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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Claims 11-20 in the reply filed on June 16th, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on June 16th, 2025.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed on January 5th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 11-15 and 17-20 remain pending in the application. Claim 16 have been withdrawn from consideration.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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 effective filing 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.
Claims 11-15 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US Patent No. 20170120380) in view of Badding (US Patent No. 10283811) and further in view of Herle (US Patent No. 20190088987).
Regarding Claim 11, Zhang teaches a laser patterning system for patterning an energy storage device (Paragraph 1-3 and 60, Manufacturing electrode plate of the lithium-ion battery with patterns), comprising: a laser patterning chamber defining a processing volume and for processing a flexible conductive substrate having a film stack formed thereon (Figure 4, and 6, Showcases Conveying System 1 with Laser Systems 20 and 20' occupying a space and processes Electrode Plate 6 which is inherently conductive and shown to be Flexible and having a coating layer 61 stacked on it.); a plurality of transfer rollers positioned in the processing volume and for transferring the flexible conductive substrate (Figure 6, the Rollers 13 and 17 located in Conveying System 1 moves the Electrode Plate 6 along the apparatus);
and a laser source arrangement comprising one or more lasers positioned to expose (Figure 6, Laser System 20 exposes one side of Electrode Plate 6 and Laser System 20' exposes the other side of the Electrode Plate 6), a region of the film stack to a laser to pattern a region as the flexible conductive substrate is in contact with at least one of the transfer rollers. (Figure 1-4, Showcases the coating layer of the electrode plate of the lithium-ion battery removed by the laser near the edge of the electrode plate).
Zhang fails to teach that the lasers utilized are picosecond-pulsed lasers.
Badding teaches a process for creating a lithium-ion electrolyte membrane for batteries (Col 1 Line 5-27, Process for creating a lithium-ion electrolyte membrane) where the lasers are picosecond-pulsed lasers (Col 5 Line 17-30, A Picosecond Pulse Laser with pulse).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Zhang’s Lasers with Badding’s picosecond-pulsed lasers as both are used in processes of manufacturing lithium-ion batteries (MPEP 2141.06).
Zhang in view of Badding fails to teach a transition region is adjacent to an edge of the flexible conductive substrate where the film stack transitions from a nominal thickness to no thickness.
Herle teaches a lithium-containing anodes for batteries (Paragraph 2, Batteries) where the transition region is adjacent to an edge of the flexible conductive substrate (Figure 2 and Paragraph 44, Transition region where the anode films 170a, made from lithium, is close to the edge of current collector 160) where the film stack transitions from a nominal thickness to no thickness (Figure 2 and Paragraph 44, Transition region where the anode films 170a, made from lithium, goes from having a thickness to no thickness).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Zhang in view of Badding flexible conductive substrate with no transition region with Herle’s flexible conductive substrate as both are used in processes of manufacturing lithium-ion batteries (MPEP 2141.06).
Regarding Claim 12, Zhang in view of Badding and Herle teaches that the laser source arrangement comprises a first laser source positioned above the plurality of transfer rollers to process a first side of the flexible conductive substrate (Zhang: Figure 6, Laser System 20 located above Rollers 13 exposes one side of Electrode Plate 6) and a second laser source positioned below the plurality of transfer rollers to process a second side of the flexible conductive substrate (Zhang: Figure 6, Laser System 20' located close to and below Guiding Rollers 17 exposes the other side of Electrode Plate 6).
Regarding Claim 13, Zhang in view of Badding and Herle teaches that at least one of the first laser source and the second laser source is positioned to emit a laser beam that is perpendicular to a travel direction of the flexible conductive substrate (Zhang: Figure 6, Laser System 20 and 20' Emit Laser perpendicular to the traveling direction of Electrode Plate 6).
Regarding Claim 14, Zhang in view of Badding and Herle teaches that at least one of the first laser source and the second laser source is positioned to emit a laser beam that is parallel to a travel direction of the flexible conductive substrate (Zhang: Figure 6, Laser System 20 and 20' Emit Laser parallel to the traveling direction of Electrode Plate 6).
Regarding Claim 15, Zhang in view of Badding and Herle teaches that the plurality of transfer rollers comprises a first transfer roller positioned above a second transfer roller (Zhang: Figure 6, Showcases that the Rollers 13 are positioned above each other) and the laser source arrangement comprises a first laser source positioned to process a first side of the flexible conductive substrate (Zhang: Figure 6, Laser System 20 located above Rollers 13 exposes one side of Electrode Plate 6) and a second laser source positioned process a second side of the flexible conductive substrate (Zhang: Figure 6, Laser System 20' located close to Guiding Rollers 17 exposes the other side of Electrode Plate 6).
