric film is detected by the voltage detector (Paragraph 30).
Conclusion
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/DEREK J ROSENAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837