Regarding Claim 19, Zhang in view of Herle teaches that the laser produces a line-shaped laser beam, and wherein the line-shaped laser beam is produced by single axis galvo scanning or polygon scanning (Paragraph 60, The galvanometer scanning mechanism 23 is electrically connected with the beam shaping mechanism 22 to emit the laser beam. the beam shaping mechanism 22 reads as being capable of shaping the laser into a line shaped beam).
Zhang fails to teach that the lasers utilized are picosecond-pulsed lasers.
Badding teaches a process for creating a lithium-ion electrolyte membrane for batteries (Col 1 Line 5-27, Process for creating a lithium-ion electrolyte membrane) where the lasers are picosecond-pulsed lasers (Col 5 Line 17-30, A Picosecond Pulse Laser with pulse).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Zhang’s Lasers with Badding’s picosecond-pulsed lasers as both are used in processes of manufacturing lithium-ion batteries (MPEP 2141.06).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US Patent No. 20170120380) in view of Badding (US Patent No. 10283811) and further in view of Herle (US Patent No. 20190088987) and Lei (US Patent No. 20110312157).
Regarding Claim 18, Zhang in view of Badding and Herle fails to teach that the lasers utilized are picosecond-pulsed lasers with certain pulse width, wavelength, and pulse rep rate frequency.
Lei teaches a laser apparatus for itching semiconductors (Abstract, Laser apparatus for patterning electrical components) where the lasers are picosecond-pulsed lasers (Paragraph 30, Laser with pulse width in the Picosecond range), where the one or more picosecond-pulsed lasers produce a pulsed infrared laser (Paragraph 41, Laser with wavelength in Infrared) having a wavelength of about 1 micrometer (Paragraph 50, Laser Sources have a wavelength approximately in the range of 1570 nanometers to 200 nanometers or 1.57 Micrometer to 0.2 micrometer) with a laser pulse width of about 15 nanoseconds or less (Paragraph 50, laser sources have a pulse width approximately in the range of 10 femtoseconds to 500 femtoseconds or 0.00001 nanosecond to 0.0005 nanosecond) and a pulse rep rate frequency of about 100 kHz or greater (Paragraph 51, the laser source has a pulse repetition rate approximately in the range of 200 kHz to 10 MHz).
Lei teaches the claimed invention except that the ranges do not match. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the workable ranges, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art and modifying the range of the wavelength. pulse width, and pulse rep rate frequency the Laser operates at would allow for emission of an optimal laser beam. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. MPEP 2144.05-II.
Furthermore, since applicants have not disclosed that these modifications solve any stated problem or are for any particular purpose and it appears that the device would perform equally well with either designs, these modifications are a matter of design choice. Absent a teaching as to criticality that the range of the wavelength. pulse width, and pulse rep rate frequency the Laser operates at. This particular arrangement is deemed to have been known by those skilled in the art since the instant specification and evidence of record fail to attribute any significance (novel or unexpected results) to a particular arrangement. In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553,555,188 USPQ 7, 9 (CCPA 1975). MPEP 2144.05.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US Patent No. 20170120380) in view of Badding (US Patent No. 10283811) and further in view of Herle (US Patent No. 20190088987) and Tajima (US Patent No. 20160013469).
Regarding Claim 17, Zhang in view of Herle fails to teach that the lasers utilized are picosecond-pulsed lasers.
Badding teaches a process for creating a lithium-ion electrolyte membrane for batteries (Col 1 Line 5-27, Process for creating a lithium-ion electrolyte membrane) where the lasers are picosecond-pulsed lasers (Col 5 Line 17-30, A Picosecond Pulse Laser with pulse).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Zhang’s Lasers with Badding’s picosecond-pulsed lasers as both are used in processes of manufacturing lithium-ion batteries (MPEP 2141.06).
Zhang in view Badding and Herle fails to teach that the lasers form trenches parallel to and perpendicular to a width of the flexible conductive substrate.
Tajima teaches a method of a method for manufacturing a power storage device (Paragraph 2, Power Storage Device) where the lasers are positioned to form trenches parallel to and perpendicular to a width of the flexible conductive substrate to form patterned cells (Paragraph 18-20 and Figure 4E , The active material layers are partly removed by a to form a matrix pattern, therefore having parallel and perpendicular trenches in the positive electrode current collector 12).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zhang in view of Badding and Herle to incorporate parallel and perpendicular trenches in the substrate as stated in Tajima. The removed layers help relieve stress when the electrode current collector is being bend (Paragraph 99, Bending).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US Patent No. 20170120380) in view of Lei (US Patent No. 20110312157) and further in view of Herle (US Patent No. 20190088987).
Regarding Claim 20, Zhang teaches a laser patterning system for patterning an energy storage device (Paragraph 1-3 and 60, Manufacturing electrode plate of the lithium-ion battery with patterns), comprising: a laser patterning chamber defining a processing volume and for processing a flexible conductive substrate having a film stack formed thereon (Figure 6, Showcases Conveying System 1 with Laser Systems 20 and 20' occupying a space and processes Electrode Plate 6 which is inherently conductive and shown to be Flexible); a plurality of transfer rollers positioned in the processing volume and for transferring the flexible conductive substrate (Figure 6, Rollers 13 and 17 located in the Conveying System 1 move the Electrode Plate 6 through the apparatus); and a laser source arrangement comprising: one or more lasers positioned to expose a region of the film stack to a laser to pattern a region as the flexible conductive substrate is in contact with at least one of the transfer rollers (Figure 6, Laser System 20 exposes one side of Electrode Plate 6 and Laser System 20' exposes the other side of the Electrode Plate 6 as they are in contact with the Rollers 13 and 17); and a first laser source positioned above the plurality of transfer rollers to process a first side of the flexible conductive substrate (Figure 6, Laser System 20 located above Rollers 13 exposes one side of Electrode Plate 6) and a second laser source positioned below the plurality of transfer rollers to process a second side of the flexible conductive substrate (Figure 6, Laser System 20' located close to and below Guiding Rollers 17 exposes the other side of Electrode Plate 6), wherein at least one of the first laser source and the second laser source is positioned to emit a laser beam that is perpendicular or parallel to a travel direction of the flexible conductive substrate (Figure 6, Laser System 20 and 20' Emit Laser perpendicular to the traveling direction of Electrode Plate 6).
Zhang fails to teach that the lasers utilized are picosecond-pulsed lasers with certain pulse width, wavelength, and pulse rep rate frequency.
Lei teaches a laser apparatus for itching semiconductors (Abstract, Laser apparatus for patterning electrical components) where the lasers are picosecond-pulsed lasers (Paragraph 30, Laser with pulse width in the Picosecond range), wherein the one or more picosecond-pulsed lasers produce a pulsed infrared laser (Paragraph 41, Laser with wavelength in Infrared) having a wavelength of about 1 micrometer (Paragraph 50, Laser Sources have a wavelength approximately in the range of 1570 nanometers to 200 nanometers or 1.57 Micrometer to 0.2 micrometer) with a laser pulse width of about 15 nanoseconds or less (Paragraph 50, laser sources have a pulse width approximately in the range of 10 femtoseconds to 500 femtoseconds or 0.00001 nanosecond to 0.0005 nanosecond) and a pulse rep rate frequency of about 100 kHz or greater (Paragraph 51, the laser source has a pulse repetition rate approximately in the range of 200 kHz to 10 MHz).
Lei teaches the claimed invention except that the ranges do not match. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the workable ranges, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art and modifying the range of the wavelength. pulse width, and pulse rep rate frequency the Laser operates at would allow for emission of an optimal laser beam. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. MPEP 2144.05-II.
Furthermore, since applicants have not disclosed that these modifications solve any stated problem or are for any particular purpose and it appears that the device would perform equally well with either designs, these modifications are a matter of design choice. Absent a teaching as to criticality that the range of the wavelength. pulse width, and pulse rep rate frequency the Laser operates at. This particular arrangement is deemed to have been known by those skilled in the art since the instant specification and evidence of record fail to attribute any significance (novel or unexpected results) to a particular arrangement. In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553,555,188 USPQ 7, 9 (CCPA 1975). MPEP 2144.05.
Zhang in view of Lei fails to teach a transition region is adjacent to an edge of the flexible conductive substrate where the film stack transitions from a nominal thickness to no thickness.
Herle teaches a lithium-containing anodes for batteries (Paragraph 2, Batteries) where the transition region is adjacent to an edge of the flexible conductive substrate (Figure 2 and Paragraph 44, Transition region where the anode films 170a, made from lithium, is close to the edge of current collector 160) where the film stack transitions from a nominal thickness to no thickness (Figure 2 and Paragraph 44, Transition region where the anode films 170a, made from lithium, goes from having a thickness to no thickness).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Zhang in view of Badding flexible conductive substrate with no transition region with Herle’s flexible conductive substrate as both are used in processes of manufacturing lithium-ion batteries (MPEP 2141.06).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 6-8, filed January 5th, 2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 1 and 20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of Badding and Herle.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/HAMZEH HICHAM AMIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/IBRAHIME A ABRAHAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761